Joshua 22

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

With a deep sense of urgency, Joshua summoned the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.

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

With heartfelt praise, Joshua told them, "You've faithfully kept all that Moses, the Lord's servant, commanded you, and listened to every command I've given you."

Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God.

You've stayed true to your siblings all this time, faithfully following God's command.

And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan.

God has fulfilled His promise and given your brothers peace. Now, it's time for you to go back to your homes and the land that Moses, God's servant, gifted you beyond the Jordan.

But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, 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.

Be mindful and committed to follow God's teachings, as shared by His servant Moses. Love God deeply, follow His path, obey His rules, stay close to Him, and serve Him with all your heart and soul.

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

With a heart full of love, Joshua bestowed his blessings upon them, gently bidding them farewell. They then departed, returning to the comfort of their own homes.

Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given possession in Bashan: but unto the other half thereof gave Joshua among their brethren on this side Jordan westward. And when Joshua sent them away also unto their tents, then he blessed them,

Moses had given half of the Manasseh tribe their share in Bashan. The other half received their portion from Joshua, west of the Jordan River. When it was time for them to return to their homes, Joshua sent them off with a heartfelt blessing.

And he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches 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.

He passionately told them, "Go back to your homes, laden with abundant wealth, livestock, silver, gold, bronze, iron, and plenty of clothing. Share the spoils of your enemies with your brothers."

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 country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

The descendants of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh tribe left their fellow Israelites in Shiloh, Canaan. They set off, filled with anticipation, towards Gilead, their promised land, as directed by God through Moses.

And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are 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 Jordan, a great altar to see to.

When they reached the edge of the Jordan River, in the land of Canaan, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh, built a magnificent altar by the river, a sight to behold.

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 over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of the children of Israel.

News reached the Israelites that the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh's tribe had built an altar near Canaan, right at Jordan's edge, where the Israelites crossed.

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 to war against them.

When the children of Israel learned about it, they all united at Shiloh, filled with determination and courage, ready to wage war.

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,

The Israelites sent Phinehas, son of Priest Eleazar, to the lands of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh's tribe in Gilead.

And with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one was an head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel.

Alongside him were ten leaders, each a respected head of their family, representing every tribe of Israel. Each one held a significant position, leading thousands within their tribe.

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,

They reached out to the families of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead, and began a heartfelt conversation with them, saying,

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

The entire community of the Lord asks, "Why have you sinned against God, turning away from Him today? Why have you built an altar, choosing rebellion over obedience?"

Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD,

Isn't our past sin at Peor enough? We're still not purified from it, even though it brought a devastating plague upon us, God's people.

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

If you choose to abandon God today, know that your rebellion will stir His anger against all of Israel tomorrow.

Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, wherein the LORD’s tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the LORD our God.

If your land is impure, move to the land where God's presence resides and make it your home among us. But remember, don't defy God or us by building yourselves an altar other than the altar of the LORD our God.

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

Didn't Achan, Zerah's son, sin by taking what was cursed, causing God's wrath to descend on all of Israel? And he was not the only one who died because of his sin.

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

The descendants of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh tribe responded passionately to the leaders of Israel, saying,

The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD, (save us not this day,)

The supreme God, the ultimate divine power, knows it, and Israel will know it too: if we did this in rebellion or unfaithfulness against the Lord, do not spare us today.

That we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD, or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the LORD himself require it;

If we have built this altar to turn away from God, or to offer burnt offerings, grain offerings, or peace offerings on it, may God himself hold us to account.

And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel?

We acted out of fear, worried that in the future, your children may question our children's connection to the Lord God of Israel.

For the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in the LORD: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD.

They might say, 'God has set the Jordan River as a boundary between us and you, descendants of Reuben and Gad. You have no share in the LORD.' And so your children could make our children stop fearing the LORD.

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

So we decided, let's get ready to construct an altar, not for offerings or sacrifices, but simply as a symbol of unity and devotion.

But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD 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 part in the LORD.

Let it be a witness between us and you, and for our future generations, that we will honor God in His presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings. So that your children won't tell ours, "You don't belong to the Lord."

Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you.

We said that if they ever say this to us or to our descendants, we can answer, 'Look at this copy of the Lord's altar that our ancestors made, not for offerings or sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.'

God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle.

May it never be that we defy our Lord, straying from His path to construct an altar for offerings and sacrifices, other than the one before His sacred dwelling.

And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which 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.

When Phinehas, the priest, along with the community's leaders, the heads of Israel's clans who were with him, heard what the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh had to say, they felt a deep sense of satisfaction and joy.

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 perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the LORD: now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD.

Phinehas, son of Priest Eleazar, spoke to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh with conviction, "Today, we feel God's presence among us. You've shown your loyalty to Him by not sinning. You've saved the Israelites from God's wrath."

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.

Phinehas, Eleazar's son and a priest, along with the leaders, returned from the lands of Reuben and Gad in Gilead. They journeyed back to Canaan, to their fellow Israelites, carrying with them important news.

And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and did not intend to go up against them in battle, to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.

The children of Israel felt joy and gratitude. They praised God, deciding not to wage war or ruin the land where Reuben and Gad's descendants lived.

And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God.

The descendants of Reuben and Gad named the altar 'Ed', symbolizing it as a testament to our shared belief that the LORD is indeed God.