Yeşu 22

¹O zaman Yeşu; Ruben oğullarını, Gad oğullarını ve Manasse oymağının yarısını yanına çağırdı.

²Ve onlara şöyle dedi: "Rab'bin hizmetkârı Musa'nın size buyurduğu her şeyi yerine getirdiniz ve size buyurduğum her konuda benim sesime kulak verip sözümü dinlediniz.

³Bunca zamandır bugüne dek kardeşlerinizi terk etmediniz; Tanrınız Rab'bin buyruğunu titizlikle koruyup gözettiniz.

⁴Şimdi ise Tanrımız Rab, kardeşlerinizi kendilerine söz verdiği gibi huzura erdirdi. Artık geri dönün; Rab'bin hizmetkârı Musa'nın Şeria Irmağı'nın karşı yakasında mülk olarak size verdiği kendi mülkünüz olan topraklara, evlerinize gidin.

⁵Ancak Rab'bin hizmetkârı Musa'nın bize yerine getirmemizi buyurduğu buyrukları ve yasayı uygulamaya çok dikkat edin: Tanrımız Rab'bi sevin, O'nun bütün yollarında yürüyün, buyruklarını koruyun, O'na sımsıkı bağlanın ve O'na bütün zihninizle ve bütün canınızla kulluk edin."

⁶Yeşu onları kutsayıp uğurladı; onlar da evlerine gittiler.

⁷Musa, Manasse oymağının yarısına Başan'da mülk vermişti; öbür yarısına ise Yeşu, Şeria Irmağı'nın karşı yakasında, batıdaki deniz tarafında kardeşleriyle birlikte mülk verdi. Yeşu onları evlerine uğurlarken de kutsadı.

⁸Ve onlara şöyle dedi: "Evlerinize büyük bir servetle, çok sayıda hayvan sürüsüyle, bol miktarda gümüş, altın, demir ve pek çok giysiyle dönün; düşmanlarınızdan aldığınız ganimeti kardeşlerinizle paylaşın."

⁹Böylece Ruben oğulları, Gad oğulları ve Manasse oymağının yarısı; Kenan topraklarındaki Şilo'da bulunan İsrail oğullarının yanından ayrılıp Rab'bin Musa aracılığıyla verdiği buyruk uyarınca miras edindikleri kendi mülkleri olan Gilead topraklarına gitmek üzere yola çıktılar.

¹⁰Kenan topraklarında, Şeria Irmağı bölgesindeki Galgala'ya geldiklerinde; Ruben oğulları, Gad oğulları ve Manasse oymağının yarısı orada, Şeria Irmağı kıyısında görülmeye değer, büyük bir sunak kurdular.

¹¹İsrail oğulları, "İşte, Ruben oğulları, Gad oğulları ve Manasse oymağının yarısı, Kenan topraklarının sınırında, Şeria Irmağı'nın Gilead bölgesinde, İsrail oğullarının karşı yakasında bir sunak kurmuşlar" diyenleri duydu.

¹²İsrail oğulları bunu duyunca, onlarla savaşmak üzere yukarı çıkmak için bütün topluluk Şilo'da bir araya geldi.

¹³İsrail oğulları, Gilead topraklarındaki Ruben oğullarına, Gad oğullarına ve Manasse oymağının yarısına, başkahin Harun oğlu Eleazar'ın oğlu Pinehas'ı gönderdiler.

¹⁴Onunla birlikte on önder gönderdiler; İsrail'in her oymağından aile başı olan birer önder vardı. Bunların her biri, İsrail'in binler topluluğu arasında kendi babalarının aile başı ve binbaşılarıydı.

¹⁵Bunlar Gilead topraklarına; Ruben oğullarının, Gad oğullarının ve Manasse oymağının yarısının yanına gelip onlarla konuşarak şöyle dediler:

¹⁶"Rab'bin bütün topluluğu şöyle diyor: 'İsrail'in Tanrısı'na karşı işlediğiniz bu dinsel suç nedir? Bugün kendinize bir sunak kurup Rab'be karşı isyan ederek ve O'nun yolundan saparak bugün dinden dönen isyankarlar oldunuz.

