The Two and a Half Tribes Return Home
1 Joshua held a meeting with the men of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh, and he told them:
2-3 You have obeyed every command of the Lord your God and of his servant Moses. And you have done everything I've told you to do. It's taken a long time, but you have stayed and helped your relatives. 4 The Lord promised to give peace to your relatives, and that's what he has done. Now it's time for you to go back to your own homes in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan River.
5 Moses taught you to love the Lord your God, to be faithful to him, and to worship and obey him with your whole heart and with all your strength. So be very careful to do everything Moses commanded.
6-9 You've become rich from what you've taken from your enemies. You have big herds of cattle, lots of silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and plenty of clothes. Take everything home with you and share with the people of your tribe.
I pray that God will be kind to you. You are now free to go home.
The tribes of Reuben and Gad started back to Gilead, their own land. Moses had given the land of Bashan to the East Manasseh tribe, so they started back along with Reuben and Gad. God had told Moses that these two and a half tribes should conquer Gilead and Bashan, and they had done so.
Joshua had given land west of the Jordan River to the other half of the Manasseh tribe, so they stayed at Shiloh in the land of Canaan with the rest of the Israelites.
10-11 The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh reached the western side of the Jordan River valley and built a huge altar there beside the river.
When the rest of the Israelites heard what these tribes had done, 12 the Israelite men met at Shiloh to get ready to attack the two and a half tribes. 13 But first they sent a priest, Phinehas the son of Eleazar, to talk with the two and a half tribes. 14 Each of the ten tribes at Shiloh sent the leader of one of its families along with Phinehas.
15 Phinehas and these leaders went to Gilead and met with the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh. They said:
16 All of the Lord's people have gathered together and have sent us to find out why you are unfaithful to our God. You have turned your backs on the Lord by building that altar. Why are you rebelling against him? 17 Wasn't our people's sin at Peor terrible enough for you? The Lord punished us by sending a horrible sickness that killed many of us, and we still suffer because of that sin. 18 Now you are turning your backs on the Lord again.
If you don't stop rebelling against the Lord at once, he will be angry with the whole nation. 19 If you don't think your land is a fit place to serve God, then move across the Jordan and live with us in the Lord's own land, where his sacred tent is located. But don't rebel against the Lord our God or against us by building another altar besides the Lord's own altar. 20 Don't you remember what happened when Achan was unfaithful and took some of the things that belonged to God? This made God angry with the entire nation. Achan died because he sinned, but he also caused the death of many others.
21 The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh answered:
22 The Lord is the greatest God! We ask him to be our witness, because he knows whether or not we were rebellious or unfaithful when we built that altar. If we were unfaithful, then we pray that God won't rescue us today. Let us tell you why we built that altar, 23 and we ask the Lord to punish us if we are lying. We didn't build it so we could turn our backs on the Lord. We didn't even build it so we could offer animal or grain sacrifices to please the Lord or ask his blessing.
24-25 We built that altar because we were worried. Someday your descendants might tell our descendants, “The Lord made the Jordan River the boundary between us Israelites and you people of Reuben and Gad. The Lord is Israel's God, but you're not part of Israel, so you can't take part in worshiping the Lord.”
Your descendants might say that and try to make our descendants stop worshiping and obeying the Lord. 26 That's why we decided to build the altar. It isn't for offering sacrifices, not even sacrifices to please the Lord. 27-29 To build another altar for offering sacrifices would be the same as turning our backs on the Lord and rebelling against him. We could never do that! No, we built the altar to remind us and you and the generations to come that we will worship the Lord. And so we will keep bringing our sacrifices to the Lord's altar, there in front of his sacred tent. Now your descendants will never be able to say to our descendants, “You can't worship the Lord.”
But if they do say this, our descendants can answer back, “Look at this altar our ancestors built! It's like the Lord's altar, but it isn't for offering sacrifices. It's here to remind us and you that we belong to the Lord, just as much as you do.”
30-31 Phinehas and the clan leaders were pleased when they heard the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh explain why they had built the altar. Then Phinehas told them, “Today we know that the Lord is helping us. You have not been unfaithful to him, and this means that the Lord will not be angry with us.”
