Iosue 22
1 Eodem tempore vocavit Iosue Rubenitas, et Gaditas, et dimidiam tribum Manasse,
Then Joshua summoned the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
2 dixitque ad eos: Fecistis omnia quæ præcepit vobis Moyses famulus Domini: mihi quoque in omnibus obedistis,
He told them, “You have done everything that Moses, the servant of the Lord, told you to do, and you have followed all the commands I gave you.
3 nec reliquistis fratres vestros longo tempore, usque in præsentem diem, custodientes imperium Domini Dei vestri.
You have never abandoned your brothers all this time, right up to the present day. You have carefully followed what the Lord your God ordered you to do.
4 Quia igitur dedit Dominus Deus vester fratribus vestris quietem et pacem, sicut pollicitus est: revertimini, et ite in tabernacula vestra, et in terram possessionis, quam tradidit vobis Moyses famulus Domini trans Iordanem:
Now that the Lord your God has given peace to your brothers, as he promised, go back home to your land that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you on the other side of the Jordan.
5 ita dumtaxat, ut custodiatis attente, et opere compleatis mandatum et legem quam præcepit vobis Moyses famulus Domini, ut diligatis Dominum Deum vestrum, et ambuletis in omnibus viis eius, et observetis mandata illius, adhæreatisque ei, ac serviatis in omni corde, et in omni anima vestra.
But make sure you keep the commandments and the law as Moses instructed you. Love the Lord your God, follow all his ways, keep his commandments, stay close to him, and serve him with your whole being.”
6 Benedixitque eis Iosue, et dimisit eos. Qui reversi sunt in tabernacula sua.
Joshua blessed them, sent them on their way, and they went home.
7 Dimidiæ autem tribui Manasse possessionem Moyses dederat in Basan: et idcirco mediæ, quæ superfuit, dedit Iosue sortem inter ceteros fratres suos trans Iordanem ad Occidentalem plagam. Cumque dimitteret eos in tabernacula sua, et benedixisset eis,
Moses had given to the half-tribe of Manasseh the land of Bashan, and to the other half of the tribe Joshua had given land west of the Jordan. Joshua blessed them and sent them home.
8 dixit ad eos: In multa substantia atque divitiis revertimini ad sedes vestras, cum argento et auro, ære ac ferro, et veste multiplici: dividite prædam hostium cum fratribus vestris.
He told them, “Take all the wealth you have gained back home: the great herds of livestock, the things made of gold, silver, copper, and iron, the huge quantity of clothes. Share all this plunder with your brothers.”
9 Reversique sunt, et abierunt filii Ruben, et filii Gad, et dimidia tribus Manasse, a filiis Israel de Silo, quæ sita est in Chanaan, ut intrarent Galaad Terram possessionis suæ, quam obtinuerant iuxta imperium Domini in manu Moysi.
So the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the rest of the Israelites at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and went home to their land in Gilead that they had received at the Lord's command through Moses.
10 Cumque venissent ad tumulos Iordanis in Terram Chanaan, ædificaverunt iuxta Iordanem altare infinitæ magnitudinis.
When they approached the Jordan region, still in the land of Canaan, the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built a large and impressive altar beside the Jordan River.
11 Quod cum audissent filii Israel, et ad eos certi nuncii detulissent ædificasse filios Ruben, et Gad, et dimidiæ tribus Manasse, altare in Terra Chanaan, super Iordanis tumulos, contra filios Israel:
The Israelites were told, “Look, the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar in the Jordan region of the land of Canaan, on the side belonging to the Israelities.”
12 convenerunt omnes in Silo, ut ascenderent, et dimicarent contra eos.
The Israelites gathered at Shiloh to go to war against them.
13 Et interim miserunt ad illos in Terram Galaad Phinees filium Eleazari sacerdotis,
Before they did so, they sent Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead.
14 et decem principes cum eo, singulos de singulis tribubus.
Ten leaders went with him, one from each of the ten tribes of Israel, and each the head of his family.
15 Qui venerunt ad filios Ruben, et Gad, et dimidiæ tribus Manasse in Terram Galaad, dixeruntque ad eos:
After they arrived they told the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh,
16 Hæc mandat omnis populus Domini: Quæ est ista transgressio? Cur reliquistis Dominum Deum Israel, ædificantes altare sacrilegum, et a cultu illius recedentes?
“This is what all of the Lord's people say, ‘What is this disloyal act you have committed against the God of Israel by building an altar for yourselves? How could you turn away from him now in such rebellion?
17 An parum vobis est quod peccastis in Beelphegor, et usque in præsentem diem macula huius sceleris in nobis permanet? Multique de populo corruerunt.
Wasn't our sin at Peor enough? Even now we're still not clean from the plague that attacked the Lord's people.
18 Et vos hodie reliquistis Dominum, et cras in universum Israel ira eius desæviet.
So why are you turning away from the Lord now? If you rebel against the Lord today, he will be angry with all of us tomorrow!
19 Quod si putatis immundam esse terram possessionis vestræ, transite ad Terram, in qua tabernaculum Domini est, et habitate inter nos: tantum ut a Domino, et a nostro consortio non recedatis, ædificato altari præter altare Domini Dei nostri.
