17. Is the avon Peor too little for us, from which we are not tahor until this day, even though there was the negef (plague) in the Adat Hashem,
18. But that ye must turn away this day from following Hashem? And it will be, seeing ye rebel hayom (today) against Hashem, that machar (tomorrow) He will be angry with the kol Adat Yisroel.
19. Notwithstanding, if the eretz achuzzatechem be tamei (unclean), then pass ye over unto the eretz achuzzat Hashem, wherein Hashem's Mishkan dwelleth, and take possession among us; but rebel not against Hashem, nor rebel against us, in building you a mizbe'ach other than the mizbe'ach Hashem Eloheinu.
20. Did not Achan ben Zerach break faith in the cherem, and ketzef (wrath) fell on kol Adat Yisroel? And that ish perished not alone in his avon (iniquity).
21. Then the Bnei Reuven and the Bnei Gad and the half-tribe of Menasheh answered, and said unto the Rashei Alephei Yisroel,
22. El Elohim, Hashem El Elohim, He knoweth, and Yisroel shall have da'as; if it be in mered (rebellion), or if in ma'al against Hashem, (al toshieini hayom hazeh [save us not this day]),
23. That we have built us a mizbe'ach to turn away from following Hashem, or if to offer thereon olah or minchah, or if to offer zivkhei shelamim thereon, let Hashem Himself call it to account;
24. No, rather have we not done it for fear, for this reason, saying, In time to come your banim might speak unto our banim, saying, What have ye to do with Hashem Elohei Yisroel?
25. For Hashem hath made the Yarden a boundary between us and you, ye Bnei Reuven and Bnei Gad; ye have no chelek in Hashem; so might your banim make our banim cease from fearing Hashem.
26. Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us the mizbe'ach, not for olah nor for zevach,
27. But that it may be an ed (witness) between us, and you, and doroteinu (our generations) after us, that we might do the avodas Hashem before Him with oloteinu, and with zevakheinu, and with shelameinu; that your banim may not say to our banim in time to come, Ye have no chelek in Hashem.
28. Therefore we said, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to doroteinu in time to come, that we may say again, See the tavnit (pattern, replica) of the mizbe'ach Hashem, which Avoteinu built, not for olah, nor for zevach; but it is an ed (witness) between us and you.
29. Chalilah lanu (far be it from us) that we should rebel against Hashem, and turn today from following Hashem, to build a mizbe'ach for olah, for minchah, or for zevach, other than the Mizbe'ach Hashem Eloheinu that is before His Mishkan.