Josué 22

Catholic Public Domain Version

1In the same time, Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the one half tribe of Manasseh.

2And he said to them: “You have done all that Moses, the servant of the Lord, instructed you. You have also obeyed me in all things.

3Neither have you forsaken your brothers during this long time, even to the present day, keeping the orders of the Lord your God.

4Therefore, since the Lord your God has given your brothers peace and quiet, just as he promised: return, and go into your tents and into the land of your possession, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, delivered to you beyond the Jordan.

5And may you continue to observe attentively, and to work to fulfill, the commandment and the law that Moses, the servant of the Lord, instructed to you, so that you may love the Lord your God, and walk in all his ways, and keep all his commandments, and cling to him, and serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

6And Joshua blessed them, and he sent them away. And they returned to their tents.

7Now to the one half tribe of Manasseh, Moses had given a possession in Bashan. And therefore, to the one half that was left over, Joshua gave a lot among the remainder of their brothers across the Jordan, in the western region. And when he had blessed them and dismissed them to their tents,

8he said to them: “Return to your settlements with much substance and wealth, with silver and gold, brass and iron, and a multitude of garments. Divide the spoils of your enemies with your brothers.”

9And the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and the one half tribe of Manasseh returned, and they went away from the sons of Israel at Shiloh, which is situated in Canaan, so that they might enter into Gilead, the land of their possession, which they had obtained according to the order of the Lord, by the hand of Moses.

10And when they had arrived at the hills of the Jordan in the land of Canaan, they built an altar of immense magnitude beside the Jordan.

11And when the sons of Israel had heard of it, and certain messengers had reported to them that the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the one half tribe of Manasseh had built an altar in the land of Canaan, upon the hills of the Jordan, facing the sons of Israel,

12they all assembled at Shiloh, so that they might go up and battle against them.

13And in the interim, they sent to them, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the priest,

14and ten leaders with him, one from each tribe.

15And they went to the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the one half tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them:

16“All the people of the Lord declare this: What is this transgression? Why have you forsaken the Lord, the God of Israel, by building a sacrilegious altar, and by withdrawing from the worship of him?

17Is it a small thing to you that you have sinned with Baal of Peor, and that the stain of that crime continues among us, even to the present day? And many of the people have fallen.

18And yet you have forsaken the Lord today, and tomorrow his wrath will rage against all of Israel.

19But if you consider the land of your possession to be unclean, cross over to the land in which is the tabernacle of the Lord, and live among us. But do not withdraw from the Lord, and from our fellowship, by building an altar contrary to the altar of the Lord our God.

20Did not Achan, the son of Zerah, go against the commandment of the Lord, and so his wrath was laid over all the people of Israel? And he was only one man. If only he had perished in his wickedness alone!”

21And the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the one half tribe of Manasseh responded to the leaders of the delegation from Israel:

22“The Lord, the almighty God, the Lord, the almighty God, he knows, and also Israel will understand: If we have constructed this altar with intent of transgression, let him not preserve us, but instead punish us immediately.

23And if we have acted with a mind so that we might present upon it holocausts, and sacrifice, and victims of peace offerings, let him inquire and judge.

24Instead, we have acted with this greater thought and design, that we would say: Tomorrow your sons will say to our sons: ‘What is there between you and the Lord, the God of Israel?

25The Lord has stationed the river Jordan as the border between us and you, O sons of Reuben, O sons of Gad. And therefore, you have no part in the Lord.’ And by this occasion, your sons would turn away our sons from the fear of the Lord. And so we sought something better,

26and we said: Let us build us an altar, not for holocausts, and not to offer victims,

27but as a testimony between us and you, and between our descendants and your progeny, so that we may serve the Lord, and so that it may be our right to offer holocausts, and victims, and peace offerings, and so that tomorrow your sons may not say to our sons: ‘You have no part in the Lord.’

28And if they decide to say this, they shall respond to them: ‘Behold, the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for holocausts, and not for sacrifice, but instead as a testimony between us and you.’

29May this wickedness be far from us, such that we would withdraw from the Lord, and would forsake his paths, by constructing an altar to offer holocausts, and sacrifices, and victims, contrary to the altar of the Lord our God, which was built before his tabernacle.”

30And when Phinehas, the priest, and the leaders of the delegation who were with him, had heard this, they were pleased. And they accepted very willingly the words of the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the one half tribe of Manasseh.

31And Phinehas, the priest, the son of Eleazar, said to them: “Now we know that the Lord is with us. For you are a stranger to this transgression. And so you have freed the sons of Israel from the hand of the Lord.”

32And he returned with the leaders, from the sons of Reuben and of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, into the parts of Canaan, to the sons of Israel. And he reported to them.

33And the word pleased all who heard it. And the sons of Israel praised God, and they no longer said that they would go up against them, and fight, and destroy the land of their possession.

34And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad called the altar that they had built: Our testimony that the Lord himself is God.

Reina-Valera 1909

1ENTONCES Josué llamó á los Rubenitas y á los Gaditas, y á la media tribu de Manasés,

2Y díjoles: Vosotros habéis guardado todo lo que Moisés siervo de Jehová os mandó, y habéis obedecido á mi voz en todo lo que os he mandado.

3No habéis dejado á vuestros hermanos en estos muchos días hasta hoy, antes habéis guardado la observancia de los mandamientos de Jehová vuestro Dios.

4Ahora pues que Jehová vuestro Dios ha dado reposo á vuestros hermanos, como se lo había prometido, volved, y tornad á vuestras tiendas, á la tierra de vuestras posesiones, que Moisés siervo de Jehová os dió de la otra parte del Jordán.

5Solamente que con diligencia cuidéis de poner por obra el mandamiento y la ley, que Moisés siervo de Jehová os intimó: que améis á Jehová vuestro Dios, y andéis en todos sus caminos; que guardéis sus mandamientos, y os alleguéis á él, y le sirváis de todo vuestro corazón y de toda vuestra alma.

6Y bendiciéndolos Josué, los envió: y fuéronse á sus tiendas.

7También á la media tribu de Manasés había dado Moisés posesión en Basán; mas á la otra media dió Josué heredad entre sus hermanos de estotra parte del Jordán al occidente: y también á éstos envió Josué á sus tiendas, después de haberlos bendecido.

8Y hablóles, diciendo: Volveos á vuestras tiendas con grandes riquezas, y con grande copia de ganado, con plata, y con oro, y metal, y muchos vestidos: partid con vuestros hermanos el despojo de vuestros enemigos.

9Y los hijos de Rubén y los hijos de Gad, y la media tribu de Manasés, se tornaron, y partiéronse de los hijos de Israel, de Silo, que está en la tierra de Canaán, para ir á la tierra de Galaad, á la tierra de sus posesiones, de la cual eran poseedores, según la palabra de Jehová por mano de Moisés.

10Y llegando á los términos del Jordán, que está en la tierra de Canaán, los hijos de Rubén y los hijos de Gad, y la media tribu de Manasés, edificaron allí un altar junto al Jordán, un altar de grande apariencia.

11Y los hijos de Israel oyeron decir como los hijos de Rubén y los hijos de Gad, y la media tribu de Manasés, habían edificado un altar delante de la tierra de Canaán, en los términos del Jordán, al paso de los hijos de Israel:

12Lo cual como los hijos de Israel oyeron, juntóse toda la congregación de los hijos de Israel en Silo, para subir á pelear contra ellos.

13Y enviaron los hijos de Israel á los hijos de Rubén y á los hijos de Gad y á la media tribu de Manasés en la tierra de Galaad, á Phinees hijo de Eleazar sacerdote,

14Y á diez príncipes con él; un príncipe de cada casa paterna de todas las tribus de Israel, cada uno de los cuales era cabeza de familia de sus padres en la multitud de Israel.

15Los cuales vinieron á los hijos de Rubén y á los hijos de Gad, y á la media tribu de Manasés, en la tierra de Galaad; y habláronles, diciendo:

16Toda la congregación de Jehová dice así: ¿Qué transgresión es ésta con que prevaricáis contra el Dios de Israel, volviéndoos hoy de seguir á Jehová, edificándoos altar para ser hoy rebeldes contra Jehová?

