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;

Now the Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, and they saw that the region was suitable for livestock.

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,

So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, and said,

3 Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,

“Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, 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:

which the LORD conquered before the congregation of Israel, are suitable for livestock—and your servants have livestock.”

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.

“If we have found favor in your sight,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not make us cross 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?

But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, “Shall your brothers go to war while 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 are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land that the LORD has given them?

8 Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land.

This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to inspect 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.

For when your fathers went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land that the LORD had given them.

10 And the LORD’S anger was kindled the same time, and he swore, saying,

So the anger of the LORD was kindled that day, and He swore an oath, 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:

‘Because they did not follow Me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years of age or older who came out of Egypt will see the land that I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—

12 Except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.

not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun—because they did follow the LORD wholeheartedly.’

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.

The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation who had done evil in His sight was gone.

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.

Now behold, you, a brood of sinners, have risen up in place of your fathers to further stoke the burning anger 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 turn away from following Him, He will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.”

16 And they came near to him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:

Then the Gadites and Reubenites approached Moses and said, “We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our little ones.

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.

But we will arm ourselves and be ready to go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Meanwhile, our little ones will remain in the fortified cities for protection from the inhabitants of the land.

18 We will not return to our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.

We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has taken possession of his 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.

Yet we will not have an inheritance with them across the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.”

20 And Moses said to them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war,

Moses replied, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle,

21 And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,

and if every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the LORD, until He has driven His enemies out before Him,

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.

then when the land is subdued before the LORD, you may return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession 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 do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.

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 cities for your little ones and folds for your flocks, but do 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.

The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “Your servants will do just as our lord commands.

26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:

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

27 But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith.

But your servants are equipped for war, and every man will cross over to the battle before the LORD, just as our lord says.”

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:

So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the family leaders of the tribes of Israel.

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:

And Moses said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, with every man armed for battle before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you are to give them the land of Gilead as a 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 do not arm themselves and go across with you, then they must accept their possession among you in the land of Canaan.”

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.

The Gadites and Reubenites replied, “As the LORD has spoken to your servants, so we will 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 cross over into the land of Canaan armed before the LORD, that we may have our inheritance on this side of 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.

So Moses gave to the Gadites, to the Reubenites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the land including its cities and the territory surrounding them.

34 And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

And the Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

35 And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,

Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

36 And Bethnimrah, and Bethharan, fortified cities: and folds for sheep.

Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified cities, and they built folds for their flocks.

37 And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,

The Reubenites built up Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

38 And Nebo, and Baalmeon, (their names being changed, ) and Shibmah: and gave other names to the cities which they built.

as well as Nebo and Baal-meon (whose names were changed), and Sibmah. And they renamed the cities they rebuilt.

39 And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite who was in it.

The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there.

40 And Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt in it.

So Moses gave Gilead to the clan of Machir son of Manasseh, and they settled there.

41 And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its small towns, and called them Havothjair.

Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages and called them Havvoth-jair.

42 And Nobah went and took Kenath, and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.

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