Joshua 22:16

Easy-to-Read Version

"All the Lord 's people sent us to ask you this: ‘Why did you do this thing against the God of Israel? Why did you stop following the Lord ? Why did you build an altar for yourselves? You know that this is against the Lord 's command.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“This is what the Lord’s entire community says: ‘What is this treachery you have committed today against the God of Israel by turning away from the Lord and building an altar for yourselves, so that you are in rebellion against the Lord today?

Hebrew Names Version
Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass is this that you have committed against the God of Yisra'el, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that you have built you an altar, to rebel this day against the LORD?

King James Version
Thus saith the whole congregation of the Lord , What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord , in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the Lord ?

Lexham English Bible
"Thus says all the congregation of Yahweh: ‘What is this treachery that you have committed against the God of Israel by turning away today from following Yahweh, by building for yourselves an altar to rebel today against Yahweh?

English Standard Version
"Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord , ‘What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the Lord by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the Lord ?

New Century Version
"All the Israelites ask you: ‘Why did you turn against the God of Israel by building an altar for yourselves? You know that this is against God's law.

New English Translation
"The entire community of the Lord says, ‘Why have you disobeyed the God of Israel by turning back today from following the Lord ? You built an altar for yourselves and have rebelled today against the Lord .

Amplified Bible
"This is what the entire congregation of the LORD says, 'What is this disloyal and unfaithful act which you have committed against the God of Israel, so as to turn away from following the LORD this day, by building yourselves an altar, to rebel against the LORD this day?

New American Standard Bible
"This is what the whole congregation of the LORD says: 'What is this unfaithful act which you have committed against the God of Israel, turning away from following the LORD this day, by building yourselves an altar, to rebel against the LORD this day?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Thus saith the whole congregation of the Lord, What transgressio is this that ye haue transgressed against the God of Israel, to turne away this day from the Lord, in that ye haue built you an altar for to rebell this day against the Lord?

Legacy Standard Bible
"Thus says the whole congregation of Yahweh, ‘What is this unfaithful act which you have committed against the God of Israel, turning away from following Yahweh this day, by building yourselves an altar, to rebel against Yahweh this day?

Contemporary English Version
All of the Lord 's people have gathered together and have sent us to find out why you are unfaithful to our God. You have turned your backs on the Lord by building that altar. Why are you rebelling against him?

Complete Jewish Bible
"Here is what the whole community of Adonai is saying: ‘What is this treachery that you have committed against the God of Isra'el, turning away today from following Adonai , in that you have built yourselves an altar, thus rebelling today against Adonai ?

Darby Translation
Thus saith the whole assembly of Jehovah: What wickedness is this which ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following Jehovah, in that ye have built yourselves an altar, rebelling this day against Jehovah?

George Lamsa Translation
Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, What treachery is this which you have committed against the God of Israel, in turning away from following the LORD, in that you have builded yourselves an altar, that you might abandon the worship of the LORD?

Good News Translation
and speaking for the whole community of the Lord , they said to them, "Why have you done this evil thing against the God of Israel? You have rebelled against the Lord by building this altar for yourselves! You are no longer following him!

Literal Translation
So says all the company of Jehovah, What is this treachery with which the God of Israel was betrayed, to turn back today from after Jehovah, in that you built for yourself an altar so that you might rebel today against Jehovah?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thus sayeth the whole congregacion of the LORDE vnto you: What trespace is this, yt ye haue trespaced agaynst the God of Israel, that ye shulde turne backe from ye LORDE this daye, to builde you an altare, for to fall awaye from the LORDE?

American Standard Version
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 an altar, to rebel this day against Jehovah?

Bible in Basic English
This is what all the meeting of the people of the Lord has said, What is this wrong which you have done against the God of Israel, turning back this day from the Lord and building an altar for yourselves, and being false to the Lord?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thus say the whole congregation of the Lorde: what transgression is this, that ye haue transgressed agaynst the God of Israel, to turne away this day from the Lord, in that ye haue buylded you an aulter for to rebell this day against the Lord?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
'Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD: What treachery is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, to rebel this day against the LORD?

King James Version (1611)
Thus saith the whole Congregation of the Lord, What trespasse is this that ye haue committed against the God of Israel, to turne away this day from following the Lord, in that ye haue builded you an altar, that yee might rebell this day against the Lord ?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, What is this transgression that ye have transgressed before the God of Israel, to turn away today from the Lord, in that ye have built for yourselves an alter, so that ye should be apostates from the Lord?

English Revised Version
Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, to rebel this day against the LORD?

Berean Standard Bible
"This is what the whole congregation of the LORD says: 'What is this breach of faith you have committed today against the God of Israel by turning away from the LORD and building for yourselves an altar, that you might rebel against the LORD this day?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Al the puple of the Lord sendith these thingis; What is this trespassyng? Whi han ye forsake the Lord God of Israel, and han bildid a cursid auter, and han go awei fro the worschiping of hym?

Young's Literal Translation
`Thus said all the company of Jehovah, What [is] this trespass which ye have trespassed against the God of Israel, to turn back to-day from after Jehovah, by your building for you an altar, for your rebelling to-day against Jehovah?

Update Bible Version
Thus says the whole congregation of Yahweh, What trespass is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following Yahweh, in that you have built yourselves an altar, to rebel this day against Yahweh?

Webster's Bible Translation
Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass [is] this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have built you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the LORD?

World English Bible
Thus says the whole congregation of Yahweh, What trespass is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following Yahweh, in that you have built you an altar, to rebel this day against Yahweh?

New King James Version
"Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD: "What treachery is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that you have built for yourselves an altar, that you might rebel this day against the LORD?

