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.

The people of the tribes of Reuben and Gad had much livestock. They saw that the land near Jazer [city] and the Gilead [region east of the Jordan River] had good [grass] for the animals [to graze on].

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

So their leaders came to Eleazar and the other leaders of the people and Moses/me. They said,

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

“We have a great amount of livestock.

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

Yahweh has enabled us Israelis to capture some land that is very good for animals [to graze on]—the land near Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon [towns].

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.”

If it pleases you, we would like this land to be ours, instead of land on the other side of the Jordan River.”

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

Moses/I replied to the leaders of the tribes of Gad and Reuben, “It is not right for [RHQ] your fellow Israelis to go to fight in wars and you stay here!

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

[If you do that], you will cause the other Israelis to be discouraged, with the result that they will not cross [the Jordan River] to the land that Yahweh is giving to them [RHQ].

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

Your ancestors did the same kind of thing. I sent them from Kadesh-Barnea to see what the land [of Canaan] was like.

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.

They went as far as Eshcol Valley, but when they saw [the huge people in] the land, [they returned and] caused the Israeli people to be discouraged, saying ‘We should not try to enter the land that Yahweh said that he is giving to us.’

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

So Yahweh became very angry with them, and he solemnly declared this:

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—

‘From all the people who came out of Egypt, the only ones who are at least 20 years old who will see the land that I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, are Jephunneh’s son Caleb and Nun’s son Joshua, because they trusted me completely. None of the other people who came out of Egypt will even see that land, because they have not completely believed in my [power].’

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

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.

So Yahweh was angry with the Israeli people, and [as a result] he has caused us to wander in this desert for 40 years. Finally, all the people who had sinned against Yahweh [by refusing to trust him] died, [one by one].

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 you are acting like your ancestors did! You sinful Israeli people are going to cause Yahweh to be more angry with you [than he was with our ancestors]

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.”

If you stop trusting him, he will cause you and all your fellow Israelis to stay longer in the desert, and he will get rid of all of you!”

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.

Then the [leaders of the tribes of Reuben and Gad] said to Moses/me, “First we will build pens for our animals and build cities for our families here.

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.

Then our families will live in strong cities with walls around them, and they will be safe from the people who live in this land. Then we will get ready to fight battles. We will help the other Israelis to get land [on the other side of the river].

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

We will not return to our homes until every Israeli has received some land.

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.”

We will not take any land on the west side of the Jordan [River]; our land will be here on the east side.”

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

So Moses/I told them, “[Okay, I will tell you] what you all must do. You must get ready to fight battles for Yahweh.

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

You all must cross the Jordan [River] carrying your weapons.

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.

After Yahweh helps us to take that land [from the people who live there], you will be permitted to return to your homes. You will have done what you have promised Yahweh and the Israeli people that you would do, and you may keep this land to be your own, given to you by Yahweh.

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 these things, you will be sinning against Yahweh, and he will punish you for [that] sin.

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

Now you can build cities for your families and pens for your animals, but after doing that, you must do what you have promised.”

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

The leaders of the tribes of Gad and Reuben replied, “We will do what you have asked us to do [MTY], because you are our leader.

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

Our wives and children and our cattle and sheep and goats will stay here in the cities in the Gilead area,

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 we will prepare to go to battle. We will take our weapons and go across [the Jordan River] and fight for Yahweh, just as you, our leader, have said.”

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.

So Moses/I gave instructions about them to Eleazar, Joshua, and the leaders of the Israeli tribes.

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.

Moses/I said to them, “If the men from the tribes of Gad and Reuben prepare for battle and cross the Jordan [River] with you, in order to do what Yahweh desires and help you to take that land, give them the Gilead area to belong to them.

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 do not take their weapons and go with you prepared to fight, they will not receive this land. They will need to accept some land in Canaan, like the rest of you will do.”

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

The [leaders of the tribes of Gad and Reuben] replied, “We will do what you have said and what Yahweh has said.

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 cross the river into Canaan land, and we will do what Yahweh desires and be prepared for battle. But our land will be [here] on the east side of the Jordan [River].”

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.

So Moses/I agreed to give that land to the tribes of Gad and Reuben and to half of the tribe of Joseph’s son Manasseh. That land was previously the land where Sihon, the king of the Amor people-group, ruled, and the land where Og, the king of Bashan [region], ruled, including its cities and surrounding land.

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

The people of the tribe of Gad rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

Atroth-Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

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

Beth-Nimrah, and Beth-Haran cities. Those were cities with strong walls around them. And they also built pens for their sheep.

37 The Reubenites built up Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

The people of the tribe of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

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

Nebo, Baal-Meon, and Sibmah cities. When they rebuilt Nebo and Baal-Meon, they gave new names to those cities.

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

The descendants of Manasseh’s son Makir went to the Gilead [region] and compelled the people of the Amor people-group to leave that area.

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

So Moses/I gave Gilead to the family of Makir, and they started to live there.

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

Jair, who was also a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured the small towns in that region, and he named them the Towns of Jair.

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

A man named Nobah went and captured Kenath [city] and the nearby towns, and then he put his own name to be the new name of that area.