¹⁷Fogor'da işlenen günah bize yetmedi mi? Rab'bin topluluğu üzerine bela geldiği halde, bugüne dek o günahtan kendimizi arındıramadık.

¹⁸Siz ise bugün Rab'bin yolundan sapıyorsunuz. Eğer bugün Rab'be isyan ederseniz, yarın O'nun gazabı bütün İsrail topluluğunun üzerine gelecektir.

¹⁹Eğer mülkünüz olan toprak kirliyse, Rab'bin konutunun bulunduğu, Rab'bin mülkü olan toprağa geçin ve aramızda mülk edinin. Ancak Tanrımız Rab'bin sunağından başka kendinize bir sunak kurarak ne Rab'be karşı isyankar olun ne de Rab'den sapın.

²⁰Zerah oğlu Akan, adanmış eşyalara dokunarak suç işlediğinde, bütün İsrail topluluğunun üzerine gazap gelmedi mi? O adam kendi günahı yüzünden ölen tek kişi değildi.'"

²¹Bunun üzerine Ruben oğulları, Gad oğulları ve Manasse oymağının yarısı, İsrail'in binbaşılarına şöyle karşılık verdiler:

²²"Tanrı, Tanrı Rab'dir! Evet, Tanrı, Tanrı kendisi bilir! İsrail de bilsin! Eğer bu yaptığımız bir isyan ya da Rab'be karşı bir suç ise, bugün bizi kurtarmasın!

²³Eğer Rab'bin yolundan sapmak için kendimize bir sunak kurduysak ya da üzerinde yakmalık sunular sunmak veya esenlik kurbanları kesmek için bunu yaptıysak, Rab Kendisi bunun hesabını sorsun!

²⁴Hayır, biz bunu gelecekteki bir sözün kaygısından ötürü yaptık. Şöyle düşündük: 'Yarın çocuklarınız bizim çocuklarımıza, "İsrail'in Tanrısı Rab ile ne ilginiz var?

²⁵Ey Ruben ve Gad oğulları! Rab, bizimle sizin aranıza Şeria Irmağı'nı sınır koydu. Sizin Rab'de hiçbir payınız yoktur" diyebilirler.' Böylece çocuklarınız, çocuklarımızın Rab'be ibadet etmesine engel olabilir.

²⁶Bu yüzden, 'Kendimize bir sunak kuralım; ama ürün sunuları ya da kurbanlar sunmak için değil' dedik.

²⁷'Bu sunak, bizimle sizin aranızda ve bizden sonraki kuşaklar arasında bir tanık olsun; böylece ürün sunularımızla, kurbanlarımızla ve esenlik sunularımızla Rab'bin huzurunda O'na kulluk edebilelim. Öyle ki, yarın çocuklarınız bizim çocuklarımıza, "Sizin Rab'de hiçbir payınız yoktur" diyemesinler.'

²⁸Şöyle düşündük: 'Eğer gelecekte bize ya da kuşaklarımıza böyle bir şey söylerlerse, onlara, "Atalarımızın yaptığı Rab'bin sunağının benzerine bakın! Bu ürün sunuları ya da kurbanlar sunmak için değil, sizinle bizim aramızda ve çocuklarımız arasında bir tanık olsun diye yapıldı" deriz.'

²⁹Rab'bin konutunun önünde duran Tanrımız Rab'bin sunağından başka, ürün sunuları, kurbanlar ve Salamin esenlik sunuları sunmak için bir sunak kurarak bugün Rab'be isyan etmekten ve O'nun yolundan sapmaktan Tanrı bizi korusun!"

³⁰Kâhin Pinehas, topluluğun önderleri ve onunla birlikte olan İsrail'in binbaşıları; Ruben oğullarının, Gad oğullarının ve Manasse oğullarının söyledikleri bu sözleri duyunca bu durum hoşlarına gitti.

³¹Kâhin Eleazar oğlu Pinehas; Ruben oğullarına, Gad oğullarına ve Manasse oğullarına, "Rab'be karşı bu suçu işlemediğiniz için bugün Rab'bin aramızda olduğunu anladık. Böylece İsrail oğullarını Rab'bin elinden kurtardınız" dedi.

