Joshua 22:23

Contemporary English Version

and we ask the Lord to punish us if we are lying. We didn't build it so we could turn our backs on the Lord . We didn't even build it so we could offer animal or grain sacrifices to please the Lord or ask his blessing.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
that we have built for ourselves an altar to turn away from him. May the Lord himself hold us accountable if we intended to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings on it, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it.

Hebrew Names Version
that we have built us an altar to turn away from following the LORD; or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meal-offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace-offerings thereon, let the LORD himself require it;

King James Version
That we have built us an altar to turn from following the Lord , or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the Lord himself require it;

Lexham English Bible
for building for ourselves an altar to turn away from Yahweh, or if it was to offer burnt offerings, grain offerings, or fellowship offerings on it, may Yahweh himself take vengeance.

English Standard Version
for building an altar to turn away from following the Lord . Or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings on it, may the Lord himself take vengeance.

New Century Version
If we broke God's law, we ask the Lord himself to punish us. We did not build this altar to offer burnt offerings or grain and fellowship offerings.

New English Translation
If we have built an altar for ourselves to turn back from following the Lord by making burnt sacrifices and grain offerings on it, or by offering tokens of peace on it, the Lord himself will punish us.

Amplified Bible
"If we have built an altar for ourselves to turn away from following the LORD, or if [we did so] to offer a burnt offering or grain offering on it, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings on it, may the LORD Himself require it [of us and hold us responsible].

New American Standard Bible
"If we have built us an altar to turn away from following the LORD, or if to offer a burnt offering or grain offering on it, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings on it, may the LORD Himself demand it.

Geneva Bible (1587)
If we haue built vs an altar to returne away from the Lord, either to offer thereon burnt offering, or meate offering, or to offer peace offerings thereon, let the Lord himselfe require it:

Legacy Standard Bible
If we have built for ourselves an altar to turn away from following Yahweh, or if to perform a burnt offering or grain offering on it, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings on it, may Yahweh Himself require it.

Complete Jewish Bible
We haven't built an altar in order to turn away from following Adonai or to offer on it burnt offerings, grain offerings or sacrifices as peace offerings. If we have, let Adonai himself require us to atone for it.

Darby Translation
—that we have built for ourselves an altar to turn from following Jehovah, and if it is to offer up burnt-offering and oblation on it, and if to offer peace-offerings thereon, let Jehovah himself require it [from us];

Easy-to-Read Version
Do you think we built our own altar because we want to turn away from the Lord ? Do you think we built another altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, and fellowship offerings? If that is why we built this altar, we ask the Lord himself to punish us.

George Lamsa Translation
And if we have built us an altar to turn from the worship of the LORD, or to offer upon it burnt offerings, or use it for any other service, let the LORD himself seek vengeance against us;

Good News Translation
If we disobeyed the Lord and built our own altar to burn sacrifices on or to use for grain offerings or fellowship offerings, let the Lord himself punish us.

Literal Translation
If we built an altar for ourselves to turn away from following after Jehovah, or to sacrifice on it burnt offering and food offering, or to offer on it sacrifices of peace, may Jehovah Himself require it .

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf we haue buylded the altare, because we wolde turne awaye backe from the LORDE, to offre burntofferynges or meatofferinges theron, or to make eny deedofferynges vpon it, then let the LORDE requyre it:

American Standard Version
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;

Bible in Basic English
That we have made ourselves an altar, being false to the Lord, keep us not safe from death this day; and if for the purpose of offering burned offerings on it and meal offerings, or peace-offerings, let the Lord himself send punishment for it;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Or els yf we haue buylt vs an aulter to turne from folowyng the Lorde, or to offer theron burnt offeryng or meate offeryng, or to offer peace offerynges theron, let ye Lord him selfe require it.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
that we have built us an altar to turn away from following the LORD; or if to offer thereon burnt-offering or meal-offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace-offerings thereon, let the LORD Himself require it;

King James Version (1611)
That wee haue built vs an altar to turne from following the Lord, or if to offer thereon burnt offering, or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the Lord himselfe require it;

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And if we have built to ourselves an altar, so as to apostatize from the Lord our God, so as to offer upon it a sacrifice of whole-burnt-offerings, so as to offer upon it a sacrifice of peace-offering, —the Lord shall require it.

