< Numbers 32 >

1 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;
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 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the princes of the congregation, saying,
They came to Moses and Eleazar the priest, and the princes of the multitude, and said:
3 Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,
Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nemra, Hesebon, and Eleale, and Saban, and Nebo, and Beon,
4 Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:
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 Therefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given to thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.
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 And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?
And Moses answered them: What, shall your brethren go to fight, and will you sit here?
7 And why discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?
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 Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land.
Was it not thus your fathers did, when I sent from Cadesbarne to view the land?
9 For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.
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 And the LORD’S anger was kindled the same time, and he swore, saying,
And he swore in his anger, saying:
11 Surely none of the men that came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:
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,
12 Except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.
Except Caleb the son of Jephone the Cenezite, and Josue the son of Nun: these have fulfilled my will.
13 And the LORD’S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.
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, behold, ye have risen up in your fathers’ stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel.
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 For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and he shall destroy all this people.
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 And they came near to him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:
But they coming near, said: We will make sheepfolds, and stalls for our cattle, and strong cities for our children:
17 But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
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 houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.
We will not return into our houses until the children of Israel possess their inheritance:
19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of Jordan, or beyond; because our inheritance hath fallen to us on this side of Jordan eastward.
Neither will we seek any thing beyond the Jordan, because we have already our possession on the east side thereof,
20 And Moses said to them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war,
And Moses said to them: If you do what you promise, go on well appointed for war before the Lord:
21 And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,
And let every fighting man pass over the Jordan, until the Lord overthrow his enemies:
22 And the land shall be subdued before the LORD: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD.
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 ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.
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 Build for yourselves cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.
Build therefore cities for your children, and folds and stalls for your sheep and beasts, and accomplish what you have promised.
25 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.
And the children of Gad and Ruben said to Moses: We are thy servants, we will do what my lord commandeth.
26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:
We will leave our children, and our wives and sheep and cattle, in the cities of Galaad:
27 But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith.
And we thy servants all well appointed will march on to the war, as thou, my lord, speakest.
28 So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel:
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 And Moses said to them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed for battle, before the LORD, and the land shall be subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession:
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 will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.
But if they will not pass armed with you into the land of Chanaan, let them receive places to dwell in among you.
31 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD hath said to thy servants, so will we do.
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 pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be ours.
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 And Moses gave to them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and to half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with its cities within the borders, even the cities of the surrounding country.
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 And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,
And the sons of Cad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,
35 And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,
And Etroth, and Sophan, and Jazer, and Jegbaa,
36 And Bethnimrah, and Bethharan, fortified cities: and folds for sheep.
And Bethnemra, and Betharan, fenced cities, and folds for their cattle.
37 And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,
But the children of Ruben built Hesebon, and Eleale, and Cariathaim,
38 And Nebo, and Baalmeon, (their names being changed, ) and Shibmah: and gave other names to the cities which they built.
And Nabo, and Baalmeon (their names being changed) and Sabama: giving names to the cities which they had built.
39 And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite who was in it.
Moreover the children of Machir, the son of Manasses, went into Galaad, and wasted it, cutting off the Amorrhites, the inhabitants thereof.
40 And Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt in it.
And Moses gave the land of Galaad to Machir the son of Manasses, and he dwelt in it.
41 And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its small towns, and called them Havothjair.
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 And Nobah went and took Kenath, and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
Nobe also went, and took Canath with the villages thereof: and he called it by his own name, Nobe.

< Numbers 32 >