| 1 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the
half-tribe of Manasseh, 2 and said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses
the servant of Jehovah commanded you, and have hearkened unto my voice in all
that I commanded you: 3 ye have not left your brethren these many days
unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of Jehovah your
God. 4 And now Jehovah your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he
spake unto them: therefore now turn ye, and get you unto your tents, unto the
land of your possession, which Moses the servant of Jehovah gave you beyond
the Jordan. 5 Only take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law
which Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded you, to love Jehovah your God,
and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto
him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. 6 So
Joshua blessed them, and sent them away; and they went unto their tents.
7 Now to the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given
inheritance in Bashan; but unto the other half gave Joshua among
their brethren beyond the Jordan westward; moreover when Joshua sent them
away unto their tents, he blessed them, 8 and spake unto them, saying,
Return with much wealth unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with
silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much
raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren. 9 And the
children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh
returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in
the land of Canaan, to go unto the land of Gilead, to the land of their
possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the commandment of
Jehovah by Moses.
10 And when they came unto the region about the Jordan, that is in the
land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the
half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, a great altar to
look upon. 11 And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the children
of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built
an altar in the forefront of the land of Canaan, in the region about the
Jordan, on the side that pertaineth to the children of Israel. 12 And when
the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of
Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up against them to
war.
13 And the children of Israel sent unto the children of Reuben, and to the
children of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead,
Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, 14 and with him ten princes, one
prince of a fathers' house for each of the tribes of Israel; and they were
every one of them head of their fathers' houses among the thousands of
Israel. 15 And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children
of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and they
spake with them, saying, 16 Thus saith the whole congregation of Jehovah,
What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to
turn away this day from following Jehovah, in that ye have builded you an
altar, to rebel this day against Jehovah? 17 Is the iniquity of Peor too
little for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves unto this day,
although there came a plague upon the congregation of Jehovah, 18 that ye
must turn away this day from following Jehovah? and it will be, seeing ye
rebel to-day against Jehovah, that to-morrow he will be wroth with the whole
congregation of Israel. 19 Howbeit, if the land of your possession be
unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of Jehovah,
wherein Jehovah's tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but
rebel not against Jehovah, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar
besides the altar of Jehovah our God. 20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah
commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath fell upon all the
congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.
21 Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe
of Manasseh answered, and spake unto the heads of the thousands of Israel,
22 The Mighty One, God, Jehovah, the Mighty One, God, Jehovah, he knoweth;
and Israel he shall know: if it be in rebellion, or if in trespass against
Jehovah (save thou us not this day,) 23 that we have built us an altar to
turn away from following Jehovah; or if to offer thereon burnt-offering or
meal-offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace-offerings thereon, let
Jehovah himself require it; 24 and if we have not rather out of
carefulness done this, and of purpose, saying, In time to come your
children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with
Jehovah, the God of Israel? 25 for Jehovah hath made the Jordan a border
between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no
portion in Jehovah: so might your children make our children cease from
fearing Jehovah. 26 Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an
altar, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice: 27 but it shall be a
witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we may
do the service of Jehovah before him with our burnt-offerings, and with our
sacrifices, and with our peace-offerings; that your children may not say to
our children in time to come, Ye have no portion in Jehovah. 28 Therefore
said we, It shall be, when they so say to us or to our generations in time to
come, that we shall say, Behold the pattern of the altar of Jehovah, which
our fathers made, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice; but it is a
witness between us and you. 29 Far be it from us that we should rebel
against Jehovah, and turn away this day from following Jehovah, to build an
altar for burnt-offering, for meal-offering, or for sacrifice, besides the
altar of Jehovah our God that is before his tabernacle.
30 And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation, even
the heads of the thousands of Israel that were with him, heard the words that
the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh
spake, it pleased them well. 31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest
said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the
children of Manasseh, This day we know that Jehovah is in the midst of us,
because ye have not committed this trespass against Jehovah: now have ye
delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of Jehovah. 32 And
Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the
children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead,
unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word
again. 33 And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children
of Israel blessed God, and spake no more of going up against them to war, to
destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and the children of Gad
dwelt. 34 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the
altar Ed: For, said they, it is a witness between us that
Jehovah is God.
Genesis - Public
Domain
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