Numbers 32

1 The tribes of Reuben and Gad had large numbers of livestock and saw that the land of Jazer and Gilead was a good place to rear them.

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 they came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the Israelite leaders and said,

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 “The towns of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,

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

4 which the Lord conquered in full view of the Israelites, are well-suited for the livestock that we your servants own.”

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 They continued, “Please respond to our request favorably: give us this land. Don't make us cross 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 In reply Moses asked the tribes of Gad and Reuben, “Are you expecting your brothers to go and fight while you just sit here?

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

7 Why discourage the Israelites from crossing into the country that the Lord has given them?

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

8 This is just what your fathers did when I sent them out from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land.

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

9 After your fathers traveled up the valley of Eshcol and explored the land, they discouraged the Israelites, persuading them not to enter the country that the Lord 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 As a result, they made the Lord very angry that day, and he swore this oath,

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

11 ‘Not a single one of those I saved from Egypt who is twenty years old or older will ever see the land I promised with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they were not completely committed to me—

'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 no one except Caleb, son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua, son of Nun, because they were completely committed to me.’

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

13 The Lord was angry with Israel, and made them wander around in the desert for forty years, until the whole generation who had done evil in his sight had died.

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 Now look at you, you brood of sinners who have come to take your fathers' place to make the Lord even angrier with 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 you give up following him, he will abandon these people in the desert once again, and their deaths will be your fault!”

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 the tribes of Gad and Reuben came to Moses and told him, “We would plan to build stone walls to keep our livestock safe and towns for our children.

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

17 But we will still get ourselves ready for battle, and we will be prepared to lead the Israelites until they can safely occupy their land. In the meantime, our children will stay behind, living in the fortified towns to protect them from the local people.

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 won't return to our homes until every Israelite is in possession of their allotted land.

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

19 However, we won't own any land on the other side of the Jordan because we've received this land to own on this eastern side of the Jordan.”

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 Moses responded, “If this is what you will actually do, if you will get yourselves ready for battle under the Lord's direction,

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

21 and if all your troops cross the Jordan with the Lord until he has driven out his enemies ahead of 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 then once the country is conquered with the Lord's help then you may return, and you will have fulfilled your obligations to the Lord and to Israel. You will own this land, granted to you by the Lord.

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 you fail to do this, you will clearly be sinning against the Lord, and the consequences of your sin will catch up with you.

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

24 Go ahead and build towns for your children and stone walls for your flocks, but make sure you do what you've promised!”

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

25 The tribes of Gad and Reuben promised Moses, “Sir, we your servants will do just as you have ordered.

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

26 Our wives and children, our livestock and all our animals, will all remain here in the towns of Gilead.

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

27 But we your servants are ready for battle, and all our troops will cross over to fight with the Lord's help, just as you have said, sir.”

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

28 Moses gave the following instructions about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua, son of Nun, and to the family leaders of the tribes 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 Moses told them, “If the tribes of Gadites and Reuben cross the Jordan with you, with all their troops ready for battle with the Lord's help, and the land is conquered as you advance, then give them the land of Gilead to own.

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 don't get themselves ready for battle and cross over with you, then they must accept their allotted land among you in the country 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 The tribes of Gad and Reuben responded, “We will do just as the Lord has told us, your servants.

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 cross over and enter the country of Canaan ready for battle with the Lord's help, so that we may have our allotted share of land on this side of 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 Moses gave to the tribes of Gad and Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan. This land included its towns and their surrounding area.

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 The people of Gad rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

The descendants of Gad rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

36 Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified towns, and they built stone walls for their flocks.

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

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

The descendants of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

38 as well as Nebo and Baal-meon (changing their names), and Sibmah. In fact they renamed those towns they rebuilt.

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

39 The descendants of Machir, son of Manasseh, attacked Gilead and captured it. They drove out the Amorites who were living there.

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 to the family of Machir, son of Manasseh, and they settled there.

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

41 Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, attacked their villages and captured them. He named them the Villages of Jair.

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

42 Nobah attacked Kenath and captured it, along with its villages. He named it Nobah after himself.

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