Numbers 32
1 The people of the tribes of Reuben and Gad had much livestock. They saw that the land near Jazer [city] and the Gilead [region east of the Jordan River] had good [grass] for the animals [to graze on].
And the sons of Ruben and Gad had many flocks of cattle, and their substance in beasts was infinite. And when they saw the lands of Jazer and Galaad fit for feeding cattle,
2 So their leaders came to Eleazar and the other leaders of the people and Moses/me. They said,
They came to Moses and Eleazar the priest, and the princes of the multitude, and said:
3 “We have a great amount of livestock.
Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nemra, Hesebon, and Eleale, and Saban, and Nebo, and Beon,
4 Yahweh has enabled us Israelis to capture some land that is very good for animals [to graze on]—the land near Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon [towns].
The land, which the Lord hath conquered in the sight of the children of Israel, is a very fertile soil for the feeding of beasts: and we thy servants have very much cattle:
5 If it pleases you, we would like this land to be ours, instead of land on the other side of the Jordan River.”
And we pray thee, if we have found favour in thy sight, that thou give it to us thy servants in possession, and make us not pass over the Jordan.
6 Moses/I replied to the leaders of the tribes of Gad and Reuben, “It is not right for [RHQ] your fellow Israelis to go to fight in wars and you stay here!
And Moses answered them: What, shall your brethren go to fight, and will you sit here?
7 [If you do that], you will cause the other Israelis to be discouraged, with the result that they will not cross [the Jordan River] to the land that Yahweh is giving to them [RHQ].
Why do ye overturn the minds of the children of Israel, that they may not dare to pass into the place which the Lord hath given them?
8 Your ancestors did the same kind of thing. I sent them from Kadesh-Barnea to see what the land [of Canaan] was like.
Was it not thus your fathers did, when I sent from Cadesbarne to view the land?
9 They went as far as Eshcol Valley, but when they saw [the huge people in] the land, [they returned and] caused the Israeli people to be discouraged, saying ‘We should not try to enter the land that Yahweh said that he is giving to us.’
And when they were come as far as the valley of the cluster, having viewed all the country, they overturned the hearts of the children of Israel, that they should not enter into the coasts, which the Lord gave them.
10 So Yahweh became very angry with them, and he solemnly declared this:
And he swore in his anger, saying:
11 ‘From all the people who came out of Egypt, the only ones who are at least 20 years old who will see the land that I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, are Jephunneh’s son Caleb and Nun’s son Joshua, because they trusted me completely. None of the other people who came out of Egypt will even see that land, because they have not completely believed in my [power].’
If these men, that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land, which I promised with an oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: because they would not follow me,
Except Caleb the son of Jephone the Cenezite, and Josue the son of Nun: these have fulfilled my will.
13 So Yahweh was angry with the Israeli people, and [as a result] he has caused us to wander in this desert for 40 years. Finally, all the people who had sinned against Yahweh [by refusing to trust him] died, [one by one].
And the Lord being angry against Israel, led them about through the desert forty years, until the whole generation, that had done evil in his sight, was consumed.
14 And you are acting like your ancestors did! You sinful Israeli people are going to cause Yahweh to be more angry with you [than he was with our ancestors]
And behold, said he, you are risen up instead of your fathers, the increase and offspring of sinful men, to augment the fury of the Lord against Israel.
15 If you stop trusting him, he will cause you and all your fellow Israelis to stay longer in the desert, and he will get rid of all of you!”
For if you will not follow him, he will leave the people in the wilderness, and you shall be the cause of the destruction of all.
16 Then the [leaders of the tribes of Reuben and Gad] said to Moses/me, “First we will build pens for our animals and build cities for our families here.
But they coming near, said: We will make sheepfolds, and stalls for our cattle, and strong cities for our children:
17 Then our families will live in strong cities with walls around them, and they will be safe from the people who live in this land. Then we will get ready to fight battles. We will help the other Israelis to get land [on the other side of the river].
And we ourselves will go armed and ready for battle before the children of Israel, until we bring them in unto their places. Our little ones, and all we have, shall be in walled cities, for fear of the ambushes of the inhabitants.
18 We will not return to our homes until every Israeli has received some land.
We will not return into our houses until the children of Israel possess their inheritance:
19 We will not take any land on the west side of the Jordan [River]; our land will be here on the east side.”
Neither will we seek any thing beyond the Jordan, because we have already our possession on the east side thereof,
20 So Moses/I told them, “[Okay, I will tell you] what you all must do. You must get ready to fight battles for Yahweh.
And Moses said to them: If you do what you promise, go on well appointed for war before the Lord:
21 You all must cross the Jordan [River] carrying your weapons.
And let every fighting man pass over the Jordan, until the Lord overthrow his enemies:
22 After Yahweh helps us to take that land [from the people who live there], you will be permitted to return to your homes. You will have done what you have promised Yahweh and the Israeli people that you would do, and you may keep this land to be your own, given to you by Yahweh.
