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JOSHUA 23
page 213
talk with the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the
half-tribe of Manasseh. 14 In this delegation were
ten leaders of Israel, one from each of the ten
tribes, and each the head of his family within
the clans of Israel.
15 When they arrived in the land of Gilead,
they said to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and
the half-tribe of Manasseh, 16 “The whole community of the Lord demands to know why you
are betraying the God of Israel. How could you
turn away from the Lord and build an altar for
yourselves in rebellion against him? 17 Was our
sin at Peor not enough? To this day we are not
fully cleansed of it, even after the plague that
struck the entire community of the Lord. 18 And
yet today you are turning away from following
the Lord. If you rebel against the Lord today, he
will be angry with all of us tomorrow.
19 “If you need the altar because the land
you possess is defiled, then join us in the
Lord’s land, where the Tabernacle of the Lord
is situated, and share our land with us. But
do not rebel against the Lord or against us
by building an altar other than the one true
altar of the Lord our God. 20 Didn’t divine anger
fall on the entire community of Israel when
Achan, a member of the clan of Zerah, sinned
by stealing the things set apart for the Lord*?
He was not the only one who died because of
his sin.”
21 Then the people of Reuben, Gad, and the
half-tribe of Manasseh answered the heads of
the clans of Israel: 22 “The Lord, the Mighty
One, is God! The Lord, the Mighty One, is God!
He knows the truth, and may Israel know it, too!
We have not built the altar in treacherous rebellion against the Lord. If we have done so, do
not spare our lives this day. 23 If we have built
an altar for ourselves to turn away from the
Lord or to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings, may the Lord himself
punish us.
24 “The truth is, we have built this altar because we fear that in the future your descendants will say to ours, ‘What right do you have
to worship the Lord, the God of Israel? 25 The
Lord has placed the Jordan River as a barrier
between our people and you people of Reuben
and Gad. You have no claim to the Lord.’ So
your descendants may prevent our descendants
from worshiping the Lord.
26 “So we decided to build the altar, not for
burnt offerings or sacrifices, 27 but as a memorial. It will remind our descendants and your
descendants that we, too, have the right to worship the Lord at his sanctuary with our burnt
offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings. Then
22:20 The Hebrew term used here refers to the complete
consecration of things or people to the Lord, either
by destroying them or by giving them as an offering.
22:34 Some manuscripts lack this word. 23:4 Hebrew
the Great Sea.
your descendants will not be able to say to ours,
‘You have no claim to the Lord.’
28 “If they say this, our descendants can reply,
‘Look at this copy of the Lord’s altar that our ancestors made. It is not for burnt offerings or sacrifices; it is a reminder of the relationship both
of us have with the Lord.’ 29 Far be it from us to
rebel against the Lord or turn away from him by
building our own altar for burnt offerings, grain
offerings, or sacrifices. Only the altar of the Lord
our God that stands in front of the Tabernacle
may be used for that purpose.”
30 When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community—the heads of the clans
of Israel—heard this from the tribes of Reuben,
Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, they were
satisfied. 31 Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest,
replied to them, “Today we know the Lord is
among us because you have not committed this
treachery against the Lord as we thought. Instead, you have rescued Israel from being destroyed by the hand of the Lord.”
32 Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest,
and the other leaders left the tribes of Reuben
and Gad in Gilead and returned to the land
of Canaan to tell the Israelites what had happened. 33 And all the Israelites were satisfied
and praised God and spoke no more of war
against Reuben and Gad.
34 The people of Reuben and Gad named the
altar “Witness,”* for they said, “It is a witness
between us and them that the Lord is our
God, too.”
Joshua’s Final Words to Israel
The years passed, and the Lord had
given the people of Israel rest from all
their enemies. Joshua, who was now very old,
2 called together all the elders, leaders, judges,
and officers of Israel. He said to them, “I am
now a very old man. 3 You have seen everything
the Lord your God has done for you during my
lifetime. The Lord your God has fought for you
against your enemies. 4 I have allotted to you as
your homeland all the land of the nations yet
unconquered, as well as the land of those we
have already conquered—from the Jordan River
to the Mediterranean Sea* in the west. 5 This
land will be yours, for the Lord your God will
himself drive out all the people living there now.
You will take possession of their land, just as
the Lord your God promised you.
6 “So be very careful to follow everything
Moses wrote in the Book of Instruction. Do not
deviate from it, turning either to the right or to
the left. 7 Make sure you do not associate with
the other people still remaining in the land. Do
not even mention the names of their gods, much
less swear by them or serve them or worship
them. 8 Rather, cling tightly to the Lord your God
as you have done until now.
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