³²Kâhin Eleazar oğlu Pinehas ve önderler, Gilead topraklarındaki Ruben ve Gad oğullarının yanından ayrılıp Kenan topraklarına, İsrail oğullarının yanına döndüler ve durumu onlara bildirdiler.

³³Bu haber İsrail oğullarının hoşuna gitti. İsrail oğulları Tanrı'yı övdüler; Ruben ve Gad oğullarının yaşadığı toprakları tamamen yok etmek için onlara karşı savaşa çıkmaktan bir daha söz etmediler ve o topraklar üzerinde barış içinde yaşadılar.

³⁴Yeşu, Ruben ve Gad oğulları ile Manasse oymağının yarısının kurduğu sunağa ad verdi ve "Bu sunak, Rab'bin bizim Tanrımız olduğuna dair aramızda bir tanıktır" dedi.

¹ΤΟΤΕ συνεκάλεσεν ᾿Ιησοῦς τοὺς υἱοὺς Ῥουβὴν καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς Γὰδ καὶ τὸ ἥμισυ φυλῆς Μανασσῆ

²καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· ὑμεῖς ἀκηκόατε πάντα, ὅσα ἐνετείλατο ὑμῖν Μωυσῆς ὁ παῖς Κυρίου, καὶ ὑπηκούσατε τῆς φωνῆς μου κατὰ πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν.

³οὐκ ἐγκαταλελοίπατε τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ὑμῶν ταύτας τὰς ἡμέρας καὶ πλείους ἕως τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας· ἐφυλάξασθε τὴν ἐντολὴν Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑμῶν.

⁴νῦν δὲ κατέπαυσε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἡμῶν, ὃν τρόπον εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· νῦν οὖν ἀποστραφέντες ἀπέλθατε εἰς τοὺς οἴκους ὑμῶν καὶ εἰς τὴν γῆν τῆς κατασχέσεως ὑμῶν, ἣν ἔδωκεν ὑμῖν Μωυσῆς ἐν τῷ πέραν τοῦ ᾿Ιορδάνου.

⁵ἀλλὰ φυλάξασθε σφόδρα ποιεῖν τὰς ἐντολὰς καὶ τὸν νόμον, ὃν ἐνετείλατο ἡμῖν ποιεῖν Μωυσῆς ὁ παῖς Κυρίου, ἀγαπᾶν Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν ἡμῶν, πορεύεσθαι πάσαις ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτοῦ, φυλάξασθαι τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ καὶ προσκεῖσθαι αὐτῷ καὶ λατρεύειν αὐτῷ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς διανοίας ὑμῶν καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς ὑμῶν.

⁶καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτοὺς ᾿Ιησοῦς καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν αὐτούς, καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν εἰς τοὺς οἴκους αὐτῶν.

⁷καὶ τῷ ἡμίσει φυλῆς Μανασσῆ ἔδωκε Μωυσῆς ἐν τῇ Βασανίτιδι, καὶ τῷ ἡμίσει ἔδωκεν ᾿Ιησοῦς μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ πέραν τοῦ ᾿Ιορδάνου παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν. καὶ ἡνίκα ἐξαπέστειλεν αὐτοὺς ᾿Ιησοῦς εἰς τοὺς οἴκους αὐτῶν καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτούς,

⁸καὶ ἐν χρήμασι πολλοῖς ἀπήλθοσαν εἰς τοὺς οἴκους αὐτῶν, καὶ κτήνη πολλὰ σφόδρα καὶ ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον καὶ σίδηρον καὶ ἱματισμὸν πολὺν διείλαντο τὴν προνομὴν τῶν ἐχθρῶν μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτῶν.

⁹Καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ῥουβὴν καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ Γὰδ καὶ τὸ ἥμισυ φυλῆς Μανασσῆ ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐκ Σηλὼ ἐν γῇ Χαναὰν ἀπελθεῖν εἰς τὴν Γαλαὰδ εἰς γῆν κατασχέσεως αὐτῶν, ἣν ἐκληρονόμησαν αὐτὴν διὰ προστάγματος Κυρίου ἐν χειρὶ Μωυσῆ.

