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

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

“This is a list of places we have surveyed: 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.

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 favour in thine eyes, let this land be given unto thy servants, for a possession, —do not take us 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 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?

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

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

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 Then was the anger of Yahweh kindled on that day, —and he sware, 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 upwards, shall see the soil, which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac and unto Jacob, because they have not followed after me fully;

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

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

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!

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 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.

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

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

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;

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

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.

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 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 houses until every one of the people of Israel has obtained 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.

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 indeed do this thing, —if ye will arm yourselves, before Yahweh, 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 pass over the Jordan before Yahweh, —until he hath dispossessed 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 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.

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 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 so, look, you will have sinned against Yahweh. Be sure 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 families and pens for your sheep; then do what you have said.”

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 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 cattle, and all our beasts, shall remain there in the cities of Gilead;

Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will stay there 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.

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

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 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 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.

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 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 cross over with you armed, then they will acquire their possessions 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.

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 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 armed before Yahweh into the land of Canaan, but our possessed inheritance will remain with us 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 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 sons of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, —and Aroer;

The descendants of Gad rebuilt 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 with pens for sheep.

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

The descendants of Reuben rebuilt 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.

Nebo, Baal Meon—their names were later changed, and Sibmah. They gave other names to the cities that 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 and took it away from the Amorites who were in it.

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

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

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

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

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

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