In verses 24-28, as the Revised Standard Version punctuation shows, there are several levels of direct discourse included in the direct address of the eastern tribes. Good News Translation has transformed some of it into indirect discourse so as to have only two levels of direct discourse. The translators must make sure that in all instances it is clear to the reader who the speakers are and to whom they are speaking: the eastern tribes speaking to the delegation from the western tribes; the descendants of the western tribes speaking to the descendants of the eastern tribes; and the descendants of the eastern tribes replying to the descendants of the western tribes.

No! We did it because we were afraid is more literally “If we did not do it from fear.” The function of the negative is to indicate the contrast between the assumption of the previous verse and its denial in the statement to follow. In many languages it will be more forceful not to use the negative form. For example, if the proposed restructuring of verses 22-23 is followed, it would seem better to omit the negation and proceed directly into verse 24.

What do you have to do with the LORD, the God of Israel? is a rhetorical question which may be phrased as a statement: “You have nothing to do with the LORD, the God of Israel!”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .