Joshua 22

az yiqra yehoshua laruveni velaggadi velakhatsi matteh menasheh

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

vayyomer alehem attem shemartem et kol-asher tsivvah etkhem mosheh eved Adonai vattishme'u veqoli lekhol asher-tsivviti etkhem

and said to them, “You have observed all that Moses the servant of GOD commanded you, and have obeyed me in everything that I commanded you.

lo-azavtem et-akhekhem zeh yamim rabbim ad hayyom hazzeh ushemartem et-mishmeret mitsvat Adonai elohekhem

You have not forsaken your kindred through the long years down to this day, but have faithfully observed the Instruction of the ETERNAL your God.

ve'attah heniakh Adonai elohekhem la'akhekhem ka'asher dibber lahem ve'attah penu ulekhu lakhem le'oholekhem el-erets akhuzzatkhem asher natan lakhem mosheh eved Adonai be'ever hayyarden

Now the ETERNAL your God has given your kindred rest, as [God] promised them. Therefore turn and go to your homes, to the land of your holdings beyond the Jordan that Moses the servant of GOD assigned to you.

raq shimru me'od la'asot et-hammitsvah ve'et-hattorah asher tsivvah etkhem mosheh eved-Adonai le'ahavah et-Adonai elohekhem velalekhet bekhol-derakhayw velishmor mitsvotayw uledovqah-vo ule'ovdo bekhol-levavkhem uvekhol-nafshekhem

But be very careful to fulfill the Instruction and the Teaching that Moses the servant of GOD enjoined upon you: to love the ETERNAL your God, to walk in godly ways, to keep the commandments, and to hold fast to [God]—and to render service with all your heart and soul.”

vayevarekhem yehoshua vayeshallekhem vayyelekhu el-oholehem

Then Joshua blessed them and dismissed them, and they went to their homes.

velakhatsi shevet hamenasheh natan mosheh babbashan ulekhetsyo natan yehoshua im-akhehem (mvr) [be'ever] hayyarden yammah vegam ki-shillekham yehoshua el-oholehem vayevarekhem

To the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had assigned territory in Bashan, and to the other Joshua assigned [territory] on the west side of the Jordan, with their kindred. Furthermore, when Joshua sent the two and a half tribes off to their homes, he blessed them

vayyomer alehem lemor binkhasim rabbim shuvu el-oholekhem uvemiqneh rav-me'od bekhesef uvezahav uvinkhoshet uvevarzel uvislamot harbeh me'od khilqu shelal-oyevekhem im-akhekhem

and said to them, “Return to your homes with great wealth—with very much livestock, with silver and gold, with copper and iron, and with a great quantity of clothing. Share the spoil of your enemies with your kin.”

vayyashuvu vayyelekhu bene-re'uven uvene-gad vakhatsi shevet hamenasheh me'et bene yisra'el mishiloh asher be'erets-kena'an lalekhet el-erets haggilad el-erets akhuzzatam asher nokhazu-vah al-pi Adonai beyad-mosheh

So the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan, and made their way back to the land of Gilead, the land of their own holding, which they had acquired by GOD’s command through Moses.

vayyavo'u el-gelilot hayyarden asher be'erets kena'an vayyivnu vene-re'uven uvene-gad vakhatsi shevet hamenasheh sham mizbeakh al-hayyarden mizbeakh gadol lemareh

When they came to the region of the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan, a great conspicuous altar.

vayyishme'u vene-yisra'el lemor hinneh vanu vene-re'uven uvene-gad vakhatsi shevet hamenasheh et-hammizbeakh el-mul erets kena'an el-gelilot hayyarden el-ever bene yisra'el

A report reached the Israelites: “The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar opposite the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan, across from the Israelites.”

vayyishme'u bene yisra'el vayyiqqahalu kol-adat bene-yisra'el shiloh la'alot alehem latsava

When the Israelites heard this, the whole community of the Israelites assembled at Shiloh to make war on them.

vayyishlekhu vene-yisra'el el-bene-re'uven ve'el-bene-gad ve'el-khatsi shevet-menasheh el-erets haggilad et-pinekhas ben-elazar hakkohen

But [first] the Israelites sent the priest Phinehas son of Eleazar to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead,

va'asarah nesi'im immo nasi ekhad nasi ekhad levet av lekhol mattot yisra'el ve'ish rosh bet-avotam hemmah le'alfe yisra'el

accompanied by ten chieftains, one chieftain from each of the tribal families of Israel, every one of them a family head among the contingents of Israel.

vayyavo'u el-bene-re'uven ve'el-bene-gad ve'el-khatsi shevet-menasheh el-erets haggilad vayedabberu ittam lemor

When they came to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead, they spoke to them as follows:

koh ameru kol adat Adonai mah-hamma'al hazzeh asher me'altem belohe yisra'el lashuv hayyom me'akhare Adonai bivnotekhem lakhem mizbeakh limrodkhem hayyom ba-Adonai

“Thus said all of GOD’s community: What is this treachery that you have committed this day against the God of Israel, turning away from GOD, building yourselves an altar and rebelling this day against GOD!

hame'at-lanu et-avon pe'or asher lo-hittaharnu mimmennu ad hayyom hazzeh vayehi hannegef ba'adat Adonai

Is the sin of Peor, which brought a plague upon GOD’s community, such a small thing to us? We have not purified ourselves from it to this very day;

ve'attem tashuvu hayyom me'akhare Adonai vehayah attem timredu hayyom ba-Adonai umakhar el-kol-adat yisra'el yiqtsof

and now you would turn away from GOD! If you rebel against GOD today, tomorrow the divine wrath will be directed at the whole community of Israel.

