Numbers 32
32
Tribes East of the Jordan River
1The tribes of Reuben and Gad had many cattle. These people looked at the land near Jazer and Gilead. They saw that this land was good for their cattle. 2So the people from the tribes of Reuben and Gad came to Moses. They spoke to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the people. 3-4They said, “We, your servants, have many cattle. And the land that the Lord let the people of Israel capture is good land for cattle. This land includes the area around Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sibmah,#32:3-4 Sibmah Or “Sebam.” Nebo, and Beon. 5If it pleases you, we would like this land to be given to us. Don’t take us to the other side of the Jordan River.”
6Moses told the people from the tribes of Reuben and Gad, “Will you let your brothers go and fight while you settle here? 7Why are you trying to discourage the Israelites? You will make them not want to cross the river and take the land that the Lord has given to them! 8Your fathers did the same thing to me. In Kadesh Barnea I sent spies to look at the land. 9These men went as far as Eshcol Valley. They saw the land, and they discouraged the Israelites. These men made the Israelites not want to go into the land that the Lord had given to them. 10The Lord became very angry with the people. He made this promise: 11‘None of the people who came from Egypt and are 20 years old or older will be allowed to see this land. I made a promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I promised to give this land to these people, but they did not really follow me. 12Only Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun really followed the Lord!’
13“The Lord was very angry with the Israelites. So he made the people stay in the desert for 40 years. He made them stay there until all the people who had sinned against the Lord were dead. 14And now you are doing the same thing that your fathers did. You sinful people, do you want the Lord to be even more angry with his people? 15If you stop following the Lord, he will make Israel stay even longer in the desert. Then you will destroy all these people!”
16But the people from the tribes of Reuben and Gad went to Moses. They said, “We will build cities for our children and barns for our animals here. 17Then our children can be safe from the other people who live in this land. But we will gladly come and help the other Israelites. We will bring them to their land. 18We will not come back home until everyone in Israel has taken his part of the land. 19We will not take any of the land west of the Jordan River. No, our part of the land is east of the Jordan River.”
20So Moses told them, “If you do all these things, this land will belong to you. But your soldiers must go before the Lord into battle. 21Your soldiers must cross the Jordan River and be ready to fight for the Lord until he forces the enemy to leave. 22After the Lord helps us all take the land, you can go back home. Then the Lord and Israel will not think that you are guilty. And the Lord will let you have this land. 23But if you don’t do these things, you will be sinning against the Lord. And know for sure that you will be punished for your sin. 24Build cities for your children and barns for your animals. But then, you must do what you promised.”
25Then the people from the tribes of Gad and Reuben said to Moses, “We are your servants. You are our master, so we will do what you say. 26Our wives, children, and all our animals will stay in the cities of Gilead. 27But we, your servants, will cross the Jordan River. We will march before the Lord into battle, as our master says.”
28So Moses, Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and all the leaders of the tribes of Israel heard them make that promise. 29Moses said to them, “The people of Gad and Reuben will cross the Jordan River. They will march before the Lord into battle. They will help you take the land. And you will give the land of Gilead as their part of the country. 30But if they do not cross the river with you ready to fight, they will not get any land on this side. They will get only a share of the land of Canaan with the rest of you.”
31The people of Gad and Reuben answered, “We promise to do what the Lord commanded. 32We will cross the Jordan River and march before the Lord into the land of Canaan. And our part of the country is the land east of the Jordan River.”
33So Moses gave that land to the people of Gad, to the people of Reuben, and to half the tribe of Manasseh. (Manasseh was Joseph’s son.) That land included the kingdom of Sihon the Amorite and the kingdom of King Og of Bashan and all the cities around that area.
34The people of Gad built the cities of Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran. They built cities with strong walls, and they built barns for their animals.
37The people of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38Nebo, Baal Meon, and Sibmah. They used the names of the cities that they rebuilt. But they changed the names of Nebo and Baal Meon.
39People from Makir’s family group went to Gilead.#32:39 Gilead Here, this seems to refer to a city, perhaps Ramoth Gilead. But it might refer to the whole area. See Hos. 6:8. (Makir was Manasseh’s son.) They defeated the city. They defeated the Amorites who lived there. 40So Moses gave Gilead to Makir from the tribe of Manasseh, and his family settled there. 41Jair, from the family of Manasseh, defeated the small towns there. Then he called them Towns of Jair. 42Nobah defeated Kenath and the small towns near it. Then he called that place by his own name.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
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 favor 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 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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