22

Eastern Tribes Return Home

¹Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh ²and said to them, “You have done all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and you have obeyed me in everything I commanded. ³For a long time now—to this very day—you have not deserted your fellow Israelites but have carried out the mission the Lord your God gave you. ⁴Now that the Lord your God has given them rest as he promised, return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. ⁵But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
⁶Then Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their homes. ⁷(To the half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given land in Bashan, and to the other half of the tribe Joshua gave land on the west side of the Jordan along with their fellow Israelites.) When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them, ⁸saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth—with large herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and a great quantity of clothing—and divide the plunder from your enemies with your fellow Israelites.”
⁹So the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in Canaan to return to Gilead, their own land, which they had acquired in accordance with the command of the Lord through Moses.
¹⁰When they came to Geliloth near the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an imposing altar there by the Jordan. ¹¹And when the Israelites heard that they had built the altar on the border of Canaan at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side, ¹²the whole assembly of Israel gathered at Shiloh to go to war against them.
¹³So the Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to the land of Gilead—to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. ¹⁴With him they sent ten of the chief men, one from each of the tribes of Israel, each the head of a family division among the Israelite clans.
¹⁵When they went to Gilead—to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh—they said to them: ¹⁶“The whole assembly of the Lord says: ‘How could you break faith with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the Lord and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against him now? ¹⁷Was not the sin of Peor enough for us? Up to this very day we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin, even though a plague fell on the community of the Lord! ¹⁸And are you now turning away from the Lord?
“ ‘If you rebel against the Lord today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole community of Israel. ¹⁹If the land you possess is defiled, come over to the Lord’s land, where the Lord’s tabernacle stands, and share the land with us. But do not rebel against the Lord or against us by building an altar for yourselves, other than the altar of the Lord our God. ²⁰When Achan son of Zerah was unfaithful in regard to the devoted things,⚓ did not wrath come on the whole community of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.’ ”
²¹Then Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the clans of Israel: ²²“The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows! And let Israel know! If this has been in rebellion or disobedience to the Lord, do not spare us this day. ²³If we have built our own altar to turn away from the Lord and to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it, may the Lord himself call us to account.
²⁴“No! We did it for fear that some day your descendants might say to ours, ‘What do you have to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? ²⁵The Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you—you Reubenites and Gadites! You have no share in the Lord.’ So your descendants might cause ours to stop fearing the Lord.
²⁶“That is why we said, ‘Let us get ready and build an altar—but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.’ ²⁷On the contrary, it is to be a witness between us and you and the generations that follow, that we will worship the Lord at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices and fellowship offerings. Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to ours, ‘You have no share in the Lord.’
²⁸“And we said, ‘If they ever say this to us, or to our descendants, we will answer: Look at the replica of the Lord’s altar, which our ancestors built, not for burnt offerings and sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.’
²⁹“Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord and turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle.”
³⁰When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community—the heads of the clans of the Israelites—heard what Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had to say, they were pleased. ³¹And Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, “Today we know that the Lord is with us, because you have not been unfaithful to the Lord in this matter. Now you have rescued the Israelites from the Lord’s hand.”
³²Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders returned to Canaan from their meeting with the Reubenites and Gadites in Gilead and reported to the Israelites. ³³They were glad to hear the report and praised God. And they talked no more about going to war against them to devastate the country where the Reubenites and the Gadites lived.
³⁴And the Reubenites and the Gadites gave the altar this name: A Witness Between Us—that the Lord is God.