¹⁰καὶ ἦλθον εἰς Γάλγαλα τοῦ ᾿Ιορδάνου, ἥ ἐστιν ἐν γῇ Χαναάν, καὶ ᾠκοδόμησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ῥουβὴν καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ Γὰδ καὶ τὸ ἥμισυ φυλῆς Μανασσῆ ἐκεῖ βωμὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ ᾿Ιορδάνου, βωμὸν μέγαν τοῦ ἰδεῖν.

¹¹καὶ ἤκουσαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ λεγόντων· ἰδοὺ ᾠκοδομήκασιν οἱ υἱοὶ Ῥουβὴν καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ Γὰδ καὶ τὸ ἥμισυ φυλῆς Μανασσῆ βωμὸν ἐφ’ ὁρίων γῆς Χαναὰν ἐπὶ τοῦ Γαλαὰδ τοῦ ᾿Ιορδάνου ἐν τῷ πέραν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραήλ.

¹²καὶ συνηθροίσθησαν πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ εἰς Σηλώ, ὥστε ἀναβάντες ἐκπολεμῆσαι αὐτούς.

¹³καὶ ἀπέστειλαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς Ῥουβὴν καὶ πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς Γὰδ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς ἥμισυ φυλῆς Μανασσῆ εἰς γῆν Γαλαὰδ τόν τε Φινεὲς υἱὸν ᾿Ελεάζαρ υἱοῦ ᾿Ααρὼν τοῦ ἀρχιερέως

¹⁴καὶ δέκα τῶν ἀρχόντων μετ’ αὐτοῦ, ἄρχων εἷς ἀπὸ οἴκου πατριᾶς ἀπὸ πασῶν φυλῶν ᾿Ισραήλ· ἄρχοντες οἴκων πατριῶν εἰσι, χιλίαρχοι ᾿Ισραήλ.

¹⁵καὶ παρεγένοντο πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς Ῥουβὴν καὶ πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς Γὰδ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἡμίσεις φυλῆς Μανασσῆ εἰς γῆν Γαλαὰδ καὶ ἐλάλησαν πρὸς αὐτοὺς λέγοντες·

¹⁶τάδε λέγει πᾶσα ἡ συναγωγὴ Κυρίου· τίς ἡ πλημμέλεια αὕτη, ἣν ἐπλημμελήσατε ἐναντίον τοῦ Θεοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ, ἀποστραφῆναι σήμερον ἀπὸ Κυρίου οἰκοδομήσαντες ὑμῖν ἑαυτοῖς βωμόν, ἀποστάτας ὑμᾶς γενέσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου;

¹⁷μὴ μικρὸν ὑμῖν τὸ ἁμάρτημα Φογώρ; ὅτι οὐκ ἐκαθαρίσθημεν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης καὶ ἐγενήθη πληγὴ ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ Κυρίου.

¹⁸καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀπεστράφητε σήμερον ἀπὸ Κυρίου; καὶ ἔσται ἐὰν ἀποστῆτε σήμερον ἀπὸ Κυρίου, καὶ αὔριον ἐπὶ πάντα ᾿Ισραὴλ ἔσται ἡ ὀργή.

¹⁹καὶ νῦν εἰ μικρὰ ἡ γῆ ὑμῶν τῆς κατασχέσεως ὑμῶν, διάβητε εἰς τὴν γῆν τῆς Κυρίου κατασχέσεως, οὗ κατασκηνοῖ ἐκεῖ ἡ σκηνὴ Κυρίου, καὶ κατακληρονομήσατε ἐν ἡμῖν· καὶ μὴ ἀπὸ Θεοῦ ἀποστάται γενήθητε καὶ ὑμεῖς μηδ’ ἀπόστητε ἀπὸ Κυρίου διὰ τὸ οἰκοδομῆσαι ὑμᾶς βωμὸν ἔξω τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν.

