22:1 Then Joshua called together the sons of
Ruben, and the sons of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasse,
22:2 and said to them, Ye have heard all that Moses the servant of Yehovah
commanded you, and ye have hearkened to my voice in all that he commanded
you.
22:3 Ye have not deserted your brethren these many days: until this day ye
have kept the commandment of Yehovah your Elohim.
22:4 And now Yehovah our Elohim has given our brethren rest, as he told them:
now then return and depart to your homes, and to the land of your
possession, which Moses gave you on the other side Jordan.
22:5 But take great heed to do the commands and the law, which Moses the
servant of Yehovah commanded you to do; to love Yehovah our Elohim, to walk
in all his ways, to keep hi commands, and to cleave to him, and serve him
with all your mind, and with all your soul.
22:6 And Joshua blessed them, and dismissed them; and they went to their
homes.
22:7 And to [one] half the tribe of Manasse Moses gave a portion in the land
of Basan, and to [the other] half Joshua gave a portion with his brethren on
the other side of Jordan westward: and when Joshua sent them away to their
homes, then he blessed them.
22:8 And they departed with much wealth to their houses, and they divided
the spoil of their enemies with their brethren; very much cattle, and
silver, and gold, and iron, and much raiment.
22:9 So the sons of Ruben, and the sons of Gad, and the half tribe of
Manasse, departed from the children of Israel in Selo in the land of Chanaan,
to go away into Galaad, into the land of their possession, which they
inherited by the command of Yehovah, by the hand of Moses.
22:10 And they came to Galaad of Jordan, which is in the land of Chanaan:
and the children of Ruben, and the children of Gad, and the half tribe of
Manasse built there an alter by Jordan, a great altar to look at.
22:11 And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the sons of Ruben, and
the sons of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasse have built an alter at the
borders of the land of Chanaan at Galaad of Jordan, on the opposite side to
the children of Israel.
22:12 And all the children of Israel gathered together to Selo, so as to go
up and fight against them.
22:13 And the children of Israel sent to the sons of Ruben, and the sons of
Gad, and to the sons of the half tribe of Manasse into the land of Galaad,
both Phinees the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest,
22:14 and ten of the chiefs with him; [there was] one chief of every
household out of all the tribes of Israel; (the heads of families are the
captains of thousands in Israel.)
22:15 And they came to the sons of Ruben, and to the sons of Gad, and to the
half tribe of Manasse into the land of Galaad; and they spoke to them,
saying,
22:16 Thus says the whole congregation of Yehovah, What [is] this
transgression that ye have transgressed before the Elohim of Israel, to turn
away today from Yehovah, in that ye have built for yourselves an alter, so
that ye should be apostates from Yehovah?
22:17 Is the sin of Phogor too little for you, whereas we have not been
cleansed from it until this day, though there was a plague among the
congregation of Yehovah?
22:18 And ye have this day revolted from Yehovah; and it shall come to pass
if ye revolt this day from Yehovah, that to-morrow there shall be wrath
upon all Israel.
22:19 And now if the land of your possession [be too] little, cross over to
the land of the possession of Yehovah, where the tabernacle of Yehovah
dwells, and receive ye an inheritance among us; and do not become apostates
from Elohim, neither do ye apostatize from Yehovah, because of your having
built an altar apart from the altar of Yehovah our Elohim.
22:20 Lo! did not Achar the [son] of Zara commit a trespass [taking] of the
accursed thing, and there was wrath on the whole congregation of Israel? and
he himself died alone in his own sin.
22:21 And the sons of Ruben, and the sons of Gad, and the half tribe of
Manasse answered, and spoke to the captains of the thousands of Israel,
saying,
22:22 Elohim [even] Elohim is Yehovah, and Elohim [even] Elohim himself knows, and
Israel he shall know; if we have transgressed before Yehovah by apostasy,
let him not deliver us this day.
22:23 And if we have built to ourselves an altar, so as to apostatize from
Yehovah our Elohim, so as to offer upon it a sacrifice of
whole-burnt-offerings, so as to offer upon it a sacrifice of
peace-offering,-- Yehovah shall require it.
22:24 But we have done this for the sake of precaution [concerning this]
thing, saying, Lest hereafter your sons should say to our sons, What have ye
to do with Yehovah Elohim of Israel?