17¿Nos ha sido poco la maldad de Peor, de la que no estamos aún limpios hasta este día, por la cual fué la mortandad en la congregación de Jehová?

18Y vosotros os volvéis hoy de seguir á Jehová; mas será que vosotros os rebelaréis hoy contra Jehová, y mañana se airará él contra toda la congregación de Israel.

19Que si os parece que la tierra de vuestra posesión es inmunda, pasaos á la tierra de la posesión de Jehová, en la cual está el tabernáculo de Jehová, y tomad posesión entre nosotros; pero no os rebeléis contra Jehová, ni os rebeléis contra nosotros, edificándoos altar á más del altar de Jehová nuestro Dios.

20¿No cometió Achân, hijo de Zera, prevaricación en el anatema, y vino ira sobre toda la congregación de Israel? y aquel hombre no pereció solo en su iniquidad.

21Entonces los hijos de Rubén y los hijos de Gad, y la media tribu de Manasés, respondieron y dijeron á los principales de la multitud de Israel:

22El Dios de los dioses, Jehová, el Dios de los dioses, Jehová, él sabe, y sabrá Israel: si por rebelión ó por prevaricación contra Jehová (no nos salves hoy,)

23Nos hemos edificado altar para tornarnos de en pos de Jehová, ó para sacrificar holocausto ó presente, ó para hacer sobre él sacrificios pacíficos, el mismo Jehová nos lo demande.

24Asimismo, si no lo hicimos por temor de esto, diciendo: Mañana vuestros hijos dirán á nuestros hijos: ¿Qué tenéis vosotros con Jehová el Dios de Israel?;

25Jehová ha puesto por término el Jordán entre nosotros y vosotros, oh hijos de Rubén é hijos de Gad; no tenéis vosotros parte en Jehová: y así vuestros hijos harán que nuestros hijos no teman á Jehová.

26Por esto dijimos: Hagamos ahora por edificarnos un altar, no para holocausto ni para sacrificio,

27Sino para que sea un testimonio entre nosotros y vosotros, y entre los que vendrán después de nosotros, de que podemos hacer el servicio de Jehová delante de él con nuestros holocaustos, con nuestros sacrificios, y con nuestros pacíficos; y no digan mañana vuestros hijos á los nuestros: Vosotros no tenéis parte en Jehová.

28Nosotros, pues, dijimos: Si aconteciere que tal digan á nosotros, ó á nuestras generaciones en lo por venir, entonces responderemos: Mirad el símil del altar de Jehová, el cual hicieron nuestros padres, no para holocaustos ó sacrificios, sino para que fuese testimonio entre nosotros y vosotros.

29Nunca tal acontezca que nos rebelemos contra Jehová, ó que nos apartemos hoy de seguir á Jehová, edificando altar para holocaustos, para presente, ó para sacrificio, á más del altar de Jehová nuestro Dios que está delante de su tabernáculo.

30Y oyendo Phinees el sacerdote y los príncipes de la congregación, y las cabezas de la multitud de Israel que con él estaban, las palabras que hablaron los hijos de Rubén y los hijos de Gad y los hijos de Manasés, fueron contentos de ello.

31Y dijo Phinees hijo del sacerdote Eleazar, á los hijos de Rubén, á los hijos de Gad, y á los hijos de Manasés: Hoy hemos entendido que Jehová está entre nosotros, pues que no habéis intentado esta traición contra Jehová. Ahora habéis librado á los hijos de Israel de la mano de Jehová.

32Y Phinees hijo del sacerdote Eleazar, y los príncipes, volviéronse de con los hijos de Rubén, y de con los hijos de Gad, de la tierra de Galaad á la tierra de Canaán, á los hijos de Israel: á los cuales dieron la respuesta.

33Y el negocio plugo á los hijos de Israel, y bendijeron á Dios los hijos de Israel; y no hablaron más de subir contra ellos en guerra, para destruir la tierra en que habitaban los hijos de Rubén y los hijos de Gad.

34Y los hijos de Rubén y los hijos de Gad pusieron por nombre al altar Ed; porque es testimonio entre nosotros que Jehová es Dios.

King James Version

1Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh,

2And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you:

3Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God.