²⁰οὐκ ἰδοὺ ῎Αχαρ ὁ τοῦ Ζαρᾶ πλημμελείᾳ ἐπλημμέλησεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀναθέματος καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν συναγωγὴν ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐγενήθη ὀργή; καὶ οὗτος εἷς αὐτὸς ἀπέθανε τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτίᾳ.

²¹Καὶ ἀπεκρίθησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ῥουβὴν καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ Γὰδ καὶ τὸ ἥμισυ φυλῆς Μανασσῆ καὶ ἐλάλησαν τοῖς χιλιάρχοις ᾿Ισραὴλ λέγοντες·

²²ὁ Θεὸς Θεὸς Κύριός ἐστι, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς Θεὸς αὐτὸς οἶδε, καὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ αὐτὸς γνώσεται· εἰ ἐν ἀποστασίᾳ ἐπλημμελήσαμεν ἔναντι τοῦ Κυρίου, μὴ ῥύσαιτο ἡμᾶς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ·

²³καὶ εἰ ᾠκοδομήσαμεν ἑαυτοῖς βωμὸν ὥστε ἀποστῆναι ἀπὸ Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν, ὥστε ἀναβιβάσαι ἐπ’ αὐτὸν θυσίαν ὁλοκαυτωμάτων ἢ ὥστε ποιῆσαι ἐπ’ αὐτοῦ θυσίαν σωτηρίου, Κύριος ἐκζητήσει.

²⁴ἀλλ’ ἕνεκεν εὐλαβείας ρήματος ἐποιήσαμεν τοῦτο λέγοντες· ἵνα μὴ εἴπωσιν αὔριον τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν τοῖς τέκνοις ἡμῶν, τί ὑμῖν καὶ Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ᾿Ισραήλ;

²⁵καὶ ὅρια ἔθηκε Κύριος ἀνὰ μέσον ἡμῶν καὶ ὑμῶν τὸν ᾿Ιορδάνην, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὑμῖν μερὶς Κυρίου. καὶ ἀπαλλοτριώσουσιν οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν τοὺς υἱοὺς ἡμῶν, ἵνα μὴ σέβωνται Κύριον.

²⁶καὶ εἴπαμεν ποιῆσαι οὕτω, τοῦ οἰκοδομῆσαι τὸν βωμὸν τοῦτον οὐχ ἕνεκεν καρπωμάτων οὐδὲ ἕνεκεν θυσιῶν,

²⁷ἀλλ’ ἵνα ᾖ τοῦτο μαρτύριον ἀνὰ μέσον ἡμῶν καὶ ὑμῶν καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν γενεῶν ἡμῶν μεθ’ ἡμᾶς, τοῦ λατρεύειν λατρείαν Κυρίου ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ, ἐν τοῖς καρπώμασιν ἡμῶν καὶ ἐν ταῖς θυσίαις ἡμῶν καὶ ἐν ταῖς θυσίαις τῶν σωτηρίων ἡμῶν· καὶ οὐκ ἐροῦσι τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν τοῖς τέκνοις ἡμῶν αὔριον· οὐκ ἔστιν ὑμῖν μερὶς Κυρίου.

²⁸καὶ εἴπομεν· ἐὰν γένηταί ποτε καὶ λαλήσωσι πρὸς ἡμᾶς καὶ ταῖς γενεαῖς ἡμῶν αὔριον, καὶ ἐροῦσιν· ἴδετε ὁμοίωμα τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου Κυρίου, ὃ ἐποίησαν οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν οὐχ ἕνεκεν καρπωμάτων οὐδὲ ἕνεκεν θυσιῶν, ἀλλὰ μαρτύριόν ἐστιν ἀνὰ μέσον ὑμῶν καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον ἡμῶν καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν υἱῶν ἡμῶν.

²⁹μὴ γένοιτο οὖν ἡμᾶς ἀποστραφῆναι ἀπὸ Κυρίου ἐν τῇ σήμερον ἡμέρᾳ ἀποστῆναι ἀπὸ Κυρίου, ὥστε οἰκοδομῆσαι ἡμᾶς θυσιαστήριον τοῖς καρπώμασι καὶ ταῖς θυσίαις Σαλαμὶν καὶ τῇ θυσίᾳ τοῦ σωτηρίου, πλὴν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου Κυρίου, ὅ ἐστιν ἐναντίον τῆς σκηνῆς αὐτοῦ.

