Numbers 32

1 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.

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].

2 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,

So their leaders came to Eleazar and the other leaders of the people and Moses/me. They said,

3 “This is a list of places we have surveyed: Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon.

“We have a great amount of livestock.

4 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.”

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].

5 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.”

If it pleases you, we would like this land to be ours, instead of land on the other side of the Jordan River.”

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

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!

7 Why discourage the hearts of the people of Israel from going over into the land that Yahweh has given them?

[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].

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

Your ancestors did the same kind of thing. I sent them from Kadesh-Barnea to see what the land [of Canaan] was like.

9 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.

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.’

10 Yahweh's anger was kindled on that day. He took an oath and said,

So Yahweh became very angry with them, and he solemnly declared this:

11 '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

‘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].’

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

13 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.

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].

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

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]

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

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!”

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

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.

17 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.

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].

18 We will not return to our houses until every one of the people of Israel has obtained his inheritance.

We will not return to our homes until every Israeli has received some land.

19 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.”

We will not take any land on the west side of the Jordan [River]; our land will be here on the east side.”

20 So Moses replied to them, “If you do what you say, if you arm yourselves to go before Yahweh to war,

So Moses/I told them, “[Okay, I will tell you] what you all must do. You must get ready to fight battles for Yahweh.

21 then every one of your armed men must cross over the Jordan before Yahweh, until he has driven out his enemies from before him

You all must cross the Jordan [River] carrying your weapons.

22 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.

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.

23 But if you do not do so, look, you will have sinned against Yahweh. Be sure that your sin will find you out.

“But if you do not do these things, you will be sinning against Yahweh, and he will punish you for [that] sin.

24 Build cities for your families and pens for your sheep; then do what you have said.”

Now you can build cities for your families and pens for your animals, but after doing that, you must do what you have promised.”

25 The descendants of Gad and Reuben spoke to Moses and said, “Your servants will do as you, our master, commands.

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.

26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will stay there in the cities of Gilead.

Our wives and children and our cattle and sheep and goats will stay here in the cities in the Gilead area,

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

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.”

28 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.

So Moses/I gave instructions about them to Eleazar, Joshua, and the leaders of the Israeli tribes.

29 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.

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.

30 But if they do not cross over with you armed, then they will acquire their possessions among you in the land of Canaan.”

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.”

31 So the descendants of Gad and Reuben answered and said, “As Yahweh has said to us, your servants, this is what we will do.

The [leaders of the tribes of Gad and Reuben] replied, “We will do what you have said and what Yahweh has said.

32 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.”

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].”

33 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.

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.

34 The descendants of Gad rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

The people of the tribe of Gad rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

35 Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

Atroth-Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

36 Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran as fortified cities with pens for sheep.

Beth-Nimrah, and Beth-Haran cities. Those were cities with strong walls around them. And they also built pens for their sheep.

37 The descendants of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

The people of the tribe of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

38 Nebo, Baal Meon—their names were later changed, and Sibmah. They gave other names to the cities that they rebuilt.

Nebo, Baal-Meon, and Sibmah cities. When they rebuilt Nebo and Baal-Meon, they gave new names to those cities.

39 The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it away from the Amorites who were in it.

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.

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

So Moses/I gave Gilead to the family of Makir, and they started to live there.

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

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.

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

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.