Joshua 22:26
24 But in fact we have done this for fear that in the future your descendants might say to ours, ‘What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel?
25 For the LORD has made the Jordan a border between us and you Reubenites and Gadites. You have no share in the LORD!’ So your descendants could cause ours to stop fearing the LORD.
That is why we said, ‘Let us take action and build an altar for ourselves, but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.
27 Rather, let it be a witness between us and you and the generations to come, that we will worship the LORD in His presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings.’ Then in the future, your descendants cannot say to ours, ‘You have no share in the LORD!’
28 Therefore we said, ‘If they ever say this to us or to our descendants, we will answer: Look at the replica of the altar of the LORD that our fathers made, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.’
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- That is why we said, ‘Let us take action and build an altar for ourselves, but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.
- KJV
- Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:
- WEB
- “Therefore we said, ‘Let’s now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice;
- ASV
- Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice:
- DARBY
- And we said, Let us now set to work to build an altar, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice,
- BLB
- And we said, ‘Let us now prepare ourselves to build the altar—not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice—
- ÅB
- Derfor sa vi: La oss ta oss fore å bygge et alter, ikke til brennoffer eller til slaktoffer,
- OTB
- Derfor sa vi: 'La oss forberede og bygge et alter—men ikke for brennoffer eller ofre.
- B1930
- Derfor sa vi: La oss ta oss fore å bygge et alter, ikke til brennoffer eller til slaktoffer,