Joshua 22

Tribes beyond Jordan Return

11ThenH227 JoshuaH3091 summonedH7121 the ReubenitesH7206 and the GaditesH1425 and the half-tribeH2677H4294 of ManassehH4519, 2and saidH559 to them, “You have keptH8104 allH3605 that MosesH4872 the servantH5650 of the LordH3068 commandedH6680 you, 2and have listenedH8085 to my voiceH6963 in allH3605 that I commandedH6680 you. 3You have not forsakenH5800 your brothersH251 theseH2088 manyH7227 daysH3117 to thisH2088 dayH3117, but have keptH8104 the chargeH4931 of the commandmentH4687 of the LordH3068 your GodH430. 4And nowH6258 3the LordH3068 your GodH430 has givenH5117 restH5117 to your brothersH251, as He spokeH1696 to them; therefore turnH6437 nowH6258 and goH1980 to your tentsH168, to the landH776 of your possessionH272, whichH834 MosesH4872 the servantH5650 of the LordH3068 gaveH5414 you beyondH5676 the JordanH3383. 5OnlyH7534 be veryH3966 carefulH8104 to observeH6213 the commandmentH4687 and the lawH8451 whichH834 MosesH4872 the servantH5650 of the LordH3068 commandedH6680 you, to 4loveH157 the LordH3068 your GodH430 and walkH1980 in allH3605 His waysH1870 and keepH8104 His commandmentsH4687 and holdH1692 fastH1692 to Him and serveH5647 Him 5with allH3605 your heartH3824 and with allH3605 your soulH5315.” 6So JoshuaH3091 6blessedH1288 them and sentH7971 them awayH7971, and they wentH1980 to their tentsH168.

7Now 7to the one half-tribeH2677H7626 of ManassehH4519 MosesH4872 had givenH5414 a possession in BashanH1316, but 8to the other halfH2677 JoshuaH3091 gaveH5414 a possession amongH5973 their brothersH251 westwardH3220 beyondH5676 the JordanH3383. So whenH3588 JoshuaH3091 sentH7971 them awayH7971 to their tentsH168, he blessedH1288 them, 8and saidH559 to 9them, “ReturnH7725 to your tentsH168 with greatH7227 richesH5233 and with veryH3966 muchH7227 livestockH4735, with silverH3701, goldH2091, bronzeH5178, ironH1270, and with veryH3966 manyH7235 clothesH8008; 10divideH2505 the spoilH7998 of your enemiesH340 with your brothersH251.” 9The sonsH1121 of ReubenH7205 and the sonsH1121 of GadH1410 and the half-tribeH2677H7626 of ManassehH4519 returnedH7725 home and departedH1980 from the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 at ShilohH7887 whichH834 is in the landH776 of CanaanH3667, to goH1980 to the 11landH776 of GileadH1568, to the landH776 of their possessionH272 whichH834 they had possessedH270, accordingH5921 to the 12commandH6310 of the LordH3068 13throughH3027 MosesH4872.

The Offensive Altar

10When they cameH935 to the regionH1552 of the JordanH3383 whichH834 is in the landH776 of CanaanH3667, the sonsH1121 of ReubenH7205 and the sonsH1121 of GadH1410 and the half-tribeH2677H7626 of ManassehH4519 builtH1129 an altarH4196 thereH8033 by the JordanH3383, a largeH1419 altarH4196 in appearanceH4758. 11And the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 heardH8085 it 14saidH559, “BeholdH2009, the sonsH1121 of ReubenH7205 and the sonsH1121 of GadH1410 and the half-tribeH2677H7626 of ManassehH4519 have 15builtH1129 an altarH4196 at the 16frontierH4136 of the landH776 of CanaanH3667, in the regionH1552 of the JordanH3383, on the sideH5676 belonging to the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478.” 12When the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 heardH8085 of it, the wholeH3605 congregationH5712 of the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 gatheredH6950 themselves at 17ShilohH7887 to goH5927 up againstH5921 them in warH6635.

