Numbers 32

1 Now, much cattle, had come into the possession of the sons of Reuben and of the sons of Gad, an exceeding mighty number. And when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, lo! the place, was a place for 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 So the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben came in, —and spake unto Moses and unto Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of assembly, saying,

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

3 As touching Ataroth and Dibon, and Jazer and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, —and Sebam and Nebo, and Beon-

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

4 the land which Yahweh smote before the assembly of Israel, a land for cattle, it is, —and, thy servants, have cattle.

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

5 And they said—If we have found favour in thine eyes, let this land be given unto thy servants, for a possession, —do not take us 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 Then said Moses unto the sons of Gad and unto the sons of Reuben, —Shall, your brethren, go into the war, and ye, settle down here?

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

7 Wherefore, then, should ye dissuade the heart of the sons of Israel, from passing over into the land which Yahweh hath given to them?

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

8 Thus, did your fathers, —when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea, to view the land,

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

9 and they went up as far as the ravine of Eschol, and viewed the land, and then dissuaded the heart of the sons of Israel from entering into the land, which Yahweh had given 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 Then was the anger of Yahweh kindled on that day, —and he sware, saying:

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

11 Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt from twenty years old and upwards, shall see the soil, which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac and unto Jacob, because they have not followed after me fully;

‘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 save Caleb son of Jephunneh, the Kenezite, and Joshua, son of Nun, —for they followed after Yahweh, fully.

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

13 So the anger of Yahweh kindled upon Israel, and he made them wander in the desert, forty years, —until all the generation who had done the evil in the eyes of Yahweh, had wasted away!

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 Lo! therefore, ye have arisen in the room of your fathers, a brood of sinful men, —to heap up yet more upon the heat of the anger of Yahweh, towards 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 If ye do turn away from following him, then will he yet again leave them behind in the desert, —so shall ye bring destruction upon all this people.

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 Then came they near unto him, and said, Folds, for flocks, would we build for our cattle, here, —and cities for our little ones;

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 but, we, would arm ourselves promptly, before the sons of Israel, until that we have brought them into their place, —so should our little ones remain in the fortified cities, because of the inhabitants of the land.

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 would not return unto our houses, —until the sons of Israel have possessed themselves each man, of his inheritance.

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

19 For we would not inherit with them, over the Jordan, and onwards, —because our inheritance hath come unto us on this side the Jordan towards sunrise.

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 unto them, If ye will indeed do this thing, —if ye will arm yourselves, before Yahweh, for the war;

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

21 and every armed man of you pass over the Jordan before Yahweh, —until he hath dispossessed his enemies, from before him;

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 the land be subdued before Yahweh then afterwards, shall ye return, and shall be acquitted by Yahweh and by Israel, —and this land shall be yours for a possession before Yahweh.

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 ye shall not do this, lo! ye will have sinned against Yahweh, —and take note of your sin, that it will find you out.

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 you cities for your little ones, and folds for your flocks, —and then that which hath gone forth from your mouth, ye shall do.

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

25 Then spake the sons of Gad, and the sons of Reuben unto Moses, saying, —thy servants, will do, as, my lord, is giving command.

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

26 Our little ones, our wives, our cattle, and all our beasts, shall remain there in the cities of Gilead;

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

27 and thy servants, will pass over every one armed for war, before Yahweh to battle, —as, my lord is speaking.

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 So Moses gave command concerning them, unto Eleazar the priest and unto Joshua son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes, of the sons of Israel;

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 and Moses said unto them—If the sons of Gad and the son of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every one armed for the war before Yahweh, and the land be subdued before you, then shall ye give unto them the land of Gilead, for a 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 over armed, with you, then shall they accept a possession in your midst, in the land of Canaan.

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 Then responded the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben, saying, —That which Yahweh had spoken unto thy 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 pass over armed, before Yahweh into the land of Canaan, —then shall be ours, the possession of our inheritance across 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 So then Moses gave unto them even unto the sons of Gad and unto the sons of Reuben and unto the half tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, the king of Bashan, the land by her cities with boundaries, even the cities of the land 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 Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, —and Aroer;

And the Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

35 and Atroth-shophan and Jazer, and Jogbehah;

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, and they built folds for their flocks.

37 And the sons of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, —and Kiriathaim,

The Reubenites built up Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

38 and Nebo and Baal-meon—their names being changed, and Sibmah, —and they gave names to the cities which they built.

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

39 Then went the sons of Machir son of Manasseh to Gilead, and captured it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were therein,

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

40 So Moses gave Gilead unto Machir son of Manasseh, and he dwelt therein.

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

41 And Jair, son of Manasseh, went, and captured their encampments, —and called them Havvoth-jair ["The encampments of Jair"].

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

42 And, Nobah, went, and captured Kenath, with the villages thereof, —and called it Nobah, after his own name.

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