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 Jehovah commanded you, and have hearkened to my voice in all that I commanded you.
3 Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, and ye have kept the charge of the commandment of Jehovah your God.
4 And now Jehovah your God hath given rest to your brethren, as he said unto them; and now return, and get you unto your tents, unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of Jehovah gave you beyond the Jordan.
5 Only, take great heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded you, to love Jehovah 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 And Joshua blessed them, and sent them away; and they went to their tents.
7 And to half the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given {inheritance} in Bashan, and to the other half thereof had Joshua given among their brethren on this side the Jordan westward. And when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them also,
8 and spoke to them, saying, Return unto your tents with much wealth and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with copper, and with iron, and with clothing, in very great quantity; 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 to the country of Gilead, into the land of their possession, of which they had become possessed, according to the word of Jehovah through Moses.
10 And they came to the districts of the Jordan that are in the land of Canaan; and the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of grand appearance.
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 districts of the Jordan, separately from the children of Israel.
12 And when the children of Israel heard {of it}, the whole assembly of the children of Israel gathered together at Shiloh, to go up against them to war.
13 And the children of Israel sent to 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 father's house a prince, out of all the tribes of Israel; and each of them was head of a father's house, of the thousands of Israel.
15 And they came to the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and spoke with them, saying,
16 Thus saith the whole assembly of Jehovah: What wickedness is this which ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following Jehovah, in that ye have built yourselves an altar, rebelling this day against Jehovah?
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 assembly of Jehovah.
18 And ye turn away this day from following Jehovah; and it will be, that since ye rebel this day against Jehovah, to-morrow he will be wroth with the whole assembly of Israel.
19 Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession is unclean, come over into the land of the possession of Jehovah, where Jehovah's tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession amongst us; but rebel not against Jehovah, and rebel not against us, in building for yourselves an altar besides the altar of Jehovah our God.
20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing? and wrath fell on all the assembly of Israel, and he perished not alone in his iniquity.
21 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered and said to the heads of the thousands of Israel,
22 The *God of gods, Jehovah, the *God of gods, Jehovah, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know {it}; if it is in rebellion, or if in trespass against Jehovah, -save us not this day!
23 -that we have built for ourselves an altar to turn from following Jehovah, and if it is to offer up burnt-offering and oblation on it, and if to offer peace-offerings thereon, let Jehovah himself require it {from us};
24 and if we have not done it from fear of this thing, saying, In future your children will speak to our children, saying, What have ye to do with Jehovah the God of Israel?
25 Jehovah hath made the Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad, ye have no portion in Jehovah! And so shall your children make our children cease from fearing Jehovah.
26 And we said, Let us now set to work to build an altar, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice,
27 but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we might do service to Jehovah 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 future, Ye have no portion in Jehovah.
28 And we said, If it shall be that in future they so say to us and to our generations, we will say, Behold the pattern of the altar of Jehovah which our fathers made, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice, but as a witness between us and you.
29 Far be it from us that we should rebel against Jehovah, and turn this day from following Jehovah, in building an altar for burnt-offering, for oblation, and for sacrifice, besides the altar of Jehovah our God that is before his tabernacle.
30 And when Phinehas the priest and the princes of the assembly and 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 spoke, it was good in their sight.
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 Jehovah is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against Jehovah: now have ye delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of Jehovah.
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, to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again.
33 And the thing was good in the sight of the children of Israel, and the children of Israel blessed God, and no more said that they would go up in warfare against them, to destroy the land in which the children of Reuben and the children of Gad dwelt.
34 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad gave a name to the altar; for it is a witness between us that Jehovah is God.