13Then the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 sentH7971 to the sonsH1121 of ReubenH7205 and to the sonsH1121 of GadH1410 and to the half-tribeH2677H7626 of ManassehH4519, into the landH776 of GileadH1568, 18PhinehasH6372 the sonH1121 of EleazarH499 the priestH3548, 14and with him tenH6235 chiefsH5387, oneH259 chiefH5387 for each father’sH1 householdH1004 from eachH3605 of the tribesH4294 of IsraelH3478; and 19eachH376 oneH376 of them was the headH7218 of his father’sH1 householdH1004 among the 20thousandsH505 of IsraelH3478. 15They cameH935 to the sonsH1121 of ReubenH7205 and to the sonsH1121 of GadH1410 and to the half-tribeH2677H7626 of ManassehH4519, to the landH776 of GileadH1568, and they spokeH1696 with them sayingH559, 16“ThusH3541 saysH559 the wholeH3605 congregationH5712 of the LordH3068, ‘WhatH4100 is thisH2088 unfaithfulH4604 actH4604 whichH834 you have committedH4603 against the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, turningH7725 awayH7725 from followingH310 the LordH3068 this dayH3117, by 21buildingH1129 yourselves an altarH4196, to rebelH4775 against the LordH3068 this dayH3117? 17Is not 22the iniquityH5771 of PeorH6465 23enoughH4592 for us, from whichH834 we have not cleansedH2891 ourselves to thisH2088 dayH3117, although a plagueH5063 cameH1961 on the congregationH5712 of the LordH3068, 18that you must turnH7725 awayH7725 this dayH3117 from followingH310 the LordH3068? If you rebelH4775 against the LordH3068 todayH3117, 24He will be angryH7107 with the wholeH3605 congregationH5712 of IsraelH3478 tomorrowH4279. 19IfH518, howeverH389, the landH776 of your possessionH272 is uncleanH2931, then 25crossH5674 into the landH776 of the possessionH272 of the LordH3068, whereH834H8033 the Lord’sH3068 tabernacleH4908 26standsH7931, and takeH270 possessionH270 amongH8432 us. Only do not rebelH4775 against the LordH3068, or rebelH4775 againstH854 us by 27buildingH1129 an altarH4196 for yourselves, besidesH4480H1107 the altarH4196 of the LordH3068 our GodH430. 20Did not 28AchanH5912 the sonH1121 of ZerahH2226 actH4603 unfaithfullyH4604 in the thingsH2764 underH2764 the banH2764, and wrathH7110 fallH1961 on allH3605 the congregationH5712 of IsraelH3478? And that manH376 did not perishH1478 aloneH259 in his iniquityH5771.’”

21Then the sonsH1121 of ReubenH7205 and the sonsH1121 of GadH1410 and the half-tribeH2677H7626 of ManassehH4519 answeredH6030 and spokeH1696 to the headsH7218 of the 29familiesH505 of IsraelH3478. 22“The 30MightyH410 OneH410, GodH430, the LordH3068, the MightyH410 OneH410, GodH430, the LordH3068! 31He knowsH3045, and may IsraelH3478 itselfH1931 knowH3045. IfH518 it was in rebellionH4777, or ifH518 in an unfaithfulH4604 actH4604 against the LordH3068 do not saveH3467 us thisH2088 dayH3117! 23If we have builtH1129 us an altarH4196 to turnH7725 awayH7725 from followingH310 the LordH3068, or ifH518 to 32offerH5927 a burntH5930 offeringH5930 or grain offeringH4503 on it, or ifH518 to offerH6213 sacrificesH2077 of peaceH8002 offeringsH8002 on it, may the LordH3068 HimselfH1931 requireH1245 it. 24But trulyH518H3808 we have doneH6213 thisH2088 out of concernH1674, 33for a reasonH1697, sayingH559, ‘In timeH4279 to comeH4279 your sonsH1121 may sayH559 to our 34sonsH1121, “WhatH4100 have you to do with the LordH3068, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478? 25For the LordH3068 has madeH5414 the JordanH3383 a borderH1366 betweenH996 us and you, you sonsH1121 of ReubenH7205 and sonsH1121 of GadH1410; you haveH369 noH369 portionH2506 in the LordH3068.” So your sonsH1121 may make our sonsH1121 stopH1115 fearingH3372 the LordH3068.’

