Joshua Sends the Eastern Tribes Home
1 Then Joshua called together the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh. 2 He said to them, “You have done everything that Moses the Lord's servant ordered you to do, and you have obeyed all my commands. 3 All this time you have never once deserted the other Israelites. You have been careful to obey the commands of the Lord your God. 4 Now, as he promised, the Lord your God has given the other Israelites peace. So go back home to the land which you claimed for your own, the land on the east side of the Jordan, that Moses, the Lord's servant, gave you. 5 Make sure you obey the law that Moses commanded you: love the Lord your God, do his will, obey his commandments, be faithful to him, and serve him with all your heart and soul.” 6-8 Joshua sent them home with his blessing and with these words: “You are going back home very rich, with a lot of livestock, silver, gold, bronze, iron, and many clothes. Share with your fellow tribesmen what you took from your enemies.” Then they left for home.
Moses had given land east of the Jordan to one half of the tribe of Manasseh, but to the other half Joshua had given land west of the Jordan, along with the other tribes.
9 So the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh went back home. They left the rest of the people of Israel at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and started out for their own land, the land of Gilead, which they had taken as the Lord had commanded them through Moses.
The Altar by the Jordan
10 When the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh arrived at Geliloth, still on the west side of the Jordan, they built a large, impressive altar there by the river. 11 The rest of the people of Israel were told, “Listen! The people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh have built an altar at Geliloth, on our side of the Jordan!” 12 When the people of Israel heard this, the whole community came together at Shiloh to go to war against the eastern tribes.
13 Then the people of Israel sent Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, to the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh in the land of Gilead. 14 Ten leading men went with Phinehas, one from each of the western tribes and each one the head of a family among the clans. 15 They came to the land of Gilead, to the people of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh, 16 and speaking for the whole community of the Lord, they said to them, “Why have you done this evil thing against the God of Israel? You have rebelled against the Lord by building this altar for yourselves! You are no longer following him! 17 Remember our sin at Peor, when the Lord punished his own people with an epidemic? We are still suffering because of that. Wasn't that sin enough? 18 Are you going to refuse to follow him now? If you rebel against the Lord today, he will be angry with everyone in Israel tomorrow. 19 Now then, if your land is not fit to worship in, come over into the Lord's land, where his Tent is. Claim some land among us. But don't rebel against the Lord or make rebels out of us by building an altar in addition to the altar of the Lord our God. 20 Remember how Achan son of Zerah refused to obey the command about the things condemned to destruction; the whole community of Israel was punished for that. Achan was not the only one who died because of his sin.”
21 The people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh answered the heads of the families of the western tribes: 22 “The Mighty One is God! He is the Lord! The Mighty One is God! He is the Lord! He knows why we did this, and we want you to know too! If we rebelled and did not keep faith with the Lord, do not let us live any longer! 23 If we disobeyed the Lord and built our own altar to burn sacrifices on or to use for grain offerings or fellowship offerings, let the Lord himself punish us. 24 No! We did it because we were afraid that in the future your descendants would say to ours, ‘What do you have to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? 25 He made the Jordan a boundary between us and you people of Reuben and Gad. You have nothing to do with the Lord.’ Then your descendants might make our descendants stop worshiping the Lord. 26 So we built an altar, not to burn sacrifices or make offerings, 27 but instead, as a sign for our people and yours, and for the generations after us, that we do indeed worship the Lord before his sacred Tent with our offerings to be burned and with sacrifices and fellowship offerings. This was to keep your descendants from saying that ours have nothing to do with the Lord. 28 It was our idea that, if this should ever happen, our descendants could say, ‘Look! Our ancestors made an altar just like the Lord's altar. It was not for burning offerings or for sacrifice, but as a sign for our people and yours.’ 29 We would certainly not rebel against the Lord or stop following him now by building an altar to burn offerings on or for grain offerings or sacrifices. We would not build any other altar than the altar of the Lord our God that stands in front of the Tent of his presence.”
30 Phinehas the priest and the ten leading men of the community who were with him, the heads of families of the western tribes, heard what the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh had to say, and they were satisfied. 31 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, said to them, “Now we know that the Lord is with us. You have not rebelled against him, and so you have saved the people of Israel from the Lord's punishment.”
32 Then Phinehas and the leaders left the people of Reuben and Gad in the land of Gilead and went back to Canaan, to the people of Israel, and reported to them. 33 The Israelites were satisfied and praised God. They no longer talked about going to war to devastate the land where the people of Reuben and Gad had settled.
