Joshua 22
1 In the same time, Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the one half tribe of Manasseh.
當時，約書亞召了呂便人、迦得人，和瑪拿西半支派的人來，
2 And he said to them: “You have done all that Moses, the servant of the Lord, instructed you. You have also obeyed me in all things.
對他們說：「耶和華僕人摩西所吩咐你們的，你們都遵守了；我所吩咐你們的，你們也都聽從了。
3 Neither have you forsaken your brothers during this long time, even to the present day, keeping the orders of the Lord your God.
你們這許多日子，總沒有撇離你們的弟兄，直到今日，並守了耶和華－你們上帝所吩咐你們當守的。
4 Therefore, since the Lord your God has given your brothers peace and quiet, just as he promised: return, and go into your tents and into the land of your possession, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, delivered to you beyond the Jordan.
如今耶和華－你們上帝照着他所應許的，使你們弟兄得享平安，現在可以轉回你們的帳棚，到耶和華的僕人摩西在約旦河東所賜你們為業之地。
5 And may you continue to observe attentively, and to work to fulfill, the commandment and the law that Moses, the servant of the Lord, instructed to you, so that you may love the Lord your God, and walk in all his ways, and keep all his commandments, and cling to him, and serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
只要切切地謹慎遵行耶和華僕人摩西所吩咐你們的誡命律法，愛耶和華－你們的上帝，行他一切的道，守他的誡命，專靠他，盡心盡性事奉他。」
6 And Joshua blessed them, and he sent them away. And they returned to their tents.
於是約書亞為他們祝福，打發他們去，他們就回自己的帳棚去了。
7 Now to the one half tribe of Manasseh, Moses had given a possession in Bashan. And therefore, to the one half that was left over, Joshua gave a lot among the remainder of their brothers across the Jordan, in the western region. And when he had blessed them and dismissed them to their tents,
瑪拿西那半支派，摩西早已在巴珊分給他們地業。這半支派，約書亞在約旦河西，在他們弟兄中，分給他們地業。約書亞打發他們回帳棚的時候為他們祝福，
8 he said to them: “Return to your settlements with much substance and wealth, with silver and gold, brass and iron, and a multitude of garments. Divide the spoils of your enemies with your brothers.”
對他們說：「你們帶許多財物，許多牲畜和金、銀、銅、鐵，並許多衣服，回你們的帳棚去，要將你們從仇敵奪來的物，與你們眾弟兄同分。」
9 And the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and the one half tribe of Manasseh returned, and they went away from the sons of Israel at Shiloh, which is situated in Canaan, so that they might enter into Gilead, the land of their possession, which they had obtained according to the order of the Lord, by the hand of Moses.
於是呂便人、迦得人、瑪拿西半支派的人從迦南地的示羅起行，離開以色列人，回往他們得為業的基列地，就是照耶和華藉摩西所吩咐的得了為業之地。
10 And when they had arrived at the hills of the Jordan in the land of Canaan, they built an altar of immense magnitude beside the Jordan.
呂便人、迦得人，和瑪拿西半支派的人到了靠近約旦河的一帶迦南地，就在約旦河那裏築了一座壇；那壇看着高大。
11 And when the sons of Israel had heard of it, and certain messengers had reported to them that the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the one half tribe of Manasseh had built an altar in the land of Canaan, upon the hills of the Jordan, facing the sons of Israel,
以色列人聽說呂便人、迦得人、瑪拿西半支派的人靠近約旦河邊，在迦南地屬以色列人的那邊築了一座壇。
12 they all assembled at Shiloh, so that they might go up and battle against them.
全會眾一聽見，就聚集在示羅，要上去攻打他們。
13 And in the interim, they sent to them, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the priest,
以色列人打發祭司以利亞撒的兒子非尼哈，往基列地去見呂便人、迦得人、瑪拿西半支派的人；
14 and ten leaders with him, one from each tribe.
又打發十個首領與非尼哈同去，就是以色列每支派的一個首領，都是以色列軍中的統領。
15 And they went to the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the one half tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them:
他們到了基列地，見呂便人、迦得人，和瑪拿西半支派的人，對他們說：
16 “All the people of the Lord declare this: What is this transgression? Why have you forsaken the Lord, the God of Israel, by building a sacrilegious altar, and by withdrawing from the worship of him?
「耶和華全會眾這樣說，你們今日轉去不跟從耶和華，干犯以色列的上帝，為自己築一座壇，悖逆了耶和華，這犯的是甚麼罪呢？
17 Is it a small thing to you that you have sinned with Baal of Peor, and that the stain of that crime continues among us, even to the present day? And many of the people have fallen.
從前拜毗珥的罪孽還算小嗎？雖然瘟疫臨到耶和華的會眾，到今日我們還沒有洗淨這罪。
18 And yet you have forsaken the Lord today, and tomorrow his wrath will rage against all of Israel.
你們今日竟轉去不跟從耶和華嗎？你們今日既悖逆耶和華，明日他必向以色列全會眾發怒。
19 But if you consider the land of your possession to be unclean, cross over to the land in which is the tabernacle of the Lord, and live among us. But do not withdraw from the Lord, and from our fellowship, by building an altar contrary to the altar of the Lord our God.
