Numbers 32

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

3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,

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

5 “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 But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here?

7 Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land that the LORD has given them?

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

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

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

13 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 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 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 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 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 homes until every Israelite has taken possession of his inheritance.

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

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

22 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 you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.

24 Build cities for your little ones and folds for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”

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

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

27 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 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 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 do not arm themselves and go across with you, then they must accept their possession among you in the land of Canaan.”

31 The Gadites and Reubenites replied, “As the LORD has spoken to your servants, so we will do.

32 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 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 Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

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

37 The Reubenites built up Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

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

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

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

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

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

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;

2 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,

3 Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, 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:

5 Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, [and] bring us not over Jordan.

6 And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?

7 And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?

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

9 For when they went up unto 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.

10 And the LORD'S anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying,

11 Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:

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

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.

14 And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel.

15 For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.

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

17 But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land.

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

19 For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward.

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

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

22 And the land 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.

23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

24 Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.

25 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.

26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there 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.

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:

29 And Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed to battle, before the LORD, and the land shall be subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession:

30 But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions 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 unto thy 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.

33 And Moses gave unto them, [even] to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto 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 the cities thereof in the coasts, [even] the cities of the country round about.

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

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

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

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

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

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

40 And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein.

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

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

1 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had much cattle, and looked upon the land of Jaesher and Gilead for a convenient place for their cattle;

2 And they came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the princes of the congregation:

3 The land of Ataroth, Dibon, Jaeser, Nimrah, Heshbon, Eleale, Zebam, Nebo, and Beon,

4 Which the LORD hath smitten before the congregation of Israel, it is convenient for cattle: and we thy servants have cattle.

5 And they said, If we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants, and let us not pass over Jordan.

6 And Moses said unto them: Your brethren shall go to battle, and ye will tarry here?

7 Why do ye harden the hearts of the children of Israel, that they go not over into the land which the LORD shall give them?

8 So did your fathers, when I sent them forth from Kadeshbarnea, to see the land;

9 And when they were come up to the brook Eshcol, and saw the land, they made the heart of the children of Israel to turn, that they would not enter into the land which the LORD would give them.

10 And the anger of the LORD was kindled at that time, and he sware, and said:

11 For these men which came out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall not see the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they followed me not faithfully;

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

13 So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until there was an end of all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD.

14 And, behold, ye are come up in the place of your fathers, that there should be more sinners, and that ye should provoke the anger and wrath of the LORD against Israel.

15 For wheresoever ye turn from him, he will also longer leave them in the wilderness, and ye shall destroy all this people.

16 And they came near, and said: We will build flocks here for our cattle, and cities for our children;

17 And we will prepare ourselves before the children of Israel, until we bring them into their place. Our children shall dwell in the cities that are shut up, because of the inhabitants of the land.

18 We will not return until the children of Israel take every man his inheritance.

19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side Jordan: but our inheritance shall fall unto us on this side Jordan toward the east.

20 And Moses said unto them: If ye will do this thing, to prepare yourselves to battle before the LORD,

21 Then pass over Jordan before the LORD, he that is armed among you, until he cast out his enemies from before his face,

22 And the land shall be subdued before the LORD: afterward ye shall return, and be blameless before the LORD, and before Israel; and ye shall inherit this land before the LORD.

23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye shall sin against the LORD, and shall know your sin when it findeth you.

24 Now therefore build ye cities for your children, and hedges for your cattle, and do according to all that ye have spoken.

25 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben said unto Moses, Thy servants shall do as my lord hath commanded.

26 Our children, our wives, our goods, and all our cattle, shall be in the cities of Gilead;

27 And we thy servants will all go armed to battle before the LORD, as my lord hath spoken.

28 And Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, on that occasion. 29: And he said unto them: When the children of Gad and the children of Reuben pass over Jordan with you, all armed for war before the LORD, and the land is subject unto you, then give them the land of Gilead for their possession.

30 And if they draw not with you, then they shall inherit with you in the land of Canaan.

31 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered and said: As the LORD spake unto thy servants, so will we do.

32 We will go armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, and possess our inheritance on this side Jordan.

33 And Moses gave unto the children of Gad, and unto the children of Reuben, and unto the half 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 and the cities throughout all the coasts thereof.

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

35 Atroth, Sophan, Jaeser, Jegabeha,

36 Beth-Nimrah and Beth Haran, closed cities and sheepfolds.

37 And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, Eleale, Kiriathaim,

38 Nebo, Baal-meon, and changed the names thereof, and Sibamah; and gave names to the cities which they built.

39 And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went into Gilead, and took it, and drove out the Amorites that were therein.

40 And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein.

41 And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took their villages, and called their name Havoth-jair.

42 And Nobah went and took Knath with her daughters, and called them Nobah after his name.