³⁰Καὶ ἀκούσας Φινεὲς ὁ ἱερεὺς καὶ πάντες οἱ ἄρχοντες τῆς συναγωγῆς ᾿Ισραήλ, οἳ ἦσαν μετ’ αὐτοῦ, τοὺς λόγους, οὓς ἐλάλησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ῥουβὴν καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ Γὰδ καὶ τὸ ἥμισυ φυλῆς Μανασσῆ, καὶ ἤρεσεν αὐτοῖς.

³¹καὶ εἶπε Φινεὲς ὁ ἱερεὺς τοῖς υἱοῖς Ῥουβὴν καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς Γὰδ καὶ τῷ ἡμίσει φυλῆς Μανασσῆ· σήμερον ἐγνώκαμεν ὅτι μεθ’ ἡμῶν Κύριος, διότι οὐκ ἐπλημμελήσατε ἐναντίον Κυρίου πλημμέλειαν καὶ ὅτι ἐρρύσασθε τοὺς υἱοὺς ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐκ χειρὸς Κυρίου.

³²καὶ ἀπέστρεψε Φινεὲς ὁ ἱερεὺς καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν Ῥουβὴν καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν Γὰδ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἡμίσους φυλῆς Μανασσῆ ἐκ τῆς Γαλαὰδ εἰς γῆν Χαναὰν πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ἀπεκρίθησαν αὐτοῖς τοὺς λόγους,

³³καὶ ἤρεσε τοῖς υἱοῖς ᾿Ισραήλ. καὶ ἐλάλησαν πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ εὐλόγησαν τὸν Θεὸν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ εἶπαν μηκέτι ἀναβῆναι πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰς πόλεμον ἐξολοθρεῦσαι τὴν γῆν τῶν υἱῶν Ῥουβὴν καὶ τῶν υἱῶν Γὰδ καὶ τοῦ ἡμίσους φυλῆς Μανασσῆ. καὶ κατῴκησαν ἐπ’ αὐτῆς.

³⁴καὶ ἐπωνόμασεν ᾿Ιησοῦς τὸν βωμὸν τῶν Ῥουβὴν καὶ τῶν Γὰδ καὶ τοῦ ἡμίσους φυλῆς Μανασσῆ καὶ εἶπεν ὅτι μαρτύριόν ἐστιν ἀνὰ μέσον αὐτῶν, ὅτι Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῶν ἐστι.

¹Then Joshua called together the sons of Ruben, and the sons of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasse,

²and said to them, Ye have heard all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and ye have hearkened to my voice in all that he commanded you.

³Ye have not deserted your brethren these many days: until this day ye have kept the commandment of the Lord your God.

⁴And now the Lord our God has given our brethren rest, as he told them: now then return and depart to your homes, and to the land of your possession, which Moses gave you on the other side Jordan.

⁵But take great heed to do the commands and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you to do; to love the Lord our God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commands, and to cleave to him, and serve him with all your mind, and with all your soul.

⁶And Joshua blessed them, and dismissed them; and they went to their homes.

⁷And to [one] half the tribe of Manasse Moses gave a portion in the land of Basan, and to [the other] half Joshua gave a portion with his brethren on the other side of Jordan westward: and when Joshua sent them away to their homes, then he blessed them.

⁸And they departed with much wealth to their houses, and they divided the spoil of their enemies with their brethren; very much cattle, and silver, and gold, and iron, and much raiment.

⁹So the sons of Ruben, and the sons of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasse, departed from the children of Israel in Selo in the land of Chanaan, to go away into Galaad, into the land of their possession, which they inherited by the command of the Lord, by the hand of Moses.

¹⁰And they came to Galaad of Jordan, which is in the land of Chanaan: and the children of Ruben, and the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasse built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to look at.

