Joshua 22

1 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh,

At that time Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.

2 and said to them, "You have kept all that Moses the servant of YHWH commanded you, and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you.

He said to them, “You have done everything that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you. You have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you.

3 You have not left your brothers these many days to this day, but have performed the duty of the commandment of YHWH your God.

You have not deserted your brothers these many days, down to this present day, and you have fulfilled the duties required by the commandments of Yahweh your God.

4 Now YHWH your God has given rest to your brothers, as he spoke to them. Therefore now return and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of YHWH gave you beyond the Jordan.

Now Yahweh your God has given rest to your brothers, just as he promised them. Therefore turn and go to your tents in the land you own, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave you on the other side of the Jordan.

5 Only take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of YHWH commanded you, to love YHWH your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, to hold fast to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Just be very careful to observe the commandments and the law that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you, to love Yahweh your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, and to cling to him and worship him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

6 So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away; and they went to their tents.

So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went back to their tents.

7 Now to the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given inheritance in Bashan; but to the other half gave Joshua among their brothers beyond the Jordan westward. Moreover when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them,

Now to one-half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given an inheritance in Bashan, but to the other half Joshua gave an inheritance beside their brothers in the land west of the Jordan. Joshua sent them away to their tents; he blessed them

8 and spoke to them, saying, "Return with much wealth to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, with bronze, with iron, and with very much clothing. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers."

and said to them, “Return to your tents with much money, and with very much livestock, and with silver and gold, and with bronze and iron, and with very many garments. Divide the plunder from your enemies with your brothers.”

9 The descendants of Reuben and the descendants 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 to the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they owned, according to the commandment of YHWH by Moses.

So the descendants of Reuben, the descendants of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh returned home, leaving the people of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. They left to go to the region of Gilead, to their own land, which they themselves possessed, in obedience to the commandment of Yahweh, by the hand of Moses.

10 When they came to the region about the Jordan, that is in the land of Canaan, the descendants of Reuben and the descendants of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, a great altar to look at.

When they came to the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh built an altar beside the Jordan, a very large and prominent altar.

11 The children of Israel heard this, "Look, the descendants of Reuben and the descendants of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar in the forefront of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that pertains to the children of Israel."

The people of Israel heard about this and said, “Look! The people of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar at the front of the land of Canaan, at Geliloth, in the region near the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the people of Israel.”

12 When the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up against them to war.

When the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered together at Shiloh to go up to make war against them.

13 The children of Israel sent to the descendants of Reuben, and to the descendants of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,

Then the people of Israel sent messengers to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead. They also sent Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest,

14 and with him ten princes, one prince of a fathers' house for each of the tribes of Israel; and every one of them heads of ancestral houses among the thousands of Israel.

and with him ten leaders, one from each of the tribal families of Israel, and every one of them was the head of a family among the clan of Israel.

15 They came to the descendants of Reuben, and to the descendants of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying,

They came to the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they spoke to them:

16 "Thus says the whole congregation of YHWH, 'What trespass is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following YHWH, in that you have built you an altar, to rebel this day against YHWH?

“The whole assembly of Yahweh says this, 'What is this unfaithfulness that you have committed against the God of Israel, by turning this day from following Yahweh by building yourself an altar this day in rebellion against Yahweh?

17 Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, although there came a plague on the congregation of YHWH,

Was our sin at Peor not enough for us? Yet we have not even now cleansed ourselves from it. For that sin there came a plague on the assembly of Yahweh.

18 that you must turn away this day from following YHWH? It will be, seeing that you rebel today against YHWH, that tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.

Must you also turn away from following Yahweh at this present day? If you also rebel against Yahweh today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole assembly of Israel.

19 However, if the land of your possession is unclean, then pass over to the land of the possession of YHWH, in which YHWH's tabernacle dwells, and take possession among us; but do not rebel against YHWH, nor rebel against us, in building an altar other than the altar of YHWH our God.

If the land that you possess is defiled, then you should pass over into the land where Yahweh's tabernacle stands and take for yourselves a possession among us. Only do not rebel against Yahweh, nor rebel against us by building an altar for yourselves other than the altar of Yahweh our God.

