“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 the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed 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 the LORD your God. 4 And now the LORD your God hath
given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now
return ye, and get you unto your tents, [and] unto the land of your
possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the
other side Jordan. 5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment
and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to
love the LORD 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
of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given [possession] in Bashan: but
unto the [other] half thereof gave Joshua among their brethren on
this side Jordan westward. And when Joshua sent them away also unto
their tents, then he blessed them, 8 And he spake unto them, saying,
Return with much riches 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 country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof
they were possessed, according to the word of the LORD by the hand
of Moses.”
“10 And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that [are] 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 Jordan, a
great altar to see to. 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 over against the land of
Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of 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 to war against them. 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, of each
chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each
one [was] an head of the house of their fathers 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 the LORD, What trespass [is] this that ye have
committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from
following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye
might rebel this day against the LORD? 17 [Is] the iniquity of Peor
too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day,
although there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD, 18 But
that ye must turn away this day from following the LORD? and it will
be, [seeing] ye rebel to day against the LORD, that to morrow he
will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel. 19
Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession [be] unclean, [then]
pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, wherein
the LORD’S tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but
rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building you an
altar beside the altar of the LORD our God. 20 Did not Achan the son
of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on
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 said unto the heads of the
thousands of Israel, 22 The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods,
he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if [it be] in rebellion, or if
in transgression against the LORD, (save us not this day,) 23 That
we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD, or if to
offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace
offerings thereon, let the LORD himself require [it]; 24 And if we
have not [rather] done it for fear of [this] thing, saying, In time
to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What
have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel? 25 For the LORD hath made
Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and
children of Gad; ye have no part in the LORD: so shall your children
make our children cease from fearing the LORD. 26 Therefore we said,
Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor
for sacrifice: 27 But [that] it [may be] a witness between us, and
you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of
the LORD 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 part in the LORD. 28
Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should [so] say to us
or to our generations in time to come, that we may say [again],
Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made,
not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it [is] a witness
between us and you. 29 God forbid that we should rebel against the
LORD, and turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar
for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside
the altar of the LORD our God that [is] before his tabernacle.”
“30 And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the
congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which [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. 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 perceive that the LORD [is] among us, because ye have
not committed this trespass against the LORD: now ye have delivered
the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD. 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 did not intend
to go up against them in battle, to destroy the land wherein the
children of Reuben and Gad dwelt. 34 And the children of Reuben and
the children of Gad called the altar [Ed]: for it [shall be] a
witness between us that the LORD [is] God.” (Joshua 22:1-34 AV)
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