26“Therefore we saidH559, ‘Let us 35buildH6213H1129 an altarH4196, not for burntH5930 offeringH5930 or for sacrificeH2077; 27ratherH3588 it shall be 36a witnessH5707 betweenH996 us and you and betweenH996 our generationsH1755 afterH310 us, that we are to 37performH5647 the serviceH5656 of the LordH3068 beforeH6440 Him with our burntH5930 offeringsH5930, and with our sacrificesH2077 and with our peaceH8002 offeringsH8002, soH3808 that your sonsH1121 will not sayH559 to our sonsH1121 in timeH4279 to comeH4279, “You haveH369 noH369 portionH2506 in the LordH3068.”’ 28Therefore we saidH559, ‘It shall also comeH1961 about ifH3588 they sayH559 this to us or to our generationsH1755 in timeH4279 to comeH4279, then we shall sayH559, “SeeH7200 the copyH8403 of the altarH4196 of the LordH3068 whichH834 our fathersH1 madeH6213, not for burntH5930 offeringH5930 or for sacrificeH2077; ratherH3588 it is a witnessH5707 betweenH996 us and you.”’ 29FarH2486 be it from us that we should rebelH4775 against the LordH3068 and turnH7725 awayH7725 from followingH310 the LordH3068 this dayH3117, by 38buildingH1129 an altarH4196 for burntH5930 offeringH5930, for grain offeringH4503 or for sacrificeH2077, besidesH4480H905 the altarH4196 of the LordH3068 our GodH430 whichH834 is beforeH6440 His 39tabernacleH4908.”

30So when PhinehasH6372 the priestH3548 and the leadersH5387 of the congregationH5712, even the headsH7218 of the 40familiesH505 of IsraelH3478 whoH834 were with him, heardH8085 the wordsH1697 whichH834 the sonsH1121 of ReubenH7205 and the sonsH1121 of GadH1410 and the sonsH1121 of ManassehH4519 spokeH1696, it pleasedH3190H5869 them. 31And PhinehasH6372 the sonH1121 of EleazarH499 the priestH3548 saidH559 to the sonsH1121 of ReubenH7205 and to the sonsH1121 of GadH1410 and to the sonsH1121 of ManassehH4519, “TodayH3117 we knowH3045 that the 41LordH3068 is in our midstH8432, becauseH834 you have not committedH4603 thisH2088 unfaithfulH4604 actH4604 against the LordH3068; nowH227 you have deliveredH5337 the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 from the handH3027 of the LordH3068.”

32Then PhinehasH6372 the sonH1121 of EleazarH499 the priestH3548 and the leadersH5387 returnedH7725 from the sonsH1121 of ReubenH7205 and from the sonsH1121 of GadH1410, from the landH776 of GileadH1568 to the landH776 of CanaanH3667, to the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478, and broughtH7725 backH7725 wordH1697 to them. 33The wordH1697 pleasedH3190H5869 the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478, and the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 42blessedH1288 GodH430; and they did not speakH559 of goingH5927 up againstH5921 them in warH6635 to destroyH7843 the landH776 in whichH834 the sonsH1121 of ReubenH7205 and the sonsH1121 of GadH1410 were livingH3427. 34The sonsH1121 of ReubenH7205 and the sonsH1121 of GadH1410 43calledH7121 the altarH4196 Witness; “For,” they said, “it is a witnessH5707 betweenH996 us that the LordH3068 is GodH430.”