28. And we thought, if they say to us and to our children in the future, we can say, ‘Look at this replica of the altar of Yahweh, which our ancestors made, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices; rather, it is a witness between us and you.’
29. Far be it from us to rebel against Yahweh, to turn today from following Yahweh, to build an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, or sacrifices, instead of the altar of Yahweh our God that is before his tabernacle.”
30. Phinehas the priest, the leaders of the congregation, and the heads of the clans of Israel who were with him heard the words that the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh spoke, and they were satisfied.
31. Phinehas the priest, son of Eleazar, said to the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, “Today we know that Yahweh is among us, because you have not committed this treachery against Yahweh. Therefore you have rescued the Israelites from the hand of Yahweh.”
32. And Phinehas the priest, son of Eleazar, and the leaders returned from the descendants of Reuben and Gad, from the land of Gilead, to the land of Canaan to the Israelites, and they gave them their report.
33. The report satisfied the Israelites; they blessed God, and they did not speak of going up for battle against them to destroy the land in which the descendants of Reuben and Gad were living.
34. The descendants of Reuben and Gad called the altar Witness, “Because,” they said, “it is a witness between us that Yahweh is God.”