Numbers 32
32
Transjordan Settlements
1The Reubenites and Gadites had a very large number of livestock. When they surveyed the lands of Jazer # Nm 21:32; Jos 13:25; 21:39; 2Sm 24:5 and Gilead, they saw that the region was a good one for livestock. 2So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community and said: 3“The territory of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, # Sam, LXX read Sibmah (v. 38); Syr reads Sebah Nebo, and Beon, # Nm 21:30; 33:47; Dt 32:49; 1Ch 5:8; Is 15:2; 46:1; Jr 48:1,22 4which the Lord struck down # Nm 21:24 before the community of Israel, # Nm 21:24,34 is good land for livestock, and your servants own livestock.” 5They said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Don’t make us cross the Jordan.”
6But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your brothers go to war while you stay here? 7Why are you discouraging # Lit discouraging the hearts of the Israelites from crossing into the land the Lord has given them? 8That’s what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. # Nm 13:1-3,32-33; Dt 1:22-28 9After they went up as far as Eshcol Valley and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. 10So the Lord’s anger burned that day, and He swore an oath: # Dt 1:34-36 11‘Because they did not follow Me completely, # Nm 14:22-24,29-30 none of the men 20 years old or more who came up from Egypt will see the land I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob # Nm 14:29 — 12none except Caleb # Nm 14:6,24,30,38; 26:65; Dt 1:36; Jos 14:6,8-9; 15:7 son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua # Ex 33:11; Nm 27:18-23 son of Nun, because they did follow the Lord completely.’ 13The Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness 40 years until the whole generation that had done what was evil in the Lord’s sight was gone. # Nm 14:33-35; 26:64-65 14And here you, a brood of sinners, stand in your fathers’ place adding even more to the Lord’s burning anger against Israel. 15If you turn back from following Him, # Jos 22:16-18; 2Ch 7:19-20 He will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will destroy all of them.”
16Then they approached him and said, “We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our dependents. 17But we will arm ourselves and be ready to go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. # Dt 3:18; Jos 1:13-15; 4:12-13 Meanwhile, our dependents will remain in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has taken possession of his inheritance. # Jos 22:4,9 19Yet we will not have an inheritance with them across the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance will be across the Jordan to the east.” # Jos 13:8
20Moses replied to them, “If you do this — if you arm yourselves for battle before the Lord, 21and every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven His enemies from His presence, 22and the land is subdued before the Lord — afterward you may return and be free from obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the Lord. 23But if you don’t do this, you will certainly sin against the Lord; be sure your sin will catch up with you. 24Build cities for your dependents and folds for your flocks, but do what you have promised.” # Nm 30:2; Jos 1:12-18; 4:12
25The Gadites and Reubenites answered Moses, “Your servants will do just as my lord commands. 26Our little children, wives, livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead, 27but your servants are equipped for war before the Lord and will go across to the battle as my lord orders.”
28So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the family leaders of the Israelite tribes. 29Moses told them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, every man in battle formation before the Lord, and the land is subdued before you, you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession. # Jos 22:9 30But if they don’t go across with you in battle formation, they must accept land in Canaan with you.”
31The Gadites and Reubenites replied, “What the Lord has spoken to your servants is what we will do. 32We will cross over in battle formation before the Lord into the land of Canaan, but we will keep our hereditary possession across the Jordan.”
33So Moses gave them — the Gadites, Reubenites, and half the 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 with the territories surrounding them. # Dt 3:12-17; 29:8; Jos 12:6; 13:8; 22:4 34The Gadites rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran # Jos 13:27 as fortified cities, and built sheepfolds. 37The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38as well as Nebo and Baal-meon (whose names were changed), and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.
39The descendants of Machir # Gn 50:23; Nm 26:29; Jos 17:1,3 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 in it. # Jos 13:31 41Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages, which he renamed Jair’s Villages. # Or renamed Havvoth-jair # Dt 3:14; Jos 13:30; 1Kg 4:13; 1Ch 2:23 42Nobah went and captured Kenath with its villages and called it Nobah after his own name.
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Numbers 32: HCSB
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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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