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
1And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had much cattle, a very great multitude; and they saw the land of Jaazer, and the land of Gilead, and behold, the place was a place for cattle. 2And 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 assembly, saying, 3Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jaazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elaleh, and Sebam, and Nebo, and Beon, 4the country that Jehovah smote before the assembly of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle; 5and they said, If we have found favour in thine eyes, let this land be given to thy servants for a possession: bring us not over the Jordan. 6And Moses said to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye abide here? 7And why do ye discourage the children of Israel from going over into the land that Jehovah has given them? 8Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land: 9they went up to the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, and discouraged the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land that Jehovah had given them. 10And Jehovah's anger was kindled the same time, and he swore, saying, 11If the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land that I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob! for they have not wholly followed me; 12save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun; for they have wholly followed Jehovah. 13And Jehovah's anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation was consumed that had done evil in the eyes of Jehovah. 14And behold, ye are risen up in your fathers' stead, a progeny of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of Jehovah toward Israel. 15If ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.
16And they drew near to him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones; 17but we ourselves will go with diligence armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place; and our little ones shall dwell in the strong cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18We will not return to our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited each one his inheritance. 19For we will not inherit with them on yonder side the Jordan, and further, because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side the Jordan eastward. 20And Moses said to them, If ye do this thing, if ye arm yourselves before Jehovah for war, 21and all of you that are armed go over the Jordan before Jehovah, until he have dispossessed his enemies from before him, 22and the land is subdued before Jehovah, and afterwards ye return, ye shall be guiltless toward Jehovah and toward Israel, and this land shall be your possession before Jehovah. 23But if ye do not do so, behold, ye have sinned against Jehovah, and be sure your sin will find you out. 24Build yourselves cities for your little ones, and folds for your flocks, and do that which has gone out of your mouth. 25And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commands. 26Our little ones, our wives, our cattle, and all our beasts shall be there in the cities of Gilead; 27but thy servants will pass over, every one armed for war, before Jehovah to battle, as my lord says.
28So 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. 29And Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben pass with you over the Jordan, every one armed for battle, before Jehovah, and the land be subdued before you, then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession; 30but if they do not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. 31And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As Jehovah has said to thy servants, so will we do. 32We will pass over armed before Jehovah into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance on this side the Jordan shall be ours. 33And Moses gave to them, to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and to half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og the king of Bashan, the land, according to its cities and territories, the cities of the land round about. 34And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer, 35and Atroth-Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbebah, 36and Beth-Nimrah, and Beth-haran, strong cities, and sheepfolds. 37— And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elaleh, and Kirjathaim, 38and Nebo, and Baal-meon (of which the names were changed), and Sibmah; and they gave other names to the cities that they built. 39— And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and they dispossessed the Amorites that were therein. 40And Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein. 41And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took their hamlets, and called them Havoth-Jair. 42And Nobah went and took Kenath, and its dependent villages, and called it Nobah, after his name.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.