Numbers 32

1 And the sons of Ruben and Gad had many flocks of cattle, and their substance in beasts was infinite. And when they saw the lands of Jazer and Galaad fit for feeding cattle,

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.

2 They came to Moses and Eleazar the priest, and the princes of the multitude, and said:

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

3 Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nemra, Hesebon, and Eleale, and Saban, and Nebo, and Beon,

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

4 The land, which the Lord hath conquered in the sight of the children of Israel, is a very fertile soil for the feeding of beasts: and we thy servants have very much cattle:

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

5 And we pray thee, if we have found favour in thy sight, that thou give it to us thy servants in possession, and make us not pass over the Jordan.

“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.”

6 And Moses answered them: What, shall your brethren go to fight, and will you sit here?

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

7 Why do ye overturn the minds of the children of Israel, that they may not dare to pass into the place which the Lord hath given them?

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

8 Was it not thus your fathers did, when I sent from Cadesbarne to view the land?

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

9 And when they were come as far as the valley of the cluster, having viewed all the country, they overturned the hearts of the children of Israel, that they should not enter into the coasts, which the Lord gave them.

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.

10 And he swore in his anger, saying:

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

11 If these men, that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land, which I promised with an oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: because they would not follow me,

‘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—

12 Except Caleb the son of Jephone the Cenezite, and Josue the son of Nun: these have fulfilled my will.

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

13 And the Lord being angry against Israel, led them about through the desert forty years, until the whole generation, that had done evil in his sight, was consumed.

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.

14 And behold, said he, you are risen up instead of your fathers, the increase and offspring of sinful men, to augment the fury of the Lord against Israel.

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.

15 For if you will not follow him, he will leave the people in the wilderness, and you shall be the cause of the destruction of all.

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.”

16 But they coming near, said: We will make sheepfolds, and stalls for our cattle, and strong cities for our children:

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

17 And we ourselves will go armed and ready for battle before the children of Israel, until we bring them in unto their places. Our little ones, and all we have, shall be in walled cities, for fear of the ambushes of the inhabitants.

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.

18 We will not return into our houses until the children of Israel possess their inheritance:

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

19 Neither will we seek any thing beyond the Jordan, because we have already our possession on the east side thereof,

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.”

20 And Moses said to them: If you do what you promise, go on well appointed for war before the Lord:

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

21 And let every fighting man pass over the Jordan, until the Lord overthrow his enemies:

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

22 And all the land be brought under him, then shall you be blameless before the Lord and before Israel, and you shall obtain the countries that you desire, before the Lord.

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.

23 But if you do not what you say, no man can doubt but you sin against God: and know ye, that your sin shall overtake you.

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

24 Build therefore cities for your children, and folds and stalls for your sheep and beasts, and accomplish what you have promised.

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

25 And the children of Gad and Ruben said to Moses: We are thy servants, we will do what my lord commandeth.

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

26 We will leave our children, and our wives and sheep and cattle, in the cities of Galaad:

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

27 And we thy servants all well appointed will march on to the war, as thou, my lord, speakest.

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

28 Moses therefore commanded Eleazar the priest, and Josue the son of Nun, and the princes of the families of all the tribes of Israel, and said to them:

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.

29 If the children of Gad, and the children of Ruben pass with you over the Jordan, all armed for war before the Lord, and the land be made subject to you: give them Galaad in possession.

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.

30 But if they will not pass armed with you into the land of Chanaan, let them receive places to dwell in among you.

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.”

31 And the children of Gad, and the children of Ruben answered: As the Lord hath spoken to his servants, so will we do:

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

32 We will go armed before the Lord into the land of Chanaan, and we confess that we have already received our possession beyond the Jordan.

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.”

33 Moses therefore gave to the children of Cad and of Ruben, and to the half tribe of Manasses the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sehon king of the Amorrhites, and the kingdom of Og king of Basan, and their land and the cities thereof round about.

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.

34 And the sons of Cad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

And the Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

35 And Etroth, and Sophan, and Jazer, and Jegbaa,

Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

36 And Bethnemra, and Betharan, fenced cities, and folds for their cattle.

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

37 But the children of Ruben built Hesebon, and Eleale, and Cariathaim,

The Reubenites built up Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

38 And Nabo, and Baalmeon (their names being changed) and Sabama: giving names to the cities which they had built.

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

39 Moreover the children of Machir, the son of Manasses, went into Galaad, and wasted it, cutting off the Amorrhites, the inhabitants thereof.

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

40 And Moses gave the land of Galaad to Machir the son of Manasses, and he dwelt in it.

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

41 And Jair the son of Manasses went, and took the villages thereof, and he called them Havoth Jair, that is to say, the villages of Jair.

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

42 Nobe also went, and took Canath with the villages thereof: and he called it by his own name, Nobe.

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