But if you think your land is tainted then come over to the land of the Lord where the Tabernacle of the Lord is located and share some of our land with us. Just don't rebel against the Lord, or against us, by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God.
20 Nonne Achan filius Zare præteriit mandatum Domini, et super omnem populum Israel ira eius incubuit? Et ille erat unus homo, atque utinam solum periisset in scelere suo.
When Achan, son of Zerah, acted disloyally in taking consecrated things, didn't the whole of Israel suffer punishment? He wasn't the only one who died because of his sin!”
21 Responderuntque filii Ruben et Gad, et dimidia tribus Manasse principibus legationis Israel:
Then the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered the Israelite leaders,
22 Fortissimus Deus Dominus, Fortissimus Deus Dominus, ipse novit, et Israel simul intelliget: si prævaricationis animo, hoc altare construximus, non custodiat nos, sed puniat nos in præsenti:
“The Lord is God of gods, the Lord is God of gods, and he knows! May Israel also know! If we're in rebellion against God or being disloyal to him then kill us right now!
23 et si ea mente fecimus ut holocausta, et sacrificium, et pacificas victimas super eo imponeremus, ipse quærat et iudicet:
If our action of building an altar was to turn away from the Lord, or to use the altar to make burnt offerings or grain offerings or friendship offerings, then may the Lord punish us.
24 et non ea magis cogitatione atque tractatu, ut diceremus: Cras dicent filii vestri filiis nostris: Quid vobis et Domino Deo Israel?
We did this because we were worried that in the future your descendants might say to ours, ‘What have you got to do with the Lord, the God of Israel?
25 Terminum posuit Dominus inter nos et vos, o filii Ruben, et filii Gad, Iordanem fluvium: et idcirco partem non habetis in Domino. Et per hanc occasionem avertent filii vestri filios nostros a timore Domini. Putavimus itaque melius,
The Lord put a border—the Jordan River—between us and you, descendants of Reuben and Gad. You don't belong to the Lord.’ So your descendants might stop our descendants from worshiping the Lord.
26 et diximus: Extruamus nobis altare, non in holocausta, neque ad victimas offerendas,
So we said to ourselves, ‘Let's build an altar, not for burnt offerings or for sacrifices,
27 sed in testimonium inter nos et vos, et sobolem nostram vestramque progeniem, ut serviamus Domino, et iuris nostri sit offerre et holocausta, et victimas, et pacificas hostias: et nequaquam dicant cras filii vestri filiis nostris: Non est vobis pars in Domino.
but as a witness between us and you, and for the generations that come after us, that we will come to worship the Lord in his presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and friendship offerings.’ Then your descendants will not be able to say to ours in the future, ‘You don't belong to the Lord.’
28 Quod si voluerint dicere, respondebunt eis: Ecce altare Domini, quod fecerunt patres nostri, non in holocausta, neque in sacrificium, sed in testimonium nostrum ac vestrum.
If they were to do so in the future, our descendants could reply, ‘Look at this copy of the Lord's altar which our forefathers made, not for burnt offerings or for sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.’
29 Absit a nobis hoc scelus ut recedamus a Domino, et eius vestigia relinquamus, extructo altari ad holocausta, et sacrificia, et victimas offerendas, præter altare Domini Dei nostri, quod extructum est ante tabernaculum eius.
We would never think to rebel against the Lord or to turn away from him now by building an altar to make burnt offerings or grain offerings or sacrifices. The only altar of the Lord our God is the one stands in front of his Tabernacle.”
30 Quibus auditis, Phinees sacerdos, et principes legationis Israel, qui erant cum eo, placati sunt: et verba filiorum Ruben, et Gad, et dimidiæ tribus Manasse, libentissime susceperunt.
When Phinehas and the Israelite leaders heard this from the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh they were delighted.
31 Dixtque Phinees filius Eleazari sacerdos ad eos: Nunc scimus quod nobiscum sit Dominus, quoniam alieni estis a prævaricatione hac, et liberastis filios Israel de manu Domini.
Phinehas replied to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, “Today we know that the Lord is with us because you have not acted disloyally in doing this. Now you have saved the Israelites from being punished by the Lord.”
32 Reversusque est cum principibus a filiis Ruben et Gad de Terra Galaad, finium Chanaan ad filios Israel, et retulit eis.
Then Phinehas and the Israelite leaders left the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead and returned to the land of Canaan to explain the situation to the Israelites.
33 Placuitque sermo cunctis audientibus. Et laudaverunt Deum filii Israel, et nequaquam ultra dixerunt, ut ascenderent contra eos, atque pugnarent, et delerent Terram possessionis eorum.
The Israelites were pleased with the report and God blessed them. They didn't talk about going to war any more to destroy the land where the tribes of Reuben and Gad were living.
34 Vocaveruntque filii Ruben, et filii Gad altare, quod extruxerant, Testimonium nostrum, quod Dominus ipse sit Deus.
The tribes of Reuben and Gad called the altar, “Witness,” because they said, “It is a witness between us that the Lord is also our God.”
