Joshua 22

1Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh.

2He said to them, "You have observed all that Moses, Yahweh's servant, charged you with, and you have heeded my voice in all that I charged you."

3You have not forsaken your brothers these many days until this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of Yahweh your God.

4Now Yahweh your God has given your brothers rest, as he spoke to them; so now return and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave you beyond the Jordan.

5Only take great care to carry out the commandment and the law that Moses, Yahweh's servant, commanded you: to love Yahweh your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, to cling to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.

6Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

7Moses gave Bashan to one half of the tribe of Manasseh, but Joshua gave the other half a place among their brothers beyond the Jordan to the west; and when Joshua sent them to their tents, he also blessed them.

8He said to them, "Return to your tents with great wealth, very abundant livestock, silver, gold, bronze, iron, and abundant clothing. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers."

9The sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh turned back and set out from the sons of Israel out of Shiloh, which lies in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession—which they had seized there—according to the word of Yahweh by Moses' hand.

10They came to the Jordan's border regions, which lie in the land of Canaan, and there the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh built an altar beside the Jordan—a great altar to behold.

11The sons of Israel heard it said, "Look, the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh have built an altar opposite the land of Canaan, in the Jordan borderlands, on the side toward the sons of Israel."

12When the sons of Israel heard, the entire assembly of the sons of Israel gathered at Shiloh to advance against them for battle.

13The sons of Israel sent Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the sons of Reuben, to the sons of Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead.

14And ten chiefs with him, one chief of a father's house for every tribe of Israel; and each man was a head of their fathers' house among the thousands of Israel.

15They came to the sons of Reuben, to the sons of Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and spoke with them, saying,

16Thus says the whole congregation of Yahweh, "What is this trespass that you have committed against the God of Israel, turning away today from following Yahweh by building yourselves an altar to rebel against Yahweh today?"

17Is Peor's guilt too slight for us, from which we have not purged ourselves even to this day, and a plague struck Yahweh's assembly?

18that you turn away today from following Yahweh? If you rebel against Yahweh today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.

19But if the land of your possession is defiled, cross over to the land of Yahweh's possession, where the tabernacle of Yahweh dwells, and take possession among us; do not rebel against Yahweh, nor rebel against us, by building an altar for yourselves apart from the altar of Yahweh our God.

20Did not Achan son of Zerah commit treachery in the devoted things, and anger come upon the whole congregation of Israel? That one man did not die alone in his iniquity.

21The sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered and spoke to the heads of Israel's thousands.

22God of gods, Yahweh, God of gods, Yahweh—he knows; and Israel shall know: if it be in rebellion, or if in treachery against Yahweh, do not save us this day.

23that we built an altar for ourselves to turn away from following Yahweh, or if to offer a burnt offering or grain offering on it, or if to present peace offerings on it to Yahweh, he himself will require it.

24But if we have not done this out of fear over a matter, saying, “In the future your children might say to our children, ‘What do you have to do with Yahweh, God of Israel?’”

25Yahweh has set the Jordan as a border between us and you, sons of Reuben and sons of Gad; you have no portion in Yahweh, so your sons might cause our sons to cease fearing Yahweh.

26So we said, “Let us now build ourselves an altar—not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice.”

27But it is a witness between us and you and our generations after us, that we may perform the service of Yahweh before him with our burnt offerings, our sacrifices, and our peace offerings, lest your children say to our children in the future, “You have no portion in Yahweh.”

28We said, “When they speak to us or our descendants in days to come, we will reply, ‘See the likeness of Yahweh’s altar that our fathers built—not for burnt offering or sacrifice, but as a witness between us and you.’”

29Far be it from us to rebel against Yahweh and turn from following him today, to build an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, apart from the altar of Yahweh our God that stands before his tabernacle.

30When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the assembly, the chiefs of Israel's thousands who were with him, heard the words that the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the sons of Manasseh spoke, it seemed right to them.

31Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest said to the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the sons of Manasseh, "Today we know that Yahweh is among us, because you have not committed this treachery against Yahweh. Now you have rescued the sons of Israel from the hand of Yahweh."

32Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest and the chiefs returned from the sons of Reuben and from the sons of Gad out of the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the sons of Israel, and brought them back word.

33The matter was good in the sight of the sons of Israel, and the sons of Israel blessed God, and they did not speak of going up against them in battle to destroy the land wherein the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad dwelt.

34The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad called the altar Witness, for it is a witness between us that Yahweh is God.