1 Joshua called the men from Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. 2 Joshua said, You did what Moses said and what I said. You stayed and helped your friends. 3 Joshua said, You did not leave your family. You kept God’s rule. 4 Joshua said, God gave rest. Go home to your land, east of the big river. 5 Joshua said, Love God. Walk in His way. Obey God. Hold to God. Serve God with all your heart. ❤️♂️ 6 Joshua blessed them and sent them home. 7 Half of Manasseh had land east in a place named Bashan. The other half had land west. Joshua blessed them too. ️ 8 Joshua said, Go with many cows, sheep, gold, and clothes. Share the good things with your family. 9 The men of Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh went home to Gilead, across the big river from Canaan. ️ 10 On the way, they built a very big altar by the Jordan River. ️ 11 The rest of Israel heard, “They made a big altar by the river!” ️ 12 All Israel met at Shiloh and got ready to fight. ⛺⚔️ 13 Israel sent Phinehas, son of Eleazar. He was God’s helper. ♂️♂️ 14 Ten leaders went with him, one from each big family group. 15 They came to the men in Gilead and spoke to Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh. ️ 16 They said, “Why did you do this bad thing? Why did you build this altar? Do not turn from God.” ❓ 17 “Remember Peor? We were hurt then. Do not do a bad thing again.” ⚠️ 18 “If you turn from God today, God may be mad at all of us.” ☁️ 19 “If your land is not clean, come to our land by God’s tent. Do not fight God. Do not make a new altar.” ⛺➡️⛺✋ 20 “Remember Achan? He took bad stuff. God was mad at all. He did not die alone.” ♂️ 21 The men of Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh said, “God knows. God sees.” 22 They said, “God knows the truth. If we did a bad thing, do not save us.” ✋⚖️ 23 “If we made this altar to burn gifts to God, then God can judge us.” ⚖️ 24 “But we did it for this reason: We were afraid your kids may say to our kids, ‘You are not with God.’” ❓ 25 “The big river is a line. You may make our kids stop follow God.” ➡️ 26 “So we said, Let us build an altar. Not to burn gifts.” 27 “It is a sign for us, you, and our kids. We will give gifts at God’s altar. Then no one can say, ‘You are not with God.’” ⛺ 28 “If later they ask, we can say, ‘See this altar copy. It is not for fire. It is a sign.’” 29 “We will not turn from God. We will not make a new altar for fire. We will use God’s altar by His tent.” ✅⛺ 30 Phinehas and the leaders heard. The words were good to them. 31 Phinehas said, “Now we know God is with us. You did not do a bad thing. God will not punish us.” ✅ 32 Phinehas and the leaders went back to Israel in Canaan and told all the people. 33 All Israel was glad. They praised God. They did not go to war. ️ 34 Reuben and Gad named the altar “Witness.” It shows, “God is God.”