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22 Awo Yoswa n’ayita Abalewubeeni n’Abagaadi n’ekitundu eky’ekika kya Manase, (A)n’abagamba nti, “Mwekuumye ne mukola byonna Musa omuweereza wa Mukama Katonda bye yabalagira. Ebbanga lyonna n’okutuusa leero temulekeredde baganda bammwe, mubadde beegendereza okukuuma ekiragiro kya Mukama Katonda wammwe. (B)Era kaakano Mukama Katonda wammwe awadde baganda bammwe emirembe nga bwe yabasuubiza. Noolwekyo muddeeyo mu maka gammwe mu nsi Musa omuweereza wa Mukama gye yabawa ku luuyi luli olulala olwa Yoludaani. (C)Wabula mwegendereze okukuumanga ebiragiro era n’amateeka Musa omuweereza wa Mukama bye yabalagira: okwagalanga Mukama Katonda wammwe, okutambuliranga mu makubo ge gonna, okukuumanga ebiragiro bye, n’okumunywererangako era n’okumuweerezanga n’omutima gwammwe gwonna era n’emmeeme yammwe yonna.” (D)Yoswa n’alyoka abasabira omukisa n’abasiibula ne baddayo mu maka gaabwe.

Ekyoto ku Yoludaani

(E)Ekitundu ekimu eky’ekika kya Manase, Musa yali akigabidde ettaka mu Basani, n’ekitundu ekirala eky’ekika kya Manase ne baganda baabwe, Yoswa n’akiwa ettaka ku luuyi olw’ebugwanjuba bwa Yoludaani. Yoswa n’abawa omukisa n’abasiibula baddeyo ewaabwe. (F)N’abagamba nti, “Ente nnyingi, ne ffeeza, ne zaabu, n’ekikomo, n’ekyuma, era n’engoye nnyingi bye munyaze ku balabe bammwe; mubigabaane ne baganda bammwe.”

(G)Awo Abalewubeeni n’abaana ba Gaadi n’ekitundu eky’ekika kya Manase nga bava mu baana ba Isirayiri mu Siiro ekiri mu nsi ya Kanani ne baddayo mu nsi yaabwe, mu Gireyaadi, gye baali bagabanye bo bennyini ng’ekiragiro kya Mukama Katonda bwe kyali okuyita mu Musa. 10 Era bwe baatuuka mu kitundu ekiriraanye Yoludaani mu nsi ya Kanani, abaana ba Lewubeeni n’abaana ba Gaadi n’ekitundu eky’ekika kya Manase, ne bazimba awo ekyoto, ekinene ddala. 11 Wabula abantu ba Isirayiri bwe baawulira nti bazimbye ekyoto ku Yoludaani ku luuyi lwa Isirayiri, 12 (H)ekibiina kyonna ekya Isirayiri ne bakuŋŋaana e Siiro beetegekere olutalo babalumbe.

13 (I)Awo abaana ba Isirayiri ne batuma Finekaasi omwana wa Eriyazaali kabona eri Abalewubeeni, n’Abagaadi, n’ekitundu ky’ekika kya Manase mu nsi ya Gireyaadi. 14 (J)Ne batumirako abakungu kkumi, omu omu omukulu w’ennyumba mu buli kika kya Isirayiri.

15 Bwe bajja eri Abalewubeeni, n’Abagaadi, n’ekibiina kyonna ekya Manase mu nsi ya Gireyaadi ne babagamba nti, 16 (K)“Ekibiina kyonna ekya Mukama bwe kiti bwe kigamba, ‘Muyinza mutya okukyama bwe muti okuva ku Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri? Muyinza mutya okuva ku Mukama ne mwezimbira ekyoto ne mumujeemera awo? 17 (L)Ekibi kya Peoli tekyatumala, ate nga n’okwerongoosa tubadde tetunnaba kwerongoosa kwemalako kibi ekyo, wadde kawumpuli yagwa ku kibiina kya Mukama Katonda, 18 (M)ate mmwe ne mulekeraawo okugoberera Mukama Katonda? Bwe munaajeemera Mukama leero, enkya ajja kunyiigira eggwanga lyonna erya Isirayiri. 19 Obanga ensi gye mututte sinnongoofu, mujje eno eri ensi ya Mukama, weema ya Mukama gy’eri, tugabane eno gye tuli; kye mutasaana kukola kwe kujeemera Mukama, oba okutufuula ffe abajeemu nga mwezimbira ekyoto ekitali kya Mukama Katonda waffe. 20 (N)Akani mutabani wa Zeera teyajeema bwe yatoola ku bintu Mukama bye yali yeerobozza, ekiruyi kya Mukama ne kijjira ekibiina kyonna ekya Isirayiri? Si ye yekka eyazikirira olw’ekibi kye.’ ”

