14. He was accompanied by ten leaders, one from each of the Israelite tribes, each one a family leader among the Israelite clans.
15. They went to the land of Gilead to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and said to them:
16. “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.
17. The sin we committed at Peor was bad enough. To this very day we have not purified ourselves; it even brought a plague on the community of the Lord.
18. Now today you dare to turn back from following the Lord! You are rebelling today against the Lord; tomorrow he may break out in anger against the entire community of Israel.