32 Phinehas and the clan leaders left Gilead and went back to Canaan to tell the Israelites about their meeting with the Reuben and Gad tribes. 33 The Israelites were happy and praised God. There was no more talk about going to war and wiping out the tribes of Reuben and Gad.
34 The people of Reuben and Gad named the altar “A Reminder to Us All That the Lord Is Our God.”
Austrumkrasta ciltis atgriežas savos īpašumos
1 Tad Jozua sasauca rūbeniešus, gādiešus un pusi Manases cilts 2 un teica tiem: “Jūs esat pildījuši visu, ko jums pavēlēja Kunga kalps Mozus, un jūs esat klausījuši visu, ko es jums pavēlēju. 3 Jūs neatstājāt savus brāļus visu šo ilgo laiku līdz pat šai dienai un stingri ievērojāt visu Kunga, sava Dieva, bauslību. 4 Tagad Kungs, jūsu Dievs, ļauj jūsu brāļiem baudīt mieru, kā viņš tiem solījis, – tad nu dodieties atpakaļ uz savām teltīm, uz zemi, kur jūsu īpašums, – Kunga kalps Mozus to devis jums viņpus Jardānas. 5 Tikai sargieties, ka pildāt baušļus un ievērojat bauslību, ko Kunga kalps Mozus jums devis, – mīliet Kungu, savu Dievu, staigājiet visos viņa ceļos, turiet viņa baušļus, pieķerieties viņam un kalpojiet viņam no visas sirds un dvēseles!” 6 Jozua tos svētīja un atlaida, un tie devās uz savām teltīm.
7 Pusei Manases cilts Mozus bija devis īpašumu Bāšānā, bet otrai pusei Jozua deva īpašumu blakus viņu brāļiem viņpus Jardānas. Tad Jozua tos atlaida uz viņu teltīm, svētīja tos 8 un teica tiem: “Jūs atgriežaties savās teltīs ar lieliem krājumiem, ar daudziem lopiem, ar sudrabu, zeltu, varu, dzelzi un varen daudz drānām – dalieties ar saviem brāļiem visā, ko esat laupījuši ienaidniekiem!”
Liecības altāris Jardānas austrumkrastā
9 Tā viņi atgriezās – Rūbena dēli, Gāda dēli un puse Manases cilts devās projām no Israēla dēliem, no Šīlo, kas Kanaāna zemē, – tie devās uz Gileāda zemi, uz sava īpašuma zemi, ko tie pēc Kunga pavēles bija iemantojuši caur Mozu. 10 Kad tie nonāca pie akmeņu kaudzēm, kas bija pie Jardānas Kanaāna zemē, tad Rūbena dēli, Gāda dēli un puse Manases cilts uzbūvēja pie Jardānas altāri – no skata tas bija liels altāris! 11 Tad Israēla dēli padzirdēja runas: “Redzi, Rūbena dēli, Gāda dēli un puse Manases cilts uzcēluši altāri Kanaāna zemes robežās, pie Jardānas akmeņu kaudzēm Israēla dēlu pusē.” 12 Kad Israēla dēli to izdzirdēja, viņi, visa Israēla dēlu sapulce, sapulcējās Šīlo, lai dotos pret tiem karā.
13 Tad Israēla dēli sūtīja pie Rūbena dēliem, Gāda dēliem un puses Manases cilts uz Gileāda zemi priestera Elāzāra dēlu Pinhāsu 14 un kopā ar viņu arī desmit vadoņus – pa vienam vadonim no katra Israēla cilšu tēvu nama – katrs bija galvenais sava tēva namā, tie bija vadītāji arī pār Israēla tūkstošiem. 15 Tie gāja pie Rūbena dēliem, Gāda dēliem un puses Manases cilts uz Gileāda zemi un runāja ar tiem: 16 “Tā saka visa Kunga sapulce: cik tālu gan jūs esat atkrituši no Israēla Dieva, ka šodien novēršaties no sekošanas Kungam un esat uzcēluši sev šo altāri, tā dumpodami pret Kungu?! 17 Vai mums vēl nav gana ar Peora grēku – no tā mēs neesam šķīstījušies vēl līdz šai dienai –, par to Kunga sapulci ķēra sērga! 18 Un tomēr jūs šodien novēršaties no sekošanas Kungam – šodien jūs atkal dumpojat pret Kungu, bet rīt viņš noskaitīsies pret visu Israēla sapulci! 19 Ja jūsu īpašuma zeme jums ir nešķīsta, tad dodieties uz Kunga īpašuma zemi, kur stāv Kunga Mājoklis, un iegūstiet īpašumu tur kopā ar mums. Tikai nedumpojiet pret Kungu un nepadariet par dumpiniekiem arī mūs, celdami sev citu altāri, kas nav Kunga, mūsu Dieva, altāris! 20 Vai tad Āhāns, Zeraha dēls, jau pagalam neatkrita iznīcībai lemto mantu dēļ, kad dusmas nāca pār visu Israēla sapulci; viņš bija viens pats, bet vai tad viens pats gāja bojā par savu vainu?”