34 The people of Reuben and Gad said, “This altar is a witness to all of us that the Lord is God.” And so they named it “Witness.”
Bgwiliziwa kwe bathu be kunobhuda zhuba
1 Joshuwa wakadana be ludzi gwa Rubheni ne gwa Gadi ne gwamu le ludzi gwa Manase 2 ngono kabadwa kati, “Makalondolodza kose kwamakadwiwa ndi Mushe nlanda wa Yahwe, kakale makabe mushinga kose kwandakabe ndi mudwa. 3 Amuzotongo letjedzela zwikamu zwenyu muzwibaka zwinjinji kuswikila nasi, koga makabe nako kuti muthame itjo tjamakabe mudwiwa ndi Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu kuti mutjithame. 4 Ngono ngwenu Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu watjipa zwikamu zwenyu kunyaluluka koga sekwa akabe abagadzabgwe, ndizo ngwenu bgwililani ku mizi yenyu ku shango yamakapiwa seli ye gwizi gwe Jorodani ndi Mushe nlanda wa Yahwe. 5 Mubone kuti molondolodza ndaulo ne milayo yamakapiwa ndi Mushe nlanda wa Yahwe, kuda Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu, kulondolodza zila dzabo dzose ne kubhulutana ndayo ne kuzwibhatilila mubali ne kubashingila nge moyo wose ne meya dzenyu dzose.” 6 Ngono Joshuwa kabakombolela kabapa zila bakayenda ku mizi yabo. 7 Mushe wakabe apa gwamu limwe le ludzi gwa Manase shango mu Bhashani kuti ibe thaka yabo, ngono gwamu limwe labo Joshuwa wakalipa shango ikunomila zhuba kwe gwizi gwe Jorodani. Ngono kwakati Joshuwa ebapa zila kabakombolela ngono 8 kabadwa kati, “Yendani ku mizi yenyu nge fumwa yenyu isi shoma, ye zwithuwo zwisizwishoma ne siliva ne golide ne phangula ne butale ne zwiambalo zwinjinji ngono muswike mukobele bo bamwe zwamakatapa mu zwita zwenyu.” 9 Ndizo ludzi gwa Rubheni ne gwa Gadi ne gwamu le ludzi gwa Manase bakabgwilila kanyi kwabo, bethubukana ne Baiziraela ku Shilo, mu shango ye Kanana, beyenda ku shango yabo ye Giliyadi yabakapiwa nge ndaulo ya Yahwe yabakapa Mushe.
Tjibeso pa gwizi gwe Jorodani
10 Bakati bali mu zila beyenda kanyi kwabo bakaswika mu ntuthu we Geliloti umu shango ye Kanana pejo ne gwizi gwe Jorodani, bathu be ludzi gwa Rubheni ne gwa Gadi ne gwamu le ludzi gwa Manase bakabaka tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo tjikulukulu tjakanaka wunde ye gwizi gwe Jorodani. 11 Ngono Baiziraela bakahwa kuti bathu be Rubheni ne be Gadi babaka tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo ku ndzibo uku gwizi gwe Jorodani kwakalingisana ne shango ye Kanana. 12 Ngono Baiziraela bakati behwa ngekwako bakanozwikubunganya ku Shilo kuti ndizo bagwe nabo.
13 Ndizo Baiziraela bakatuma Finihasi nkololo wa Eleazari we mpirisiti ku bathu be ludzi gwa Rubheni na Gadi negwe gwamu limwe le ludzi gwa Manase mu shango ye Giliyadi. 14 Bakantuma ne goko le batungamili bali gumi mmwe ne mmwe ali nsholo we nsha mu njudzi dze Iziraela 15 Bakati beswika ku nzi we Giliyadi bakadwa bathu be ludzi gwa Rubheni ne gwa Gadi ne gwamu limwe le ludzi gwa Manase bakati, 16 “Tatumwa nge gubungano la Yahwe ngono toshakaziba kuti ini mashaya kugalabgwe mu Ndzimu we Iziraela kene? Ini mafupatila Ndzimu we Iziraela saikoku kene, mu kupanduka kwenyu mube muzwibakila tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo kene? 17 Tjibi tjawakathamila Yahwe tili ku Peori tjatisathu tikazwitjenapadza mu tjili ne tjifo tjakawila gubungano la Yahwe azwizolizana kene? 18 Ndiko nasi kwamunga fupatila Yahwe kene? Ha mupandukila Yahwe nasi banowomuka mangwana bezhalila gubungano le Baiziraela bushongola. 19 Ndizo ngwenu ha shango yamakapiwa yakatemapala, izhani ku shango ya Yahwe iko kuna bugalo gwe Ndzimu, ngono mugale naswi mu shango yedu. Koga musi pandukile Yahwe kene iswi ngo zwibakila tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo kusi tja Yahwe Ndzimu wedu. 20 Apa Akani nkololo wa Zera wakati asalondolodza tjabakabe badwiwa ngekwe zwija zwabakayi basitole, apa bushongola gwa Yahwe aguzowila gubungano lose le Iziraela kene? Akani azofila jinyo lile ega.”
