Numbers 32
32
The Tribes East of the Jordan
1The people of Reuben and Gad had large flocks and herds. When they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were good for the animals, 2they came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the people. 3-4They said, “We, your servants, have flocks and herds. The Lord has captured for the Israelites a land that is good for animals—the land around Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon. 5If it pleases you, we would like this land to be given to us. Don’t make us cross the Jordan River.”
6Moses told the people of Gad and Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to war while you stay behind? 7You will discourage the Israelites from going over to the land the Lord has given them. 8Your ancestors did the same thing. I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look at the land. 9They went as far as the Valley of Eshcol, and when they saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from going into the land the Lord had given them. 10The Lord became very angry that day and made this promise: 11‘None of the people who came from Egypt and who are twenty years old or older will see the land that I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These people have not followed me completely. 12Only Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun followed the Lord completely.’
13“The Lord was angry with Israel, so he made them wander in the desert for forty years. Finally all the people who had sinned against the Lord died, 14and now you are acting just like your ancestors! You sinful people are making the Lord even more angry with Israel. 15If you quit following him, it will add to their stay in the desert, and you will destroy all these people.”
16Then the Reubenites and Gadites came up to Moses and said, “We will build pens for our animals and cities for our children here. 17Then our children will be in strong, walled cities, safe from the people who live in this land. Then we will prepare for war. We will help the other Israelites get their land, 18and we will not return home until every Israelite has received his land. 19We won’t take any of the land west of the Jordan River; our part of the land is east of the Jordan.”
20So Moses told them, “You must do these things. You must go before the Lord into battle 21and cross the Jordan River armed, until the Lord forces out the enemy. 22After the Lord helps us take the land, you may return home. You will have done your duty to the Lord and Israel, and you may have this land as your own.
23“But if you don’t do these things, you will be sinning against the Lord; know for sure that you will be punished for your sin. 24Build cities for your children and pens for your animals, but then you must do what you promised.”
25The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “We are your servants, and we will do what you, our master, command. 26Our children, wives, and all our cattle will stay in the cities of Gilead, 27but we, your servants, will prepare for battle. We will go over and fight for the Lord, as you, our master, have said.”
28So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the leaders of the tribes of Israel. 29Moses said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites prepare for battle and cross the Jordan River with you, to go before the Lord and help you take the land, give them the land of Gilead for their own. 30But if they do not go over armed, they will not receive it; their land will be in Canaan with you.”
31The Gadites and Reubenites answered, “We are your servants, and we will do as the Lord said. 32We will cross over into Canaan and go before the Lord ready for battle. But our land will be east of the Jordan River.”
33So Moses gave that land to the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and East Manasseh. (Manasseh was Joseph’s son.) That land had been the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan, as well as all the cities and the land around them.
34The Gadites rebuilt the cities of Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran. These were strong, walled cities. And they built sheep pens.
37The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38Nebo, Baal Meon, and Sibmah. They renamed Nebo and Baal Meon when they rebuilt them.
39The descendants of Makir son of Manasseh went and captured Gilead and forced out the Amorites who were there. 40So Moses gave Gilead to the family of Makir son of Manasseh, and they settled there. 41Jair son of Manasseh went out and captured the small towns there, and he called them the Towns of Jair. 42Nobah went and captured Kenath and the small towns around it; then he named it Nobah after himself.
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Numbers 32: NCV
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Numbers 32
32
The Transjordan tribes
1The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for livestock. 2So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community, and said, 3‘Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon – 4the land the Lord subdued before the people of Israel – are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock. 5If we have found favour in your eyes,’ they said, ‘let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.’
6Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, ‘Should your fellow Israelites go to war while you sit here? 7Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them? 8This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. 9After they went up to the Valley of Eshkol and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. 10The Lord’s anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath: 11“Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more when they came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – 12not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.” 13The Lord’s anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.
14‘And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel. 15If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.’
16Then they came up to him and said, ‘We would like to build pens here for our livestock and cities for our women and children. 17But we will arm ourselves for battle#32:17 Septuagint; Hebrew will be quick to arm ourselves and go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. 18We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has received their inheritance. 19We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.’
20Then Moses said to them, ‘If you will do this – if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle 21and if all of you who are armed cross over 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 from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession before the Lord.
23‘But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. 24Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks, but do what you have promised.’
25The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, ‘We your servants will do as our lord commands. 26Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead. 27But your servants, every man who is armed for battle, will cross over to fight before the Lord, just as our lord says.’
28Then Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes. 29He said to them, ‘If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you, you must give them the land of Gilead as their possession. 30But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan.’
31The Gadites and Reubenites answered, ‘Your servants will do what the Lord has said. 32We will cross over before the Lord into Canaan armed, but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan.’
33Then Moses gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites and 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 whole land with its cities and the territory around them.
34The Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and built pens for their flocks. 37And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh and Kiriathaim, 38as well as Nebo and Baal Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.
39The descendants of Makir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it and drove out the Amorites who were there. 40So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites, the descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there. 41Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called them Havvoth Jair.#32:41 Or them the settlements of Jair 42And Nobah captured Kenath and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah after himself.
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