Joshua 22:13-32

13And 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, 14And 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.1

15And 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, 16Thus saith the whole congregation of Yhwh, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following Yhwh, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against Yhwh? 17Is 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 Yhwh, 18But that ye must turn away this day from following Yhwh? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to day against Yhwh, that to morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel. 19Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of Yhwh, wherein Yhwh's tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against Yhwh, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of Yhwh our God. 20Did 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.

21Then 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, 22Yhwh God of gods, Yhwh God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against Yhwh, (save us not this day,) 23That we have built us an altar to turn from following Yhwh, or if to offer thereon burnt offering or grain offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let Yhwh himself require it; 24And 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 Yhwh God of Israel?2 25For Yhwh hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in Yhwh: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing Yhwh. 26Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice: 27But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of Yhwh 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 Yhwh. 28Therefore 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 Yhwh, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you. 29God forbid that we should rebel against Yhwh, and turn this day from following Yhwh, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for grain offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of Yhwh our God that is before his tabernacle.

30And 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.3 31And 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 Yhwh is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against Yhwh: now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of Yhwh.4

32And 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.