Joshua 22

22 ¹Den Joshua call di Reubenite pipo, di Gadite pipo, an di half-tribe of Manasseh come, ²an tell dem, “Una don keep everytin wey Moses di servant of our Papa command una, an una obey my voice for everytin wey I command una. ³Una no abandon una brodas for all dis many days, come reach today, but una keep di work wey di command of una Papa give una. ⁴Now una Papa don give una brodas rest, jus as e promise. So make una turn go back to una tents, for di land wey be una own, wey Moses, di servant of our Papa, give una for di oda side of Jordan. ⁵Only make una take am serious wella to do di command an di law wey Moses, di servant of our Papa, command una: love una Papa, waka for all im ways, keep im commands, hold am tight, an serve am with all una heart an all una soul.”

⁶Den Joshua bless dem an send dem go, an dem go dia tents. ⁷Moses don give di half-tribe of Manasseh land for Bashan; but to di oda half, Joshua give land wit dia brodas for di west side of Jordan. Wen Joshua send dem go home to dia tents, e bless dem. ⁸E tell dem, “Make una go home wit plenty riches—plenty animals, silver, gold, bronze, iron, an plenty cloth. Make una share di tins wey una carry from una enemies wit una brodas.”

One Altar Wey Go Stand as Witness for Dia Papa

⁹Den Reuben, Gad, an di half-tribe of Manasseh turn go back leave di Israelite pipo for Shiloh wey dey Canaan, dey go Gilead, dia own land, wey dem settle for according to di command wey our Papa give through Moses. ¹⁰Wen dem reach di region of Jordan wey dey Canaan, di Reubenite pipo, di Gadite pipo, an di half-tribe of Manasseh build one altar for dia by Jordan—one altar wey big well well. ¹¹Di Israelite pipo hear say, “Look, di Reubenite pipo, di Gadite pipo, an di half-tribe of Manasseh don build one altar wey face Canaan, for di region of Jordan, for Israel side.” ¹²Wen di Israelite pipo hear am, di whole gaddering of Israel pipo come togeda for Shiloh to go make war against dem. ¹³Di Israelite pipo send Phinehas di pikin of Eleazar di priest go meet di Reubenite pipo, di Gadite pipo, an di half-tribe of Manasseh for Gilead, ¹⁴an ten chiefs waka wit am, one from each fada house, from every tribe of Israel, each one na head of im fada house among di clans of Israel. ¹⁵Dem come meet di Reubenite pipo, di Gadite pipo, an di half-tribe of Manasseh for di land of Gilead an tell dem, ¹⁶“Di whole gaddering of our Papa dey ask: ‘Wetin be dis wickedness wey una do against our Papa, di God of Israel—say una turn today comot from following am, an una build altar for una sef today to rebel against am? ¹⁷Di sin of Peor no do us reach? We neva even clean our sef comot from am come reach today, even as one plague hit di congregation of our Papa, ¹⁸so dat una go still turn comot today from following our Papa? If una rebel against am today, tomorrow e go vex against di whole congregation of Israel. ¹⁹But if di land wey be una own dey unclean, den make una cross come inside di land wey be di own of our Papa, wey im tabernacle dey stay, an make una take land among us. Only make una no rebel against our Papa, an make una no drag us join una to rebel, by una to build altar for una sef wey no be di altar of our Papa. ²⁰Abi no be Achan di pikin of Zerah do di tin wey no correct wit di tins wey dem set apart, come bring vex on top di whole community of Israel? An no be only am die for dat guilt.’”

²¹Di Reubenite pipo, di Gadite pipo, an di half-tribe of Manasseh answer di heads of di clans of Israel. ²²“Di Mighty One, our Papa! Di Mighty One, our Papa! E know, an make Israel im sef know! If na rebellion or na unfaithfulness against our Papa, make una no spare us today, ²³say we build our own altar to turn comot from following our Papa, or to offer burnt offering, grain offering, or peace offering on top am—make our Papa im sef call us to answer!

²⁴But na fear make us do dis tin, say one day una children fit tell our own, ‘Wetin una get to do wit our Papa, di God of Israel? ²⁵For our Papa make Jordan be di border between us an una, una Reubenite pipo an Gadite pipo—una no get share for inside am.’ So una children fit stop our children from fearing our Papa. ^a a v25 Wetin di eastern tribes fear pass no be about land but na about belonging — say one day dem go tell dia children say dem no get share for di Papa. Di whole quarrel na really about who still belong to am.

²⁶Na why we talk say, ‘Make we build one altar for our sef, no be for burnt offering an no be for sacrifice, ²⁷but as witness between us an una, an di generations wey go come afta us, say we dey serve our Papa for im front wit burnt offerings, sacrifices, an peace offerings—so dat una children no go tell our own one day, “Una no get share for our Papa.”’

²⁸We tink am say: if dem ever talk dis tin to us or to our future generations, we go answer, ‘See di model of di altar of our Papa wey our ancestors make—no be for burnt offering or sacrifice, but as witness between us an una.’

²⁹We no go ever rebel against our Papa or turn comot from following am today by building altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, or sacrifices, apart from di altar of our Papa wey dey im front!”

³⁰Wen Phinehas di priest, di leaders of di community, an di heads of di clans of Israel wey dey wit am hear wetin di Reubenite pipo, di Gadite pipo, an di Manasseh pipo talk, e sweet dem. ³¹Phinehas di pikin of Eleazar di priest tell di Reubenite pipo, di Gadite pipo, an di Manasseh pipo, “Today we know say our Papa dey among us, since una no betray am dis kain way. Now una don save di Israelite pipo from di hand of our Papa.” ³²Phinehas di pikin of Eleazar di priest, an di leaders, comot from di Reubenite pipo an Gadite pipo for Gilead, come return go Canaan, to Israel, an report back give dem. ³³Di report sweet di Israelite pipo, an di Israelite pipo bless our Papa an leave di mata of going to war against dem to destroy di land wey di Reubenite pipo an Gadite pipo dey live. ³⁴Di Reubenite pipo an Gadite pipo call di altar Witness, “Bicos,” na so dem talk, “e be witness between us say our Papa na God.”