Numbers 32

1 Now the people of Reuben and the people of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that look, the place was a place for livestock;

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.

2 the people of Gad and the people of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying,

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

3 "Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Sibmah, and Nebo, and Beon,

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

4 the land which YHWH struck before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock; and your servants have livestock."

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

5 They said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession; do not bring us over the Jordan."

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

6 Moses said to the people of Gad, and to the people of Reuben, "Shall your brothers go to the war, and shall you sit here?

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

7 Why do you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which YHWH has given them?

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

8 Your fathers did so when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land.

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

9 For when they went up to 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 YHWH had given them.

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.

10 YHWH's anger was kindled in that day, and he swore, saying,

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

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

‘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—

12 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun; because they have followed YHWH completely.'

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

13 YHWH's anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander back and forth in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, who had done evil in the sight of YHWH, was consumed.

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.

14 "Look, you have risen up in your fathers' place, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of YHWH toward Israel.

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

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

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

16 They came near to him, and said, "We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones:

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.

17 but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.

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.

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

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

19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan, and forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward."

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.”

20 Moses said to them, "If you will do this thing, if you will arm yourselves to go before YHWH to the war,

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

21 and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before YHWH, until he has driven out his enemies from before him,

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

22 and the land is subdued before YHWH; then afterward you shall return, and be guiltless towards YHWH, and towards Israel; and this land shall be to you for a possession before YHWH.

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.

23 "But if you will not do so, look, you have sinned against YHWH; and be sure your sin will find you out.

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.

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

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

25 The people of Gad and the people of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, "Your servants will do as my lord commands.

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

26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock, shall be there in the cities of Gilead;

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

27 but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before YHWH to battle, as my lord says."

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.”

28 So Moses commanded concerning them to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the ancestral houses of the tribes of the children of Israel.

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.

29 Moses said to them, "If the people of Gad and the people of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man who is armed to battle before YHWH, and the land is subdued before you; then you are to give them the land of Gilead for a possession.

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.

30 But if they will not pass over with you armed to battle before YHWH, then you are to bring over their children and their wives and their flocks before you into the land of Canaan, and they are to have possessions among you in the land of Canaan."

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.”

31 The people of Gad and the people of Reuben answered, saying, "As YHWH has said to your servants, so will we do.

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

32 We will pass over armed before YHWH into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan."

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.”

33 Moses gave to them, even to the people of Gad, and to the people of Reuben, and to the half-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, according to its cities and borders, even the cities of the surrounding land.

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.

34 The people of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

The people of Gad rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

35 and Atrothshophan, and Jazer, and Jogbehah,

Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

36 and Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran: fortified cities, and folds for sheep.

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

37 The people of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kiriathaim,

The people of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

38 and Nebo, and Baal Meon, (their names being changed), and Sibmah: and they gave other names to the cities which they built.

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

39 The descendants of Makir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it.

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

40 Moses gave Gilead to Makir the son of Manasseh; and he lived in it.

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

41 Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its towns, and called them Havvoth Jair.

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

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

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