1Then Joshua3091 called7121 the Reubenites7206, and the Gadites1425, and the half2677 tribe4294 of Manasseh4519,
2And said559 unto them, Ye have kept8104 all that Moses4872 the servant5650 of the LORD3068 commanded6680 you, and have obeyed8085 my voice6963 in all that I commanded6680 you:
3Ye have not left5800 your brethren251 these many7227 days3117 unto this day3117, but have kept8104 the charge4931 of the commandment4687 of the LORD3068 your God430.
4And now the LORD3068 your God430 hath given rest5117 unto your brethren251, as he promised1696 them: therefore now return6437 ye, and get3212 you unto your tents168, and unto the land776 of your possession272, which Moses4872 the servant5650 of the LORD3068 gave5414 you on the other side5676 Jordan3383.
5But take diligent3966 heed8104 to do6213 the commandment4687 and the law8451, which Moses4872 the servant5650 of the LORD3068 charged6680 you, to love157 the LORD3068 your God430, and to walk3212 in all his ways1870, and to keep8104 his commandments4687, and to cleave1692 unto him, and to serve5647 him with all your heart3824 and with all your soul5315.
6So Joshua3091 blessed1288 them, and sent them away7971: and they went3212 unto their tents168.
7Now to the one half2677 of the tribe7626 of Manasseh4519 Moses4872 had given5414 possession in Bashan1316: but unto the other half2677 thereof gave5414 Joshua3091 among5973 their brethren251 on this side5676 Jordan3383 westward3220. And when Joshua3091 sent them away7971 also unto their tents168, then he blessed1288 them,
8And he spake559 unto them, saying559, Return7725 with much7227 riches5233 unto your tents168, and with very3966 much7227 cattle4735, with silver3701, and with gold2091, and with brass5178, and with iron1270, and with very3966 much7235 raiment8008: divide2505 the spoil7998 of your enemies341 with your brethren251.
9And the children1121 of Reuben7205 and the children1121 of Gad1410 and the half2677 tribe7626 of Manasseh4519 returned7725, and departed3212 from the children1121 of Israel3478 out of Shiloh7887, which is in the land776 of Canaan3667, to go3212 unto the country776 of Gilead1568, to the land776 of their possession272, whereof they were possessed270, according to the word6310 of the LORD3068 by the hand3027 of Moses4872.
10And when they came935 unto the borders1552 of Jordan3383, that are in the land776 of Canaan3667, the children1121 of Reuben7205 and the children1121 of Gad1410 and the half2677 tribe7626 of Manasseh4519 built1129 there an altar4196 by Jordan3383, a great1419 altar4196 to see to4758.
11And the children1121 of Israel3478 heard8085 say559, Behold, the children1121 of Reuben7205 and the children1121 of Gad1410 and the half2677 tribe7626 of Manasseh4519 have built1129 an altar4196 over against4136 the land776 of Canaan3667, in the borders1552 of Jordan3383, at the passage5676 of the children1121 of Israel3478.
12And when the children1121 of Israel3478 heard8085 of it, the whole congregation5712 of the children1121 of Israel3478 gathered themselves together6950 at Shiloh7887, to go up5927 to war6635 against them.
13And the children1121 of Israel3478 sent7971 unto the children1121 of Reuben7205, and to the children1121 of Gad1410, and to the half2677 tribe7626 of Manasseh4519, into the land776 of Gilead1568, Phinehas6372 the son1121 of Eleazar499 the priest3548,
14And with him ten6235 princes5387, of each259 259 chief5387 5387 house1004 a prince1 throughout all the tribes4294 of Israel3478; and each one376 was an head7218 of the house1004 of their fathers1 among the thousands505 of Israel3478.
15And they came935 unto the children1121 of Reuben7205, and to the children1121 of Gad1410, and to the half2677 tribe7626 of Manasseh4519, unto the land776 of Gilead1568, and they spake1696 with them, saying559,
16Thus saith559 the whole congregation5712 of the LORD3068, What trespass4604 is this that ye have committed4603 against the God430 of Israel3478, to turn away7725 this day3117 from following310 the LORD3068, in that ye have builded1129 you an altar4196, that ye might rebel4775 this day3117 against the LORD3068?
17Is the iniquity5771 of Peor6465 too little4592 for us, from which we are not cleansed2891 until this day3117, although there was a plague5063 in the congregation5712 of the LORD3068,
18But that ye must turn away7725 this day3117 from following310 the LORD3068? and it will be, seeing ye rebel4775 to day3117 against the LORD3068, that to morrow4279 he will be wroth7107 with the whole congregation5712 of Israel3478.
