Numbers 32

¹Now the sons of Ruben and of Gad had many herds, and their substance in cattle was inestimable. And when they had seen that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for feeding animals,

²they went to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest and the leaders of the multitude, and they said:

³“Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Sebam, and Nebo, and Beon,

⁴the land, which the Lord has struck in the sight of the sons of Israel, is a very fertile region for pasturing animals. And we, your servants, have very many cattle.

⁵And so we beseech you, if we have found favor before you, that you give it to us, your subjects, as a possession, and that you not cause us cross the Jordan.”

⁶And Moses answered them: “Should your brothers go to battle, while you sit here?

⁷Why do you subvert the minds of the sons of Israel, so that they might not dare to cross into the place which the Lord will give to them?

⁸Did not your fathers act in the same way, when I sent them from Kadesh-Barnea to explore the land?

⁹And when they had gone all the way to the Valley of the Cluster of Grapes, having viewed the entire region, they subverted the hearts of the sons of Israel, so that they would not enter into the parts that the Lord gave to them.

¹⁰And being angry, the Lord swore an oath, saying:

¹¹‘These men, who ascended out of Egypt, from twenty years and above, will not see the land, which I have promised under an oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For they were not willing to follow me,

¹²except Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun; these have fulfilled my will.’

¹³And the Lord, being angry against Israel, led them in a course through the desert for forty years, until the entire generation, which had done evil in his sight, was consumed.

¹⁴And behold,” he said, “you have risen up in the place of your fathers, the offshoots and the nurslings of sinful men, in order to augment the fury of the Lord against Israel.

¹⁵But if you are not willing to follow him, he will leave the people behind in the wilderness, and you will have been the cause of all our deaths.”

¹⁶But approaching closer, they said: “We will manufacture sheep pens and cattle stalls, as well as fortified cities, for our little ones.

¹⁷But we ourselves will continue on, armed and girded for battle, before the sons of Israel, until we lead them to their places. Our little ones, and whatever we may be able to have, shall be in walled cities, because of the treachery of the inhabitants.

¹⁸We will not return to our houses, even until the sons of Israel may possess their inheritance.

¹⁹Neither will we seek anything across the Jordan, because we already have our possession on its eastern side.”

²⁰And Moses said to them: “If you accomplish what you have promised, you may go out, equipped for battle, before the Lord.

²¹And let every fighting man cross over the Jordan, until the Lord overthrows his enemies,

²²and all the land is subjected to him. Then you will be guiltless with the Lord and with Israel, and you will obtain the regions which you desire before the Lord.

²³But if you do not do what you have said, no one could doubt that you will have sinned against God. And know this: your sin shall overtake you.

²⁴Therefore, build cities for your little ones, and pens and stables for your sheep and cattle; and fulfill what you have promised.”

²⁵And the sons of Gad and of Ruben said to Moses: “We are your servants, we shall do what you, our ruler, orders.

²⁶We will leave behind our little ones, and our wives, and the sheep and cattle, in the cities of Gilead.

²⁷And we, your servants, all well-equipped, will go forth to battle, just as you, our ruler, has spoken.”

²⁸Therefore, Moses instructed Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the princes of the families throughout the tribes of Israel, and he said to them:

²⁹“If the sons of Gad and the sons of Ruben cross over the Jordan with you, all armed for war before the Lord, and if the land becomes subject to you, give them Gilead as a possession.

³⁰But if they are not willing to cross with you, armed, into the land of Canaan, then let them receive places among you for their dwellings.”

³¹And the sons of Gad and the sons of Ruben responded: “Just as the Lord has spoken to his servants, so shall we do.

³²We will go forth, armed, before the Lord into the land of Canaan; and we acknowledge that we have already received our possession across the Jordan.”

³³And so, Moses gave to the sons of Gad and of Ruben, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan, and their land with its surrounding cities.

³⁴Therefore, the sons of Gad built up Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

³⁵and Atroth and Shophan, and Jazer, and Jogbehah,

³⁶and Beth-Nimrah, and Beth-Haran, as fortified cities with pens for their cattle.

³⁷Yet truly, the sons of Ruben built up Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kiriathaim,

³⁸and Nebo, and Baal-meon (their names having been changed) and Sibmah, appointing names for the cities which they had built.

³⁹Moreover, the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, continued on within Gilead, and they devastated it, putting to death its inhabitant, the Amorite.

⁴⁰Therefore, Moses gave the land of Gilead to Machir, the son of Manasseh, and he lived in it.

⁴¹But Jair, the son of Manasseh, went out and occupied its villages, which he called Havoth Jair, that is, the Villages of Jair.

⁴²Likewise, Nobah went forth and captured Kenath with its villages. And he called it by his own name, Nobah.

