23 that we have built us an altar to turn away from following the Lord; or if to offer burnt offering or meal offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings, let the Lord himself require it.
24 “If we have not out of concern done this, and for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your children might speak to our children, saying, “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, you children of Reuben and children of Gad. You have no portion in the Lord.”’ So your children might make our children cease from fearing the Lord.
26 “Therefore we said, ‘Let’s now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice;
27 but it will be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we may perform the service of the Lord before him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings;’ that your children may not tell our children in time to come, ‘You have no portion in the Lord.’
28 “Therefore we said, ‘It shall be, when they tell us or our generations this in time to come, that we shall say, “Behold the pattern of the Lord’s altar, which our fathers made, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice; but it is a witness between us and you.”’
29 “Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord, and turn away today from following the Lord, to build an altar for burnt offering, for meal offering, or for sacrifice, besides the Lord our God’s altar that is before his tabernacle!”