1

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

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and said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of YAHUVEH commanded you, and have hearkened unto my voice in all that I commanded you:

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ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of YAHUVEH your YAHUVEH.

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And now YAHUVEH your YAHUVEH hath given rest unto your brethren, as he spake unto them: therefore now turn ye, and get you unto your tents, unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of YAHUVEH gave you beyond the Jordan.

5

Only take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of YAHUVEH commanded you, to love YAHUVEH your YAHUVEH, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.

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

7

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

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and spake unto them, saying, Return with much wealth unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.

9

And the children of Reuben and the children 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 unto the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the commandment of YAHUVEH by Moses.

10

And when they came unto the region about the Jordan, that is in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, a great altar to look upon.

11

And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the children of Reuben and the children 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 pertaineth to the children of Israel.

12

And 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.

13

And 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,

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and with him ten princes, one prince of a fathers' house for each of the tribes of Israel; and they were every one of them head of their fathers' houses among the thousands of Israel.

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And 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,

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Thus saith the whole congregation of YAHUVEH, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the YAHUVEH of Israel, to turn away this day from following YAHUVEH, in that ye have builded you an altar, to rebel this day against YAHUVEH?

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Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves unto this day, although there came a plague upon the congregation of YAHUVEH,

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that ye must turn away this day from following YAHUVEH? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to-day against YAHUVEH, that to-morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel.

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Howbeit, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of YAHUVEH, wherein YAHUVEH's tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against YAHUVEH, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar besides the altar of YAHUVEH our YAHUVEH.

20

Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.

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Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered, and spake unto the heads of the thousands of Israel,

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The Mighty One, YAHUVEH, YAHUVEH, the Mighty One, YAHUVEH, YAHUVEH, he knoweth; and Israel he shall know: if it be in rebellion, or if in trespass against YAHUVEH (save thou us not this day,)

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

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and if we have not rather out of carefulness done this, and of purpose, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with YAHUVEH, the YAHUVEH of Israel?

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for YAHUVEH hath made the Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no portion in YAHUVEH: so might your children make our children cease from fearing YAHUVEH.

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Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice:

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but it shall be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we may do the service of YAHUVEH 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 portion in YAHUVEH.

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Therefore said we, It shall be, when they so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we shall say, Behold the pattern of the altar of YAHUVEH, which our fathers made, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice; but it is a witness between us and you.

29

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

30

And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation, even the heads of the thousands of Israel that 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 well.

31

And 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 know that YAHUVEH is in the midst of us, because ye have not committed this trespass against YAHUVEH: now have ye delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of YAHUVEH.

32

And 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.

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And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed YAHUVEH, and spake no more of going up against them to war, to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and the children of Gad dwelt.

34

And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: For, said they, it is a witness between us that YAHUVEH is YAHUVEH.