Numbers 32
32
The Tribes of Reuben and Gad Request Land East of the Jordan River
1The tribes of Reuben and Gad had a large number of livestock. They saw that the regions of Jazer and Gilead were a good place for livestock. 2So they came to Moses, the priest Eleazar, and the leaders of the community, and said to them, 3“Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4the land that the Lord won for the community of Israel, is a good place for livestock. Gentlemen, we have livestock. 5Please give us this land as our property. Don’t make us cross the Jordan River.”
6Moses asked the tribes of Gad and Reuben, “Are you going to stay here while the rest of the Israelites go to war? 7That might discourage them from entering the land the Lord has given them. 8That’s what your ancestors did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to take a look at the land. 9They went as far as the Eshcol Valley and saw the land. But then they discouraged the rest of the Israelites from entering the land that the Lord had given them. 10That day the Lord became angry and swore this oath, 11‘None of the people 20 years old or older, who came from Egypt, will see the land I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with an oath. This is because they didn’t wholeheartedly follow me.’ 12Only Caleb (son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite) and Joshua (son of Nun) will get to see the land. This is because they wholeheartedly followed the Lord. 13Since the Lord was angry with the Israelites, he made them wander in the desert for 40 years until the whole generation of those who had done evil in the Lord’s presence was gone.
14“You’re just like your parents! You’re a bunch of sinners trying to make the Lord angry with Israel again. 15If you turn away from him, he will abandon all these people in the desert. You would be responsible for their destruction.”
16Then the tribes of Gad and Reuben came up to Moses and said, “Allow us to build stone fences for our livestock and cities for our families here. 17Then we’ll be ready ⌞to march⌟ in battle formation #32:17 Greek, Latin; Masoretic Text “ready ⌞to march⌟ ahead quickly.” ahead of the other Israelites until we have brought them to their land. Meanwhile our families will live in walled cities, safe from the other people who live here. 18We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received his own land. 19We won’t take possession of any land on the other side of the Jordan River, to the west and beyond. We already have our land here, east of the Jordan.”
20Moses answered, “Do what you have said. In the Lord’s presence have all your armed men get ready for battle. 21Have them cross the Jordan, and fight until the Lord forces out his enemies 22and the land is conquered. Then you may come back. You will have fulfilled your military duty to the Lord and Israel. This land will be your own property in the Lord’s presence.
23“If you don’t do all these things, you will be sinning against the Lord. You can be sure that you will be punished for your sin. 24Build cities for your families and stone fences for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”
25Then the tribes of Gad and Reuben said to Moses, “Sir, we will do as you command. 26Our children, our wives, our livestock, and all our other animals will stay here in the cities of Gilead. 27But in the Lord’s presence we will all get ready for battle and go with you, as you have said.”
28So Moses gave orders about them to the priest Eleazar, Joshua (son of Nun), and the family heads of the tribes of Israel. 29Moses told them, “If the tribes of Gad and Reuben get ready for battle in the Lord’s presence and cross the Jordan River with you and you conquer the land, give them Gilead as their own property. 30If they don’t get ready for battle and go with you, the land they will take possession of must be in Canaan with yours.”
31The tribes of Gad and Reuben answered, “Sir, we will do as the Lord has said. 32We will enter Canaan as armed troops in the Lord’s presence, but the land we will take possession of is here, east of the Jordan.”
33So Moses gave the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of the tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph, the kingdoms of King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan—the whole land with its cities and its surrounding territory.
34The tribe of Gad rebuilt the cities of Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran as walled cities. They also built stone fences for their flocks.
37The tribe of Reuben rebuilt the cities of Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38Nebo, Baal Meon (whose names were changed), and Sibmah. These are the names they gave the cities they rebuilt.
39The descendants of Machir, son of Manasseh, went to Gilead, captured it, and forced out the Amorites who were there. 40So Moses gave Gilead to the people of Machir (the descendants of Manasseh), and they lived there. 41Then Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, captured the settlements in Gilead. He called them Havvoth Jair [Settlements of Jair]. 42Nobah captured Kenath and its villages. He named it Nobah after himself.
Currently Selected:
Numbers 32: GW
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Bemiḏbar (Numbers) 32
32
1And the children of Re’uḇĕn and the children of Gaḏ had much livestock, a large number. And they saw the land of Ya‛zĕr and the land of Gil‛aḏ and saw that the place was a place for livestock.
2So the children of Gaḏ and the children of Re’uḇĕn came and spoke to Mosheh, and to El‛azar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying,
3“Ataroth, and Diḇon, and Ya‛zĕr, and Nimrah, and Ḥeshbon, and El‛alĕh, and Seḇam, and Neḇo, and Be‛on,
4“the land which יהוה had stricken before the congregation of Yisra’ĕl, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.