21 Abalewubeeni, n’Abagaadi, n’ekitundu ky’ekika kya Manase ne balyoka baddamu abakulu b’ebika bya Isirayiri nti, 22 (O)Mukama Katonda ow’Amaanyi, Mukama ow’Amaanyi! Ye amanyi, era Isirayiri akimanye! Bwe kiba nga kyabadde mu kwediima oba kujeemera Mukama, temutusonyiwa leero. 23 (P)Bwe tuba nga ekyatuzimbya ekyoto kwe kuva ku Mukama, tukiweereko ekiweebwayo ekyokebwa oba ekiweebwayo ekyobutta oba ssaddaaka ez’ebiweebwayo olw’emirembe, Mukama Katonda yennyini atuvunaane. 24 Nedda, twakikola mu kutya nti mu mirembe egijja abaana baffe balitubuuza nti, ‘Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri mumumanyiiko ki? 25 Kubanga Mukama yakola Yoludaani okubeera ensalo wakati wammwe naffe mmwe Abalewubeeni, n’Abagaadi, temulina mugabo eri Mukama Katonda.’ Noolwekyo abaana bammwe bayinza okugaana abaana baffe okusinza Mukama Katonda.

26 “Kyetwava tugamba nti, ‘Leka tuzimbe kaakano ekyoto ekitali kya kukozesa ku biweebwayo ebyokebwa, wadde ssaddaaka,’ 27 (Q)naye kibeere akabonero ak’obujulizi wakati waffe nammwe, era ne wakati we mirembe egirituddirira nti tugenda mu maaso ga Mukama Katonda ne tumusinza n’ebiweebwayo byaffe ebyokebwa ne ssaddaaka era n’ebiweebwayo olw’emirembe si kulwa nga abaana bammwe bagamba abaana baffe mu biseera ebijja nti, ‘Temulina mugabo gwonna eri Mukama Katonda.’ 28 Kyetwava tugamba nti, ‘Bwe balitugamba batyo oba okugamba abaana baffe abaliddawo, tulibaddamu nti, “Mulabe ekifaananyi kye kyoto kya Mukama Katonda, bakitaffe kye baakola, si lwa biweebwayo ebyokebwa wadde ssaddaaka, naye okubeera omujulirwa wakati waffe nammwe.” ’ 29 (R)Kikafuuwe ffe okujeemera Mukama era n’okumuvaako leero ne tutamugoberera nga tuzimba ekyoto eky’ebiweebwayo ebyokebwa, oba ebiweebwayo eby’empeke, oba ssaddaaka, ekitali kyoto kya Mukama Katonda waffe ekiri mu maaso ga Ssanduuko y’Endagaano ye!”

Ekyoto Kikkirizibwa

30 Finekaasi kabona, n’abakulu b’ebibiina by’ebika bya Isirayiri abaali naye bwe baawulira ebigambo Abalewubeeni, n’Abagaadi n’aba Manase bye bayogera, ne bibasanyusa nnyo. 31 (S)Finekaasi mutabani wa Eriyazaali kabona n’agamba Abalewubeeni n’Abagaadi n’abaana ba Manase nti, “Leero tutegedde nti Mukama ali wakati mu ffe, kubanga temukoze kivve kino eri Mukama Katonda, kaakano abantu ba Isirayiri mubawonyezza omukono gwa Mukama Katonda.” 32 Awo Finekaasi mutabani wa Eriyazaali kabona, n’abakulu b’ebika ne bava eri Abalewubeeni, n’Abagaadi mu nsi ye Kanani, ne baddayo eri abantu ba Isirayiri ne bababuulira ebibaddeyo. 33 (T)Bye baayogera ne bisanyusa abantu ba Isirayiri ne bagulumiza Katonda ne bataddayo kwogera ku bya lutalo kubalumba, bazikirize ensi Abalewubeeni, n’Abagaadi gye baali basenze.