ve'akh im-teme'ah erets akhuzzatkhem ivru lakhem el-erets akhuzzat Adonai asher shakhan-sham mishkan Adonai vehe'akhazu betokhenu u-Adonai al-timrodu ve'otanu al-timrodu bivnotekhem lakhem mizbeakh mibbalade mizbakh Adonai elohenu

If it is because the land of your holding is impure, cross over into the land of GOD’s own holding, where the Tabernacle of GOD abides, and acquire holdings among us. But do not rebel against GOD, and do not rebel against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the ETERNAL our God.

halo akhan ben-zerakh ma'al ma'al bakherem ve'al-kol-adat yisra'el hayah qatsef vehu ish ekhad lo gava ba'avono

When Achan son of Zerah violated the proscription, anger struck the whole community of Israel; he was not the only one who perished for that sin.”

vayya'anu bene-re'uven uvene-gad vakhatsi shevet hamenasheh vayedabberu et-rashe alfe yisra'el

The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the contingents of Israel: They said,

el elohim Adonai el elohim Adonai hu yodea veyisra'el hu yeda im-bemered ve'im-bema'al ba-Adonai al-toshi'enu hayyom hazzeh

“God, the ETERNAL God! God, the ETERNAL God, surely knows, and Israel too shall know! If we acted in rebellion or in treachery against GOD, do not vindicate us this day!

livnot lanu mizbeakh lashuv me'akhare Adonai ve'im-leha'alot alayw olah uminkhah ve'im-la'asot alayw zivkhe shelamim Adonai hu yevaqqesh

If we built an altar to turn away from GOD, if it was to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings upon it, or to present sacrifices of well-being upon it, may GOD be the one to demand [a reckoning].

ve'im-lo midde'agah middavar asinu et-zot lemor makhar yomeru venekhem levanenu lemor mah-llakhem ve-Adonai elohe yisra'el

We did this thing only out of our concern that, in time to come, your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to do with the ETERNAL, the God of Israel?

ugevul natan-Adonai benenu uvenekhem bene-re'uven uvene-gad et-hayyarden en-lakhem kheleq ba-Adonai vehishbitu venekhem et-banenu levilti yero et-Adonai

GOD has made the Jordan a boundary between you and us, O Reubenites and Gadites; you have no share in GOD!’ Thus your children might prevent our children from worshiping GOD.

vannomer na'aseh-nna lanu livnot et-hammizbeakh lo le'olah velo lezavakh

So we decided to provide [a witness] for ourselves by building an altar—not for burnt offerings or [other] sacrifices,

ki ed hu benenu uvenekhem uven dorotenu akharenu la'avod et-avodat Adonai lefanayw be'olotenu uvizvakhenu uvishlamenu velo-yomeru venekhem makhar levanenu en-lakhem kheleq ba-Adonai

but as a witness between you and us, and between the generations to come—that we may perform the service of GOD at Shiloh with our burnt offerings, our sacrifices, and our offerings of well-being; and that your children should not say to our children in time to come, ‘You have no share in GOD.’

vannomer vehayah ki-yomeru elenu ve'el-dorotenu makhar ve'amarnu re'u et-tavnit mizbakh Adonai asher-asu avotenu lo le'olah velo lezevakh ki-ed hu benenu uvenekhem

We reasoned: should they speak thus to us and to our children in time to come, we would reply, ‘See the replica of GOD’s altar, which our fathers made—not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, but as a witness between you and us.’

khalilah lanu mimmennu limrod ba-Adonai velashuv hayyom me'akhare Adonai livnot mizbeakh le'olah leminkhah ulezavakh millevad mizbakh Adonai elohenu asher lifne mishkano

Far be it from us to rebel against GOD, or to turn away this day from GOD and build an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, and sacrifices other than the altar of the ETERNAL our God that stands before the Tabernacle.”

vayyishma pinekhas hakkohen unesi'e ha'edah verashe alfe yisra'el asher itto et-haddevarim asher dibberu bene-re'uven uvene-gad uvene menasheh vayyitav be'enehem

When the priest Phinehas and the chieftains of the community—the heads of the contingents of Israel—who were with him heard the explanation given by the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the Manassites, they approved.

vayyomer pinekhas ben-elazar hakkohen el-bene-re'uven ve'el-bene-gad ve'el-bene menasheh hayyom yadanu ki-vetokhenu Adonai asher lo-me'altem ba-Adonai hamma'al hazzeh az hitsaltem et-bene yisra'el miyyad Adonai

The priest Phinehas son of Eleazar said to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the Manassites, “Now we know that GOD is in our midst, since you have not committed such treachery against GOD. You have indeed saved the Israelites from punishment by GOD.”

vayyashov pinekhas ben-elazar hakkohen vehannesi'im me'et bene-re'uven ume'et bene-gad me'erets haggilad el-erets kena'an el-bene yisra'el vayyashivu otam davar

Then the priest Phinehas son of Eleazar and the chieftains returned from the Reubenites and the Gadites in the land of Gilead to the Israelites in the land of Canaan, and gave them their report.

vayyitav haddavar be'ene bene yisra'el vayevarekhu elohim bene yisra'el velo ameru la'alot alehem latsava leshakhet et-ha'arets asher bene-re'uven uvene-gad yoshevim bah

The Israelites were pleased, and the Israelites praised God; and they spoke no more of going to war against them, to ravage the land in which the Reubenites and Gadites dwelt.

vayyiqre'u bene-re'uven uvene-gad lammizbeakh ki ed hu benotenu ki Adonai ha'elohim

The Reubenites and the Gadites named the altar [“Witness”], meaning, “It is a witness between us and them that the ETERNAL is [our] God.”