as Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the book of the Law of Moses, an altar of whole stones over which no man has lifted any iron. And they offered on it burnt offerings to Jehovah, and sacrificed peace offerings.

that we have built us an altar to turn from following Jehovah. Or if we have built an altar to offer on it burnt offering or food offering, or if to offer peace offerings on it, let Jehovah Himself require it.

And we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice,

but it shall be a witness between us and you, and our generations after us, so that we might do the service of Jehovah before Him with our burnt offerings and with our sacrifices and with our peace offerings; so that your sons may not say to our sons in time to come, You have no part in Jehovah.

And we said that when they should say so to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say, Behold the pattern of the altar of Jehovah which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices, but it is a witness between us and you.

Far be it from us that we should rebel against Jehovah and turn this day from following Jehovah, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for food offerings, or for sacrifices, besides the altar of Jehovah our God that is before His tabernacle!