English Bible Presentation Sharing - Joshua Book, chapter 22, verse 60 in Hcsb Version

Joshua 22 : 1 (HCSB)

Joshua summoned the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh,

Joshua 22 : 2 (HCSB)

and told them, "You have done everything Moses the LORD's servant commanded you and have obeyed me in everything I commanded you.

Joshua 22 : 3 (HCSB)

You have not deserted your brothers even once this whole time but have carried out the requirement of the command of the LORD your God.

Joshua 22 : 4 (HCSB)

Now that He has given your brothers rest, just as He promised them, return to your homes in your own land that Moses the LORD's servant gave you across the Jordan.

Joshua 22 : 5 (HCSB)

Only carefully obey the command and instruction that Moses the LORD's servant gave you: to love the LORD your God, walk in all His ways, keep His commands, remain faithful to Him, and serve Him with all your heart and all your soul."

Joshua 22 : 6 (HCSB)

Joshua blessed them and sent them on their way, and they went to their homes.

Joshua 22 : 7 (HCSB)

Moses had given *territory to half the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, but Joshua had given territory to the other half, with their brothers, on the west side of the Jordan. When Joshua sent them to their homes and blessed them,

Joshua 22 : 8 (HCSB)

he said, "Return to your homes with great wealth: a huge number of cattle, and silver, gold, bronze, iron, and a large quantity of clothing. Share the spoil of your enemies with your brothers."

Joshua 22 : 9 (HCSB)

The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in the land of Canaan to go to their own land of Gilead, which they took possession of according to the LORD's command through Moses.

Joshua 22 : 10 (HCSB)

When they came to the region of the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh built a large, impressive altar there by the Jordan.

Joshua 22 : 11 (HCSB)

Then the Israelites heard *it said, "Look, the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the frontier of the land of Canaan at the region of the Jordan, on the Israelite side."

Joshua 22 : 12 (HCSB)

When the Israelites heard *this , the entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh to go to war against them.

Joshua 22 : 13 (HCSB)

The Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead.

Joshua 22 : 14 (HCSB)

*They sent 10 leaders with him-- one family leader for each tribe of Israel. All of them were heads of their families among the clans of Israel.

Joshua 22 : 15 (HCSB)

They went to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and told them,

Joshua 22 : 16 (HCSB)

"This is what the LORD's entire community says: 'What is this treachery you have committed today against the God of Israel by turning away from the LORD and building an altar for yourselves, so that you are in rebellion against the LORD today?

Joshua 22 : 17 (HCSB)

Wasn't the sin of Peor, which brought a plague on the LORD's community, enough for us, so that we have not cleansed ourselves from it even to this day,

Joshua 22 : 18 (HCSB)

and now, you would turn away from the LORD? If you rebel against the LORD today, tomorrow He will be angry with the entire community of Israel.

Joshua 22 : 19 (HCSB)

But if the land you possess is defiled, cross over to the land the LORD possesses where the LORD's tabernacle stands, and take possession *of it among us. But don't rebel against the LORD or against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the LORD our God.

Joshua 22 : 20 (HCSB)

Wasn't Achan son of Zerah unfaithful regarding what was set apart for destruction, bringing wrath on the entire community of Israel? He was not the only one who perished because of his sin.'"

Joshua 22 : 21 (HCSB)

The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered the leaders of the Israelite clans,

Joshua 22 : 22 (HCSB)

"The LORD is the God of gods! The LORD is the God of gods! He knows, and may Israel also know. Do not spare us today, if *it was in rebellion or treachery against the LORD

Joshua 22 : 23 (HCSB)

that we have built for ourselves an altar to turn away from Him. May the LORD Himself hold us accountable if *we intended to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings on it, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it.

Joshua 22 : 24 (HCSB)

We actually did this from a specific concern that in the future your descendants might say to our descendants, 'What relationship do you have with the LORD, the God of Israel?

Joshua 22 : 25 (HCSB)

For the LORD has made the Jordan a border between us and you descendants of Reuben and Gad. You have no share in the LORD!' So your descendants may cause our descendants to stop fearing the LORD.

Joshua 22 : 26 (HCSB)

"Therefore we said: Let us take action and build an altar for ourselves, but not for burnt offering or sacrifice.

Joshua 22 : 27 (HCSB)

Instead, it is to be a witness between us and you, and between the generations after us, so that we may carry out the worship of the LORD in His presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and fellowship offerings. Then in the future, your descendants will not be able to say to our descendants, 'You have no share in the LORD!'

Joshua 22 : 28 (HCSB)

We thought that if they said this to us or to our generations in the future, we would reply: Look at the replica of the LORD's altar that our fathers made, not for burnt offering or sacrifice, but as a witness between us and you.

Joshua 22 : 29 (HCSB)

We would never rebel against the LORD or turn away from Him today by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the LORD our God, which is in front of His tabernacle."

Joshua 22 : 30 (HCSB)

When Phinehas the priest and the community leaders, the heads of Israel's clans who were with him, heard what the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh had to say, they were pleased.

Joshua 22 : 31 (HCSB)

Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest said to the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, "Today we know that the LORD is among us, because you have not committed this treachery against Him. As a result, you have delivered the Israelites from the LORD's power."

Joshua 22 : 32 (HCSB)

Then Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest and the leaders returned from the Reubenites and Gadites in the land of Gilead to the Israelites in the land of Canaan and brought back a report to them.

Joshua 22 : 33 (HCSB)

The Israelites were pleased with the report, and they praised God. They spoke no more about going to war against them to ravage the land where the Reubenites and Gadites lived.

Joshua 22 : 34 (HCSB)

So the Reubenites and Gadites named the altar: It is a witness between us that the LORD is God.