5And they said, “If we have found favour in your eyes, let this land be given to your servants as a possession, and do not let us pass over the Yardĕn.”
6And Mosheh said to the children of Gaḏ and to the children of Re’uḇĕn, “Are your brothers to go into the battle while you yourselves sit here?
7“Now why do you discourage the heart of the children of Yisra’ĕl from passing over into the land which יהוה has given them?
8“Thus your fathers did when I sent them away from Qaḏĕsh Barnĕa to see the land.
9“For when they went up to the wadi Eshkol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Yisra’ĕl, so that they did not go into the land which יהוה had given them.
10Then the displeasure of יהוה burned on that day, and He swore an oath, saying,”
11Not one of the men who came up from Mitsrayim, from twenty years old and above, is to see the land of which I swore to Aḇraham, Yitsḥaq, and Ya‛aqoḇ, because they did not follow Me completely,
12except Kalĕḇ son of Yephunneh, the Qenizzite, and Yehoshua son of Nun, for they have followed יהוה completely.’
13“So the displeasure of יהוה burned against Yisra’ĕl, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the eyes of יהוה was destroyed.
14“And see, you have risen in your father’s place, an increase of men, sinners, to add still more the burning displeasure of יהוה against Yisra’ĕl.
15For if you turn away from following Him, He shall once again leave them in the wilderness, and you shall destroy all these people.
16Then they came near to him and said, “Let us build sheep-enclosures here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones,
17but let us ourselves be armed, hastening before the children of Yisra’ĕl until we have brought them to their place. And our little ones shall dwell in the walled cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
18“We shall not return to our homes until every one of the children of Yisra’ĕl has received his inheritance.
19“For we shall not inherit with them on the other side of the Yardĕn and beyond, because our inheritance has fallen to us on this eastern side of the Yardĕn.”
20And Mosheh said to them, “If you make this promise: if you arm yourselves before יהוה for battle,
21and all your armed ones pass over the Yardĕn before יהוה until He has driven out His enemies from before Him,
22and the land has been subdued before יהוה, then afterward you shall return, and be guiltless before יהוה and before Yisra’ĕl. And this land shall be your possession before יהוה.
23“But if you do not do so, then see, you shall sin against יהוה, and know: your sin is going to find you out.
24“Build cities for your little ones and enclosures for your sheep, and do what you have promised.”
25And the children of Gaḏ and the children of Re’uḇĕn spoke to Mosheh, saying, “Your servants are going to do as my master commands.
26“Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock are going to be there in the cities of Gil‛aḏ,
27“but your servants are passing over, every armed one of the army, before יהוה, to battle, as my master says.
28And Mosheh gave command concerning them to El‛azar the priest, to Yehoshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Yisra’ĕl.
29And Mosheh said to them, “If the children of Gaḏ and the children of Re’uḇĕn pass over the Yardĕn with you, every man armed for battle before יהוה, and the land has been subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gil‛aḏ as a possession.
30But if they do not pass over armed with you, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Kena‛an.
31Then the children of Gaḏ and the children of Re’uḇĕn answered, saying, “As יהוה has said to your servants, so we do.
32We ourselves are passing over armed before יהוה into the land of Kena‛an, but the possession of our inheritance remains with us beyond the Yardĕn.
33So Mosheh gave to the children of Gaḏ, to the children of Re’uḇĕn, and to half the tribe of Menashsheh, son of Yosĕph, the reign of Siḥon sovereign of the Amorites and the reign of Oḡ sovereign of Bashan, the land with its cities within the borders, the cities of the land round about.
34And the children of Gaḏ built Diḇon and Ataroth and Aro‛ĕr,
35and Atroth, Shophan and Ya‛zĕr and Yoḡbehah,
36and Bĕyth Nimrah and Bĕyth Haran, walled cities, and enclosures for sheep.
37And the children of Re’uḇĕn built Ḥeshbon and El‛alĕh and Qiryathayim,
38Neḇo and Ba‛al Me‛on – the names being changed – and Shiḇmah. And they gave other names to the cities which they built.
39And the sons of Maḵir son of Menashsheh went to Gil‛aḏ and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it.
40So Mosheh gave Gil‛aḏ to Maḵir, son of Menashsheh, and he dwelt in it.
41And Ya’ir son of Menashsheh went and took its small towns, and called them Ḥawoth Ya’ir.
42And Noḇaḥ went and took Qenath and its villages, and he called it Noḇaḥ, after his own name.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Copyright© 1993 – 2015 by the Institute for Scripture Research (ISR). All rights reserved.