¹⁰ When they came to Geliloth^(A) near the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an imposing altar^(B) there by the Jordan. ¹¹ And when the Israelites heard that they had built the altar on the border of Canaan at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side, ¹² the whole assembly of Israel gathered at Shiloh^(C) to go to war against them.

¹³ So the Israelites sent Phinehas^(D) son of Eleazar,^(E) the priest, to the land of Gilead—to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. ¹⁴ With him they sent ten of the chief men, one from each of the tribes of Israel, each the head of a family division among the Israelite clans.^(F)

¹⁵ When they went to Gilead—to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh—they said to them: ¹⁶ “The whole assembly of the Lord says: ‘How could you break faith^(G) with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the Lord and build yourselves an altar in rebellion^(H) against him now? ¹⁷ Was not the sin of Peor^(I) enough for us? Up to this very day we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin, even though a plague fell on the community of the Lord! ¹⁸ And are you now turning away from the Lord?

“‘If you rebel against the Lord today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole community^(J) of Israel. ¹⁹ If the land you possess is defiled, come over to the Lord’s land, where the Lord’s tabernacle^(K) stands, and share the land with us. But do not rebel against the Lord or against us by building an altar^(L) for yourselves, other than the altar of the Lord our God. ²⁰ When Achan son of Zerah was unfaithful in regard to the devoted things,^[a](M) did not wrath^(N) come on the whole community^(O) of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.’”^(P)

²¹ Then Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the clans of Israel: ²² “The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God,^(Q) the Lord!^(R) He knows!^(S) And let Israel know! If this has been in rebellion or disobedience to the Lord, do not spare us this day. ²³ If we have built our own altar to turn away from the Lord and to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings,^(T) or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it, may the Lord himself call us to account.^(U)

²⁴ “No! We did it for fear that some day your descendants might say to ours, ‘What do you have to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? ²⁵ The Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you—you Reubenites and Gadites! You have no share in the Lord.’ So your descendants might cause ours to stop fearing the Lord.

²⁶ “That is why we said, ‘Let us get ready and build an altar—but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.’ ²⁷ On the contrary, it is to be a witness^(V) between us and you and the generations that follow, that we will worship the Lord at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices and fellowship offerings.^(W) Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to ours, ‘You have no share in the Lord.’

²⁸ “And we said, ‘If they ever say this to us, or to our descendants, we will answer: Look at the replica of the Lord’s altar, which our ancestors built, not for burnt offerings and sacrifices, but as a witness^(X) between us and you.’

²⁹ “Far be it from us to rebel^(Y) against the Lord and turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle.^(Z)”

³⁰ When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community—the heads of the clans of the Israelites—heard what Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had to say, they were pleased. ³¹ And Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, “Today we know that the Lord is with us,^(AA) because you have not been unfaithful to the Lord in this matter. Now you have rescued the Israelites from the Lord’s hand.”

³² Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders returned to Canaan from their meeting with the Reubenites and Gadites in Gilead and reported to the Israelites.^{(AB) 33} They were glad to hear the report and praised God.^(AC) And they talked no more about going to war against them to devastate the country where the Reubenites and the Gadites lived.

³⁴ And the Reubenites and the Gadites gave the altar this name: A Witness^(AD) Between Us—that the Lord is God.

¹⁰ If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah

¹¹ and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp.

²⁰ Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give us your advice. What should we do?”

17 Ahithophel said to Absalom, “I would^[a] choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David. ² I would attack him while he is weary and weak.^(A) I would strike him with terror, and then all the people with him will flee. I would strike down only the king^{(B) 3} and bring all the people back to you. The death of the man you seek will mean the return of all; all the people will be unharmed.” ⁴ This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel.

⁵ But Absalom said, “Summon also Hushai^(C) the Arkite, so we can hear what he has to say as well.” ⁶ When Hushai came to him, Absalom said, “Ahithophel has given this advice. Should we do what he says? If not, give us your opinion.”

⁷ Hushai replied to Absalom, “The advice Ahithophel has given is not good this time. ⁸ You know your father and his men; they are fighters, and as fierce as a wild bear robbed of her cubs.^(D) Besides, your father is an experienced fighter;^(E) he will not spend the night with the troops. ⁹ Even now, he is hidden in a cave or some other place.^(F) If he should attack your troops first,^[b] whoever hears about it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Absalom.’ ¹⁰ Then even the bravest soldier, whose heart is like the heart of a lion,^(G) will melt^(H) with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a fighter and that those with him are brave.^(I)

¹¹ “So I advise you: Let all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba^(J)—as numerous as the sand^(K) on the seashore—be gathered to you, with you yourself leading them into battle. ¹² Then we will attack him wherever he may be found, and we will fall on him as dew settles on the ground. Neither he nor any of his men will be left alive. ¹³ If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it down to the valley^(L) until not so much as a pebble is left.”

¹⁴ Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice^(M) of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel.”^(N) For the Lord had determined to frustrate^(O) the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster^(P) on Absalom.^(Q)

¹⁵ Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, “Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do such and such, but I have advised them to do so and so.