21Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad, and halfe the tribe of Manasseh answered, and saide vnto the heads ouer the thousands of Israel,
22The Lorde God of gods, the Lorde God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel himselfe shal know: if by rebellion, or by transgression against ye Lord we haue done it, saue thou vs not this day.
23If we haue built vs an altar to returne away from the Lord, either to offer thereon burnt offering, or meate offering, or to offer peace offerings thereon, let the Lord himselfe require it:
24And if we haue not rather done it for feare of this thing, saying, In time to come your children might say vnto our children, What haue ye to doe with the Lord God of Israel?
25For the Lorde hath made Iorden a border betweene vs and you, ye children of Reuben, and of Gad: therefore ye haue no part in the Lord: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the Lord.
26Therefore we said, We will nowe go about to make vs an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice,
27But it shall be a witnesse betweene vs and you, and betweene our generations after vs, to execute the seruice of the Lorde before him in our burnt offerings, and in our sacrifices, and in our peace offerings, and that your children should not say to our children in time to come, Ye haue no part in the Lord.
28Therefore said we, If so be that they should so say to vs or to our generations in time to come, then will we answere, Beholde the facion of the altar of the Lorde, which our fathers made, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice, but it is a witnesse betweene vs and you.