And all the land be brought under him, then shall you be blameless before the Lord and before Israel, and you shall obtain the countries that you desire, before the Lord.
23 “But if you do not do these things, you will be sinning against Yahweh, and he will punish you for [that] sin.
But if you do not what you say, no man can doubt but you sin against God: and know ye, that your sin shall overtake you.
24 Now you can build cities for your families and pens for your animals, but after doing that, you must do what you have promised.”
Build therefore cities for your children, and folds and stalls for your sheep and beasts, and accomplish what you have promised.
25 The leaders of the tribes of Gad and Reuben replied, “We will do what you have asked us to do [MTY], because you are our leader.
And the children of Gad and Ruben said to Moses: We are thy servants, we will do what my lord commandeth.
26 Our wives and children and our cattle and sheep and goats will stay here in the cities in the Gilead area,
We will leave our children, and our wives and sheep and cattle, in the cities of Galaad:
27 but we will prepare to go to battle. We will take our weapons and go across [the Jordan River] and fight for Yahweh, just as you, our leader, have said.”
And we thy servants all well appointed will march on to the war, as thou, my lord, speakest.
28 So Moses/I gave instructions about them to Eleazar, Joshua, and the leaders of the Israeli tribes.
Moses therefore commanded Eleazar the priest, and Josue the son of Nun, and the princes of the families of all the tribes of Israel, and said to them:
29 Moses/I said to them, “If the men from the tribes of Gad and Reuben prepare for battle and cross the Jordan [River] with you, in order to do what Yahweh desires and help you to take that land, give them the Gilead area to belong to them.
If the children of Gad, and the children of Ruben pass with you over the Jordan, all armed for war before the Lord, and the land be made subject to you: give them Galaad in possession.
30 But if they do not take their weapons and go with you prepared to fight, they will not receive this land. They will need to accept some land in Canaan, like the rest of you will do.”
But if they will not pass armed with you into the land of Chanaan, let them receive places to dwell in among you.
31 The [leaders of the tribes of Gad and Reuben] replied, “We will do what you have said and what Yahweh has said.
And the children of Gad, and the children of Ruben answered: As the Lord hath spoken to his servants, so will we do:
32 We will cross the river into Canaan land, and we will do what Yahweh desires and be prepared for battle. But our land will be [here] on the east side of the Jordan [River].”
We will go armed before the Lord into the land of Chanaan, and we confess that we have already received our possession beyond the Jordan.
33 So Moses/I agreed to give that land to the tribes of Gad and Reuben and to half of the tribe of Joseph’s son Manasseh. That land was previously the land where Sihon, the king of the Amor people-group, ruled, and the land where Og, the king of Bashan [region], ruled, including its cities and surrounding land.
Moses therefore gave to the children of Cad and of Ruben, and to the half tribe of Manasses the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sehon king of the Amorrhites, and the kingdom of Og king of Basan, and their land and the cities thereof round about.
34 The people of the tribe of Gad rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,
And the sons of Cad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,
35 Atroth-Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,
And Etroth, and Sophan, and Jazer, and Jegbaa,
36 Beth-Nimrah, and Beth-Haran cities. Those were cities with strong walls around them. And they also built pens for their sheep.
And Bethnemra, and Betharan, fenced cities, and folds for their cattle.
37 The people of the tribe of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,
But the children of Ruben built Hesebon, and Eleale, and Cariathaim,
38 Nebo, Baal-Meon, and Sibmah cities. When they rebuilt Nebo and Baal-Meon, they gave new names to those cities.
And Nabo, and Baalmeon (their names being changed) and Sabama: giving names to the cities which they had built.
39 The descendants of Manasseh’s son Makir went to the Gilead [region] and compelled the people of the Amor people-group to leave that area.
Moreover the children of Machir, the son of Manasses, went into Galaad, and wasted it, cutting off the Amorrhites, the inhabitants thereof.
40 So Moses/I gave Gilead to the family of Makir, and they started to live there.
And Moses gave the land of Galaad to Machir the son of Manasses, and he dwelt in it.
41 Jair, who was also a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured the small towns in that region, and he named them the Towns of Jair.
And Jair the son of Manasses went, and took the villages thereof, and he called them Havoth Jair, that is to say, the villages of Jair.
42 A man named Nobah went and captured Kenath [city] and the nearby towns, and then he put his own name to be the new name of that area.
Nobe also went, and took Canath with the villages thereof: and he called it by his own name, Nobe.