34 (U)Abalewubeeni n’Abagaadi ne batuuma ekyoto erinnya Mujulizi, ne bagamba nti, “Kubanga mujulizi eri ffe nti Mukama ye Katonda.”

Eastern Tribes Return Home

22 Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh and said to them, “You have done all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded,(A) and you have obeyed me in everything I commanded. For a long time now—to this very day—you have not deserted your fellow Israelites but have carried out the mission the Lord your God gave you. Now that the Lord your God has given them rest(B) as he promised, return to your homes(C) in the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan.(D) But be very careful to keep the commandment(E) and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord(F) your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands,(G) to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.(H)

Then Joshua blessed(I) them and sent them away, and they went to their homes. (To the half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given land in Bashan,(J) and to the other half of the tribe Joshua gave land on the west side(K) of the Jordan along with their fellow Israelites.) When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them,(L) saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth—with large herds of livestock,(M) with silver, gold, bronze and iron,(N) and a great quantity of clothing—and divide(O) the plunder(P) from your enemies with your fellow Israelites.”

So the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh(Q) in Canaan to return to Gilead,(R) their own land, which they had acquired in accordance with the command of the Lord through Moses.

10 When they came to Geliloth(S) near the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an imposing altar(T) there by the Jordan. 11 And when the Israelites heard that they had built the altar on the border of Canaan at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side, 12 the whole assembly of Israel gathered at Shiloh(U) to go to war against them.

13 So the Israelites sent Phinehas(V) son of Eleazar,(W) the priest, to the land of Gilead—to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 14 With him they sent ten of the chief men, one from each of the tribes of Israel, each the head of a family division among the Israelite clans.(X)

15 When they went to Gilead—to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh—they said to them: 16 “The whole assembly of the Lord says: ‘How could you break faith(Y) with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the Lord and build yourselves an altar in rebellion(Z) against him now? 17 Was not the sin of Peor(AA) enough for us? Up to this very day we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin, even though a plague fell on the community of the Lord! 18 And are you now turning away from the Lord?

“‘If you rebel against the Lord today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole community(AB) of Israel. 19 If the land you possess is defiled, come over to the Lord’s land, where the Lord’s tabernacle(AC) stands, and share the land with us. But do not rebel against the Lord or against us by building an altar(AD) for yourselves, other than the altar of the Lord our God. 20 When Achan son of Zerah was unfaithful in regard to the devoted things,[a](AE) did not wrath(AF) come on the whole community(AG) of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.’”(AH)

21 Then Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the clans of Israel: 22 “The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God,(AI) the Lord!(AJ) He knows!(AK) And let Israel know! If this has been in rebellion or disobedience to the Lord, do not spare us this day. 23 If we have built our own altar to turn away from the Lord and to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings,(AL) or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it, may the Lord himself call us to account.(AM)

24 “No! We did it for fear that some day your descendants might say to ours, ‘What do you have to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? 25 The Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you—you Reubenites and Gadites! You have no share in the Lord.’ So your descendants might cause ours to stop fearing the Lord.

26 “That is why we said, ‘Let us get ready and build an altar—but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.’ 27 On the contrary, it is to be a witness(AN) between us and you and the generations that follow, that we will worship the Lord at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices and fellowship offerings.(AO) Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to ours, ‘You have no share in the Lord.’

28 “And we said, ‘If they ever say this to us, or to our descendants, we will answer: Look at the replica of the Lord’s altar, which our ancestors built, not for burnt offerings and sacrifices, but as a witness(AP) between us and you.’

29 “Far be it from us to rebel(AQ) against the Lord and turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle.(AR)

30 When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community—the heads of the clans of the Israelites—heard what Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had to say, they were pleased. 31 And Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, “Today we know that the Lord is with us,(AS) because you have not been unfaithful to the Lord in this matter. Now you have rescued the Israelites from the Lord’s hand.”

32 Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders returned to Canaan from their meeting with the Reubenites and Gadites in Gilead and reported to the Israelites.(AT) 33 They were glad to hear the report and praised God.(AU) And they talked no more about going to war against them to devastate the country where the Reubenites and the Gadites lived.

34 And the Reubenites and the Gadites gave the altar this name: A Witness(AV) Between Us—that the Lord is God.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 22:20 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.