Numbers 32

1 Now the sons of Ruben and of Gad had many herds, and their substance in cattle was inestimable. And when they had seen that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for feeding animals,

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 they went to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest and the leaders of the multitude, and they 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 “Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Sebam, 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 the Lord has struck in the sight of the sons of Israel, is a very fertile region for pasturing animals. And we, your servants, have very many 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 so we beseech you, if we have found favor before you, that you give it to us, your subjects, as a possession, and that you not cause 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 And Moses answered them: “Should your brothers go to battle, while you sit here?

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

7 Why do you subvert the minds of the sons of Israel, so that they might not dare to cross into the place which the Lord will give to them?

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

8 Did not your fathers act in the same way, when I sent them 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 And when they had gone all the way to the Valley of the Cluster of Grapes, having viewed the entire region, they subverted the hearts of the sons of Israel, so that they would not enter into the parts that the Lord gave 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 being angry, the Lord swore an oath, saying:

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

11 ‘These men, who ascended out of Egypt, from twenty years and above, will not see the land, which I have promised under an oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For they were not willing to follow 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 except Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun; these have fulfilled my will.’

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

13 And the Lord, being angry against Israel, led them in a course through the desert for forty years, until the entire generation, which had done evil in his sight, was consumed.

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 behold,” he said, “you have risen up in the place of your fathers, the offshoots and the nurslings of sinful men, in order to augment the fury of the Lord against 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 But if you are not willing to follow him, he will leave the people behind in the wilderness, and you will have been the cause of all our deaths.”

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

16 But approaching closer, they said: “We will manufacture sheep pens and cattle stalls, as well as fortified cities, for our little ones.

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

17 But we ourselves will continue on, armed and girded for battle, before the sons of Israel, until we lead them to their places. Our little ones, and whatever we may be able to have, shall be in walled cities, because of the treachery of the inhabitants.

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 will not return to our houses, even until the sons of Israel may possess their inheritance.

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

19 Neither will we seek anything across the Jordan, because we already have our possession on its eastern side.”

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 said to them: “If you accomplish what you have promised, you may go out, equipped for battle, before the Lord.

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

21 And let every fighting man cross over the Jordan, until the Lord overthrows his enemies,

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 all the land is subjected to him. Then you will be guiltless with the Lord and with Israel, and you will obtain the regions which you desire before 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 do not do what you have said, no one could doubt that you will have sinned against God. And know this: your sin shall overtake 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 Therefore, build cities for your little ones, and pens and stables for your sheep and cattle; and fulfill what you have promised.”

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

25 And the sons of Gad and of Ruben said to Moses: “We are your servants, we shall do what you, our ruler, orders.

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

26 We will leave behind our little ones, and our wives, and the sheep and cattle, in the cities of Gilead.

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

27 And we, your servants, all well-equipped, will go forth to battle, just as you, our ruler, has spoken.”

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

28 Therefore, Moses instructed Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the princes of the families throughout the tribes of Israel, and he said to them:

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 “If the sons of Gad and the sons of Ruben cross over the Jordan with you, all armed for war before the Lord, and if the land becomes subject to you, give them Gilead as 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 But if they are not willing to cross with you, armed, into the land of Canaan, then let them receive places among you for their dwellings.”

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 Ruben responded: “Just as the Lord has spoken to his servants, so shall 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 will go forth, armed, before the Lord into the land of Canaan; and we acknowledge that we have already received our possession across 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 so, Moses gave to the sons of Gad and of Ruben, 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, and their land with its surrounding cities.

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 Therefore, the sons of Gad built up Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

The descendants of Gad rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

35 and Atroth and Shophan, and Jazer, and Jogbehah,

Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

36 and Beth-Nimrah, and Beth-Haran, as fortified cities with pens for their cattle.

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

37 Yet truly, the sons of Ruben built up Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kiriathaim,

The descendants of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

38 and Nebo, and Baal-meon (their names having been changed) and Sibmah, appointing names for the cities which they had built.

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

39 Moreover, the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, continued on within Gilead, and they devastated it, putting to death its inhabitant, the Amorite.

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

40 Therefore, Moses gave the land of Gilead to Machir, the son of Manasseh, and he lived in it.

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

41 But Jair, the son of Manasseh, went out and occupied its villages, which he called Havoth Jair, that is, the Villages of Jair.

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

42 Likewise, Nobah went forth and captured Kenath with its villages. And he called it by his own name, Nobah.

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