MSTC(i)
21 Then the children of Reuben and of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads over the thousands of Israel,
22 "The mighty God Jehovah, he knoweth, and Israel shall know if; it be to rebel or transgress against the LORD, then the LORD save us not this day.
23 Or else if we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD, or to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offerings, or to offer peace offerings thereon: let the LORD require it.
24 And have not rather done it for fear of this: lest in time to come your children should say unto ours, 'What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel?'
25 Saying, 'That the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Ruben and of Gad: ye have no part therefore in the LORD.' And so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD.
26 And therefore we said, 'Let us cause an altar to be made, not for burnt offerings, nor sacrifices,
27 but it shall be a witness between us and you and our generations after us, that we should serve the LORD, with our offerings, sacrifices and peace offerings: and that your children should not say to ours in time to come: ye have no part in the LORD.'
28 And we thought if they should so say to us, or to our generations in time to come, that we would say again, 'Behold the fashion of the altar which our fathers made, neither for burnt offerings nor sacrifices, but that it should be a witness between us and you.'
29 God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD and that we should turn this day from after him, and build an altar for burnt offerings nor sacrifices, save the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle."
30 And when Phinehas the priest and the lords of the congregation and heads over the thousands of Israel, which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben, the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, they were well content.
31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Ruben, of Gad and of Manasseh, "This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not done this trespass against the LORD. Now have ye delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD."