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 children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle; and they saw the land of Ya'zer, and the land of Gil'ad, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle.

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

And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came, and said unto Moses, and unto Elazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, as followeth,

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

'Ataroth, and Dibon, and Ya'zer, and Nimrah, and Cheshbon, and El'aleh, and Sebam, and Nebo, and Be'on,

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

The country which the Lord hath smitten before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle; and thy servants have 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 they said, If we have found grace in thy eyes, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession: do not compel us to go over the Jordan.

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

And Moses said unto the children of Gad, and unto the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to the war, and will ye sit here?

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

And wherefore will you turn aside the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord hath given them?

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

Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea' to see 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.

For they went up as far as the valley of Eshcol, and they saw the land, and then they turned aside the heart of the children of Israel, so that they would not go into the land which the Lord had given them.

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

And the anger of the Lord was kindled on that day, and he swore, 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—

Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:

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

Save Caleb the son of Yephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun; for they have wholly followed the Lord.

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 anger of the Lord was thus kindled against Israel, and he made them wander about in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation was spent, that had done the evil in the eyes of the Lord.

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 now, behold, ye are risen up in your father's stead, a new race of sinful men, to augment yet more the fierce anger of the Lord toward 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.”

For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet longer leave them in the wilderness; and ye will thus be destruction to all this people.

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.

And they came near unto him, and said, Sheepfolds will we build for our cattle here, and 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 go ready armed before the children of Israel, until that we have brought them unto their place; and our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities, because of the inhabitants of the land.

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

We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have acquired for themselves every man his 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.”

For we will not take possession with them on the other side of the Jordan, and farther on: when our inheritance hath come to us on this side of the Jordan eastward.

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

And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will arm yourselves before the Lord for the war;

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 every armed man of you will go over the Jordan before the Lord, until he have driven out his enemies from before him;

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 when, only after the land hath been subdued before the Lord, ye will return, and ye be thus guiltless before the Lord, and before Israel: then shall this land be yours for a possession 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 ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord; and ye shall experience the punishment of your sin which will overtake you.

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

Build yourselves cities for your little ones, and folds for your flocks; and that which hath proceeded out of your mouth shall ye do.

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

And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben said unto Moses, as followeth, Thy servants will do as my Lord commandeth.

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

Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall remain there in the cities of Gil'ad;

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.”

But thy servants will pass over, every one that is armed for the army, before the Lord, to the war, as my Lord speaketh.

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.

And Moses commanded concerning them Elazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chiefs of the families of the tribes of the children of Israel;

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.

And Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben do pass with you over the Jordan, every one that is armed for the war, before the Lord, and the land shall be subdued before you: then shall ye give to them the land of Gil'ad for 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 should not pass over armed with you, they shall take possessions among you in the land of Canaan.

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

And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, That which the Lord hath spoken concerning thy servants, even so will 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 indeed pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, while ours remaineth the possession of our inheritance on this side of 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 Moses gave unto them, to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and to half the tribe of Menasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sichon, the king of the Emorites, and the kingdom of 'Og, the king of Bashan, the land, with its cities within the boundaries, the cities of the country round about.

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

And the children of Gad built Dibon, and 'Ataroth, and 'Aro'er,

35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

And 'Atroth-shophan, and Ya'zer, and Yogbehah.

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

And Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, fortified cities, and folds for flocks,

37 The Reubenites built up Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

And the children of Reuben built Cheshbon, and El'aleh, and Kiryathayim,

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

And Nebo, and Ba'al-me'on [their names being changed], and Shibmah; and they gave the former names unto the cities which they built.

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

And the children of Machir the son of Menasseh went to Gil'ad, and conquered it, and dispossessed the Emorites who were in it.

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

And Moses gave Gil'ad unto Machir the son of Menasseh; and he dwelt therein.

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

And Yair the son of Menasseh went and conquered the small towns thereof, and called them Chavoth-yair.

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

And Nobach went and conquered Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobach, after his own name.