22

Knưl Giăm Êa Krông Yurdan

¹Y-Yôsuê iêu phung Ruben, phung Gat, leh anăn sa mkrah găp djuê phung Manasê, ² leh anăn lač kơ digơ̆, “Diih djă pioh leh jih klei Y-Môis dĭng buăl Yêhôwa mtă leh kơ diih, leh anăn gưt leh asăp kâo hlăm jih klei kâo mtă leh kơ diih. ³Dơ̆ng mơ̆ng sui truh kơ hruê anei, diih amâo tuôm hngah ôh đru phung ayŏng adei diih, ƀiădah diih răng djă pioh leh bruă Yêhôwa, Aê Diê diih jao leh kơ diih. ⁴Ară anei Yêhôwa, Aê Diê diih brei leh klei mdei kơ phung ayŏng adei diih, tui si Ñu ƀuăn leh kơ digơ̆. Kyuanăn lŏ wĭt bĕ kơ sang diih hlăm čar ngăn dưn diih, Y-Môis dĭng buăl Yêhôwa brei leh kơ diih ti hang nah dih êa krông Yurdan. ⁵Răng bi jăk čiăng djă pioh klei mtă leh anăn klei bhiăn Y-Môis dĭng buăl Yêhôwa mtă leh kơ diih, brei khăp kơ Yêhôwa, Aê Diê diih leh anăn êbat tui hlue jih êlan Ñu, djă pioh klei Ñu mtă, bi mguôp hŏng Ñu, leh anăn mă bruă kơ Ñu hŏng jih ai tiê leh anăn hŏng jih mngăt diih.” ⁶Y-Yôsuê hơêč hmưi klei jăk jĭn kơ diñu leh anăn brei diñu wĭt; snăn diñu wĭt yơh kơ sang diñu.
⁷Y-Môis brei leh kơ sa mkrah găp djuê phung Manasê ngăn dưn hlăm čar Basan; ƀiădah Y-Yôsuê brei kơ sa mkrah mkăn ngăn dưn giăm phung ayŏng adei diñu hlăm čar ti yŭ êa krông Yurdan. Êjai Y-Yôsuê brei diñu wĭt kơ sang diñu, gơ̆ hơêč hmưi klei jăk jĭn kơ diñu, ⁸gơ̆ lač kơ diñu, “Wĭt bĕ kơ sang diih mbĭt hŏng lu ngăn drăp, lu mnơ̆ng rông, prăk, mah, kông, msei, leh anăn lu čhiăm ao. Bi mbha bĕ hŏng phung ayŏng adei diih dŏ diih plah mơ̆ng phung roh diih.” ⁹Snăn phung Ruben, phung Gat, leh anăn sa mkrah găp djuê phung Manasê lŏ wĭt ti sang, lui phung ƀuôn sang Israel ti ƀuôn Silô hlăm čar Kanaan, čiăng nao kơ čar Galaat, čar diñu pô diñu mă bha leh tui si Yêhôwa, mtă leh hŏng Y-Môis.
¹⁰Tơdah diñu truh leh kơ krĭng giăm êa krông Yurdan hlăm čar Kanaan, phung Ruben, phung Gat, leh anăn sa mkrah găp djuê phung Manasê mdơ̆ng sa boh knưl giăm êa krông Yurdan, sa boh knưl prŏng snăk. ¹¹Phung ƀuôn sang Israel hmư̆ arăng lač, “Nĕ anei phung Ruben, phung Gat, leh anăn sa mkrah găp djuê phung Manasê mdơ̆ng leh sa boh knưl ti kdriêl čar Kanaan hlăm krĭng giăm êa krông Yurdan tĭng čar phung ƀuôn sang Israel.” ¹²Tơdah phung ƀuôn sang Israel hmư̆ klei anăn, jih jang phung ƀuôn sang Israel bi kƀĭn ti ƀuôn Silô čiăng bi blah hŏng diñu.
¹³Leh anăn phung ƀuôn sang Israel tiŏ nao Y-Phinêas anak êkei Y-Êlêasar khua ngă yang kơ phung Ruben, phung Gat, leh anăn sa mkrah găp djuê phung Manasê hlăm čar Galaat, ¹⁴mâo pluh čô khua mbĭt hŏng ñu, sa čô mơ̆ng grăp găp djuê phung Israel, grăp čô diñu jing khua kơ sang hlăm găp djuê phung Israel. ¹⁵Diñu truh kơ phung Ruben, phung Gat, leh anăn sa mkrah găp djuê phung Manasê hlăm čar Galaat, leh anăn lač kơ phung anăn, ¹⁶ “Snei klei jih phung ƀuôn sang Yêhôwa lač, ‘Ya klei lhiăr anei diih ngă leh hŏng Aê Diê phung Israel hlăm klei diih lui wir Yêhôwa hruê anei, êjai diih mdơ̆ng sa boh knưl hruê anei jing klei bi kdơ̆ng hŏng Yêhôwa? ¹⁷ Ka djăp hĕ hŏng klei soh ti ƀuôn Pêôr? Mơ̆ng klei soh anăn ka drei bi doh drei pô ôh, leh anăn kyua klei anăn mâo klei ruă tưp djiê truh kơ phung ƀuôn sang Yêhôwa, ¹⁸snăn si diih lui wir Yêhôwa hruê anei lĕ? Leh anăn tơdah diih bi kdơ̆ng hŏng Yêhôwa hruê anei, Ñu srăng ăl kơ jih phung ƀuôn sang Israel mgi. ¹⁹Ƀiădah tơdah čar diih amâo doh jăk ôh, brei diih găn nao kơ čar Yêhôwa, anôk sang čhiăm Yêhôwa dôk, leh anăn mă bĕ kơ diih ngăn dưn ti krah phung hmei; knŏng đăm diih bi kdơ̆ng ôh hŏng Yêhôwa, amâodah bi kdơ̆ng hŏng hmei êjai diih ngă kơ diih pô sa boh knưl mdê hŏng knưl Yêhôwa Aê Diê drei. ²⁰ Amâo djŏ hĕ Y-Akan anak êkei Y-Sêra amâo dôk sĭt suôr ôh kyua mnơ̆ng pioh leh kơ Yêhôwa, leh anăn klei Yêhôwa ngêñ truh kơ jih phung ƀuôn sang Israel? Leh anăn ñu amâo rai tuč hjăn ñu ôh kyua klei wê ñu.’ ”