Numbers 32

¹And the sons of Ruben and Gad had many flocks of cattle, and their substance in beasts was infinite. And when they saw the lands of Jazer and Galaad fit for feeding cattle,

²They came to Moses and Eleazar the priest, and the princes of the multitude, and said:

³Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nemra, Hesebon, and Eleale, and Saban, and Nebo, and Beon,

⁴The land, which the Lord hath conquered in the sight of the children of Israel, is a very fertile soil for the feeding of beasts: and we thy servants have very much cattle:

⁵And we pray thee, if we have found favour in thy sight, that thou give it to us thy servants in possession, and make us not pass over the Jordan.

⁶And Moses answered them: What, shall your brethren go to fight, and will you sit here?

⁷Why do ye overturn the minds of the children of Israel, that they may not dare to pass into the place which the Lord hath given them?

⁸Was it not thus your fathers did, when I sent from Cadesbarne to view the land?

⁹And when they were come as far as the valley of the cluster, having viewed all the country, they overturned the hearts of the children of Israel, that they should not enter into the coasts, which the Lord gave them.

¹⁰And he swore in his anger, saying:

¹¹If these men, that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land, which I promised with an oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: because they would not follow me,

¹²Except Caleb the son of Jephone the Cenezite, and Josue the son of Nun: these have fulfilled my will.

¹³And the Lord being angry against Israel, led them about through the desert forty years, until the whole generation, that had done evil in his sight, was consumed.

¹⁴And behold, said he, you are risen up instead of your fathers, the increase and offspring of sinful men, to augment the fury of the Lord against Israel.

¹⁵For if you will not follow him, he will leave the people in the wilderness, and you shall be the cause of the destruction of all.

¹⁶But they coming near, said: We will make sheepfolds, and stalls for our cattle, and strong cities for our children:

¹⁷And we ourselves will go armed and ready for battle before the children of Israel, until we bring them in unto their places. Our little ones, and all we have, shall be in walled cities, for fear of the ambushes of the inhabitants.

¹⁸We will not return into our houses until the children of Israel possess their inheritance:

¹⁹Neither will we seek any thing beyond the Jordan, because we have already our possession on the east side thereof,

²⁰And Moses said to them: If you do what you promise, go on well appointed for war before the Lord:

²¹And let every fighting man pass over the Jordan, until the Lord overthrow his enemies:

²²And all the land be brought under him, then shall you be blameless before the Lord and before Israel, and you shall obtain the countries that you desire, before the Lord.

²³But if you do not what you say, no man can doubt but you sin against God: and know ye, that your sin shall overtake you.

²⁴Build therefore cities for your children, and folds and stalls for your sheep and beasts, and accomplish what you have promised.

²⁵And the children of Gad and Ruben said to Moses: We are thy servants, we will do what my lord commandeth.

²⁶We will leave our children, and our wives and sheep and cattle, in the cities of Galaad:

²⁷And we thy servants all well appointed will march on to the war, as thou, my lord, speakest.

²⁸Moses therefore commanded Eleazar the priest, and Josue the son of Nun, and the princes of the families of all the tribes of Israel, and said to them:

²⁹If the children of Gad, and the children of Ruben pass with you over the Jordan, all armed for war before the Lord, and the land be made subject to you: give them Galaad in possession.

³⁰But if they will not pass armed with you into the land of Chanaan, let them receive places to dwell in among you.

³¹And the children of Gad, and the children of Ruben answered: As the Lord hath spoken to his servants, so will we do:

³²We will go armed before the Lord into the land of Chanaan, and we confess that we have already received our possession beyond the Jordan.

³³Moses therefore gave to the children of Gad and of Ruben, and to the half tribe of Manasses the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sehon king of the Amorrhites, and the kingdom of Og king of Basan, and their land and the cities thereof round about.

³⁴And the sons of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

³⁵And Etroth, and Sophan, and Jazer, and Jegbaa,

³⁶And Bethnemra, and Betharan, fenced cities, and folds for their cattle.

³⁷But the children of Ruben built Hesebon, and Eleale, and Cariathaim,

³⁸And Nabo, and Baalmeon (their names being changed) and Sabama: giving names to the cities which they had built.

³⁹Moreover the children of Machir, the son of Manasses, went into Galaad, and wasted it, cutting off the Amorrhites, the inhabitants thereof.

⁴⁰And Moses gave the land of Galaad to Machir the son of Manasses, and he dwelt in it.

⁴¹And Jair the son of Manasses went, and took the villages thereof, and he called them Havoth Jair, that is to say, the villages of Jair.

⁴²Nobe also went, and took Canath with the villages thereof: and he called it by his own name, Nobe.