Joshua 22:1-20

Then Joshua called a meeting of all the people from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh. He said to them, “You have done everything Moses, the LORD’s servant, told you to do. You have also obeyed all my commands. For a long time you have supported the other Israelites. You have been careful to obey the commands the LORD your God gave you. The LORD your God promised to give the Israelites peace, and he has kept his promise. Now you may go back to your homes, to the land that Moses, the LORD’s servant, gave you, on the east side of the Jordan River. But be careful to obey the teachings and laws Moses, the LORD’s servant, gave you: to love the LORD your God and obey his commands, to continue to follow him and serve him the very best you can.” Then Joshua said good-bye to them, and they left and went away to their homes. Moses had given the land of Bashan to East Manasseh. Joshua gave land on the west side of the Jordan River to West Manasseh. And he sent them to their homes and he blessed them. He said, “Go back to your homes and your riches. You have many animals, silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and many beautiful clothes. Also, you have taken many things from your enemies that you should divide among yourselves.” So the people from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh left the other Israelites at Shiloh in Canaan and went back to Gilead. It was their own land, given to them by Moses as the LORD had commanded. The people of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh went to Geliloth, near the Jordan River in the land of Canaan. There they built a beautiful altar. The other Israelites still at Shiloh heard about the altar these three tribes built at the border of Canaan at Geliloth, near the Jordan River on Israel’s side. All the Israelites became very angry at these three tribes, so they met together and decided to fight them. The Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to Gilead to talk to the people of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh. They also sent one leader from each of the ten tribes at Shiloh. Each of them was a leader of his family group of Israelites. These leaders went to Gilead to talk to the people of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh. They said: “All the Israelites ask you: ‘Why did you turn against the God of Israel by building an altar for yourselves? You know that this is against God’s law. Remember what happened at Peor? We still suffer today because of that sin, for which God made many Israelites very sick. And now are you turning against the LORD and refusing to follow him? “ ‘If you don’t stop what you’re doing today, the LORD will be angry with everyone in Israel tomorrow. If your land is unclean, come over into our land where the LORD’s Tent is. Share it with us. But don’t turn against the LORD and us by building another altar for the LORD our God. Remember how Achan son of Zerah refused to obey the command about what must be completely destroyed. That one man broke God’s law, but all the Israelites were punished. Achan died because of his sin, but others also died.’ ”