Add parallel Print Page Options

The Tribes East of the Jordan

22 Later, Joshua called together the descendants of Reuben, the descendants of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh and told them, “You have done everything that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and you have listened to me in everything that I commanded you. You haven’t abandoned your relatives these past days to the present, and you have met the obligation contained in[a] the commands of the Lord your God. Now the Lord has given peace[b] to your relatives, just as he told them. Therefore, proceed to your tents—to the land that is yours to possess—that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of[c] the Jordan River. Only be very careful to keep the commands and the Law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you—that is,[d] to love the Lord your God, to follow in all of his ways, to keep his commands, to stay close to him, and to serve him with all your heart and soul.” That’s how Joshua blessed them. Then he sent them on their way and they returned to their tents.

Now Moses had made an allotment in Bashan to one half-tribe of Manasseh, but Joshua made an allotment west of the Jordan River to the other half-tribe of their relatives. So when Joshua sent them on their way back to their tents, he also blessed them by saying “Return to your tents with great wealth, plenty of livestock, silver, gold, bronze, iron, and lots of clothing. Divide the spoil from your enemies among your relatives.”

The descendants of Reuben, the descendants of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh went back to the land of Gilead, leaving the Israelis at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, for their territorial possession that they had inherited in accordance with the command of the Lord given through Moses.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 22:3 The Heb. lacks contained in
  2. Joshua 22:4 Lit. rest
  3. Joshua 22:4 Lit. you beyond
  4. Joshua 22:5 The Heb. lacks that is

The Eastern Tribes Return

22 Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and he said to them, “You have observed all that Moses Yahweh’s servant commanded you, and you have listened[a] to my voice in all that I have commanded you; you have not forsaken your kinsmen[b] these many days, up to this day, and you have observed the obligation of the command of Yahweh your God. So then, Yahweh your God has given rest to your kinsmen,[c] just as he promised them; so then, turn and go to your tents to the land of your possession, which Moses Yahweh’s servant gave to you beyond the Jordan. Only be very careful to observe the commandment and law that Moses Yahweh’s servant commanded you, to love Yahweh your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, to hold fast to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”[d] And Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents. And to the half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half Joshua had given a possession with their kinsmen[e] beyond the Jordan to the west; and when Joshua sent them to their tents and blessed them, he said to them, “Return to your tents with much wealth, and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, copper, iron, and with very much clothing; divide the war-booty of your enemies with your kinsmen.”[f] So the descendants[g] of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home and departed with the Israelites[h] at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead to the land of their possession, which they had acquired according to the command of Yahweh[i] through the hand of Moses.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 22:2 Or “you have obeyed”
  2. Joshua 22:3 Or “brothers”
  3. Joshua 22:4 Or “brothers”
  4. Joshua 22:5 Or “inner self”
  5. Joshua 22:7 Or “brothers”
  6. Joshua 22:8 Or “brothers”
  7. Joshua 22:9 Or “sons”
  8. Joshua 22:9 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  9. Joshua 22:9 Literally “on the mouth of Yahweh”