The Transjordanic Tribes return. They build an Altar which gives Offence. They justify themselves a ver. 19; Dt. 12. 5 ch. 18. 1 Num. 25. 7, blessed them, 8 and spake unto them, saying, Return with much wealth 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 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the land of Gil- ver. 11 ead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the commandment of Jehovah by Moses. a ver. 11 11; 31. 6 * Num. 25. 1-9 10 And when they came unto the ch. 7. 1-26 region about the Jordan, that is in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, a great altar to look upon. 11 And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the halftribe of Manasseh have built "an altar in the forefront of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that pertaineth to the children of Israel. 12 And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up against them to war. C 13 And the children of Israel sent unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, 14 and with him ten princes, one prince of a fathers' house for each of the tribes of Israel; and they were every one of them head of their fathers' houses among the thousands of Israel. 15 And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the halftribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and they spake with them, saying, 16 Thus saith the whole congregation of Jehovah, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following Jehovah, in that ye have builded you dan altar, to rebel this day against Jehovah 17 Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, 1 Or, families A Dt. 12. 11 from which we have not cleansed ourselves unto this day, although thero came a plague upon the congregation of Jehovah, 18 that ye must turn away this day from following Jehovah? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to-day against Jehovah, that to-morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel. 19 Howbeit, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of Jehovah, wherein Jehovah's tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against Jehovah, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar besides the altar of Jehovah our God. 20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity. 21 Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered, and spake unto the heads of the 1 thousands of Israel, 22 The Mighty One, God, Jehovah, the Mighty One, God, Jehovah, he knoweth ; and Israel he shall know if it be in rebellion, or if in trespass against Jehovah (save thou ús not this day), 23 that we have built us an altar to turn away from following Jehovah; or if to offer thereon burnt-offering or meal-offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace-offerings thereon, let Jehovah himself require it; 24 and if we have not rather out of carefulness done this, and of purpose, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with Jehovah, the God of Israel? 25 for Jehovah hath made the Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no portion in Jehovah: so might your ́ children make our children cease from fearing Jehovah. 26 Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burntoffering, nor for sacrifice: 27 but it shall be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we may do the service of Jehovah 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, 49 ch. 21. 44 c ch. 24. 1 e Ex. 23. 30 Ye have no portion in Jehovah. 53 9 Dt. 5. 32 A ch. 1. 7 i Ex. 23. 13; Good Will restored between the Western and the Transjordanic Tribes. Joshua's Farewell Address 30 And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation, even the heads of the thousands of Israel that were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, it pleased them well. 31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we know that Jehovah is in the midst of us, because ye have not committed this trespass against Jehovah now have ye delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of Jehovah. 32 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again. 33 And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and spake no more of going up against them to war, to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and the children of Gad dwelt. 34 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad 'called the altar Ed: For, said they, it is a witness between us that Jehovah is God. 23 b And it came to pass after many days, when Jehovah had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, and Joshua was old and well stricken in years; 2 that Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and for their heads, and for their judges and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and well 1 That is, Witness. m Ex. 23. 23, " Dt. 7. 24 Lev. 26. 8; Dt. 28. 7 P ver. 3 ? Ex. 34. 15, 34, 35 r Dt. 7. 3, Ex. 23. 33; t1 K. 2. 2 uch. 21. 45 Joshua's Farewell Address. The Covenant renewed at Shechem thing hath failed thereof. 15 And it shall come to pass, that as all the good things are come upon you of which Jehovah your God spake unto you, so will Jehovah bring upon you all the evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which Jehovah your God hath given you. 16 When ye transgress the covenant of Jehovah your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow down yourselves to them; then will the anger of Jehovah be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto 24 all the tribes of Israel to And Joshua gathered a Lev. 26. 14 33; Dt. Dt. 4. 25, 26 © ch. 23. 2 d Gen. 11. 27-32 9 the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel: and he sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you; 10 but I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand. 11 And ye went over the Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, Gen. 25. 25, and the Girgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I delivered them into your hand. 12 And I 4.14-17 sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; "not with thy sword, nor with thy bow. 13 And I gave you a land Gen. 12. 1; /Gen. 15. 5 26 i Dt. 2. 5 * Gen. 46. 6, 7 Ex. 14. 2 31 " Dt. 1. v Shechem, and called for the elders P Num. 22. 2 whereon thou hadst not labored, of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their offi 9 ch. 3. 16, 17 and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell therein; of vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat. 14Now therefore fear Jehovah, and serve him in sincerity and in truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt; and serve ye Jehovah. 15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve Jehovah, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your father served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah. cers; and they presented them-Ex. 23. 23, selves before God. 2 And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt of old time beyond the River, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor: and they served other gods. 3 And I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac. 4 And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau : and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; and Jacob and his children went down into Egypt. 5 And 'I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did in the midst thereof: and afterward I brought you out. 6 And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and with horsemen unto the Red Sea. 7 And when they cried out unto Jehovah, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt: and," " ye dwelt in the wilderness many days. 19 And Joshua said unto the And I brought you into the people, Ye cannot serve Jehovah; land of the Amorites, that dwelt Lev. 19. 2; for he is a holy God; he is a jeal 16 And the people answered and said, Far be it from us that we should forsake Jehovah, to serve other gods; 17 for Jehovah our God, he it is that brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and that did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the peoples through the midst of whom we passed; 18 and Jehovah drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites that dwelt in the land: therefore we also will serve Jehovah; for he is our God. Dt. 4. 26, 29 If ye forsake Jehovah, and serve foreign gods, then he will turn 1 Heb. bondmen. The Covenant renewed. Death and Burial of Joshua and of Eleazar. Joseph's Bones buried and do you evil, and consume you, after that he hath done you good. 21 And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve Jehovah. 22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you Jehovah, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses. 23 Now therefore put away, said he, the foreign gods which are among you, and "incline your heart unto Jehovah, the God of Israel. 24 And the people said unto Joshua, Jehovah our God will we serve, and unto his voice will we hearken. 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. 26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of Jehovah. 27 And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us; for it hath heard all the words of Jehovah which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness against you, lest ye deny your God. 28 So Joshua 1 Or, in a 1 K. 8. 57, sent the people away, every man unto his inheritance. 29 And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Jehovah, died, being a hundred and ten years old. 30 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which 68; Ps. 119. is in the hill-country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash. 31 And Israel served Jehovah all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, and had known all the work of Jehovah, that he had wrought for Israel. 36; 141. 4 b Ex. 19. 8; 24. 3, 7; Dt. 5. 27 Ex. 24. 8 d ch. 22. 27, 34 ch. 19. 50 Gen. 60. 13. 19; 16 9 Gen. 33. 19 A ch. 22 13 32 And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money and they became the inheritance of the children of Joseph. 33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in 2 the hill of Phinehas his son, which was given him in the hill-country of Ephraim. 2 Or, Gibeah of Phinehas THE BOOK OF JUDGES Capture of Bezek, Jerusalem, Hebron, Kiriath-sepher, and other Cities And it came to pass after the Num. 27. 21 2.21-23; 3. e ver. 21; 63 d Josh. 15. ch. 3. 9 dren of Israel asked of Jehovah, 8 And the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire. 9 And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites that dwelt in the hill-country, and in the South, and in the lowland. 10 And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron (now the name of Hebron beforetime was Kiriath-arba); and they smote Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai. 11 And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir. (Now the name of Debir beforetime was Kiriath-sepher.) 12 And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kiri Num. 10. 9 ch. 3. 13; Num. 21. 3 ath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife. 13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife. 14 And it came to pass, when she came unto him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field and she alighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, what wouldest thou? 15 And she said unto him, Give me a blessing; for that thou hast set me in the land of the South, give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs. 3 16 And the children of the Kenite, Moses' brother-in-law, went up out of the city of palm-trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which is in the south of "Arad; and they went and dwelt with the people. 17 And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they smote the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called 'Hormah. 18 Also Judah took Gaza with the border thereof, and Ashkelon with the border thereof, and Ekron with the border thereof. 19 And Jehovah was with Judah; and he drove out the inhabitants of the hill-country; for he could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had * chariots of iron. 20 And they Josh. 17. 16 gave Hebron unto Caleb, 'as Moses had spoken: and he drove out thence the three sons of Anak. Josh. 15. 14 21 "And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day. * ch. 4.3, 13: Josh. 14. 9 m ver. 10; n ver. 8; 63 22 And the house of Joseph, they |