Joshua Sends the Eastern Tribes Home
1 Then Joshua called together the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh. 2 He said to them, “You have done everything that Moses the Lord's servant ordered you to do, and you have obeyed all my commands. 3 All this time you have never once deserted the other Israelites. You have been careful to obey the commands of the Lord your God. 4 Now, as he promised, the Lord your God has given the other Israelites peace. So go back home to the land which you claimed for your own, the land on the east side of the Jordan, that Moses, the Lord's servant, gave you. 5 Make sure you obey the law that Moses commanded you: love the Lord your God, do his will, obey his commandments, be faithful to him, and serve him with all your heart and soul.” 6-8 Joshua sent them home with his blessing and with these words: “You are going back home very rich, with a lot of livestock, silver, gold, bronze, iron, and many clothes. Share with your fellow tribesmen what you took from your enemies.” Then they left for home.
Moses had given land east of the Jordan to one half of the tribe of Manasseh, but to the other half Joshua had given land west of the Jordan, along with the other tribes.
9 So the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh went back home. They left the rest of the people of Israel at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and started out for their own land, the land of Gilead, which they had taken as the Lord had commanded them through Moses.
The Altar by the Jordan
10 When the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh arrived at Geliloth, still on the west side of the Jordan, they built a large, impressive altar there by the river. 11 The rest of the people of Israel were told, “Listen! The people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh have built an altar at Geliloth, on our side of the Jordan!” 12 When the people of Israel heard this, the whole community came together at Shiloh to go to war against the eastern tribes.
13 Then the people of Israel sent Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, to the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh in the land of Gilead. 14 Ten leading men went with Phinehas, one from each of the western tribes and each one the head of a family among the clans. 15 They came to the land of Gilead, to the people of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh, 16 and speaking for the whole community of the Lord, they said to them, “Why have you done this evil thing against the God of Israel? You have rebelled against the Lord by building this altar for yourselves! You are no longer following him! 17 Remember our sin at Peor, when the Lord punished his own people with an epidemic? We are still suffering because of that. Wasn't that sin enough? 18 Are you going to refuse to follow him now? If you rebel against the Lord today, he will be angry with everyone in Israel tomorrow. 19 Now then, if your land is not fit to worship in, come over into the Lord's land, where his Tent is. Claim some land among us. But don't rebel against the Lord or make rebels out of us by building an altar in addition to the altar of the Lord our God. 20 Remember how Achan son of Zerah refused to obey the command about the things condemned to destruction; the whole community of Israel was punished for that. Achan was not the only one who died because of his sin.”
21 The people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh answered the heads of the families of the western tribes: 22 “The Mighty One is God! He is the Lord! The Mighty One is God! He is the Lord! He knows why we did this, and we want you to know too! If we rebelled and did not keep faith with the Lord, do not let us live any longer! 23 If we disobeyed the Lord and built our own altar to burn sacrifices on or to use for grain offerings or fellowship offerings, let the Lord himself punish us. 24 No! We did it because we were afraid that in the future your descendants would say to ours, ‘What do you have to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? 25 He made the Jordan a boundary between us and you people of Reuben and Gad. You have nothing to do with the Lord.’ Then your descendants might make our descendants stop worshiping the Lord. 26 So we built an altar, not to burn sacrifices or make offerings, 27 but instead, as a sign for our people and yours, and for the generations after us, that we do indeed worship the Lord before his sacred Tent with our offerings to be burned and with sacrifices and fellowship offerings. This was to keep your descendants from saying that ours have nothing to do with the Lord. 28 It was our idea that, if this should ever happen, our descendants could say, ‘Look! Our ancestors made an altar just like the Lord's altar. It was not for burning offerings or for sacrifice, but as a sign for our people and yours.’ 29 We would certainly not rebel against the Lord or stop following him now by building an altar to burn offerings on or for grain offerings or sacrifices. We would not build any other altar than the altar of the Lord our God that stands in front of the Tent of his presence.”
30 Phinehas the priest and the ten leading men of the community who were with him, the heads of families of the western tribes, heard what the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh had to say, and they were satisfied. 31 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, said to them, “Now we know that the Lord is with us. You have not rebelled against him, and so you have saved the people of Israel from the Lord's punishment.”
32 Then Phinehas and the leaders left the people of Reuben and Gad in the land of Gilead and went back to Canaan, to the people of Israel, and reported to them. 33 The Israelites were satisfied and praised God. They no longer talked about going to war to devastate the land where the people of Reuben and Gad had settled.
34 The people of Reuben and Gad said, “This altar is a witness to all of us that the Lord is God.” And so they named it “Witness.”
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.”
