Joshua 22:13-29 - Explanation Of The Altar
13 And the sons of Israel will send to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to half the tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, 14 And ten chiefs with him, one chief, one chief, to the house of a father for all the tribes of Israel; and each the head of the house of their fathers, these for the thousands of Israel. 15 And they will come to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to half the tribe of Manasseh to the land of Gilead, and they will speak with them, saying, 16 Thus said all the assembly of Jehovah, What transgression this which ye transgressed against the God of Israel to turn back this day from after Jehovah, in your building to you an altar for your rebellion this day against Jehovah? 17 Was the iniquity of Peor little for us, which we were not cleansed from it till this day, and there will be a smiting in the assembly of Jehovah? 18 And will ye turn back this day from after Jehovah? and it will be ye will rebel this day against Jehovah, and to-morrow be will be angry towards all the assembly of Israel. 19 And surely, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over for yourselves to the land of the possession of Jehovah, where the dwelling of Jehovah dwelt there, and take possession in the midst of us: and ye shall not rebel against Jehovah, and ye shall not rebel against us in your building to yourselves an altar beside the altar of Jehovah our God. 20 Did not Achan transgress a transgression in the devoted thing, and upon all the assembly of Israel was wrath? and that man died not alone in his iniquity.
21 And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh will answer and will speak to the heads of the thousands of Israel, 22 The God of gods, Jehovah, the God of gods, Jehovah he will know, and Israel he will know; if in rebellion and if in transgression against Jehovah, thou shalt not save us this day; 23 To build to us an altar to turn back from after Jehovah, and if to bring up upon it a burnt-offering and a gift, and if to do upon it sacrifices of peace Jehovah he will search; 24 And if we did not do this from fear of the word, saying, To-morrow your sons will say to our sons, saying, What to you and to Jehovah the God of Israel 25 Jehovah gave the bound of our sons and your sons, ye sons of Reuben and sons of Gad; Jordan not to you a part in Jehovah. And your sons caused our sons to cease from fearing Jehovah.
26 And we shall say, We will do now for ourselves to build an altar, not for burnt-offerings and not for sacrifice: 27 But this a witness between us and between you, and between our generations after us, to serve the service of Jehovah before him with our burnt-offerings and with our sacrifices and with our peace-offerings; and your sons shall not say, To-morrow, to our sons, not to you, a part in Jehovah. 28 And we shall say, and it was that they shall say to us and to our generations to-morrow, and we said, See the model of the altar of Jehovah which our fathers made, not for burnt-offering and not for sacrifice; but this a witness between us and between you. 29 Wo to us from him to rebel against Jehovah, and to turn back this day from after Jehovah to build an altar for burnt-offering, for a gift and for sacrifice beside the altar of Jehovah our God which is before his tent