Numbers 32

1 The tribes of Reuben and Gad had large numbers of livestock and saw that the land of Jazer and Gilead was a good place to rear them.

Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;

2 So they came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the Israelite leaders and said,

The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,

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

Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,

4 which the Lord conquered in full view of the Israelites, are well-suited for the livestock that we your servants own.”

Even the country which the LORD stroke before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and your servants have cattle:

5 They continued, “Please respond to our request favorably: give us this land. Don't make us cross the Jordan.”

Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in your sight, let this land be given unto your servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.

6 In reply Moses asked the tribes of Gad and Reuben, “Are you expecting your brothers to go and fight while you just sit here?

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

7 Why discourage the Israelites from crossing into the country that the Lord has given them?

And wherefore discourage all of you the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD has given them?

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

Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land.

9 After your fathers traveled up the valley of Eshcol and explored the land, they discouraged the Israelites, persuading them not to enter the country that the Lord had given them.

For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.

10 As a result, they made the Lord very angry that day, and he swore this oath,

And the LORD's anger was kindled the same time, and he swore, saying,

11 ‘Not a single one of those I saved from Egypt who is twenty years old or older will ever see the land I promised with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they were not completely committed to me—

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 no one except Caleb, son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua, son of Nun, because they were completely committed to me.’

Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.

13 The Lord was angry with Israel, and made them wander around in the desert for forty years, until the whole generation who had done evil in his sight had died.

And the LORD's anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.

14 Now look at you, you brood of sinners who have come to take your fathers' place to make the Lord even angrier with Israel!

And, behold, all of you are risen up in your fathers' position, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel.

15 If you give up following him, he will abandon these people in the desert once again, and their deaths will be your fault!”

For if all of you turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and all of you shall destroy all this people.

16 Then the tribes of Gad and Reuben came to Moses and told him, “We would plan to build stone walls to keep our livestock safe and towns for our children.

And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:

17 But we will still get ourselves ready for battle, and we will be prepared to lead the Israelites until they can safely occupy their land. In the meantime, our children will stay behind, living in the fortified towns to protect them from the local people.

But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land.

18 We won't return to our homes until every Israelite is in possession of their allotted land.

We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.

19 However, we won't own any land on the other side of the Jordan because we've received this land to own on this eastern side of the Jordan.”

For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward.

20 Moses responded, “If this is what you will actually do, if you will get yourselves ready for battle under the Lord's direction,

And Moses said unto them, If all of you will do this thing, if all of you will go armed before the LORD to war,

21 and if all your troops cross the Jordan with the Lord until he has driven out his enemies ahead of him,

And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he has driven out his enemies from before him,

22 then once the country is conquered with the Lord's help then you may return, and you will have fulfilled your obligations to the Lord and to Israel. You will own this land, granted to you by the Lord.

And the land be subdued before the LORD: then afterward all of you shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD.

23 But if you fail to do this, you will clearly be sinning against the Lord, and the consequences of your sin will catch up with you.

But if all of you will not do so, behold, all of you have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

24 Go ahead and build towns for your children and stone walls for your flocks, but make sure you do what you've promised!”

Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which has proceeded out of your mouth.

25 The tribes of Gad and Reuben promised Moses, “Sir, we your servants will do just as you have ordered.

And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke unto Moses, saying, Your servants will do as my lord commands.

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

Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:

27 But we your servants are ready for battle, and all our troops will cross over to fight with the Lord's help, just as you have said, sir.”

But your servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord says.

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

So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel:

29 Moses told them, “If the tribes of Gadites and Reuben cross the Jordan with you, with all their troops ready for battle with the Lord's help, and the land is conquered as you advance, then give them the land of Gilead to own.

And Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed to battle, before the LORD, and the land shall be subdued before you; then all of you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession:

30 But if they don't get themselves ready for battle and cross over with you, then they must accept their allotted land among you in the country of Canaan.”

But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.

31 The tribes of Gad and Reuben responded, “We will do just as the Lord has told us, your servants.

And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD has said unto your servants, so will we do.

32 We will cross over and enter the country of Canaan ready for battle with the Lord's help, so that we may have our allotted share of land on this side of the Jordan.”

We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be ours.

33 So Moses gave to the tribes of Gad and Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan. This land included its towns and their surrounding area.

And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto 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, the land, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about.

34 The people of Gad rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,

36 Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified towns, and they built stone walls for their flocks.

And Bethnimrah, and Bethharan, fenced cities: and folds for sheep.

37 The people of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,

38 as well as Nebo and Baal-meon (changing their names), and Sibmah. In fact they renamed those towns they rebuilt.

And Nebo, and Baalmeon, (their names being changed, ) and Shibmah: and gave other names unto the cities which they built.

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

And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it.

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

And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein.

41 Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, attacked their villages and captured them. He named them the Villages of Jair.

And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havothjair.

42 Nobah attacked Kenath and captured it, along with its villages. He named it Nobah after himself.

And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name.