Numbers 32

1 Now the Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, and they saw that the region was suitable for livestock.

Now the sons of Ruben and of Gad had many herds, and their substance in cattle was inestimable. And when they had seen that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for feeding animals,

2 So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, and said,

they went to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest and the leaders of the multitude, and they said:

3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,

“Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Sebam, and Nebo, and Beon,

4 which the LORD conquered before the congregation of Israel, are suitable for livestock—and your servants have livestock.”

the land, which the Lord has struck in the sight of the sons of Israel, is a very fertile region for pasturing animals. And we, your servants, have very many cattle.

5 “If we have found favor in your sight,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.”

And so we beseech you, if we have found favor before you, that you give it to us, your subjects, as a possession, and that you not cause us cross the Jordan.”

6 But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here?

And Moses answered them: “Should your brothers go to battle, while you sit here?

7 Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land that the LORD has given them?

Why do you subvert the minds of the sons of Israel, so that they might not dare to cross into the place which the Lord will give to them?

8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to inspect the land.

Did not your fathers act in the same way, when I sent them from Kadesh-Barnea to explore the land?

9 For when your fathers went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land that the LORD had given them.

And when they had gone all the way to the Valley of the Cluster of Grapes, having viewed the entire region, they subverted the hearts of the sons of Israel, so that they would not enter into the parts that the Lord gave to them.

10 So the anger of the LORD was kindled that day, and He swore an oath, saying,

And being angry, the Lord swore an oath, saying:

11 ‘Because they did not follow Me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years of age or older who came out of Egypt will see the land that I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—

‘These men, who ascended out of Egypt, from twenty years and above, will not see the land, which I have promised under an oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For they were not willing to follow me,

12 not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun—because they did follow the LORD wholeheartedly.’

except Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun; these have fulfilled my will.’

13 The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation who had done evil in His sight was gone.

And the Lord, being angry against Israel, led them in a course through the desert for forty years, until the entire generation, which had done evil in his sight, was consumed.

14 Now behold, you, a brood of sinners, have risen up in place of your fathers to further stoke the burning anger of the LORD against Israel.

And behold,” he said, “you have risen up in the place of your fathers, the offshoots and the nurslings of sinful men, in order to augment the fury of the Lord against Israel.

15 For if you turn away from following Him, He will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.”

But if you are not willing to follow him, he will leave the people behind in the wilderness, and you will have been the cause of all our deaths.”

16 Then the Gadites and Reubenites approached Moses and said, “We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our little ones.

But approaching closer, they said: “We will manufacture sheep pens and cattle stalls, as well as fortified cities, for our little ones.

17 But we will arm ourselves and be ready to go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Meanwhile, our little ones will remain in the fortified cities for protection from the inhabitants of the land.

But we ourselves will continue on, armed and girded for battle, before the sons of Israel, until we lead them to their places. Our little ones, and whatever we may be able to have, shall be in walled cities, because of the treachery of the inhabitants.

18 We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has taken possession of his inheritance.

We will not return to our houses, even until the sons of Israel may possess their inheritance.

19 Yet we will not have an inheritance with them across the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.”

Neither will we seek anything across the Jordan, because we already have our possession on its eastern side.”

20 Moses replied, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle,

And Moses said to them: “If you accomplish what you have promised, you may go out, equipped for battle, before the Lord.

21 and if every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the LORD, until He has driven His enemies out before Him,

And let every fighting man cross over the Jordan, until the Lord overthrows his enemies,

22 then when the land is subdued before the LORD, you may return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the LORD.

and all the land is subjected to him. Then you will be guiltless with the Lord and with Israel, and you will obtain the regions which you desire before the Lord.

23 But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.

But if you do not do what you have said, no one could doubt that you will have sinned against God. And know this: your sin shall overtake you.

24 Build cities for your little ones and folds for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”

Therefore, build cities for your little ones, and pens and stables for your sheep and cattle; and fulfill what you have promised.”

25 The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “Your servants will do just as our lord commands.

And the sons of Gad and of Ruben said to Moses: “We are your servants, we shall do what you, our ruler, orders.

26 Our children, our wives, our livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead.

We will leave behind our little ones, and our wives, and the sheep and cattle, in the cities of Gilead.

27 But your servants are equipped for war, and every man will cross over to the battle before the LORD, just as our lord says.”

And we, your servants, all well-equipped, will go forth to battle, just as you, our ruler, has spoken.”

28 So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the family leaders of the tribes of Israel.

Therefore, Moses instructed Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the princes of the families throughout the tribes of Israel, and he said to them:

29 And Moses said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, with every man armed for battle before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession.

“If the sons of Gad and the sons of Ruben cross over the Jordan with you, all armed for war before the Lord, and if the land becomes subject to you, give them Gilead as a possession.

30 But if they do not arm themselves and go across with you, then they must accept their possession among you in the land of Canaan.”

But if they are not willing to cross with you, armed, into the land of Canaan, then let them receive places among you for their dwellings.”

31 The Gadites and Reubenites replied, “As the LORD has spoken to your servants, so we will do.

And the sons of Gad and the sons of Ruben responded: “Just as the Lord has spoken to his servants, so shall we do.

32 We will cross over into the land of Canaan armed before the LORD, that we may have our inheritance on this side of the Jordan.”

We will go forth, armed, before the Lord into the land of Canaan; and we acknowledge that we have already received our possession across the Jordan.”

33 So Moses gave to the Gadites, to the Reubenites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the land including its cities and the territory surrounding them.

And so, Moses gave to the sons of Gad and of Ruben, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan, and their land with its surrounding cities.

34 And the Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

Therefore, the sons of Gad built up Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

and Atroth and Shophan, and Jazer, and Jogbehah,

36 Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified cities, and they built folds for their flocks.

and Beth-Nimrah, and Beth-Haran, as fortified cities with pens for their cattle.

37 The Reubenites built up Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

Yet truly, the sons of Ruben built up Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kiriathaim,

38 as well as Nebo and Baal-meon (whose names were changed), and Sibmah. And they renamed the cities they rebuilt.

and Nebo, and Baal-meon (their names having been changed) and Sibmah, appointing names for the cities which they had built.

39 The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there.

Moreover, the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, continued on within Gilead, and they devastated it, putting to death its inhabitant, the Amorite.

40 So Moses gave Gilead to the clan of Machir son of Manasseh, and they settled there.

Therefore, Moses gave the land of Gilead to Machir, the son of Manasseh, and he lived in it.

41 Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages and called them Havvoth-jair.

But Jair, the son of Manasseh, went out and occupied its villages, which he called Havoth Jair, that is, the Villages of Jair.

42 And Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah, after his own name.

Likewise, Nobah went forth and captured Kenath with its villages. And he called it by his own name, Nobah.