Numbers 32

1 And much cattle hath been to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad, very many; and they see the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, and lo, the place [is] a place [for] cattle;

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 and the sons of Gad, and the sons of Reuben, come in and speak unto Moses, and unto Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the company, saying:

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 'Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon —

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

4 the land which Jehovah hath smitten before the company of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle.'

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 And they say, 'If we have found grace in thine eyes, let this land be given to thy servants for a possession; cause us not to pass over 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 And Moses saith to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben, 'Do your brethren go in to the battle, and ye — do ye sit here?

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

7 and why discourage ye the heart of the sons of Israel from passing over unto the land which Jehovah hath given to them?

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

8 'Thus did your fathers in my sending them from Kadesh-Barnea to see the land;

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

9 and they go up unto the valley of Eshcol, and see the land, and discourage the heart of the sons of Israel so as not to go in unto the land which Jehovah hath given to 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 and the anger of Jehovah burneth in that day, and He sweareth, saying,

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

11 They do not see — the men who are coming up out of Egypt from a son of twenty years and upward — the ground which I have sworn to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, for they have not been fully after 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 save Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua son of Nun, for they have been fully after Jehovah;

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

13 and the anger of Jehovah burneth against Israel, and He causeth them to wander in the wilderness forty years, until the consumption of all the generation which is doing the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah.

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 'And lo, ye have risen in the stead of your fathers, an increase of men — sinners, to add yet to the fury of the anger of Jehovah toward 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 when ye turn back from after Him, then He hath added yet to leave him in the wilderness, and ye have done corruptly to all this people.'

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

16 And they come nigh unto him, and say, 'Folds for the flock we build for our cattle here, and cities for our infants;

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

17 and we — we are armed hasting before the sons of Israel till that we have brought them in unto their place; and our infants have dwelt in the cities of defence because of the inhabitants of the land;

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 do not turn back unto our houses till the sons of Israel have inherited each his inheritance,

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

19 for we do not inherit with them beyond the Jordan and yonder, for our inheritance hath come unto us beyond the Jordan at the [sun] -rising.'

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 And Moses saith unto them, 'If ye do this thing: if ye are armed before Jehovah for battle,

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

21 and every armed one of you hath passed over the Jordan before Jehovah, till his dispossessing His enemies from before 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 and the land hath been subdued before Jehovah — then afterwards ye do turn back, and have been acquitted by Jehovah, and by Israel; and this land hath been to you for a possession before Jehovah.

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 'And if ye do not so, lo, ye have sinned against Jehovah, and know ye your sin, that it doth find 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 build for yourselves cities for your infants, and folds for your flock, and that which is going out from your mouth do ye.'

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

25 And the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben speak unto Moses, saying, 'Thy servants do as my lord is commanding;

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

26 our infants, our wives, our cattle, and all our beasts, are there in cities of Gilead,

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

27 and thy servants pass over, every armed one of the host, before Jehovah, to battle, as my lord is saying.'

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

28 And Moses commandeth concerning them Eleazar the priest, and Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the sons 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 and Moses saith unto them, 'If the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben pass over with you the Jordan, every one armed for battle, before Jehovah, and the land hath been subdued before you, then ye have given to them the land of Gilead for a possession;

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 and if they do not pass over armed with you, then they have possessions in your midst in the land 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 And the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben answer, saying, 'That which Jehovah hath spoken unto thy servants — so we do;

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 — we pass over armed before Jehovah [to] the land of Canaan, and with us [is] the possession of our inheritance beyond 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 And Moses giveth to them, to the sons of Gad, and to the sons of Reuben, and to the half of the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorite, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land by its cities, in the borders, the cities of the land round about.

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 And the sons of Gad build Dihon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

The descendants of Gad rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

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

Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

36 and Beth-Nimrah, and Beth-Haran, cities of defence, and sheepfolds.

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

37 And the sons of Reuben have build Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,

The descendants of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

38 and Nebo, and Baal-Meon (changed in name), and Shibmah, and they call by [these] names the names of the cities which they have built.

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

39 And sons of Machir son of Manasseh go to Gilead, and capture it, and dispossess the Amorite, who [is] in it;

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

40 and Moses giveth Gilead to Machir son of Manasseh, and he dwelleth in it.

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

41 And Jair son of Manasseh hath gone and captureth their towns, and calleth them 'Towns of Jair;'

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

42 and Nobah hath gone and captureth Kenath, and its villages, and calleth it Nobah, by his own name.

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