20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? That man did not perish alone in his iniquity.'"

Did not Achan son of Zerah break faith in the matter of those things that had been reserved for God? Did not wrath fall on all the people of Israel? That man did not perish alone for his iniquity.'”

21 Then the descendants of Reuben and the descendants of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered, and spoke to the heads of the thousands of Israel,

Then the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh replied in answer to the heads of the clans of Israel:

22 "El, God, YHWH. El, God, YHWH. He knows; and Israel shall know. If it was in rebellion, or if in trespass against YHWH, do not save us this day,

“The Mighty One, God, Yahweh! The Mighty One, God, Yahweh!—He knows, and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against Yahweh, do not spare us on this day

23 that we have built us an altar to turn away from following YHWH; or if to offer burnt offering or meal offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings, let YHWH himself require it.

for having built an altar to turn ourselves away from following Yahweh. If we built that altar in order to offer on it burnt offerings, grain offerings, or peace offerings, then let Yahweh make us pay for it.

24 If we have not out of concern done this, and for a reason, saying, 'In time to come your descendants might speak to our descendants, saying, "What have you to do with YHWH, the God of Israel?

No! We did it for fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, 'What have you to do with Yahweh, the God of Israel?

25 For YHWH has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you descendants of Reuben and descendants of Gad. You have no portion in YHWH."' So your children might make our children cease from fearing YHWH.

For Yahweh has made the Jordan a border between us and you. You people of Reuben and people of Gad, you have nothing to do with Yahweh.' So your children might make our children cease to worship Yahweh.

26 Therefore we said, 'Let's now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice;

So we said, 'Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offerings nor for any sacrifices,

27 but it will be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we may perform the service of YHWH before him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings;' that your descendants may not tell our descendants in time to come, 'You have no portion in YHWH.'

but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we will perform the service of Yahweh before him, with our burnt offerings and with our sacrifices and with our peace offerings, so that your children will never say to our children in time to come, “You have no share in Yahweh.”'

28 Therefore we said, 'It shall be, when they tell us or our generations this in time to come, that we shall say, "Look the pattern of the altar of YHWH, which our fathers made, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice; but it is a witness between us and you."'

So we said, 'If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we would say, “Look! This is a copy of the altar of Yahweh, which our ancestors made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.”

29 Far be it from us that we should rebel against YHWH, and turn away this day from following YHWH, to build an altar for burnt offering, for meal offering, or for sacrifice, besides the altar of YHWH our God that is before his tabernacle."

May it be far from us that we should rebel against Yahweh, and today turn away from following him by building an altar for burnt offering, for grain offering, or for sacrifice, other than the altar of Yahweh our God that is before his tabernacle.'”

30 When Phinehas the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, even the heads of the thousands of Israel that were with him, heard the words that the descendants of Reuben and the descendants of Gad and the descendants of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them well.

When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the people, that is, the heads of the clans of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the people of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh said, that it was good in their eyes.

31 Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the descendants of Reuben, to the descendants of Gad, and to the descendants of Manasseh, "Today we know that YHWH is in the midst of us, because you have not committed this trespass against YHWH. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of YHWH."

Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest said to the people of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, “Today we know that Yahweh is among us, because you have not committed this breach of faith against him. Now you have rescued the people of Israel out of the hand of Yahweh.”

32 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the leaders, returned from the descendants of Reuben, and from the descendants of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again.

Then Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, and the leaders returned from the Reubenites and the Gadites, out of the land of Gilead, back to the land of Canaan, to the people of Israel, and brought back word to them.

33 The thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and spoke no more of going up against them to war, to destroy the land in which the descendants of Reuben and the descendants of Gad lived.

Their report was good in the eyes of the people of Israel. The people of Israel blessed God and spoke no more about making war against the Reubenites and the Gadites, in order to destroy the land where they had settled.

34 The descendants of Reuben and the descendants of Gad called the altar: "A witness between us that YHWH is God."

The Reubenites and the Gadites named the altar “Witness,” for they said, “It is a witness between us that Yahweh is God.”