Joshua 22

Joshua Sends the Eastern Tribes Back Home

1 Then Joshua called together the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

2 He said, “You all stayed loyal to everything Moses, the servant of God, told you. And you listened to me too.”

3 “All this time - all these years - you never turned your back on your fam. You held it down just like God commanded.”

4 “Now God has given rest to your people, just like He promised. So go back home - to the land Moses gave you all on the east side of the Jordan.”

5 “But listen, do not forget God’s commands. Walk in His ways, love Him, serve Him with all your heart and soul.”

6 Joshua blessed them, gave them a send-off, and they went back home.

They Head Home with Blessings

7 Moses did not give land to half of Manasseh’s tribe, but Joshua had given land to the other half on the west side. When he sent them off, he blessed them too.

8 He said, “You all rolling back with mad riches - gold, silver, bronze, iron, and a whole lot of clothes. Split the loot with your fam back home.”

Eastern Tribes Build an Altar

9 So Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh left the rest of Israel at Shiloh in Canaan and went back to their own land on the east side, the one Moses gave them.

10 When they got to the Jordan, they built a huge altar - like, major size - right there by the river.

The Other Tribes React

11 The rest of Israel heard what went down: “Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh just built a wild altar near the Jordan!”

12 When they heard it, the whole crew of Israel got together at Shiloh - ready to go to war over it.

Investigation Time

13 They sent Phinehas (son of Eleazar the priest) to talk with Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh in Gilead.

14 They brought ten tribal leaders with him - one from each tribe - all head of their clans.

15 They pulled up to Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh and said,

16 “Why are y’all turning on the Lord? Why did y’all build this altar and rebel against Him today?”

17 “You all remember what happened with the sin at Peor, We still feeling the consequences - and now you want to bring more heat?”

18 “Why are you falling off now, If you rebel, you drag the whole community down.”

19 “If your land’s messed up, come stay with us in God’s land - do not build a separate altar. That is breaking the covenant.”

20 “Remember Achan’s sin with the loot from Jericho, His whole fam caught it bad. One man’s sin hit the whole squad.”

The Eastern Tribes Explain

21 Then Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh answered the Israelite leaders:

22 “Listen, God knows the real - the Mighty One sees all. If we did this to betray Him, do not spare us.”

23 “If we built that altar to turn from God or offer burnt or peace offerings, may God judge us right now.”

24 “But that is not the case. We did it out of fear - that someday your kids might diss our kids, saying, ‘You do not have any part in the Lord.’”

25 “The Jordan River divides us - maybe your folks would use that to block us out.”

26 “So we built the altar - not for sacrifice -

27 but as a reminder. So future generations know we worship the same God, same altar, just like you all.”

28 “If your kids ever say we are not part of God’s people, we will point to this altar as proof.”

29 “We would never turn our back on God. We are not offering any sacrifices on this altar. The one at God’s tabernacle - that is the only real one.”

Peace Restored

30 When Phinehas and the leaders heard all this, they were cool with it.

31 Phinehas said, “Now we know the Lord is still with us. You all did not betray Him. We are safe from His wrath.”

32 Then Phinehas and the leaders headed back to Israel in Canaan and told everybody what they heard.

33 The people were relieved and praised God. Nobody talked war anymore.

34 Reuben and Gad named the altar “Witness” - because it stands as proof that both sides serve the Lord.