1 Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh,2 and said to them: You have kept all that Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you.3 You have not left your brethren these many days, to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of Jehovah your God.4 And now Jehovah your God has given rest to your brethren, as He has promised them; now therefore, return and go to your tents and to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of Jehovah has given you on the other side of the Jordan.5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the Law which Moses the servant of Jehovah has charged you, to love Jehovah your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, 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 to their tents.7 Now to the half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half of it Joshua gave a possession among their brethren on this side of the Jordan, westward. And when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them,8 and spoke to them, saying, Return with much riches to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, with bronze, with iron, and with very much clothing. Divide the spoils of your enemies with your brethren.9 And the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they had obtained according to the mouth of Jehovah by the hand of Moses.10 And when they came to the region of the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan; an altar of great appearance.11 And the children of Israel heard it said, Behold, the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar across from the land of Canaan, in the regions of the Jordan, at the border of the children of Israel.12 And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the sons of Israel gathered together at Shiloh to go to war against them.13 Then the sons of Israel sent Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest to the sons of Reuben, to the sons of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead,14 and with him ten leaders, each one a chief leader of a father’s house of every tribe of Israel; and each one was the head of the house of his father among the thousands of Israel.15 And they came to the sons of Reuben, 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 Jehovah: What treachery is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following Jehovah, in that you have built for yourselves an altar, that you might rebel this day against Jehovah?17 Was the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed to this day, and there was a plague in the congregation of Jehovah,18 but that you must turn away this day from following Jehovah? And it shall be, if you rebel today against Jehovah, that tomorrow He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.19 Nevertheless, if the land of your possession is unclean, then cross over to the land of the possession of Jehovah, where the tabernacle of Jehovah stands, and take possession among us; but do not rebel against Jehovah, nor rebel against us, by building yourselves an altar besides the altar of Jehovah our God.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 was not the only one to die in his iniquity.21 Then the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered and said to the heads of the thousands of Israel:22 Jehovah, the Mighty God of gods, Jehovah, the Mighty God of gods, He knows, and let Israel itself know; if it is in rebellion, or if in treachery against Jehovah, do not save us this day.23 If we have built ourselves an altar to turn from following Jehovah, or if to offer on it burnt offerings or grain offerings, or if to offer peace offerings on it, let Jehovah Himself exact it.24 But we have done it in this manner out of concern, thinking, In time to come your sons may speak to our sons, saying, What have you to do with Jehovah the God of Israel?25 For Jehovah has made the Jordan a border between you and us, you sons of Reuben and sons of Gad. You have no portion in Jehovah. Thus your sons would make our sons cease to fear Jehovah.26 Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice,27 but that it may be a witness between you and us and our generations after us, that we may perform the service of Jehovah before Him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your sons may not say to our sons in time to come, You have no portion in Jehovah.28 Therefore we thought that it shall be, when they say this to us or to our generations in time to come, that we shall say, Look at the pattern of the altar of Jehovah which our fathers have made, though not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between you and us.29 Far be it from us that we should rebel against Jehovah, to turn from following Jehovah this day, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for grain offerings, or for sacrifices, besides the altar of Jehovah our God which is before His tabernacle.30 And when Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the congregation, the heads of the thousands of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the sons of Manasseh had spoken, it pleased them.31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the sons of Manasseh, This day we perceive that Jehovah is among us, because you have not committed this treachery against Jehovah. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of Jehovah.32 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the leaders, returned from the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad, from the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought back word to them.33 And the thing was good in the eyes of the children of Israel, and the children of Israel blessed God and spoke no more of going against them in battle, to destroy the land where the sons of Reuben and Gad were living.34 And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad called the altar, Witness, For it is a witness between us that Jehovah is God.

