Numbers 32

1 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.

Now the descendants of Reuben and of Gad had large numbers of livestock. When they saw the land of Jazer and Gilead, the land was a wonderful place for livestock.

2 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,

So the descendants of Gad and Reuben came and spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the community. They said,

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

“This is a list of places we have surveyed: Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon.

4 The country which the Lord hath smitten before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle; and thy servants have cattle.

These are the lands that Yahweh attacked before the community of Israel, and they are good places for livestock. We, your servants, have a lot of livestock.”

5 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.

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

6 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?

Moses replied to the descendants of Gad and Reuben, “Should your brothers go to war while you settle down here?

7 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?

Why discourage the hearts of the people of Israel from going over into the land that Yahweh has given them?

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

Your fathers did the same thing when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to examine the land.

9 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.

They went up to the Valley of Eshkol. They saw the land and then discouraged the hearts of the people of Israel so that they refused to enter the land that Yahweh had given them.

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

Yahweh's anger was kindled on that day. He took an oath and said,

11 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:

'Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and up, will see the land about which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not completely followed me, except for

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

Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua son of Nun. Only Caleb and Joshua have completely followed me.'

13 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.

So Yahweh's anger was kindled against Israel. He made them wander around in the wilderness for forty years until all the generation who had done evil in his sight was destroyed.

14 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.

Look, you have risen up in your fathers' place, like just more sinful men, to add to Yahweh's burning anger toward Israel.

15 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.

If you turn away from following him, he will again leave Israel in the wilderness and you will have destroyed all this people.”

16 And they came near unto him, and said, Sheepfolds will we build for our cattle here, and cities for our little ones;

So they came near Moses and said, “Allow us to build fences here for our cattle and cities for our families.

17 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.

However, we ourselves will be ready and armed to go with Israel's army until we have led them into their place. But our families will live in the fortified cities because of the other people who still live in this land.

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

We will not return to our houses until every one of the people of Israel has obtained his inheritance.

19 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.

We will not inherit the land with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance is here on the east side of the Jordan.”

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

So Moses replied to them, “If you do what you say, if you arm yourselves to go before Yahweh to war,

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

then every one of your armed men must cross over the Jordan before Yahweh, until he has driven out his enemies from before him

22 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.

and the land is subdued before him. Then afterward you may return. You will be guiltless toward Yahweh and toward Israel. This land will be your possession before Yahweh.

23 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.

But if you do not do so, look, you will have sinned against Yahweh. Be sure that your sin will find you out.

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

Build cities for your families and pens for your sheep; then do what you have said.”

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

The descendants of Gad and Reuben spoke to Moses and said, “Your servants will do as you, our master, commands.

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

Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will stay there in the cities of Gilead.

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

However, we, your servants, will cross over before Yahweh to battle, every man who is armed for war, as you, our master, say.”

28 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;

So Moses gave instructions concerning them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the leaders of the ancestor's clans in the tribes of the people of Israel.

29 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;

Moses said to them, “If the descendants of Gad and Reuben cross over the Jordan with you, every man who is armed to battle before Yahweh, and if the land is subdued before you, then you will give them the land of Gilead as a possession.

30 But if they should not pass over armed with you, they shall take possessions among you in the land of Canaan.

But if they do not cross over with you armed, then they will acquire their possessions among you in the land of Canaan.”

31 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.

So the descendants of Gad and Reuben answered and said, “As Yahweh has said to us, your servants, this is what we will do.

32 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.

We will cross over armed before Yahweh into the land of Canaan, but our possessed inheritance will remain with us on this side of the Jordan.”

33 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.

So to the descendants of Gad and Reuben, and also to the half tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph, Moses gave the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and of Og, king of Bashan. He gave to them the land, and distributed to them all its cities with their borders, the cities of the land around them.

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

The descendants of Gad rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

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

Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

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

Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran as fortified cities with pens for sheep.

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

The descendants of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

38 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.

Nebo, Baal Meon—their names were later changed, and Sibmah. They gave other names to the cities that they rebuilt.

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

The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it away from the Amorites who were in it.

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

Then Moses gave Gilead to Machir son of Manasseh, and his people settled there.

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

Jair son of Manasseh went and captured its towns and called them Havvoth Jair.

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

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