Joshua 22:21-30

21Then the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered and spoke to the heads of the 1families of Israel. 22“The 2Mighty One, God, the Lord, the Mighty One, God, the Lord! 3He knows, and may Israel itself know. If it was in rebellion, or if in an unfaithful act against the Lord, do not save us this day! 23If we have built us an altar to turn away from following the Lord, or if to 4offer a burnt offering or grain offering on it, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings on it, may the Lord Himself 5demand it. 24But truly we have done this out of concern, 6for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your sons may say to our 7sons, “What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? 25For the Lord has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you sons of Reuben and sons of Gad; you have no portion in the Lord.” So your sons may make our sons stop fearing the Lord.’

26“Therefore we said, ‘Let’s 8build an altar, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice; 27rather, it shall be 9a witness between us and you and between our generations after us, that we are to 10perform the service of the Lord before Him with our burnt offerings, our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings, so that your sons will not say to our sons in time to come, “You have no portion in the Lord.”’ 28Therefore we said, ‘It shall also come about if they say this to us or to our generations in time to come, then we shall say, “See the copy of the altar of the Lord which our fathers made, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice; rather, it is a witness between us and you.”’ 29Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord and turn away from following the Lord this day, by 11building an altar for burnt offering, for grain offering, or for sacrifice, besides the altar of the Lord our God which is before His 12tabernacle.”

30So when Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the congregation, that is, the heads of the 13families of Israel who were with him, heard the words which the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the sons of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them.