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Joshua Sends Home the Eastern Tribes

22 Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh and told them: “You have carried out all the instructions of Moses the Lord’s servant, and you have obeyed all I have told you.[a] You have not abandoned your fellow Israelites[b] this entire time,[c] right up to this very day. You have completed the task given you by the Lord your God.[d] Now the Lord your God has made your fellow Israelites secure,[e] just as he promised them. So now you may turn around and go to your homes[f] in your own land[g] that Moses the Lord’s servant assigned to you east of the Jordan. But carefully obey the commands and instructions Moses the Lord’s servant gave you. Love[h] the Lord your God, follow all his instructions,[i] obey[j] his commands, be loyal to him,[k] and serve him with all your heart and being!”[l]

Joshua rewarded[m] them and sent them on their way; they returned to their homes.[n] (Now to one half-tribe of Manasseh, Moses had assigned land in Bashan; and to the other half Joshua had assigned land on the west side of the Jordan with their fellow Israelites.) When Joshua sent them home,[o] he rewarded[p] them, saying, “Take home[q] great wealth, a lot of cattle,[r] silver, gold, bronze, iron, and a lot of[s] clothing. Divide up the goods captured from your enemies with your brothers.” So the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites in Shiloh in the land of Canaan and headed home to their own land in Gilead,[t] which they acquired by the Lord’s command through Moses.

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 22:2 tn Heb “You have kept all which Moses, the Lord’s servant, commanded you, and you have listened to my voice, to all which I commanded you.”
  2. Joshua 22:3 tn Heb “your brothers” (also in vv. 4, 7), but this does not refer to siblings or necessarily even to relatives. It refers to the Israelites of the remaining tribes.
  3. Joshua 22:3 tn Heb “these many days.”
  4. Joshua 22:3 tn Heb “you have kept the charge of the command of the Lord your God.”
  5. Joshua 22:4 tn Heb “has given rest to your brothers.”
  6. Joshua 22:4 tn Heb “tents.”
  7. Joshua 22:4 tn Heb “the land of your possession.”
  8. Joshua 22:5 tn Heb “But be very careful to do the commandment and the law which Moses, the Lord’s servant, commanded you, to love.”
  9. Joshua 22:5 tn Heb “walk in all his paths.”
  10. Joshua 22:5 tn Or “keep.”
  11. Joshua 22:5 tn Heb “hug him.”
  12. Joshua 22:5 tn Or “soul.”
  13. Joshua 22:6 tn Heb “blessed.” However, see v. 8, where rewards are given.
  14. Joshua 22:6 tn Heb “and they went to their tents.”
  15. Joshua 22:7 tn Heb “to their tents.”
  16. Joshua 22:7 tn Heb “blessed.”
  17. Joshua 22:8 tn Heb “return to your tents with.”
  18. Joshua 22:8 tn Heb “very many cattle.”
  19. Joshua 22:8 tn Heb “very much clothing.”
  20. Joshua 22:9 tn Heb “returned and went from the sons of Israel, from Shiloh which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession.”

Eastern tribes go home

22 Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh. He said to them, “You obeyed everything that Moses the Lord’s servant commanded you. You have also obeyed me in everything that I have commanded you. During these many years, you never once deserted your fellow Israelites. You faithfully obeyed the command of the Lord your God. The Lord your God has now given rest to your fellow Israelites, exactly as he promised them. So turn around and go back home. Go to the land where you hold property, which Moses the Lord’s servant gave you on the other side of the Jordan. Just be very careful to carry out the commandment and Instruction that Moses the Lord’s servant commanded you. Love the Lord your God. Walk in all his ways and obey his commandments. Hold on to him and serve him with all your heart and being.” Then Joshua blessed them. He sent them away, and they went home.

Moses had provided for half of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. But Joshua provided for the other half on the west side of the Jordan along with their fellow Israelites. When he sent them back home, Joshua also blessed them. He said to them, “Return home with great wealth and many cattle, with silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and with much clothing. Divide the spoil taken from your enemies among your own people.”

Disagreement about an altar

So the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh went back. They left the Israelites at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. They went to the land of Gilead, to the land that they owned. They had settled there at the Lord’s command given by Moses.

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