21 Tad Rūbena dēli, Gāda dēli un puse Manases cilts atbildēja Israēla virsniekiem pār tūkstošiem: 22 “Dievu Dievs Kungs, dievu Dievs Kungs – viņš zina, un lai arī Israēls zina, ja tas noticis tādēļ, lai dumpotos vai atkristu no Kunga, tad nesaudzē mūs šodien! 23 Ja mēs būtu uzcēluši altāri, lai novērstos no sekošanas Kungam vai upurētu tur sadedzināmos upurus, labības dāvanas vai pienestu miera upurus, tad Kungs lai piemeklē pats! 24 Taču nē! To mēs darījām, bažīdamies, ka kādreiz jūsu dēli varētu sacīt mūsu dēliem: kas jums daļas gar Kungu, Israēla Dievu? 25 Kungs nolicis robežu starp mums un jums, Rūbena dēli un Gāda dēli, jums nav daļas gar Kungu! – tad jūsu dēli novērstu no Kunga bijības mūsu dēlus. 26 Tādēļ mēs nospriedām: taisīsimies jel un uzcelsim altāri – ne sadedzināmajiem upuriem vai kaujamiem upuriem, 27 bet par liecību, kas būtu starp mums un jums, un nākamajām paaudzēm pēc mums – lai mēs pildītu Kunga kalpošanu viņa priekšā ar mūsu sadedzināmajiem upuriem, kaujamiem upuriem un miera upuriem, lai kādreiz jūsu dēli neteiktu mūsu dēliem: jums nav daļas gar Kungu! 28 Un vēl mēs domājām – ja mums vai mūsu pēcnācējiem reiz kāds ko tādu teiks, tad mēs sacīsim: redzi, tur ir Kunga altāra līdziniece, to mūsu tēvi uzcēla ne sadedzināmajiem upuriem, ne kaujamiem upuriem, bet par liecību starp mums un jums! 29 Pasargi, Dievs, ka mēs dumpotu pret Kungu vai šodien novērstos no sekošanas Kungam, celdami citu altāri sadedzināmajiem upuriem, labības dāvanām vai kaujamiem upuriem līdzās Kunga, mūsu Dieva, altārim, kas viņa Mājokļa priekšā!”
30 Kad priesteris Pinhāss, sapulces vadoņi un Israēla virsnieki pār tūkstošiem, kas bija ar viņu, dzirdēja vārdus, ko sacīja Rūbena dēli, Gāda dēli un Manases dēli, tie viņiem patika. 31 Un priesteris Pinhāss, Elāzāra dēls, teica Rūbena dēliem, Gāda dēliem un Manases dēliem: “Tagad mēs zinām, ka Kungs ir ar mums, jo jūs neesat atkrituši no Kunga, tā jūs esat izglābuši Israēla dēlus no Kunga rokas!” 32 Tad priesteris Pinhāss, Elāzāra dēls, kopā ar vadoņiem devās projām no Rūbena dēliem, Gāda dēliem, no Gileāda zemes uz Kanaāna zemi pie Israēla dēliem, un visu tiem pastāstīja. 33 Tas Israēla dēliem patika, un Israēla dēli slavēja Dievu un vairs negrasījās doties karot pret tiem un iznīdēt zemi, kur bija apmetušies Rūbena dēli un Gāda dēli. 34 Rūbena dēli un Gāda dēli mēdz par šo altāri teikt: “Tā mums ir liecība, ka Kungs ir Dievs.”
