Iosue 22
1 Eodem tempore vocavit Josue Rubenitas, et Gaditas, et dimidiam tribum Manasse,
At that time Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.
2 dixitque ad eos: Fecistis omnia quæ præcepit vobis Moyses famulus Domini: mihi quoque in omnibus obedistis,
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 nec reliquistis fratres vestros longo tempore, usque in præsentem diem, custodientes imperium Domini Dei vestri.
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 Quia igitur dedit Dominus Deus vester fratribus vestris quietem et pacem, sicut pollicitus est: revertimini, et ite in tabernacula vestra, et in terram possessionis, quam tradidit vobis Moyses famulus Domini trans Jordanem:
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 ita dumtaxat ut custodiatis attente, et opere compleatis mandatum et legem quam præcepit vobis Moyses famulus Domini, ut diligatis Dominum Deum vestrum, et ambuletis in omnibus viis ejus, et observetis mandata illius, adhæreatisque ei, ac serviatis in omni corde, et in omni anima vestra.
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 Benedixitque eis Josue, et dimisit eos. Qui reversi sunt in tabernacula sua.
So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went back to their tents.
7 Dimidiæ autem tribui Manasse possessionem Moyses dederat in Basan: et idcirco mediæ, quæ superfuit, dedit Josue sortem inter ceteros fratres suos trans Jordanem ad occidentalem plagam. Cumque dimitteret eos in tabernacula sua, et benedixisset eis,
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 dixit ad eos: In multa substantia atque divitiis revertimini ad sedes vestras, cum argento et auro, ære ac ferro, et veste multiplici: dividite prædam hostium cum fratribus vestris.
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 Reversique sunt, et abierunt filii Ruben, et filii Gad, et dimidia tribus Manasse, a filiis Israël de Silo, quæ sita est in Chanaan, ut intrarent Galaad terram possessionis suæ, quam obtinuerant juxta imperium Domini in manu Moysi.
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 Cumque venissent ad tumulos Jordanis in terram Chanaan, ædificaverunt juxta Jordanem altare infinitæ magnitudinis.
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 Quod cum audissent filii Israël, et ad eos certi nuntii detulissent, ædificasse filios Ruben, et Gad, et dimidiæ tribus Manasse, altare in terra Chanaan, super Jordanis tumulos, contra filios Israël:
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 convenerunt omnes in Silo, ut ascenderent, et dimicarent contra eos.
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 Et interim miserunt ad illos in terram Galaad Phinees filium Eleazari sacerdotis,
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 et decem principes cum eo, singulos de singulis tribubus.
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 Qui venerunt ad filios Ruben, et Gad, et dimidiæ tribus Manasse in terram Galaad, dixeruntque ad eos:
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 Hæc mandat omnis populus Domini: Quæ est ista transgressio? cur reliquistis Dominum Deum Israël, ædificantes altare sacrilegum, et a cultu illius recedentes?
“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 an parum vobis est quod peccastis in Beelphegor, et usque in præsentem diem macula hujus sceleris in nobis permanet, multique de populo corruerunt?
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 Et vos hodie reliquistis Dominum, et cras in universum Israël ira ejus desæviet.
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 Quod si putatis immundam esse terram possessionis vestræ, transite ad terram, in qua tabernaculum Domini est, et habitate inter nos: tantum ut a Domino et a nostro consortio non recedatis, ædificato altari præter altare Domini Dei nostri.
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 Nonne Achan filius Zare præteriit mandatum Domini, et super omnem populum Israël ira ejus incubuit? et ille erat unus homo, atque utinam solum periisset in scelere suo.
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 Responderuntque filii Ruben et Gad, et dimidia tribus Manasse, principibus legationis Israël:
Then the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh replied in answer to the heads of the clans of Israel:
22 Fortissimus Deus Dominus, fortissimus Deus Dominus, ipse novit, et Israël simul intelliget: si prævaricationis animo hoc altare construximus, non custodiat nos, sed puniat nos in præsenti:
“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 et si ea mente fecimus ut holocausta, et sacrificium, et pacificas victimas super eo imponeremus, ipse quærat et judicet:
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 et non ea magis cogitatione atque tractatu, ut diceremus: Cras dicent filii vestri filiis nostris: Quid vobis et Domino Deo Israël?
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 terminum posuit Dominus inter nos et vos, o filii Ruben, et filii Gad, Jordanem fluvium, et idcirco partem non habetis in Domino: et per hanc occasionem avertent filii vestri filios nostros a timore Domini. Putavimus itaque melius,
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 et diximus: Exstruamus nobis altare, non in holocausta, neque ad victimas offerendas,
So we said, 'Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offerings nor for any sacrifices,
27 sed in testimonium inter nos et vos, et sobolem nostram vestramque progeniem, ut serviamus Domino, et juris nostri sit offerre et holocausta, et victimas, et pacificas hostias: et nequaquam dicant cras filii vestri filiis nostris: Non est vobis pars in Domino.
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 Quod si voluerint dicere, respondebunt eis: Ecce altare Domini, quod fecerunt patres nostri, non in holocausta, neque in sacrificium, sed in testimonium nostrum ac vestrum.
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 Absit a nobis hoc scelus, ut recedamus a Domino, et ejus vestigia relinquamus, exstructo altari ad holocausta, et sacrificia, et victimas offerendas, præter altare Domini Dei nostri, quod exstructum est ante tabernaculum ejus.
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 Quibus auditis, Phinees sacerdos, et principes legationis Israël, qui erant cum eo, placati sunt: et verba filiorum Ruben, et Gad, et dimidiæ tribus Manasse, libentissime susceperunt.
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 Dixtque Phinees filius Eleazari sacerdos ad eos: Nunc scimus quod nobiscum sit Dominus, quoniam alieni estis a prævaricatione hac, et liberastis filios Israël de manu Domini.
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 Reversusque est cum principibus a filiis Ruben et Gad de terra Galaad, finium Chanaan, ad filios Israël, et retulit eis.
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 Placuitque sermo cunctis audientibus. Et laudaverunt Deum filii Israël, et nequaquam ultra dixerunt, ut ascenderent contra eos, atque pugnarent, et delerent terram possessionis eorum.
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 Vocaveruntque filii Ruben, et filii Gad, altare quod exstruxerant, Testimonium nostrum, quod Dominus ipse sit Deus.
The Reubenites and the Gadites named the altar “Witness,” for they said, “It is a witness between us that Yahweh is God.”