4And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan.

5But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.

6So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away: and they went unto their tents.

7Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given possession in Bashan: but unto the other half thereof gave Joshua among their brethren on this side Jordan westward. And when Joshua sent them away also unto their tents, then he blessed them,

8And he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.

9And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

10And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to.

11And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of the children of Israel.

12And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them.

13And the children of Israel sent unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,

14And with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one was an head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel.

15And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and they spake with them, saying,

16Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the LORD?

17Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD,

18But that ye must turn away this day from following the LORD? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to day against the LORD, that to morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel.

19Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, wherein the LORD’s tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the LORD our God.

20Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.

21Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads of the thousands of Israel,

22The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD, (save us not this day,)

23That we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD, or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the LORD himself require it;

24And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel?

25For the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in the LORD: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD.

26Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:

27But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD 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, Ye have no part in the LORD.

28Therefore said we, that 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 the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you.

29God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle.

30And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, it pleased them.

31And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the LORD: now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD.

32And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again.

33And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and did not intend to go up against them in battle, to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.

34And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God.

World English Bible

1Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh,

2and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you.

3You have not left your brothers these many days to this day, but have performed the duty of the commandment of the LORD your God.

4Now the LORD your God has given rest to your brothers, as he spoke to them. Therefore now return and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan.

5Only take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, to hold fast to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

6So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away; and they went to their tents.

7Now to the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given inheritance in Bashan; but Joshua gave to the other half among their brothers beyond the Jordan westward. Moreover when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them,

8and spoke to them, saying, “Return with much wealth to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, with bronze, with iron, and with very much clothing. Divide the plunder of your enemies with your brothers.”

9The children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they owned, according to the commandment of the LORD by Moses.

10When they came to the region near the Jordan, that is in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan, a great altar to look at.

11The children of Israel heard this, “Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar along the border of the land of Canaan, in the region around the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the children of Israel.”

12When the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up against them to war.

13The children of Israel sent to the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest.

14With him were ten princes, one prince of a fathers’ house for each of the tribes of Israel; and they were each head of their fathers’ houses among the thousands of Israel.

15They came to the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying,

16“The whole congregation of the LORD says, ‘What trespass is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away today from following the LORD, in that you have built yourselves an altar, to rebel today against the LORD?

17Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, although there came a plague on the congregation of the LORD,

18that you must turn away today from following the LORD? It will be, since you rebel today against the LORD, that tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.

19However, if the land of your possession is unclean, then pass over to the land of the possession of the LORD, in which the LORD’s tabernacle dwells, and take possession among us; but don’t rebel against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building an altar other than the LORD our God’s altar.

20Didn’t Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? That man didn’t perish alone in his iniquity.’”

21Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered, and spoke to the heads of the thousands of Israel,

22“The Mighty One, God, the LORD, the Mighty One, God, the LORD, he knows; and Israel shall know: if it was in rebellion, or if in trespass against the LORD (don’t save us today),

23that we have built us an altar to turn away from following the LORD; or if to offer burnt offering or meal offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings, let the LORD himself require it.

24“If we have not out of concern done this, and for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your children might speak to our children, saying, “What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel?

25For the LORD has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you children of Reuben and children of Gad. You have no portion in the LORD.”’ So your children might make our children cease from fearing the LORD.

26“Therefore we said, ‘Let’s now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice;

27but it will be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we may perform the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings;’ that your children may not tell our children in time to come, ‘You have no portion in the LORD.’

28“Therefore we said, ‘It shall be, when they tell us or our generations this in time to come, that we shall say, “Behold the pattern of the LORD’s altar, which our fathers made, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice; but it is a witness between us and you.”’

29“Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn away today from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt offering, for meal offering, or for sacrifice, besides the LORD our God’s altar that is before his tabernacle!”

30When Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation, even the heads of the thousands of Israel that were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them well.

31Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, “Today we know that the LORD is among us, because you have not committed this trespass against the LORD. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the LORD’s hand.”

32Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again.

33The thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and spoke no more of going up against them to war, to destroy the land in which the children of Reuben and the children of Gad lived.

34The children of Reuben and the children of Gad named the altar “A Witness Between Us that the LORD is God.”