²¹Leh anăn phung Ruben, phung Gat, leh anăn sa mkrah găp djuê phung Manasê lŏ wĭt lač snei kơ phung khua sang phung Israel, ²²“Pô Myang Hĭn, Aê Diê, Yêhôwa! Pô Myang Hĭn, Aê Diê, Yêhôwa! Ñu thâo klei anei; leh anăn brei phung Israel thâo klei anei! Tơdah hŏng klei bi kdơ̆ng amâodah hlăm klei amâo dôk sĭt suôr hŏng Yêhôwa ôh, đăm hơưi kơ hmei ôh hruê anei ²³kyua klei hmei ngă sa boh knưl čiăng lui wir Yêhôwa; amâodah tơdah hmei ngă snăn čiăng myơr mnơ̆ng čuh amâodah mnơ̆ng myơr kpŭng ƀhĭ, amâodah mnơ̆ng myơr kơ klei êđăp ênang ti dlông anăn, brei Yêhôwa pô rŭ ênua. ²⁴Hơăi, ƀiădah hmei ngă snăn kyua huĭ sa hruê êdei phung anak čô diih srăng lač kơ phung anak čô hmei, ‘Ya klei yuôm diih mâo hŏng Yêhôwa Aê Diê phung Israel? ²⁵Kyuadah Yêhôwa brei leh êa krông Yurdan jing kdriêl plah wah hmei hŏng diih, diih phung Ruben leh anăn phung Gat, diih amâo mâo sa kdrêč hlăm Yêhôwa ôh’. Snăn năng ai phung anak čô diih srăng brei phung anak čô hmei mdei klei kkuh mpŭ kơ Yêhôwa. ²⁶Kyuanăn hmei lač, ‘Brei drei mdơ̆ng sa boh knưl, amâo djŏ kơ mnơ̆ng myơr čuh ôh, kăn djŏ kơ klei ngă yang rei, ²⁷ƀiădah čiăng mâo sa klei hưn bi sĭt hmei hŏng diih, leh anăn hdơ̆ng phung anak čô drei êdei, kơ klei hmei mă bruă kơ Yêhôwa ti anăp Ñu hŏng klei hmei myơr mnơ̆ng čuh, klei ngă yang, leh anăn myơr mnơ̆ng kơ klei êđăp ênang; huĭdah hruê êdei phung anak čô diih srăng lač kơ phung anak čô hmei, “Diih amâo mâo sa kdrêč hlăm Yêhôwa ôh.”’ ²⁸Leh anăn hmei mĭn leh, Tơdah hruê êdei arăng lač klei anei kơ hmei amâodah kơ phung anak čô hmei, hmei srăng lač, ‘Nĕ anei rup knưl Yêhôwa phung aê hmei đưm ngă leh, amâo djŏ ôh kơ klei myơr mnơ̆ng čuh, kăn djŏ kơ klei ngă yang rei, ƀiădah čiăng mâo sa klei hưn bi sĭt hmei hŏng diih.’ ²⁹Sĭt nik hmei amâo mâo klei mĭn bi kdơ̆ng hŏng Yêhôwa leh anăn lui wir Yêhôwa hruê anei êjai ngă sa boh knưl čiăng myơr mnơ̆ng čuh, mnơ̆ng myơr kpŭng ƀhĭ, mnơ̆ng ngă yang mdê hŏng knưl Yêhôwa, Aê Diê drei, dôk ti anăp sang čhiăm Ñu!”
³⁰Tơdah khua ngă yang Y-Phinêas leh anăn phung khua hlăm phung ƀuôn sang, phung khua kơ găp djuê phung Israel mbĭt hŏng ñu hmư̆ klei phung Ruben, phung Gat, leh anăn sa mkrah găp djuê phung Manasê blŭ, diñu mơak snăk. ³¹Y-Phinêas anak êkei khua ngă yang Y-Êlêasar lač kơ phung Ruben, kơ phung Gat, leh anăn kơ sa mkrah găp djuê phung Manasê, “Hruê anei hmei thâo kơ Yêhôwa dôk ti krah phung drei, kyuadah diih amâo ngă klei lhiăr anei hŏng Yêhôwa ôh; snăn diih bi mtlaih leh phung ƀuôn sang Israel mơ̆ng kngan Yêhôwa.”
³²Leh klei anăn, Y-Phinêas anak êkei Y-Êlêasar khua ngă yang leh anăn phung khua lŏ wĭt kơ čar Kanaan mơ̆ng phung Ruben leh anăn phung Gat hlăm čar Galaat leh anăn truh kơ phung ƀuôn sang Israel čiăng hưn kơ digơ̆. ³³Klei hưn anăn bi mơak kơ phung ƀuôn sang Israel. Phung ƀuôn sang Israel bi mni kơ Aê Diê, leh anăn amâo lŏ blŭ kơ klei bi blah hŏng diñu ôh, čiăng bi rai čar anôk phung Ruben leh anăn phung Gat dôk. ³⁴Phung Ruben leh anăn phung Gat pia kơ knưl anăn Klei Hưn Bi Sĭt, “Kyuadah”, diñu lač, “Knưl anăn jing sa klei hưn bi sĭt kơ phung drei kơ Yêhôwa jing Aê Diê.”