1 那时， 约书亚把流本人、迦得人和玛拿西半个支派的人召了来，
2 对他们说： "耶和华的仆人摩西吩咐你们的一切， 你们都遵守了； 我吩咐你们的一切， 你们也都听从了。
3 这许多日子以来， 你们一直没有撇弃你们的兄弟， 直到今日； 耶和华你们的 神吩咐你们的命令， 你们也遵守了。
4 现在耶和华你们的 神， 照着他应许的， 已经使你们兄弟得享平安； 现在你们可以返回自己家里， 回到耶和华的仆人摩西在约旦河东赐给你们作产业的地方去。
5 只是你们要谨慎遵守耶和华的仆人摩西吩咐你们的诫命和律法， 爱耶和华你们的 神， 遵行他的一切道路， 谨守他的诫命， 紧紧倚靠他， 一心一意事奉他。"
6 于是约书亚给他们祝福， 打发他们回去， 他们就回自己的家里去了。
7 摩西在巴珊已经把产业分给了玛拿西半个支派； 至于另外半个支派， 约书亚在约旦河西他们的兄弟中间， 也把产业分给了他们。约书亚打发他们回家去的时候， 给他们祝福，
8 对他们说： "你们带着许多财物， 许多牲畜和金、银、铜、铁， 以及许多衣服， 回自己的家去吧； 也要把你们从仇敌夺得的战利品与你们的兄弟同分。"
9 于是流本人、迦得人和玛拿西半个支派的人， 从迦南地的示罗起程， 离开以色列人， 回到他们所得的产业基列地去， 就是照着耶和华借着摩西所吩咐， 赐给他们的产业。
10 流本人、迦得人和玛拿西半个支派的人， 来到迦南地靠近约旦河的地区， 就在约旦河边那里筑了一座祭坛， 那坛十分壮观。
11 以色列人听见了这事， 就说： "看哪， 流本人、迦得人和玛拿西半个支派的人， 在迦南地边境， 靠近约旦河的地区， 以色列人境内， 筑了一座坛。"
12 以色列人听见了这事， 以色列全体会众就聚集在示罗， 要上去讨伐他们。
13 以色列人派以利亚撒祭司的儿子非尼哈， 到基列地去见流本人、迦得人和玛拿西半个支派的人；
14 又派十个首领与非尼哈同去， 每一个都代表以色列的支派家族； 他们是全体以色列各家族的领袖。
15 他们去到基列地， 流本人、迦得人和玛拿西半个支派的人那里， 对他们说：
16 "耶和华的全体会众这样说： ‘你们作的是什么事？竟对以色列的 神不忠， 今日转离不跟从耶和华， 为自己筑了一座坛， 背叛了耶和华。
17 从前拜毗珥的罪孽， 我们还以为是小事吗？虽然有灾疫临到耶和华的会众， 直到今日我们还没有洗净这罪呢。
18 你们今日竟转离不跟从耶和华吗？今日你们既然背叛耶和华， 明日他必向以色列全体会众发怒了。
19 如果你们认为所得的地业不洁净， 你们可以过到耶和华的地业， 就是耶和华的帐幕居住的地方， 在我们中间得地业； 只是不可背叛耶和华， 也不可背叛我们， 在耶和华我们的 神的坛以外， 为自己筑另一座坛。
20 从前谢拉的曾孙亚干， 不是在当毁灭的物上犯了不忠的罪， 以致 神的忿怒临到以色列全体会众吗？因他的罪孽而死的， 还不只他一人呢！ ’"
21 于是流本人、迦得人和玛拿西半个支派的人回答以色列的统领说：
22 "大能者 神耶和华！ 大能者 神耶和华， 他是知道的， 愿以色列也知道； 如果我们存心背叛， 或是对耶和华不忠， 今日就不要放过我们。
23 我们若是为自己筑坛， 转离不跟从耶和华， 或是把燔祭、素祭和平安祭献在坛上， 愿耶和华亲自追究我们。
24 我们作这事， 实在是有理由的， 因为顾虑将来你们的子孙对我们的子孙说： ‘你们与耶和华以色列的 神有什么关系呢？
25 流本人和迦得人啊， 耶和华定了约旦河作我们和你们中间的疆界； 你们与耶和华无分了。’这样， 你们的子孙就使我们的子孙不再敬畏耶和华了。
26 "因此我们说： ‘我们筑一座坛吧， 不是为了献燔祭， 也不是为了献别的祭，
27 而是为了在你们和我们中间， 也在我们的后代中间作证据， 使我们也可以在耶和华面前用燔祭、别的祭和平安祭事奉耶和华， 免得你们的子孙将来对我们的子孙说： 你们与耶和华无分了。’
28 因此我们说： ‘将来有人对我们， 或是对我们的后代这样说， 我们就可以回答： 你们看我们列祖所筑的坛， 是耶和华的祭坛的模式， 这并不是用来献燔祭， 也不是用来献别的祭， 而是在我们和你们中间作证据。’
29 我们决没有背叛耶和华的意思， 今日要转离不跟从耶和华， 在耶和华我们的 神的帐幕前的祭坛以外， 另筑一座坛， 为了献燔祭、素祭和别的祭。"
30 非尼哈祭司和会众的领袖， 以及与祭司同来的以色列的统领， 听了流本人、迦得人和玛拿西人说的话， 都很满意。
31 以利亚撒祭司的儿子非尼哈对流本人、迦得人和玛拿西人说： "今天我们知道耶和华是在我们中间的， 因为你们并没有对耶和华不忠； 现在你们已经救了以色列人脱离耶和华的手。"
32 以利亚撒祭司的儿子非尼哈和众领袖离开了流本人和迦得人， 从基列地回到迦南地以色列人那里， 把这事向他们报告。
33 以色列人对这事都很满意， 就称颂 神， 不再说要上去讨伐流本人和迦得人， 毁灭他们所住的地方了。
34 流本人和迦得人给那坛起名叫证坛， 因为他们说： "这坛在我们中间证明耶和华是 神。"