Then Joshua called
the Reubenites
, and the Gadites
, and the half
tribe
of Manasseh
,
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:
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
.
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
.
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
.
So Joshua blessed
them, and sent them away
: and they went
unto their tents
.
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,
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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.
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
,
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
.
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
,
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
?
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
,
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
,
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
,)
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 ;
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
?
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
.
Therefore we said, Let us now prepare
to build
us an altar
, not for burnt offering
, nor for sacrifice
:
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
.
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.
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
.
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.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.