ThenJoshuacalledthe Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the halftribeof Manasseh, And saiduntothem, Yehave keptallthatMosesthe servantof the LORDcommandedyou, and have obeyedmy voicein allthatI commandedyou: Ye have notleftyour brethrenthesemanydaysuntothisday, but have keptthe chargeof the commandmentof the LORDyour God. And nowthe LORDyour Godhath given restunto your brethren, ashe promisedthem: therefore nowreturnye, and getyou unto your tents, and untothe landof your possession, whichMosesthe servantof the LORDgaveyou on the other sideJordan. Buttake diligentheedto dothe commandmentand the law, whichMosesthe servantof the LORDchargedyou, to lovethe LORDyour God, and to walkin allhis ways, and to keephis commandments, and to cleaveunto him, and to servehim with allyour heartand with allyour soul. So Joshuablessedthem, and sent them away: and they wentuntotheir tents. Now to the one halfof the tribeof ManassehMoseshad given possession in Bashan: but unto the other halfthereof gaveJoshuaamongtheir brethrenon this sideJordanwestward. And whenJoshuasent them awayalsountotheir tents, then he blessedthem, And he spokeuntothem, saying, Returnwith muchrichesuntoyour tents, and with verymuchcattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with verymuchraiment: dividethe spoilof your enemieswithyour brethren. And the childrenof Reubenand the childrenof Gadand the halftribeof Manassehreturned, and departedfromthe childrenof Israelout of Shiloh, which is in the landof Canaan, to gountothe countryof Gilead, tothe landof their possession, whereofthey were possessed, accordingto the wordof the LORDby the handof Moses. And when they cameuntothe bordersof Jordan, that are in the landof Canaan, the childrenof Reubenand the childrenof Gadand the halftribeof Manassehbuilttherean altarbyJordan, a greataltarto seeto. And the childrenof Israelheardsay, Behold, the childrenof Reubenand the childrenof Gadand the halftribeof Manassehhave builtan altarover againstthe landof Canaan, inthe bordersof Jordan, atthe passageof the childrenof Israel. And when the childrenof Israelheard of it , the wholecongregationof the childrenof Israelgathered themselves togetherat Shiloh, to goup to waragainstthem. And the childrenof Israelsentuntothe childrenof Reuben, and tothe childrenof Gad, and tothe halftribeof Manasseh, intothe landof Gilead, Phinehasthe sonof Eleazarthe priest, And withhim tenprinces, of each chiefhousea princethroughout allthe tribesof Israel; and each one was a headof the houseof their fathersamong the thousandsof Israel. And they cameuntothe childrenof Reuben, and tothe childrenof Gad, and tothe halftribeof Manasseh, untothe landof Gilead, and they spokewiththem, saying, Thussaiththe wholecongregationof the LORD, Whattrespass is thisthatye have committedagainst the Godof Israel, to turn awaythis dayfrom followingthe LORD, in that ye have builtyou an altar, that ye might rebelthis dayagainst the LORD? Is the iniquityof Peortoo littlefor us, fromwhichwe are notcleanseduntilthisday, although there wasa plaguein the congregationof the LORD, But that yemust turn awaythis dayfrom followingthe LORD? and it will be, seeing yerebeltodayagainst the LORD, that tomorrowhe will be wrothwiththe wholecongregationof Israel. Notwithstanding, ifthe landof your possession be unclean, then pass ye overuntothe landof the possessionof the LORD, whereinthe LORD's tabernacledwelleth, and take possessionamongus: but rebelnotagainst the LORD, norrebelagainst us, in buildingyou an altarbesidethe altarof the LORDour God. Did notAchanthe sonof Zerahcommita trespassin the accursed thing, and wrathfellonallthe congregationof Israel? and thatmanperishednotalonein his iniquity. Then the childrenof Reubenand the childrenof Gadand the halftribeof Manassehanswered, and saidunto the headsof the thousandsof Israel, The LORDGodof gods, the LORDGodof gods, heknoweth, and Israelheshall know; if it be in rebellion, or ifin transgressionagainst the LORD, ( saveus notthisday,) That we have builtus an altarto turnfrom followingthe LORD, or ifto offerthereonburnt offeringor meat offering, or ifto offerpeaceofferingsthereon, let the LORDhimselfrequire it ; And ifwe have not rather doneitfor fearof this thing, saying, In time to comeyour childrenmight speakunto our children, saying, Whathave ye to do with the LORDGodof Israel? For the LORDhath madeJordana borderbetweenus and you, ye childrenof Reubenand childrenof Gad; ye have nopartin the LORD: so shall your childrenmake our childrenceasefrom fearingthe LORD. Therefore we said, Let us nowprepareto buildus an altar, notfor burntoffering, norfor sacrifice: But that it may be a witnessbetweenus, and you, and our generationsafterus, that we might dothe serviceof the LORDbeforehim with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your childrenmay notsayto our childrenin time to come, Ye have nopartin the LORD. Therefore saidwe, that it shall be, whenthey should so saytous or toour generationsin time to come, that we may say again , Beholdthe patternof the altarof the LORD, whichour fathersmade, notfor burnt offerings, norfor sacrifices; butit is a witnessbetweenus and you. God forbidthat weshould rebelagainst the LORD, and turnthis dayfrom followingthe LORD, to buildan altarfor burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, besidethe altarof the LORDour Godthat is beforehis tabernacle. And when Phinehasthe priest, and the princesof the congregationand headsof the thousandsof Israelwhich were withhim, heardthe wordsthatthe childrenof Reubenand the childrenof Gadand the childrenof Manassehspoke, it pleasedthem. And Phinehasthe sonof Eleazarthe priestsaiduntothe childrenof Reuben, and tothe childrenof Gad, and tothe childrenof Manasseh, This daywe perceivethatthe LORD is amongus, becauseye have notcommittedthistrespassagainst the LORD: nowye have deliveredthe childrenof Israelout of the handof the LORD. And Phinehasthe sonof Eleazarthe priest, and the princes, returnedfromthe childrenof Reuben, and fromthe childrenof Gad, out of the landof Gilead, untothe landof Canaan, tothe childrenof Israel, and brought them word again. And the thingpleasedthe childrenof Israel; and the childrenof IsraelblessedGod, and did notintendto go upagainstthem in battle, to destroythe landwhereinthe childrenof Reubenand Gaddwelt. And the childrenof Reubenand the childrenof Gadcalledthe altar Ed : forit shall be a witnessbetweenus thatthe LORD is God.