New Living Translation
"The whole community of the Lord demands to know why you are betraying the God of Israel. How could you turn away from the Lord and build an altar for yourselves in rebellion against him?

New Life Bible
"All the people of the Lord say, ‘What sin is this that you have done against the God of Israel? You have turned away from following the Lord this day, by building yourselves an altar. Today you have gone against the Lord.

New Revised Standard
"Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord , ‘What is this treachery that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away today from following the Lord , by building yourselves an altar today in rebellion against the Lord ?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thus, say all the assembly of Yahweh - What is this act of treachery which ye have committed against the God of Israel, that ye should turn back, to-day, from following Yahweh, - in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel, to-day, against Yahweh?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thus saith all the people of the Lord: What meaneth this transgression? Why have you forsaken the Lord the God of Israel, building a sacrilegious altar, and revolting from the worship of him?

Revised Standard Version
"Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, 'What is this treachery which you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the LORD, by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the LORD?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, 'What is this unfaithful act which you have committed against the God of Israel, turning away from following the LORD this day, by building yourselves an altar, to rebel against the LORD this day?

Contextual Overview

¹⁰ They went to the place called Geliloth, near the Jordan River in the land of Canaan. There they built a beautiful altar. ¹¹ But the other Israelites who were still at Shiloh heard about the altar that these three tribes built. They heard that the altar was at the border of Canaan at the place called Geliloth. It was near the Jordan River on Israel's side. ¹² All the Israelites became very angry with these three tribes. They met together and decided to fight against them. ¹³ So the Israelites sent some men to talk to the people of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh. The leader of these men was Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest. ¹⁴ They also sent ten of the leaders of the tribes there. There was one man from each family group of Israel who was at Shiloh. ¹⁵ So these eleven men went to Gilead. They went to talk to the people of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh. The eleven men said to them, ¹⁶ "All the Lord 's people sent us to ask you this: ‘Why did you do this thing against the God of Israel? Why did you stop following the Lord ? Why did you build an altar for yourselves? You know that this is against the Lord 's command. ¹⁷ Remember what happened at Peor? Was the sin we committed there not bad enough? Because of that sin, the Lord punished his people with a terrible sickness. And we are still suffering from that sin. ¹⁸ And now you are doing the same thing. You are turning against the Lord . Will you refuse to follow the Lord ? If you don't stop what you are doing, he will be angry with everyone in Israel. ¹⁹ "‘If your land is not a good place to worship God, come over to the Lord 's land. This is where the Lord 's Tent is. You can have some of the land and live here. But don't turn against the Lord or against us by building another altar. We already have the altar of the Lord our God at the Meeting Tent.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Numbers 32:15 - if ye turn Joshua 7:1 - committed Joshua 22:18 - following 1 Samuel 15:11 - turned 1 Samuel 15:23 - rebellion 1 Chronicles 21:7 - he smote Jonah 1:7 - for Hebrews 12:25 - turn away

Cross-References

Genesis 12:2
I will build a great nation from you. I will bless you and make your name famous. People will use your name to bless other people.

Genesis 22:13
Then Abraham noticed a ram whose horns were caught in a bush. So Abraham went and took the ram. He offered it, instead of his son, as a sacrifice to God.

Genesis 22:14
So Abraham gave that place a name, "The Lord Provides." Even today people say, "On the mountain of the Lord , he will give us what we need."

Psalms 105:9
He will keep the agreement he made with Abraham and the promise he made to Isaac.

Isaiah 45:23
"When I make a promise, that promise is true. It will happen. And I swear by my own power that everyone will bow before me and will take an oath to obey me.

Jeremiah 49:13
The Lord says, "By my own power, I make this promise: I promise that the city of Bozrah will be destroyed. It will become a ruined pile of rocks. People will use it as an example when they ask for bad things to happen to other cities. People will insult that city, and all the towns around Bozrah will become ruins forever."

Jeremiah 51:14
The Lord All-Powerful used his name to make this promise: "Babylon, I will fill you with so many enemy soldiers they will be like a cloud of locusts. They will win their war against you. They will stand over you shouting their victory cry."

Amos 6:8
The Lord God used his own name and made an oath. The Lord God All-Powerful said, "I hate what Jacob is proud of. I hate his strong towers. So I will let an enemy take the city and everything in it."

Luke 1:73
This was the promise he made to our father Abraham,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thus saith the whole congregation of the Lord,.... By whom they were sent, and whom they represented; and they do not call them the congregation of Israel, but of the Lord, because it was not on a civil but religious account they were come, and not to plead their own cause, but the cause of God; and not so much to show a concern for their own honour and interest as for the glory of God:

what trespass [is] this that ye have committed against the God of Israel; they took it for granted that they had committed a sin, and that so great, they were not able to express the greatness of it in all its aggravated circumstances, and plainly suggest it was idolatry; which was too premature, when as yet they had not inquired into it; but their zeal for God, and his honour, hurried them into this hasty step:

to turn away this day from following the Lord; they intimate, that they had begun a revolt from the worship of God, which is aggravated by their falling into it so soon, having received so many favours from God, and had so lately seen such wonderful appearances of his power and goodness, and had just had such excellent instructions, exhortations, and cautions given them by Joshua, when he dismissed them:

in that ye have built you an altar; which they supposed was to offer sacrifices upon; whereas there was to be but one altar, and that in the place which the Lord should choose to put his name in, and which he had now chosen, where all sacrifices were to be brought and offered up; see

Exodus 20:24;

that ye might rebel this day against the Lord? against the commandment of the Lord expressed in the places referred to, which they charge with rebellion against himself, a very high and heavy charge indeed! but they should first have inquired whether they were guilty of the trespass, or with what view they had built the altar, whether for sacrifice, or for some other use; but they took it for granted it was for sacrifice.