Joshua 22

All 34 verses in the Clear Bible Translation. Tap a verse to compare the KJV and read what it means.

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  1. 1Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh,
  2. 2He said to them, "You have kept everything that Moses, the servant of the LORD, commanded you, and you have obeyed all my instructions as well."
  3. 3You have not abandoned your brothers all this time, up to today, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God.
  4. 4Now the LORD your God has given your brothers rest, as He promised them. So return to your tents and to the land of your possession, which Moses, the servant of the LORD, gave you on the other side of the Jordan.
  5. 5But be very careful to follow the commandment and the law that Moses, the servant of the LORD, gave you: love the LORD your God, walk in all his ways, keep his commandments, hold tightly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.
  6. 6So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they returned to their tents.
  7. 7Moses had given land in Bashan to one half of the tribe of Manasseh, while Joshua gave the other half their land among their brothers on the west side of the Jordan. When Joshua sent them off to their tents, he blessed them.
  8. 8He said to them, 'Return to your tents with great wealth, including many cattle, silver, gold, bronze, iron, and plenty of clothing. Share the plunder from your enemies with your brothers.'
  9. 9And the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh returned and departed from the children of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they possessed according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
  10. 10When they came to the borders of the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan, a great altar to look at.
  11. 11The Israelites heard that the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had built an altar near the land of Canaan, by the Jordan, at the crossing point of the Israelites.
  12. 12When the Israelites heard about it, the entire community gathered at Shiloh to prepare for war against them.
  13. 13Then the Israelites sent Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead.
  14. 14With him were ten leaders, one from each of the chief houses of all the tribes of Israel. Each was the head of his father's house among the thousands of Israel.
  15. 15They went to the land of Gilead and spoke to the children of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, saying,
  16. 16The entire assembly of the LORD asks: What is this trespass you have committed against the God of Israel by turning away from following the LORD today? You have built an altar for yourselves, rebelling against the LORD today.
  17. 17Is the sin of Peor not enough for us, from which we have not been cleansed to this day, even though a plague came upon the congregation of the LORD?
  18. 18But now you are turning away from following the LORD today? If you rebel against the LORD today, tomorrow he will be angry with the entire congregation of Israel.
  19. 19If your land is unclean, then come over to the land of the LORD's possession, where the LORD's tabernacle is, and settle among us. But do not rebel against the LORD or against us by building an altar besides the altar of the LORD our God.
  20. 20Did Achan the son of Zerah not commit a trespass regarding the accursed thing, and did wrath not fall on all the congregation of Israel? That man was not the only one who died because of his sin.
  21. 21The children of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the leaders of Israel:
  22. 22"The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods — he knows the truth! And Israel will know it too! If this was an act of rebellion or betrayal against the LORD, then don't spare us today!
  23. 23If we built this altar to turn away from the LORD, or to offer burnt offerings, grain offerings, or peace offerings on it, let the LORD himself hold us accountable.
  24. 24No, we did it because we were concerned about the future. We feared that someday your children might say to ours, 'What connection do you have with the LORD, the God of Israel?'
  25. 25For the LORD made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, the children of Reuben and Gad. You have no share in the LORD. So your children might cause our children to stop fearing the LORD.
  26. 26"So we said, 'Let's build an altar — not for burnt offerings or sacrifices,
  27. 27but as a witness between us and you, and our future generations, that we may serve the LORD before Him with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings. This way, your children will not say to our children in the future, 'You have no part in the LORD.'
  28. 28We said that if they ever spoke to us or our descendants in the future, we could say, 'Look at the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our ancestors made—not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.'
  29. 29God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD and turn away today from following Him by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, or sacrifices, other than the altar of the LORD our God that is in front of His tabernacle.
  30. 30When Phinehas the priest, along with the leaders of the congregation and the heads of the thousands of Israel who were with him, heard the words spoken by the people of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, they were pleased.
  31. 31Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, said to the people of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, "Today we understand that the LORD is among us, because you have not committed this offense against the LORD. You have saved the children of Israel from the LORD's judgment."
  32. 32Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, and the leaders returned from the tribes of Reuben and Gad in the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, where they reported back to the Israelites.
  33. 33The Israelites were pleased and blessed God. They decided not to go to war to destroy the land where the tribes of Reuben and Gad lived.
  34. 34The children of Reuben and the children of Gad named the altar 'Ed,' saying, 'It is a witness between us that the LORD is God.'
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