Geneva(i)
21 Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad, and halfe the tribe of Manasseh answered, and saide vnto the heads ouer the thousands of Israel,
22 The Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel himselfe shall know: if by rebellion, or by transgression against ye Lord we haue done it, saue thou vs not this day.
23 If we haue built vs an altar to returne away from the Lord, either to offer thereon burnt offering, or meate offering, or to offer peace offerings thereon, let the Lord himselfe require it:
24 And if we haue not rather done it for feare of this thing, saying, In time to come your children might say vnto our children, What haue ye to doe with the Lord God of Israel?
25 For the Lord hath made Iorden a border betweene vs and you, ye children of Reuben, and of Gad: therefore ye haue no part in the Lord: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the Lord.
26 Therefore we said, We will nowe go about to make vs an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice,
27 But it shall be a witnesse betweene vs and you, and betweene our generations after vs, to execute the seruice of the Lord before him in our burnt offerings, and in our sacrifices, and in our peace offerings, and that your children should not say to our children in time to come, Ye haue no part in the Lord.
28 Therefore said we, If so be that they should so say to vs or to our generations in time to come, then will we answere, Beholde the facion of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice, but it is a witnesse betweene vs and you.
29 God forbid, that we should rebell against the Lord, and turne this day away from the Lord to builde an altar for burnt offering, or for meate offering, or for sacrifice, saue the altar of the Lord our God, that is before his Tabernacle.
30 And when Phinehas the Priest, and the princes of the Congregation and heads ouer the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard the wordes, that the children of Reuben, and children of Gad, and the children of Manasseh spake, they were well content.
31 And Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar the Priest said vnto the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceiue, that the Lord is among vs, because ye haue not done this trespasse against the Lord: nowe ye haue deliuered the children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord.