Numbers

1Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock. They saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead. Behold, the place was a place for livestock.

2Then 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,

4the land which the LORD struck before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock; and your servants have livestock.”

5They said, “If we have found favour in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Don’t bring us over the Jordan.”

6Moses said to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here?

7Why do you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD has given them?

8Your fathers did so when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land.

9For 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.

10The LORD’s anger burnt in that day, and he swore, saying,

11‘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,

12except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, because they have followed the LORD completely.’

13The LORD’s anger burnt against Israel, and he made them wander back and forth in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation who had done evil in the LORD’s sight was consumed.

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

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

16They came near to him, and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones;

17but 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.

18We will not return to our houses until the children of Israel have all received their inheritance.

19For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan eastward.”

20Moses said to them: “If you will do this thing, if you will arm yourselves to go before the LORD to the war,

21and every one of your armed men will pass over the Jordan before the LORD until he has driven out his enemies from before him,

22and the land is subdued before the LORD; then afterward you shall return, and be clear of obligation to the LORD and to Israel. Then this land shall be your possession before the LORD.

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

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

25The children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, “Your servants will do as my lord commands.

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

27but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord says.”

28So 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.

29Moses 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 the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession;

30but if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions amongst you in the land of Canaan.”

31The children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, “As the LORD has said to your servants, so will we do.

32We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.”

33Moses 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.

34The children of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

35Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

36Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran: fortified cities and folds for sheep.

37The children of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

38Nebo, and Baal Meon, (their names being changed), and Sibmah. They gave other names to the cities which they built.

39The children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were therein.

40Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh; and he lived therein.

41Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its villages, and called them Havvoth Jair.

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

The Tribes East of the Jordan

1Now 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.

2So 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,

4which 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.”

6But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here?

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

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

9For 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.

10So 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—

12not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun—because they did follow the LORD wholeheartedly.’

13The 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.

14Now 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.

15For 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.”

16Then the Gadites and Reubenites approached Moses and said, “We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our little ones.

17But we will arm ourselves and be readyto 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.

18We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has taken possession of his inheritance.

19Yet 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.”

20Moses replied, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle,

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

22then 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.

23But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.

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

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

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

27But your servants are equipped for war, and every man will cross over to the battle before the LORD, just as our lord says.”

28So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the family leaders of the tribes of Israel.

29And 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.

30But if they do not arm themselves and go across with you, then they must accept their possession among you in the land of Canaan.”

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

32We will cross over into the land of Canaan armed before the LORD, that we may have our inheritance on this side of the Jordan.”

33So 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.

34And the Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

35Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

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

37The Reubenites built up Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

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

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

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

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

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