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1 Then I AM is Salvation (Joshua) called
the tribe of Behold a Son (Reubenites), the tribe of Troop (Gadites), and the
half tribe of Causing to Forget (Manasseh),
2 He said to them: You have kept all that
Drawn (Moses) the servant of I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) commanded you, and have
obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you:
3 You have not left your brethren these
many days to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of I AM (the
LORD, Yehovah) your God ('Elohiym).
4 Now I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) your God
(‘Elohiym) has given rest to your brethren, as He promised them: Therefore, return
now, go to your tents, and to the land of your possession, which Drawn (Moses)
the servant of I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) gave you on the other side The
Descender (Jordan).
5 But take diligent heed to do the
commandment and the law, which Drawn (Moses) the servant of I AM (the LORD,
Yehovah) charged you, to love I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) your God, and to walk in
all His ways, and to keep His commandments, and to cleave to Him, and to serve Him
with all your heart and with all your soul.
6 So I AM is Salvation (Joshua) blessed
them, and sent them away: and they went to their tents.
7 Now to the one half of the tribe of Causing
to Forget (Manasseh) Drawn (Moses) had given possession in Fruitful (Bashan):
but to the other half thereof gave I AM is Salvation (Joshua) among their
brethren on this side of The Descender (Jordan) westward. When I AM is
Salvation (Joshua) sent them away also to their tents, then he blessed them,
8 He spoke to them, saying: Return with
much riches to your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, with gold,
with brass, with iron, and with very much clothing: divide the spoil of your
enemies with your brethren.
9 Then the children of Behold a Son
(Reuben) and the children of Troop (Gad) and the half-tribe of Causing to
Forget (Manasseh) returned and departed from the children of God Prevails
(Israel) out of Tranquility (Shiloh), which is in the land of Humbled One
(Canaan), to go to the country of Rocky Region (Gilead), to the land of their
possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the word of I AM (the
LORD, Yehovah) by the hand of Drawn (Moses).
10 When they came to the borders of The
Descender (Jordan), that are in the land of Humbled One (Canaan), the children
of Behold a Son (Reuben) and the children of Troop (Gad) and the half tribe of Causing
to Forget (Manasseh) built an altar there by The Descender (Jordan), a great
altar for all to see.
11 The children of God Prevails (Israel)
heard it said: Behold, the children of Behold a Son (Reuben) and the children
of Troop (Gad) and the half tribe of Causing to Forget (Manasseh) have built an
altar over against the land of Humbled One (Canaan), in the borders of The
Descender (Jordan), at the passage of the children of God Prevails (Israel).
12 When the children of God Prevails
(Israel) heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of God Prevails
(Israel) gathered themselves together at Tranquility (Shiloh), to go up to war
against them.
13 Then the children of God Prevails
(Israel) sent to the children of Behold a Son (Reuben), and to the children of Troop
(Gad), and to the half-tribe of Causing to Forget (Manasseh), into the land of Rocky
Region (Gilead), Mouth of Brass (Phinehas) the son of God Has Helped (Eleazar)
the priest,
14 And with him came ten princes, of each
chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of God Prevails (Israel); each
one was a head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of God
Prevails (Israel).
15 They came to the children of Behold a
Son (Reuben), and to the children of Troop (Gad), and to the half-tribe of Causing
to Forget (Manasseh), to the land of Rocky Region (Gilead), and they spoke with
them, saying,
16 The whole congregation of I AM (the
LORD, Yehovah) is asking: What trespass is this that you have committed against
the God of God Prevails (Israel), to turn away this day from following I AM
(the LORD, Yehovah). Why have you built yourselves an altar, to rebel this day
against I AM (the LORD, Yehovah)?
17 Is the iniquity of Cleft (Peor) too
little for us, from which we still suffer, although there was a plague in the
congregation of I AM (the LORD, Yehovah),
18 But that you must turn away this day
from following I AM (the LORD, Yehovah)? and it will be, seeing you rebel today
against I AM (the LORD, Yehovah), that tomorrow he will be angry with the whole
congregation of God Prevails (Israel).
19 Notwithstanding, if the land of your
possession is unclean, then pass over to the land of the possession of I AM
(the LORD, Yehovah), wherein I AM (the LORD, Yehovah)'s tabernacle dwelleth,
and take possession among us: but do not rebel against I AM (the LORD, Yehovah),
nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of I AM our God
(Yehovah-Elohyim).
20 Didn’t Troubler (Achan) the son of Rising
(Zerah) commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the
congregation of God Prevails (Israel)? and that man didn’t perish alone in his
iniquity.
21 Then the children of Behold a Son
(Reuben) and the children of Troop (Gad) and the half tribe of Causing to
Forget (Manasseh) answered, and said to the heads of the thousands of God
Prevails (Israel),
22 I AM, God (Yehovah-Elohyim) of gods,
knows, and God Prevails (Israel) shall know. If we have done this in rebellion,
or if in transgression against I AM (the LORD, Yehovah), do not save us.
23 If we have built ourselves an altar to
turn from following I AM (the LORD, Yehovah), or if to offer thereon burnt
offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let I AM
(the LORD, Yehovah) Himself require it;
24 But if we have instead done it for
fear of this thing, saying: In time to come your children might speak to our
children, saying: What have you to do with I AM, God (Yehovah-Elohyim) of God
Prevails (Israel)?
25 For I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) has made The
Descender (Jordan) a border between us and you, you children of Behold a Son
(Reuben) and children of Troop (Gad); you have no part in I AM (the LORD,
Yehovah): so, shall your children make our children cease from fearing I AM
(the LORD, Yehovah).
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 I AM
(the LORD, Yehovah) 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, You have no part in I AM (the LORD, Yehovah).
28 Therefore we said: 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 I AM (the LORD, Yehovah), 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 I AM (the LORD, Yehovah), and turn this day from following I AM (the
LORD, Yehovah), to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or
for sacrifices, beside the altar of I AM our God (Yehovah-Elohyim) that is
before his tabernacle.
30 When Mouth of Brass (Phinehas) the
priest, and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of God
Prevails (Israel) which were with him, heard the words that the children of Behold
a Son (Reuben) and the children of Troop (Gad) and the children of Causing to
Forget (Manasseh) spoke, it pleased them.
31 Then Mouth of Brass (Phinehas) the son
of God Has Helped (Eleazar) the priest said to the children of Behold a Son
(Reuben), and to the children of Troop (Gad), and to the children of Causing to
Forget (Manasseh): This day we perceive that I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) is among
us, because you have not committed this trespass against I AM (the LORD,
Yehovah): now you have delivered the children of God Prevails (Israel) out of
the hand of I AM (the LORD, Yehovah).
32 So Mouth of Brass (Phinehas) the son
of God Has Helped (Eleazar) the priest, and the princes, returned from the
children of Behold a Son (Reuben), and from the children of Troop (Gad), out of
the land of Rocky Region (Gilead), to the land of Humbled One (Canaan), to the
children of God Prevails (Israel), and brought them word again.
33 The thing pleased the children of God
Prevails (Israel); and the children of God Prevails (Israel) blessed God, and
did not to go up against them in battle, to destroy the land wherein the
children of Behold a Son (Reuben) and Troop (Gad) dwelt.
34 And the children of Behold a Son
(Reuben) and the children of Troop (Gad) called the altar Witness (Ed): for it
shall be a witness between us that I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) is God.
