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].
Nowe the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad had an exceeding great multitude of cattell: and they sawe the lande of Iazer, and the lande of Gilead, that it was an apt place for cattel.
2 So their leaders came to Eleazar and the other leaders of the people and Moses/me. They said,
Then the children of Gad, and the childre of Reuben came, and spake vnto Moses and to Eleazar the Priest, and vnto the princes of the Congregation, saying,
3 “We have a great amount of livestock.
The land of Ataroth, and Dibon, and Iazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, 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].
Which countrey the Lord smote before the Congregation of Israel, is a lande meete for cattell, and thy seruants haue cattell:
5 If it pleases you, we would like this land to be ours, instead of land on the other side of the Jordan River.”
Wherefore, said they, if we haue foud grace in thy sight, let this lande be giuen vnto thy seruants for a possession, and bring vs not ouer Iorde.
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 said vnto the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren goe to warre, and ye tary heere?
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].
Wherefore now discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel, to goe ouer into the lande, which the Lord hath giuen 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.
Thus did your fathers when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the lande.
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.’
For when they went vp euen vnto the riuer of Eshcol, and sawe the land: they discouraged the heart of the childre of Israel, that they woulde not goe into the lande, which the Lord had giuen them.
10 So Yahweh became very angry with them, and he solemnly declared this:
And the Lordes wrath was kindled the same day, and he did sweare, 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].’
None of the men that came out of Egypt from twentie yeere olde and aboue, shall see the land for the which I sware vnto Abraham, to Izhak, and to Iaakob, because they haue not wholly followed me:
Except Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh the Kenesite, and Ioshua the sonne of Nun: for they haue constantly followed the Lord.
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 was very angry with Israel, and made them wander in the wildernesse fourty yeeres, vntill all the generation that had done euill in the sight of the Lord were 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, ye are risen vp in your fathers steade as an encrease of sinfull men, still to augment the fierce wrath of the Lord, toward 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 ye turne away from following him, he will yet againe leaue the people in the wildernesse, and ye shall destroy all this folke.
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.
And they went neere to him, and said, We will builde sheepe foldes here for our sheepe, and for our cattell, and 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].
But we our selues will be readie armed to go before the children of Israel, vntill we haue brought them vnto their place: but our childre shall dwell in the defenced cities, because of the inhabitants of the lande.
18 We will not return to our homes until every Israeli has received some land.
We will not returne vnto our houses, vntil the children of Israel haue inherited, euery man his 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 wil we inherite with them beyond Iorden and on that side, because our inheritance is fallen to vs on this side Iorden Eastwarde.
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 saide vnto them, If ye will doe this thing, and goe armed before the Lord to warre:
21 You all must cross the Jordan [River] carrying your weapons.
And will goe euery one of you in harnesse ouer Iorden before the Lord, vntill he hath cast out his enemies from his sight:
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 vntill the land be subdued before the Lord, then ye shall returne and be innocent toward the Lord, and toward Israel: and this land shalbe your possession 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 ye will not doe so, beholde, ye haue sinned against the Lord, and be sure, that your sinne will finde you out.
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.”
Builde you then cities for your children and folds for your sheepe, and do that ye haue spoke.
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.
Then the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake vnto Moses, saying, Thy seruats will doe as my lorde commandeth:
26 Our wives and children and our cattle and sheep and goats will stay here in the cities in the Gilead area,
Our childre, our wiues, our sheepe, and al our cattell shall remaine there in the cities of Gilead,
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.”
But thy seruants will goe euery one armed to warre before the Lord for to fight, as my lorde saith.
28 So Moses/I gave instructions about them to Eleazar, Joshua, and the leaders of the Israeli tribes.
So concerning them, Moses commanded Eleazar the Priest, and Ioshua the sonne of Nun, and the chiefe fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel:
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.
And Moses said vnto them, If the children of Gad, and the children of Reuben, will go with you ouer Iorden, all armed to fight before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you, ye shall giue the the lad of Gilead for a possessio:
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 goe ouer with you armed, then they shall haue their possessions amog you in the land of Canaan.
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 Reuben answered, saying, As the Lord hath said vnto thy seruants, so will we doe.
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 goe armed before the Lord into the lande of Canaan: that the possession of our inheritance may be to vs on this side Iorden.
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.
So Moses gaue vnto them, euen to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and to halfe the tribe of Manasseh the sonne of Ioseph, the kingdome of Sihon King of the Amorites, and the kingdome of Og King of Bashan, the lande with the cities thereof and coastes, euen the cities of the countrey round about.
34 The people of the tribe of Gad rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,
Then the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,
35 Atroth-Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,
And Atroth, Shophan, and Iazer, and Iogbehah,
36 Beth-Nimrah, and Beth-Haran cities. Those were cities with strong walls around them. And they also built pens for their sheep.
And Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, defenced cities: also sheepe foldes.
37 The people of the tribe of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,
And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kiriathaim,
38 Nebo, Baal-Meon, and Sibmah cities. When they rebuilt Nebo and Baal-Meon, they gave new names to those cities.
And Nebo, and Baal-meon, and turned their names, and Shibmah: and gaue other names vnto the cities which they 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.
And the children of Machir the sonne of Manasseh went to Gilead, and tooke it, and put out the Amorites that dwelt therein.
40 So Moses/I gave Gilead to the family of Makir, and they started to live there.
Then Moses gaue Gilead vnto Machir the sonne of Manasseh, and he dwelt therein.
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 Iair the sonne of Manasseh went and tooke the small townes thereof, and called them Hauoth Iair.
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.
Also Nobah went and tooke Kenath, with the villages thereof and called it Nobah, after his owne name.