1 In the same tyme Josue clepide men of Ruben, and men of Gad, and half the lynage of Manasses,2 and seide to hem, Ye han do alle thingis whiche Moises, `seruaunt of the Lord, comaundide to you, also ye obeieden to me in alle thingis;3 nether ye han lefte youre britheren in mych tyme til in to present dai, and ye kepten the comaundement of youre Lord God.4 Therfor for youre Lord God yaf reste and pees to youre britheren, as he bihiyte, turne ye ayen, and go ye in to youre tabernaclis, and in to the loond of youre possessioun, which lond Moyses, the `seruaunt of the Lord, yaf to you biyende Jordan;5 so onely that ye kepe bisili, and fille in werk the comaundement and lawe, `which lawe Moises, the `seruaunt of the Lord, comaundide to you; that ye loue youre Lord God, and go in alle hise weies, and kepe hise heestis, and cleue to hym and serue him in al youre herte, and in al youre soule.6 And Josue blesside hem, and lefte hem, whiche turneden ayen in to her tabernaclis.7 Sotheli Moyses hadde youe possessioun in Basan to the half lynage of Manasses; and therfor to the half lynage that lefte Josue yaf part among her othere britheren biyendis Jordan, at the west coost therof. And whanne Josue leet hem go in to her tabernaclis, and hadde blessid hem,8 he seyde to hem, With myche catel and richessis turne ye ayen to youre seetis; with siluer and gold, and bras, and yrun, and myche clothing; departe ye the prey of enemyes with youre britheren.9 And the sones of Ruben, and the sones of Gad, and `half the lynage of Manasses turneden ayen, and yeden fro the sones of Israel fro Silo, which is set in the lond of Canaan, that thei schulden entre in to Galaad, the lond of her possessioun, which thei gaten bi `comaundement of the Lord in the hond of Moises.10 And whanne thei hadden come to the litle hillis of Jordan, in to the lond of Canaan, thei bildiden bisidis Jordan an auter of greetnesse ouer comyn mesure.11 And whanne the sones of Israel hadden herd this, and certeyn messangeris hadden teld to hem, that the sones of Ruben, and of Gad, and the half lynage of Manasses hadden bildid an auter in the lond of Canaan, on the heepis of Jordan, ayens the sones of Israel,12 alle camen togidir in Silo, that thei schulden stie, and fiyte ayens hem.13 And in the meene tyme thei senten to hem in to the lond of Galaad, Fynees, preest,14 the sone of Eleazar, and ten princes with hym; of ech lynage o prince.15 Whiche camen to the sones of Ruben, and of Gad, and of the half lynage of Manasses, in to the lond of Galaad, and seiden to hem,16 Al the puple of the Lord sendith these thingis; What is this trespassyng? Whi han ye forsake the Lord God of Israel, and han bildid a cursid auter, and han go awei fro the worschiping of hym?17 Whether it is litil to you that ye synneden in Belfegor, and the wem of this trespas dwellith in you til in to present dai, and many of the puple felden doun?18 And to day ye han forsake the Lord, and to morewe, that is, in tyme to comynge, the ire of hym schal be feers ayens al Israel.19 That if ye gessen, that the lond of youre possessioun is vncleene, passe to the lond, `in which the tabernacle of the Lord is, and dwelle ye among vs, oneli that ye go not awei fro the Lord, and fro oure felouschipe, bi an auter bildid outakun the auter of oure Lord God.20 Whether not Achar, the sone of Zare, passide the comaundement of the Lord, and his ire felde on al the puple of Israel? And he was o man; and we wolden that he aloone hadde perischid in his trespas.21 And the sones of Ruben, and of Gad, and of half the lynage of Manasses, answeriden to the princes of the message of Israel,22 The strongeste Lord God hym silf of Israel knowith, and Israel schal vndirstonde togidere; if we bildiden this auter for entent of trespassyng, `that is, of ydolatrye, he kepe not vs, but punysche in present time;23 and if we diden bi that mynde, that we schulden putte theronne brent sacrifice, and sacrifice, and pesible sacrifices, he seke, and deme;24 and not more `bi that thouyt and tretyng that we seiden, Youre sones schulen seie `to morew to oure sones, What is to you and to the Lord God of Israel? Ye sones of Ruben,25 and ye sones of Gad, the Lord hath set a terme, the flood Jordan, bitwixe vs and you; and therfor ye han not part in the Lord; and bi this occasioun youre sones schulen turne awei oure sones fro the drede of the Lord. Therfor we gessiden betere,26 and seiden, Bilde we an auter to vs, not in to brent sacrifices, nethir to sacrifices to be offrid,27 but in to witnessyng bitwixe vs and you, and bitwixe oure children and youre generacioun, that we serue the Lord, and that it be of oure riyt to offre brent sacrifices, and sacrifices, and pesible sacrifices; and that youre sones seie not to morewe to oure sones, No part in the Lord is to you.28 And if `youre sones wolen seie this, `oure sones schulen answere hem, Lo! the auter of the Lord, which oure fadris maden, not in to brent sacrifices, nether in to sacrifice, but in to oure and your witnessing euerlastinge.29 Fer be this trespas fro vs, that we go awei fro the Lord, and forsake hise steppis, bi an auter bildid to brent sacrifices, and sacrifices, and sacrifices of preisyng to be offrid, outakun the auter of oure `Lord God, which is bildid bifore his tabernacle.30 And whanne these thingis weren herd, Fynees, preest, and the princes of message of Israel, that weren with hym, weren plesyd; and thei resseyueden gladli the wordis of the sones of Ruben, and of Gad, and of the half lynage of Manasses.31 And Finees, preest, the sone of Eleazar, seide to hem, Now we wyten, that the Lord is with you; for ye ben alien fro this trespassyng, and ye han delyuered the sones of Israel fro the hond, `that is, punyschyng, of the Lord.32 And Fynees turnede ayen with the princes fro the sones of Ruben and of Gad, fro the lond of Galaad to the coost of Canaan, to the sones of Israel; and he telde to hem.33 And the word pleside to alle men herynge; and the sones of Israel preisiden God, and seiden, that no more `thei schulden stie ayens hem, and fiyte, and do awei the lond of her possessioun.34 And the sones of Ruben and the sones of Gad clepiden the auter, which thei hadden bildid, Oure Witnessyng, that the Lord hym silf is God.