1 eodem tempore vocavit Iosue Rubenitas et Gadditas et dimidiam tribum
Manasse
2 dixitque ad eos
fecistis omnia quae vobis praecepit Moses famulus Domini
mihi quoque in omnibus oboedistis
3 nec reliquistis fratres vestros longo tempore
usque in praesentem diem
custodientes imperium Domini Dei vestri
4 quia igitur dedit Dominus Deus vester fratribus vestris quietem ac pacem
sicut pollicitus est
revertimini et ite in tabernacula vestra et in terram possessionis
quam tradidit vobis Moses famulus Domini trans Iordanem
5 ita dumtaxat ut custodiatis adtente et opere conpleatis
mandatum et legem quam praecepit vobis Moses servus
Domini
ut diligatis Dominum Deum vestrum
et ambuletis in omnibus viis eius
et observetis mandata illius
adhereatisque ei ac serviatis in omni corde et in omni anima vestra
6 benedixitque eis Iosue et dimisit eos
qui reversi sunt in tabernacula sua
7 tribui autem Manasse mediae
possessionem Moses dederat in Basan
et idcirco mediae quae superfuit dedit Iosue sortem
inter ceteros fratres suos
trans Iordanem ad occidentalem eius plagam
cumque dimitteret eos in tabernacula sua et benedixisset illis
8 dixit ad eos
in multa substantia atque divitiis revertimini ad sedes vestras
cum argento et auro aere ac ferro et veste multiplici
dividite praedam hostium cum fratribus vestris
9 reversique sunt et abierunt filii Ruben et filii Gad
et dimidia tribus Manasse
a filiis Israhel de Silo quae sita est in Chanaan
ut intrarent Galaad terram possessionis suae
quam obtinuerant iuxta imperium Domini in manu Mosi
10 cumque venissent ad tumulos Iordanis in terra Chanaan
aedificaverunt iuxta Iordanem altare infinitae magnitudinis
11 quod cum audissent filii Israhel et ad eos certi nuntii detulissent
aedificasse filios Ruben et Gad et dimidiae tribus
Manasse altare
in terra Chanaan super Iordanis tumulos contra filios Israhel
12 convenerunt omnes in Silo ut ascenderent et dimicarent contra eos
13 et interim miserunt ad illos in terram Galaad
Finees filium Eleazar sacerdotem
14 et decem principes cum eo singulos de tribubus singulis
15 qui venerunt ad filios Ruben et Gad et dimidiae tribus Manasse
in terram Galaad
dixeruntque ad eos
16 haec mandat omnis populus Domini quae est ista transgressio
cur reliquistis Dominum Deum Israhel
aedificantes altare sacrilegum et a cultu illius recedentes
17 an parum vobis est quod peccastis in Beelphegor
et usque in praesentem diem macula huius sceleris in nobis permanet
multique de populo corruerunt
18 et vos hodie reliquistis Dominum
et cras in universum Israhel eius ira desaeviet
19 quod si putatis inmundam esse terram possessionis vestrae
transite ad terram in qua tabernaculum Domini est
et habitate inter nos
tantum ut a Domino et a nostro consortio non recedatis
aedificato altari praeter altare Domini Dei vestri
20 nonne Achan filius Zare praeteriit mandatum Domini
et super omnem populum Israhel ira eius incubuit
et ille erat unus homo atque utinam solus perisset in scelere suo
21 responderuntque filii Ruben et Gad et dimidiae tribus Manasse
principibus legationis Israhel
22 fortissimus Deus Dominus fortissimus Deus Dominus
ipse novit et Israhel simul intelleget
si praevaricationis animo hoc altare construximus
non custodiat nos sed puniat in praesenti
23 et si ea mente fecimus
ut holocausta et sacrificium et pacificas victimas super eo
inponeremus
ipse quaerat et iudicet
24 et non ea magis cogitatione atque tractatu ut diceremus
cras dicent filii vestri filiis nostris quid vobis et Domino Deo Israhel
25 terminum posuit Dominus inter nos et vos o filii Ruben et filii Gad
Iordanem fluvium
et idcirco partem non habetis in Domino
et per hanc occasionem avertent filii vestri filios nostros a timore
Domini
putavimus itaque melius
26 et diximus extruamus nobis altare
non in holocausta neque ad victimas offerendas
27 sed in testimonium inter nos et vos
et subolem nostram vestramque progeniem
ut serviamus Domino
et iuris nostri sit offerre holocausta et victimas et
pacificas hostias
et nequaquam dicant cras filii vestri filiis nostris
non est vobis pars in Domino
28 quod si voluerint dicere respondebunt eis
ecce altare Domini quod fecerunt patres nostri
non in holocausta neque in sacrificium
sed in testimonium vestrum ac nostrum
29 absit a nobis hoc scelus
ut recedamus a Domino et eius vestigia relinquamus
extructo altari ad holocausta et sacrificia et victimas offerendas
praeter altare Domini Dei nostri
quod extructum est ante tabernaculum eius
30 quibus auditis Finees sacerdos et principes legationis Israhel qui
erant cum eo placati sunt
et verba filiorum Ruben et Gad et dimidiae tribus Manasse libentissime
susceperunt
31 dixitque Finees filius Eleazari sacerdos ad eos
nunc scimus quod nobiscum sit Dominus
quoniam alieni estis a praevaricatione hac
et liberastis filios Israhel de manu Domini
32 reversusque est cum principibus a filiis Ruben et Gad
de terra Galaad finium Chanaan ad filios Israhel
et rettulit eis
33 placuitque sermo cunctis audientibus
et laudaverunt Deum filii Israhel
et nequaquam ultra dixerunt
ut ascenderent contra eos atque pugnarent
et delerent terram possessionis eorum
34 vocaveruntque filii Ruben et filii Gad altare quod
extruxerant
Testimonium nostrum quod Dominus ipse sit Deus
1 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, 2 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: 3 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. 4 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. 5 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. 6 So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away: and they went unto their tents.
7 ¶ 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, 8 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.
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 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.
10 ¶ 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.
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 over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of 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 to war against them. 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, 14 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.
15 ¶ 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, 16 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? 17 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, 18 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. 19 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. 20 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.
21 ¶ 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, 22 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,) 23 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; 24 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? 25 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. 26 Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice: 27 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. 28 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. 29 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.
30 ¶ 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. 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 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.
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. 33 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. 34 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.