The Children of Reuben and Gad
Table of Contents
1 Joshua called::
- the Reubenites
- the Gadites
- the half tribe of Manasseh
2 You have kept all that Moses commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you.
3 You have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of Enki.
4 Enki had given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, [and] unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of Enki gave you on the other side Jordan.
5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of Enki charged you, to love Enki, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
6 So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away into their tents.
7 Moses had given possession of Bashan to half of the tribe of Manasseh.
Joshua gave to the other half among their brethren this side of Jordan westward.
When Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them, saying:
8 Return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.
9 The children of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh returned.
They departed from Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession according to the word of Enki by the hand of Moses.
10 When they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there a great altar by Jordan.
11 The Israelites heard that the children of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of the Israelites.
12 So the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves at Shiloh, to go to war against them.
13 The Israelites sent to them into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest.
14 With him were 10 princes, of each chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel.
- Each one was a head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel.
15 They came unto the children of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead:
16 What trespass is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that you have builded you an altar, that you might rebel this day against Enki?
17 Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of Enki
18 But that you must turn away this day from following Enki?
You rebel today against Enki. Tomorrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel.
19 Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession is unclean, then pass you over unto the land of the possession of Enki, wherein Enki’s tabernacle dwells. Take possession among us: but rebel not against Enki, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of Enki our God.
20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.
21-22 The LORD God of gods, Enki, he knows and Israel he shall know if this is rebellion, or if in transgression against Enki,
23 We have built us an altar to turn from following Enki, or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the LORD himself require it
24 If we have not rather done it for fear of [this] thing, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have you to do with Enki God of Israel?
25 For Enki had made Jordan a border between us and you, you children of Reuben and children of Gad; you have no part in Enki: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing Enki.
26-27 So we said, Let us build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, but as a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us.
- That we might do the service of Enki before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings
- That your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in Enki.
28 So that if they said that to us or to our future generations, we may say again: Behold the pattern of the altar of Enki, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices. But it is a witness between us and you.
29 God forbid that we should rebel against Enki, and turn this day from following Enki, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of Enki our God that is before his tabernacle.
30 Phinehas and his group were pleased by what they heard.
31 This day we perceive that Enki is among us, because you have not committed this trespass against Enki: now you have delivered the Israelites out of the hand of Enki.
32 Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from Gilead back into Canaan to the Israelites to relay the message.
33 This pleased the Israelites who then blessed Enki, and did not intend to go up against them in battle, to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.
34 The children of Reuben and Gad called the altar “Ed” for it shall be a witness between us that Enki is God.