10-11. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh reached the western side of the Jordan Valley and built a huge altar there beside the river.When the rest of the Israelites heard what these tribes had done,
12. the Israelite men met at Shiloh to get ready to attack the two and a half tribes.
13. But first they sent a priest, Phinehas the son of Eleazar, to talk with the two and a half tribes.
14. Each of the tribes at Shiloh sent the leader of one of its families along with Phinehas.
15. Phinehas and these leaders went to Gilead and met with the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh. They said:
16. All 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?
17. Wasn't our people's sin at Peor terrible enough for you? The Lord punished us by sending a horrible sickness that killed many of us, and we still suffer because of that sin.
18. Now you are turning your backs on the Lord again.If you don't stop rebelling against the Lord at once, he will be angry with the whole nation.
19. If you don't think your land is a fit place to serve God, then move across the Jordan and live with us in the Lord's own land, where his sacred tent is. But don't rebel against the Lord our God or against us by building another altar besides the Lord's own altar.
20. Don't you remember what happened when Achan was unfaithful and took some of the things that belonged to God? This made God angry with the entire nation. Achan died because he sinned, but he also caused the death of many others.
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.