你們所得為業之地，若嫌不潔淨，就可以過到耶和華之地，就是耶和華的帳幕所住之地，在我們中間得地業。只是不可悖逆耶和華，也不可得罪我們，在耶和華－我們上帝的壇以外為自己築壇。
20 Did not Achan, the son of Zerah, go against the commandment of the Lord, and so his wrath was laid over all the people of Israel? And he was only one man. If only he had perished in his wickedness alone!”
從前謝拉的曾孫亞干豈不是在那當滅的物上犯了罪，就有忿怒臨到以色列全會眾嗎？那人在所犯的罪中不獨一人死亡。」
21 And the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the one half tribe of Manasseh responded to the leaders of the delegation from Israel:
於是呂便人、迦得人、瑪拿西半支派的人回答以色列軍中的統領說：
22 “The Lord, the almighty God, the Lord, the almighty God, he knows, and also Israel will understand: If we have constructed this altar with intent of transgression, let him not preserve us, but instead punish us immediately.
「大能者上帝耶和華！大能者上帝耶和華！他是知道的！以色列人也必知道！我們若有悖逆的意思，或是干犯耶和華（願你今日不保佑我們），
23 And if we have acted with a mind so that we might present upon it holocausts, and sacrifice, and victims of peace offerings, let him inquire and judge.
為自己築壇，要轉去不跟從耶和華，或是要將燔祭、素祭、平安祭獻在壇上，願耶和華親自討我們的罪。
24 Instead, we have acted with this greater thought and design, that we would say: Tomorrow your sons will say to our sons: ‘What is there between you and the Lord, the God of Israel?
我們行這事並非無故，是特意做的，說：恐怕日後你們的子孫對我們的子孫說：『你們與耶和華－以色列的上帝有何關涉呢？
25 The Lord has stationed the river Jordan as the border between us and you, O sons of Reuben, O sons of Gad. And therefore, you have no part in the Lord.’ And by this occasion, your sons would turn away our sons from the fear of the Lord. And so we sought something better,
因為耶和華把約旦河定為我們和你們這呂便人、迦得人的交界，你們與耶和華無分了。』這樣，你們的子孫就使我們的子孫不再敬畏耶和華了。
26 and we said: Let us build us an altar, not for holocausts, and not to offer victims,
因此我們說：『不如為自己築一座壇，不是為獻燔祭，也不是為獻別的祭，
27 but as a testimony between us and you, and between our descendants and your progeny, so that we may serve the Lord, and so that it may be our right to offer holocausts, and victims, and peace offerings, and so that tomorrow your sons may not say to our sons: ‘You have no part in the Lord.’
乃是為你我中間和你我後人中間作證據，好叫我們也在耶和華面前獻燔祭、平安祭，和別的祭事奉他，免得你們的子孫日後對我們的子孫說，你們與耶和華無分了。』
28 And if they decide to say this, they shall respond to them: ‘Behold, the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for holocausts, and not for sacrifice, but instead as a testimony between us and you.’
所以我們說：『日後你們對我們，或對我們的後人這樣說，我們就可以回答說，你們看我們列祖所築的壇是耶和華壇的樣式；這並不是為獻燔祭，也不是為獻別的祭，乃是為作你我中間的證據。』
29 May this wickedness be far from us, such that we would withdraw from the Lord, and would forsake his paths, by constructing an altar to offer holocausts, and sacrifices, and victims, contrary to the altar of the Lord our God, which was built before his tabernacle.”
我們在耶和華－我們上帝帳幕前的壇以外，另築一座壇，為獻燔祭、素祭，和別的祭，悖逆耶和華，今日轉去不跟從他，我們斷沒有這個意思。」
30 And when Phinehas, the priest, and the leaders of the delegation who were with him, had heard this, they were pleased. And they accepted very willingly the words of the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the one half tribe of Manasseh.
祭司非尼哈與會中的首領，就是與他同來以色列軍中的統領，聽見呂便人、迦得人、瑪拿西人所說的話，就都以為美。
31 And Phinehas, the priest, the son of Eleazar, said to them: “Now we know that the Lord is with us. For you are a stranger to this transgression. And so you have freed the sons of Israel from the hand of the Lord.”
祭司以利亞撒的兒子非尼哈對呂便人、迦得人、瑪拿西人說：「今日我們知道耶和華在我們中間，因為你們沒有向他犯了這罪。現在你們救以色列人脫離耶和華的手了。」
32 And he returned with the leaders, from the sons of Reuben and of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, into the parts of Canaan, to the sons of Israel. And he reported to them.
祭司以利亞撒的兒子非尼哈與眾首領離了呂便人、迦得人，從基列地回往迦南地，到了以色列人那裏，便將這事回報他們。
33 And the word pleased all who heard it. And the sons of Israel praised God, and they no longer said that they would go up against them, and fight, and destroy the land of their possession.
以色列人以這事為美，就稱頌上帝，不再提上去攻打呂便人、迦得人、毀壞他們所住的地了。
34 And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad called the altar that they had built: Our testimony that the Lord himself is God.
呂便人、迦得人給壇起名叫證壇，意思說：這壇在我們中間證明耶和華是上帝。