English Revised Version
that we have built us an altar to turn away from following the LORD; or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meal offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings thereon, let the LORD himself require it;

Berean Standard Bible
If we have built for ourselves an altar to turn away from Him and to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings on it, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it, may the LORD Himself hold us accountable.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and if we diden bi that mynde, that we schulden putte theronne brent sacrifice, and sacrifice, and pesible sacrifices, he seke, and deme;

Young's Literal Translation
[we are] building for ourselves an altar to turn back from after Jehovah, and if to cause to go up on it burnt-offering and present, and if to make on it peace-offerings -- Jehovah Himself doth require [it].

Update Bible Version
If we have built ourselves an altar to turn away from following Yahweh; or if to offer thereon burnt-offering or meal-offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace-offerings thereon, let Yahweh himself require it.

Webster's Bible Translation
That we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD, or if to offer on it burnt-offering, or meat-offering, or if to offer peace-offerings on it, let the LORD himself require [it];

World English Bible
that we have built us an altar to turn away from following Yahweh; or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meal-offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace-offerings thereon, let Yahweh himself require it;

New King James Version
If we have built ourselves an altar to turn from following the LORD, or if to offer on it burnt offerings or grain offerings, or if to offer peace offerings on it, let the LORD Himself require an account.

New Living Translation
If we have built an altar for ourselves to turn away from the Lord or to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings, may the Lord himself punish us.

New Life Bible
If we have built an altar to turn away from following the Lord, or to give burnt gifts, grain gifts or peace gifts on it, may the Lord Himself punish us.

New Revised Standard
for building an altar to turn away from following the Lord ; or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or offerings of well-being on it, may the Lord himself take vengeance.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
that we should build for ourselves an altar, to turn back from following Yahweh, - or, if that we might cause to go up thereon ascending-sacrifice or meal-offering, or if that we might offer thereon peace-offerings, let Yahweh himself require it;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And if we did it with that mind, that we might lay upon it holocausts, and sacrifice, and victims of peace offerings, let him require and judge:

Revised Standard Version
for building an altar to turn away from following the LORD; or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or cereal offerings or peace offerings on it, may the LORD himself take vengeance.

THE MESSAGE
Then Joshua called together the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. He said: "You have carried out everything Moses the servant of God commanded you, and you have obediently done everything I have commanded you. All this time and right down to this very day you have not abandoned your brothers; you've shouldered the task laid on you by God , your God. And now God , your God, has given rest to your brothers just as he promised them. You're now free to go back to your homes, the country of your inheritance that Moses the servant of God gave you on the other side of the Jordan. Only this: Be vigilant in keeping the Commandment and The Revelation that Moses the servant of God laid on you: Love God , your God, walk in all his ways, do what he's commanded, embrace him, serve him with everything you are and have." Then Joshua blessed them and sent them on their way. They went home. (To the half-tribe of Manasseh, Moses had assigned a share in Bashan. To the other half, Joshua assigned land with their brothers west of the Jordan.) When Joshua sent them off to their homes, he blessed them. He said: "Go home. You're going home rich—great herds of cattle, silver and gold, bronze and iron, huge piles of clothing. Share the wealth with your friends and families—all this plunder from your enemies!" The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the People of Israel at Shiloh in the land of Canaan to return to Gilead, the land of their possession, which they had taken under the command of Moses as ordered by God . They arrived at Geliloth on the Jordan (touching on Canaanite land). There the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar on the banks of the Jordan—a huge altar! The People of Israel heard of it: "What's this? The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar facing the land of Canaan at Geliloth on the Jordan, across from the People of Israel!" When the People of Israel heard this, the entire congregation mustered at Shiloh to go to war against them. They sent Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh (that is, to the land of Gilead). Accompanying him were ten chiefs, one chief for each of the ten tribes, each the head of his ancestral family. They represented the military divisions of Israel. They went to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh and spoke to them: "The entire congregation of God wants to know: What is this violation against the God of Israel that you have committed, turning your back on God and building your own altar—a blatant act of rebellion against God ? Wasn't the crime of Peor enough for us? Why, to this day we aren't rid of it, still living with the fallout of the plague on the congregation of God ! Look at you—turning your back on God ! If you rebel against God today, tomorrow he'll vent his anger on all of us, the entire congregation of Israel. "If you think the land of your possession isn't holy enough but somehow contaminated, come back over to God 's possession, where God 's Dwelling is set up, and take your land there, but don't rebel against God . And don't rebel against us by building your own altar apart from the Altar of our God . When Achan son of Zerah violated the holy curse, didn't anger fall on the whole congregation of Israel? He wasn't the only one to die for his sin." The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the tribes of Israel: The God of Gods is God , The God of Gods is God ! "He knows and he'll let Israel know if this is a rebellious betrayal of God . And if it is, don't bother saving us. If we built ourselves an altar in rebellion against God , if we did it to present on it Whole-Burnt-Offerings or Grain-Offerings or to enact there sacrificial Peace-Offerings, let God decide.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"If we have built us an altar to turn away from following the LORD, or if to offer a burnt offering or grain offering on it, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings on it, may the LORD Himself require it.