21 Be ludzi gwa Rubheni ne gwa Gadi ne gwamu le ludzi gwa Manase bakashandula batungamili be bathu be Iziraela beti, 22 “Masimbawose ndibo Ndzimu! Ndzimu ndiwo Yahwe! Banoziba kuti ini tathama saikoku, ngono toshaka kuti namwi mose nasi muzibe bo! Ha ili kuti ikoku bupanduki kene sateedza Yahwe mutibulaye ngwenu. 23 Ha tazwibakila tjibeso tjedu tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo kuti ndizo tikowofupatila Yahwe, tibetidusa zwibhayilo zwinopisiwa ne zwe mathunde kene zwe moyo ntjena mutjili Yahwe ngaba tibone nlandu. 24 Aa, tathama saikoku ngotja kuti limwe zhuba zwizekugwana zwenyu zwingadwa zwizekugwana zwedu zwiti, ‘Gobe lenyu mu Ndzimu we Iziraela ini?’ 25 Ngoti Yahwe bakathama kuti gwizi gwe Jorodani gube n'gathu pakati kwedu namwi, imwi Barubheni namwi Bagadi amuna gobe muna Yahwe. Ndizo zwizekugwana zwenyu zwingathama kuti zwizekugwana zwedu zwisitongo namata Yahwe. 26 Ndizo tati, ‘Ngati bakeni tjibeso tjisi tje zwibhayilo zwinopisiwa kene zwimwe koga, 27 koga tjibe butendeki pakati kwedu namwi ne pakati kwe bana bedu banozha kuti towonamata Yahwe mu bugalo gwabo gwa kayengemala, tibetiyisa zwibhayilo zwinopisiwa ne zwimwe ne zwe moyo ntjena, tithamila kuti mangwana bana benyu basitongodwa bana bedu beti abana gobe muna Yahwe.’ 28 Takakumbula titi ha kungati limwe zhuba tikadwiwa saikoku kene kudwiwa bana bedu saikoku, tingadabila titi, ‘Bonani tjifano tje tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo tja Yahwe tjakabakiwa ndi bobatategulu bedu, tjisinga bakigwe kuti tjipisigwe zwibhayilo kene tjidusigwe zwibhayilo, koga tjibakigwa kuti tjibe butendeki pakati kwedu namwi.’ 29 Ngono gwenu ngakube kutjena naswi kuti tingapandukila Yahwe ngono tikabafupatila ngobaka tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo zwinopisiwa ne zwe mathunde ne zwibhayilo koga kusi tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo tja Yahwe Ndzimu wedu tjakabakwa pa bugalo gwe Ndzimu.”
30 Kwakati mpirisiti Finihasi ne batungamili be gubungano ne wola dze misha ye Iziraela behwa matama akabe elebgwa ne bathu be ludzi gwa Rubheni ne gwa Gadi ne gwamu le ludzi gwa Manase bakagutshika. 31 Ngono Finihasi we mpirisiti nkololo wa Eleazari kadwa ludzi gwa Rubheni negwa Gadi ne gwamu le ludzi gwa Manase kati, “Nasi toziba kuti Yahwe bayapo pakati kwedu, ngobe amuzo bapandukila. Ngwenu matjidza Baiziraela mu shamu ya Yahwe.” 32 Kudwapo Finihasi ne batungamili bakasiya Barubheni ne Bagadi mu shango ye Giliyadi bakashandukila ku shango ye Kanana kubamwe Baiziraela ngono bakaswika bebabikila. 33 Mbiko yakashathisa Baiziraela, ngono bakakudza Ndzimu. Bakamisa kululwamisila kunokolomola nge ngwa shango ye Giliyadi yakabe igala bathu be ludzi gwa Rubheni ne gwa Gadi. 34 Barubheni ne Bagadi bakadana tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo beti, “Ntendeki wedu namwi kuti Yahwe ba Ndzimu.”