22:25 Whereas Yehovah has set boundaries between us and you, even Jordan,
and ye have no portion in Yehovah: so your sons shall alienate our sons,
that they should not worship Yehovah.
2226 And we gave orders to do thus, to build this altar, not for
burnt-offerings, nor for meat-offerings;
22:27 but that this may be a witness between you and us, and between our
posterity after us, that we may do service to Yehovah before him, with our
burnt-offerings and our meat-offerings and our peace-offerings: so your sons
shall not say to our sons, hereafter, Ye have no portion in Yehovah.
22:28 And we said, If ever it should come to pass that they should speak
[so] to us, or to our posterity hereafter; then shall they say, Behold the
likeness of the altar of Yehovah, which our fathers made, not for the sake
of burnt-offerings, nor for the sake of meat-offerings, but it is a witness
between you and us, and between our sons.
22:29 Far be it from us therefore that we should turn away from Yehovah
this day so as to apostatize from Yehovah, so as that we should build an
altar for burnt-offerings, and for peace-offerings, besides the altar of the
Lord which is before his tabernacle.
22:30 And Phinees the priest and all the chiefs of the congregation of
Israel who were with him heard the words which the children of Ruben, and
the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasse spoke; and it pleased
them.
22:31 And Phinees the priest said to the sons of Ruben, and to the sons of
Gad, and to the half of the tribe of Manasse, To-day we know that Yehovah
[is] with us, because ye have not trespassed grievously against Yehovah,
and because ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the
Lord.
22:32 So Phinees the priest and the princes departed from the children of
Ruben, and from the children of Gad, and from the half tribe of Manasse out
of Galaad into the land of Chanaan to the children of Israel; and reported
the words to them.
22:33 And it pleased the children of Israel; and they spoke to the children
of Israel, and blessed the Elohim of the children of Israel, and told them to
go up no more to war against the others to destroy the land of the children
of Ruben, and the children of Gad, and he half tribe of Manasse: so they
dwelt upon it.
22:34 And Joshua gave a name to the altar of the children of Ruben, and the
children of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasse; and said, It is a testimony
in the midst of them, that Yehovah is their Elohim. |
22:1 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and
the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh,
22:2 And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of Yehovah
commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you:
22:3 Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have
kept the charge of the commandment of Yehovah your Elohim.
22:4 And now Yehovah your Elohim 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 Yehovah gave
you on the other side Jordan.
22:5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses
the servant of Yehovah charged you, to love Yehovah your Elohim, 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.
22:6 So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away: and they went unto their
tents.
22:7 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,
22:8 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.
22:9 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 Yehovah by the hand of Moses.
22:10 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.
22:11 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.
22:12 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.
22:13 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,
22:14 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.
22:15 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,
22:16 Thus saith the whole congregation of Yehovah, What trespass is this
that ye have committed against the Elohim of Israel, to turn away this day from
following Yehovah, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might
rebel this day against Yehovah?
22:17 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
Yehovah,
22:18 But that ye must turn away this day from following Yehovah? and it
will be, seeing ye rebel to day against Yehovah, that to morrow he will be
wroth with the whole congregation of Israel.
22:19 Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass
ye over unto the land of the possession of Yehovah, wherein Yehovah's
tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the
Yehovah, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the
Yehovah our Elohim.
22:20 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.
22:21 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,
22:22 Yehovah Elohim of gods, Yehovah Elohim of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he
shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against Yehovah,
(save us not this day,)
22:23 That we have built us an altar to turn from following Yehovah, or if
to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace
offerings thereon, let Yehovah himself require it;
22:24 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 Yehovah Elohim of Israel?
22:25 For Yehovah hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children
of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in Yehovah: so shall your
children make our children cease from fearing Yehovah.
22:26 Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for
burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:
22:27 But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations
after us, that we might do the service of Yehovah 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
Yehovah.
22:28 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 Yehovah, which our fathers made, not for burnt
offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you.
22:29 Elohim forbid that we should rebel against Yehovah, and turn this day
from following Yehovah, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat
offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of Yehovah our Elohim that is
before his tabernacle.
22:30 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.
22:31 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 Yehovah is among us, because ye have not committed
this trespass against Yehovah: now ye have delivered the children of Israel
out of the hand of Yehovah.
22:32 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.
22:33 And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of
Israel blessed Elohim, and did not intend to go up against them in battle, to
destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.
22:34 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar
Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that Yehovah is Elohim. |