Contextual Overview

²¹ The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh answered: ²² The Lord is the greatest God! We ask him to be our witness, because he knows whether or not we were rebellious or unfaithful when we built that altar. If we were unfaithful, then we pray that God won't rescue us today. Let us tell you why we built that altar, ²³ and we ask the Lord to punish us if we are lying. We didn't build it so we could turn our backs on the Lord . We didn't even build it so we could offer animal or grain sacrifices to please the Lord or ask his blessing. ²⁴We built that altar because we were worried. Someday your descendants might tell our descendants, "The Lord made the Jordan River the boundary between us Israelites and you people of Reuben and Gad. The Lord is Israel's God, but you're not part of Israel, so you can't take part in worshiping the Lord ." Your descendants might say that and try to make our descendants stop worshiping and obeying the Lord . ²⁶ That's why we decided to build the altar. It isn't for offering sacrifices, not even sacrifices to please the Lord . ²⁷To build another altar for offering sacrifices would be the same as turning our backs on the Lord and rebelling against him. We could never do that! No, we built the altar to remind us and you and the generations to come that we will worship the Lord . And so we will keep bringing our sacrifices to the Lord 's altar, there in front of his sacred tent. Now your descendants will never be able to say to our descendants, "You can't worship the Lord ." But if they do say this, our descendants can answer back, "Look at this altar our ancestors built! It's like the Lord 's altar, but it isn't for offering sacrifices. It's here to remind us and you that we belong to the Lord , just as much as you do."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

let the Lord: Genesis 9:4, Deuteronomy 18:19, 1 Samuel 20:16, 2 Chronicles 24:22, Psalms 10:13, Psalms 10:14, Ezekiel 3:18, Ezekiel 33:6, Ezekiel 33:8

Reciprocal: Joshua 22:29 - to build Job 31:22 - let Psalms 44:21 - knoweth

Cross-References

Genesis 24:15
While he was still praying, a beautiful unmarried young woman came by with a water jar on her shoulder. She was Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Abraham's brother Nahor and his wife Milcah. Rebekah walked past Abraham's servant, then went over to the well, and filled her water jar. When she started back,

Genesis 24:24
She answered, "My father is Bethuel, the son of Nahor and Milcah.

Genesis 24:47
I asked her who her father was, and she answered, "My father is Bethuel the son of Nahor and Milcah." Right away I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms.

Genesis 24:51
Take Rebekah with you; she can marry your master's son, just as the Lord has said."

Genesis 24:60
They gave Rebekah their blessing and said, "We pray that God will give you many children and grandchildren and that he will help them defeat their enemies."

Genesis 24:67
Isaac took Rebekah into the tent where his mother had lived before she died, and Rebekah became his wife. He loved her and was comforted over the loss of his mother.

Genesis 25:20
and he was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel. She was also the sister of Laban, the Aramean from northern Syria. Almost twenty years later,

Genesis 28:2
Go at once to your mother's father Bethuel in northern Syria and choose a wife from one of the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother.

Genesis 28:5
Isaac then sent Jacob to stay with Rebekah's brother Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean.

Romans 9:10
Don't forget what happened to the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

That we have built us an altar, to turn from following the Lord,.... That is, we desire, as we deserve, to be cut to pieces, and not saved, if it should appear to be our view, in building this altar, to revolt from the pure worship of God:

or if to offer thereon burnt offering, or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings; even to the Lord himself: they declare that as they had no design to apostatize from God, and worship idols, so it was not their intention to offer any kind of sacrifice on the altar they had built, even to the Lord himself; and they take notice of every kind of offering, to remove every charge of this sort from them, and to purge themselves of every imputation of this nature: then

let the Lord himself require [it]; seek it out, who is the omniscient God, and revenge it, who is the Lord God Almighty, just and true.