Joshua 22:1-20 ▼

1 Then Joshua called the Reubenite and the Gadite and the half-tribe of Manasseh,

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

3 You? have not left your? brothers these many days up to this day, and you? have kept the charge of the commandment of YHWH your? God.

4 And YHWH your? God has given rest to your? brothers as He promised to them, and now return and go for yourselves to your? tents and to the land of your? possession, which Moses the servant of YHWH gave to you? on the other side of the Jordan.

5 Only greatly take heed to do the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of YHWH commanded you?, to love YHWH your? God, and to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments, and to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your? heart and with all your? soul.”

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

7 (And to the half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, and to half of it Joshua had given among their brothers on this side of the Jordan westward.) And indeed, when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them

8 and spoke to them, saying, “With great riches return to your? tents, and with very much livestock, with silver, and with gold, and with bronze, and with iron, and with very much clothing. Divide the spoil of your? enemies with your? brothers.”

9 And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh turned back and departed from the sons of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they had acquired according to the word of YHWH by the hand of Moses.

10 And they came to Geliloth near the Jordan, which is in the land of Canaan, and the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar great in appearance.

11 And the sons of Israel heard it said, “Behold, the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built the altar over against the border of the land of Canaan in the region of the Jordan on the side of the sons of Israel.”

12 And the sons of Israel heard, and the whole congregation of the sons of Israel gathered together at Shiloh to go to war against them.

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

14 and ten leaders with him, one leader, one leader from the house of a father of every tribe of Israel; and each one was the head of the house of his father among the divisions of Israel.

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

16 “Thus says the whole congregation of YHWH: ‘What is this treachery that you? have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following YHWH, in that you? have built for yourselves an altar, that you? might rebel this day against YHWH?

17 Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day? And there was a plague in the congregation of YHWH.

18 And you? turn away this day from following YHWH? And if it comes to pass that you? rebel today against YHWH, tomorrow He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.

19 And nevertheless, if the land of your? possession is unclean, then pass over to the land of the possession of YHWH, where the tabernacle of YHWH stands, and take possession in our midst. And against YHWH do not rebel, and against us do not rebel, by building for yourselves an altar besides the altar of YHWH our God.

20 Did not Achan son of Zerah act unfaithfully—an unfaithfulness—with the devoted thing, so that wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And not only he, one man, perished in his iniquity.’”