Joshua 22:26

New Century Version

"That is why we decided to build this altar. But it is not for burnt offerings and sacrifices.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Therefore we said: Let us take action and build an altar for ourselves, but not for burnt offering or sacrifice.

Hebrew Names Version
Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:

King James Version
Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:

Lexham English Bible
So we said, ‘Let us build immediately for ourselves an altar, not for burnt offerings or for sacrifices;

English Standard Version
Therefore we said, ‘Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice,

New English Translation
So we decided to build this altar, not for burnt offerings and sacrifices,

Amplified Bible
"So we said, 'Let us prepare and build an altar, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice,

New American Standard Bible
"Therefore we said, 'Let's build an altar, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice;

Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore we said, We will nowe go about to make vs an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice,

Legacy Standard Bible
"Therefore we said, ‘Let us build an altar, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice;

Contemporary English Version
That's why we decided to build the altar. It isn't for offering sacrifices, not even sacrifices to please the Lord .

Complete Jewish Bible
So we said, ‘Let us now make preparations and build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices,

Darby Translation
And we said, Let us now set to work to build an altar, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice,

Easy-to-Read Version
"So we decided to build this altar. But we did not plan to use it for burning offerings and sacrifices.

George Lamsa Translation
Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice;

Good News Translation
So we built an altar, not to burn sacrifices or make offerings,

Literal Translation
And we said, Let us now prepare for ourselves, to build an altar, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Therfore sayde we: Let vs make oure children an altare, not for sacrifice, ner for burntofferinge,

American Standard Version
Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice:

Bible in Basic English
So we said, Let us now make an altar for ourselves, not for burned offerings or for the offerings of beasts:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Therfore we saide, We wyll make vs an aulter, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Therefore we said: Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice;

King James Version (1611)
Therefore we said, Let vs now prepare to build vs an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice,

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And we gave orders to do thus, to build this altar, not for burnt-offerings, nor for meat-offerings;

English Revised Version
Therefore we said, Let as now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:

Berean Standard Bible
That is why we said, 'Let us take action and build an altar for ourselves, but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and seiden, Bilde we an auter to vs, not in to brent sacrifices, nethir to sacrifices to be offrid,

Young's Literal Translation
`And we say, Pray let us prepare for ourselves to build the altar -- not for burnt-offering nor for sacrifice --

Update Bible Version
Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice:

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice:

World English Bible
Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:

New King James Version
Therefore we said, "Let us now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice,

New Living Translation
"So we decided to build the altar, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices,

New Life Bible
So we said, ‘Let us build an altar. It will not be for burnt gifts or killing animals in worship.

New Revised Standard
Therefore we said, ‘Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
We said, therefore, Let us prepare, we pray you, to build us an altar, - not for ascending-offering, nor for sacrifice;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And said: Let us build us an altar, not for holocausts, nor to offer victims,

Revised Standard Version
Therefore we said, 'Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice,

THE MESSAGE
"So we said to ourselves, ‘Let's do something. Let's build an altar—but not for Whole-Burnt-Offerings, not for sacrifices.'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Therefore we said, 'Let us build an altar, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice;

Contextual Overview

²¹ The people from Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh answered, ²² "The Lord is God of gods! The Lord is God of gods! God knows, and we want you to know also. If we have done something wrong, you may kill us. ²³ 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. ²⁴ "We did not build it for that reason. We feared that someday your people would not accept us as part of your nation. Then they might say, ‘You cannot worship the Lord , the God of Israel. ²⁵ The Lord made the Jordan River a border between us and you people of Reuben and Gad. You cannot worship the Lord .' So we feared that your children might make our children stop worshiping the Lord . ²⁶ "That is why we decided to build this altar. But it is not for burnt offerings and sacrifices. ²⁷ This altar is proof to you and us and to all our children who will come after us that we worship the Lord with our whole burnt offerings, grain, and fellowship offerings. This was so your children would not say to our children, ‘You are not the Lord 's.' ²⁸ "In the future if your children say that, our children can say, ‘See the altar made by our ancestors. It is exactly like the Lord 's altar, but we do not use it for sacrifices. It shows that we are part of Israel.' ²⁹ "Truly, we don't want to be against the Lord or to stop following him by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, or sacrifices. We know the only true altar to the Lord our God is in front of the Holy Tent."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Joshua 22:29 - to build Judges 6:24 - built Isaiah 19:19 - General

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Therefore we said,.... One to another, in order to prevent the apostasy of our children from God, their departure from his worship, and going into idolatry:

let us now prepare to build us an altar; get materials ready, and set about it instantly, without any delay, while the thing dwells upon our minds:

not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice; not for offerings of any kind required by the law, neither for sin offerings nor trespass offerings, nor any other not named.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Joshua 22:26. An altar, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice — Because this would have been in flat opposition to the law, Leviticus 17:8-9; Deuteronomy 12:4-6; Deuteronomy 12:10-11; Deuteronomy 12:13-14, which most positively forbade any sacrifice or offering to be made in any other place than that one which the Lord should choose. Therefore the altar built by the Reubenites, &c., was for no religious purpose, but merely to serve as a testimony that they were one people with those on the west of Jordan, having the same religious and civil constitution, and bound by the same interests to keep that constitution inviolate.