¹¹And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the sons of Ruben, and the sons of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasse have built an altar at the borders of the land of Chanaan at Galgalah of Jordan, on the opposite side to the children of Israel.

¹²And all the children of Israel gathered together to Selo, so as to go up and fight against them.

¹³And the children of Israel sent to the sons of Ruben, and the sons of Gad, and to the sons of the half tribe of Manasse into the land of Galaad, both Phinees the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest,

¹⁴and ten of the chiefs with him; [there was] one chief of every household out of all the tribes of Israel; (the heads of families are the captains of thousands in Israel.)

¹⁵And they came to the sons of Ruben, and to the sons of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasse into the land of Galaad; and they spoke to them, saying,

¹⁶Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, What [is] this transgression that ye have transgressed before the God of Israel, to turn away today from the Lord, in that ye have built for yourselves an alter, so that ye should be apostates from the Lord?

¹⁷Is the sin of Phogor too little for you, whereas we have not been cleansed from it until this day, though there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord?

¹⁸And ye have this day revolted from the Lord; and it shall come to pass if ye revolt this day from the Lord, that to-morrow there shall be wrath upon all Israel.

¹⁹And now if the land of your possession [be too] little, cross over to the land of the possession of the Lord, where the tabernacle of the Lord dwells, and receive ye an inheritance among us; and do not become apostates from God, neither do ye apostatize from the Lord, because of your having built an altar apart from the altar of the Lord our God.

²⁰Lo! did not Achar the [son] of Zara commit a trespass [taking] of the accursed thing, and there was wrath on the whole congregation of Israel? and he himself died alone in his own sin.

²¹And the sons of Ruben, and the sons of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasse answered, and spoke to the captains of the thousands of Israel, saying,

²²God [even] God is the Lord, and God [even] God himself knows, and Israel he shall know; if we have transgressed before the Lord by apostasy, let him not deliver us this day.

²³And if we have built to ourselves an altar, so as to apostatize from the Lord our God, so as to offer upon it a sacrifice of whole-burnt-offerings, so as to offer upon it a sacrifice of peace-offering,-- the Lord shall require it.

²⁴But we have done this for the sake of precaution [concerning this] thing, saying, Lest hereafter your sons should say to our sons, What have ye to do with the Lord God of Israel?

²⁵Whereas the Lord has set boundaries between us and you, even Jordan, and ye have no portion in the Lord: so your sons shall alienate our sons, that they should not worship the Lord.

²⁶And we gave orders to do thus, to build this altar, not for burnt-offerings, nor for meat-offerings;

²⁷but that this may be a witness between you and us, and between our posterity after us, that we may do service to the Lord before him, with our burnt-offerings and our meat-offerings and our peace-offerings: so your sons shall not say to our sons, hereafter, Ye have no portion in the Lord.

²⁸And we said, If ever it should come to pass that they should speak [so] to us, or to our posterity hereafter; then shall they say, Behold the likeness of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for the sake of burnt-offerings, nor for the sake of meat-offerings, but it is a witness between you and us, and between our sons.

²⁹Far be it from us therefore that we should turn away from the Lord this day so as to apostatize from the Lord, so as that we should build an altar for burnt-offerings, and for peace-offerings, besides the altar of the Lord which is before his tabernacle.

³⁰And Phinees the priest and all the chiefs of the congregation of Israel who were with him heard the words which the children of Ruben, and the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasse spoke; and it pleased them.

³¹And Phinees the priest said to the sons of Ruben, and to the sons of Gad, and to the half of the tribe of Manasse, To-day we know that the Lord [is] with us, because ye have not trespassed grievously against the Lord, and because ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord.

³²So Phinees the priest and the princes departed from the children of Ruben, and from the children of Gad, and from the half tribe of Manasse out of Galaad into the land of Chanaan to the children of Israel; and reported the words to them.

³³And it pleased the children of Israel; and they spoke to the children of Israel, and blessed the God of the children of Israel, and told them to go up no more to war against the others to destroy the land of the children of Ruben, and the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasse: so they dwelt upon it.

³⁴And Joshua gave a name to the altar of the children of Ruben, and the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasse; and said, It is a testimony in the midst of them, that the Lord is their God.