Eastern Tribes Return Home
Joshua 22Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and said to them, “Y’all have kept all that Moses the servant of YHWH commanded y’all and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded y’all. Y’all have not deserted y’all’s brothers this entire time up to this day, but have performed the duty of the commandment of YHWH y’all’s God. Now YHWH y’all’s God has given y’all’s brothers rest as ʜᴇ promised to them. So now return and go to y’all’s tents, to the land of y’all’s possession, which Moses the servant of YHWH gave y’all beyond the Jordan. But y’all must be careful to obey the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of YHWH commanded y’all, to love YHWH y’all’s God, to walk in all ʜɪꜱ ways, to keep ʜɪꜱ commandments, to hold fast to ʜɪᴍ, and to serve ʜɪᴍ with all y’all’s heart and with all y’all’s soul.”
So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents. Now to the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given inheritance in Bashan; but Joshua gave to the other half among their brothers beyond the Jordan westward. Moreover when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them, and spoke to them, saying, “Return to y’all’s tents with great wealth, livestock, silver, gold, bronze, iron, and very much clothing. Y’all out to divide the plunder of y’all’s enemies with y’all’s brothers.”
The Altar of Witness
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 land of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they owned, according to the commandment of YHWH by Moses. When they came to the region near 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 an altar there by the Jordan, a great altar to look at. The children of Israel heard this, “Look, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar along the border of the land of Canaan, in the region around the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the children of Israel.” 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. 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. With him were ten princes, one prince of a fathers’ house for each of the tribes of Israel; and they were each head of their fathers’ houses among the thousands of Israel. 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 they spoke with them, saying, “The whole congregation of YHWH says, ‘What is this unfaithful act that y’all have committed against the God of Israel, turning away today from following YHWH? Y’all built an altar for yourselves* to rebel against YHWH today? Was the sin of Peor too little for us? To this day we have not cleansed ourselves from it although there came a plague on the congregation of YHWH. Now today y’all are turning away from following YHWH? If y’all rebel against YHWH today, tomorrow ʜᴇ will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. However, if the land y’all possess is unclean, then y’all are to cross over to the land of the land YHWH possesses where the tabernacle of YHWH’s dwells and take possession among us. But y’all must not rebel against YHWH or rebel against us by building an altar other than YHWH our God’s altar. Didn’t Achan the son of Zerah act unfaithfully in the devoted thing, causing wrath to fall on all the congregation of Israel? That man didn’t perish alone in his iniquity.’”
Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered, and spoke to the heads of the thousands of Israel, “The Mighty One, God, YHWH, the Mighty One, God, YHWH, he knows; and Israel will know: if it was in rebellion, or if in trespass against YHWH (don’t save us today), that we have built us an altar to turn away from following YHWH; or if to offer burnt offering or meal offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings, let YHWH himself require it.
“If we have not out of concern done this, and for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come y’all’s children might speak to our children, saying, “What do y’all have to do with YHWH, the God of Israel? For YHWH has made the Jordan a border between us and y’all, y’all children of Reuben and children of Gad. Y’all have no portion in YHWH.”’ So y’all’s children might make our children stop fearing YHWH.
“Therefore we said, ‘Let’s now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice; but it will be a witness between us and y’all, and the generations after us, that we may perform the service of YHWH before him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings;’ so that y’all’s children may not tell our children in time to come, ‘Y’all have no portion in YHWH.’
“Therefore we said, ‘When they tell us or our generations this in time to come, that we will say, “Look at the replica of the altar of YHWH that our ancestors made, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, but as a witness between us and y’all.”’
“Far be it from us that we should rebel against YHWH, and turn away today from following YHWH, to build an altar for burnt offering, for meal offering, or for sacrifice, besides YHWH our God’s altar that is before his tabernacle!”
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 spoke, it pleased them well. [Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, “Today we know that YHWH is among us, because y’all have not been unfaithful against YHWH. Now y’all have rescued the children of Israel out of YHWH’s hand.” 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. The thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and spoke no more of going up against them to war, to destroy the land in which the children of Reuben and the children of Gad lived. The children of Reuben and the children of Gad named the altar “A Witness Between Us that YHWH is God.”