1 N ow the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad had very many cattle. And they saw that the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead was a good place for cattle.

Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock. When they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that behold, the place was a place for livestock;

2 S o the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben came and said to Moses and Eleazar the religious leader and the leaders of the people,

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,

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

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

4 t he land which the Lord won in battle in front of the people of Israel, is a land for cattle and your servants have cattle.”

the land which Yahweh struck before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock; and your servants have livestock.”

5 A nd they said, “If we have found favor in your eyes, let this land be given to your servants as our own. Do not take us to the other side of the Jordan.”

They said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Don’t bring us over the Jordan.”

6 B ut Moses said to the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben, “Should your brothers go to war while you sit here?

Moses said to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to the war, and shall you sit here?

7 W hy do you take from the people of Israel the desire to cross over into the land the Lord has given them?

Why do you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which Yahweh has given them?

8 T his is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land.

Your fathers did so when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land.

9 T hey went up to the valley of Eshcol and saw the land. Then they took the desire away from the people of Israel so that they did not go into the land the Lord had given them.

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 Yahweh had given them.

10 S o the Lord’s anger burned on that day, and He swore, saying

Yahweh’s anger burned in that day, and he swore, saying,

11 ‘ None of the men who came up from Egypt, twenty years old and older, will see the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For they did not follow Me with all their heart.

‘Surely none of the men who came up out of 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,

12 O nly Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun will see it. For they have followed the Lord with all their hearts.’

except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun; because they have followed Yahweh completely.’

13 S o the Lord’s anger burned against Israel. He made them travel in the desert forty years, until all the people of that day who had sinned in the eyes of the Lord were destroyed.

Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he made them wander back and forth in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, who had done evil in Yahweh’s sight, was consumed.

14 N ow see, you have grown up in your fathers’ place, children of sinful men. You add still more to the burning anger of the Lord against Israel.

“Behold, you have risen up in your fathers’ place, an increase of sinful men, to increase the fierce anger of Yahweh toward Israel.

15 F or if you turn away from following Him, He will leave them in the desert again and you will destroy all these people.”

For if you turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and you will destroy all these people.”

16 T hen they came near him and said, “We will build safe places for our flocks here, and cities for our little ones.

They came near to him, and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones;

17 B ut we will be ready for battle and will go with the people of Israel until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones will live within the walls of the cities because of the people who live in the land.

but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.

18 W e will not return to our homes until every one of the people of Israel has received his land.

We will not return to our houses, until the children of Israel have each inherited their inheritance.

19 F or we will not have any land among them on the other side of the Jordan. Our land has come to us on this side of the Jordan toward the east.”

For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan, and forward; because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan eastward.”

20 S o Moses said to them, “Do as you say. Get ready for war before the Lord.

Moses said to them, “If you will do this thing, if you will arm yourselves to go before Yahweh to the war,

21 A ll of you men of war cross over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven away those who fight against Him,

and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before Yahweh, until he has driven out his enemies from before him,

22 a nd has won the land in battle. Then after this you may return because you have done your duty to the Lord and to Israel. This land will be your land before the Lord.

and the land is subdued before Yahweh; then afterward you shall return, and be guiltless towards Yahweh, and towards Israel; and this land shall be to you for a possession before Yahweh.

23 B ut if you do not do as you say, you have sinned against the Lord. And for sure you will be punished for your sin.

“But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against Yahweh; and be sure your sin will find you out.

24 B uild cities for your little ones and places for your sheep. Then do what you have promised.”

Build cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which has proceeded out of your mouth.”

25 T he sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben said to Moses, “Your servants will do just as my lord says.

The children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, “Your servants will do as my lord commands.

26 O ur little ones, our wives, our flocks and all our cattle will stay there in the cities of Gilead.

Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock, shall be there in the cities of Gilead;

27 B ut your servants, everyone who is ready for war, will cross over before the Lord to battle, just as my lord says.”

but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before Yahweh to battle, as my lord says.”

28 S o Moses gave news about them to Eleazar the religious leader, Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’ houses of the families of the people of Israel.

So Moses commanded concerning them to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’ households of the tribes of the children of Israel.

29 M oses said to them, “The sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben, every man ready for battle, are to cross with you over the Jordan before the Lord, and the land will be won. After this, you must give them the land of Gilead for their own.

Moses said to them, “If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man who is armed to battle, before Yahweh, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession;

30 B ut if they will not cross over with you ready for battle, their land must be among you in the land of Canaan.”

but if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.”

31 T he sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben answered, “We will do as the Lord has said to your servants.

The children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, “As Yahweh has said to your servants, so will we do.

32 W e will cross over into the land of Canaan ready for battle before the Lord. And the land on this side of the Jordan will be ours.”

We will pass over armed before Yahweh into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.”

33 S o Moses gave the nations of Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan to the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben and the half-family group of Joseph’s son Manasseh. He gave them the land, with its cities and the country around them.

Moses gave to them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and to 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, according to its cities and borders, even the cities of the surrounding land.

34 T hen the sons of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

The children of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

35 A trothshophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

Atrothshophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

36 B ethnimrah and Beth-haran, cities with walls around them. And they made safe places for their sheep.

Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran: fortified cities, and folds for sheep.

37 T he sons of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

The children of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

38 N ebo and Baal-meon (their names to be changed), and Sibmah. And they gave other names to the cities they built.

Nebo, and Baal Meon, (their names being changed), and Sibmah. They gave other names to the cities which they built.

39 T he sons of Manasseh’s son Machir went to Gilead and took it. They drove away the Amorites who were in it.

The children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were therein.

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

Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh; and he lived therein.

41 J air the son of Manasseh went and took its towns, and called them Havvoth-jair.

Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its towns, and called them Havvoth Jair.

42 N obah went and took Kenath and its towns, and called it Nobah after his own name.

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