19Notwithstanding389, if the land776 of your possession272 be unclean2931, then pass ye over5674 unto the land776 of the possession272 of the LORD3068, wherein the LORD'S3068 tabernacle4908 dwelleth7931, and take possession270 among8432 us: but rebel4775 not against the LORD3068, nor408 rebel4775 against us, in building1129 you an altar4196 beside1107 the altar4196 of the LORD3068 our God430.
20Did not Achan5912 the son1121 of Zerah2226 commit4603 a trespass4604 in the accursed thing2764, and wrath7110 fell1961 on all the congregation5712 of Israel3478? and that man376 perished1478 not alone259 in his iniquity5771.
21Then the children1121 of Reuben7205 and the children1121 of Gad1410 and the half2677 tribe7626 of Manasseh4519 answered6030, and said1696 unto the heads7218 of the thousands505 of Israel3478,
22The LORD3068 God410 of gods430, the LORD3068 God410 of gods430, he knoweth3045, and Israel3478 he shall know3045; if it be in rebellion4777, or if in transgression4604 against the LORD3068, (save3467 us not this day3117,)
23That we have built1129 us an altar4196 to turn7725 from following310 the LORD3068, or if to offer5927 thereon burnt offering5930 or meat offering4503, or if to offer6213 peace8002 offerings2077 thereon, let the LORD3068 himself require1245 it;
24And if we have not rather done6213 it for fear1674 of this thing1697, saying559, In time to come4279 your children1121 might speak559 unto our children1121, saying559, What have ye to do with the LORD3068 God430 of Israel3478?
25For the LORD3068 hath made5414 Jordan3383 a border1366 between us and you, ye children1121 of Reuben7205 and children1121 of Gad1410; ye have no part2506 in the LORD3068: so shall your children1121 make7673 our children1121 cease7673 from1115 fearing3372 the LORD3068.
26Therefore we said559, Let us now prepare6213 to build1129 us an altar4196, not for burnt offering5930, nor for sacrifice2077:
27But that it may be a witness5707 between us, and you, and our generations1755 after310 us, that we might do5647 the service5656 of the LORD3068 before6440 him with our burnt offerings5930, and with our sacrifices2077, and with our peace offerings8002; that your children1121 may not say559 to our children1121 in time to come4279, Ye have no part2506 in the LORD3068.
28Therefore said559 we, that it shall be, when they should so say559 to us or to our generations1755 in time to come4279, that we may say559 again, Behold7200 the pattern8403 of the altar4196 of the LORD3068, which our fathers1 made6213, not for burnt offerings5930, nor for sacrifices2077; but it is a witness5707 between us and you.
29God forbid2486 that we should rebel4775 against the LORD3068, and turn7725 this day3117 from following310 the LORD3068, to build1129 an altar4196 for burnt offerings5930, for meat offerings4503, or for sacrifices2077, beside the altar4196 of the LORD3068 our God430 that is before6440 his tabernacle4908.
30And when Phinehas6372 the priest3548, and the princes5387 of the congregation5712 and heads7218 of the thousands505 of Israel3478 which were with him, heard8085 the words1697 that the children1121 of Reuben7205 and the children1121 of Gad1410 and the children1121 of Manasseh4519 spake1696, it pleased3190 5869 them.
31And Phinehas6372 the son1121 of Eleazar499 the priest3548 said559 unto the children1121 of Reuben7205, and to the children1121 of Gad1410, and to the children1121 of Manasseh4519, This day3117 we perceive3045 that the LORD3068 is among8432 us, because ye have not committed4603 this trespass4604 against the LORD3068: now227 ye have delivered5337 the children1121 of Israel3478 out of the hand3027 of the LORD3068.
32And Phinehas6372 the son1121 of Eleazar499 the priest3548, and the princes5387, returned7725 from the children1121 of Reuben7205, and from the children1121 of Gad1410, out of the land776 of Gilead1568, unto the land776 of Canaan3667, to the children1121 of Israel3478, and brought7725 them word1697 again7725.
33And the thing1697 pleased3190 5869 the children1121 of Israel3478; and the children1121 of Israel3478 blessed1288 God430, and did not intend559 to go up5927 against them in battle6635, to destroy7843 the land776 wherein the children1121 of Reuben7205 and Gad1410 dwelt3427.
34And the children1121 of Reuben7205 and the children1121 of Gad1410 called7121 the altar4196 Ed: for it shall be a witness5707 between us that the LORD3068 is God430.