Numbers 32

1. And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock. And when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, behold, the place was a place for livestock.

2. And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the priest, and to the rulers of the congregation, saying,

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

4. The land which the LORD struck before the congregation of Israel is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.”

5. And they said, “If we have found grace in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession; do not bring us over Jordan.”

6. And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to war, and shall you sit here?

7. And why do you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD has given them?

8. Thus did your fathers when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land,

9. For when they went up into the valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the hearts of the children of Israel, so that they would not go into the land which the LORD had given them.

10. And the LORD’S anger was kindled at the same time, and He swore, saying,

11. ‘Surely, none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and up, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob because they have not fully followed Me,

12. Except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have fully followed the LORD.’

13. And the LORD’S anger was kindled against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years until all that generation which had done evil in the sight of the LORD was destroyed.

14. And behold, you are risen up in your fathers’ stead, an increase of sinful men, to add still more to the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel.

15. For if you turn away from following Him, He will yet again leave them in the wilderness. And you shall destroy all this people.”

16. And they came near to him and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones,

17. But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place. And our little ones shall live in the fenced cities because of those who live in the land.

18. We will not return to our houses until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.

19. For we will not inherit with them on the other side of Jordan, or forward, because our inheritance has fallen to us on this side of Jordan, eastward.”

20. And Moses said to them, “If you will do this thing, if you will go armed before the LORD to war,

21. And all of you will go armed over Jordan before the LORD until He has driven out His enemies from before Him,

22. And the land is subdued before the LORD, then afterwards you shall return and be guiltless before the LORD and
before Israel. And this land shall be your possession before the LORD.

23. But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD. And be sure your sin will find you out.

24. Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do that which has come out of your mouth.

25. And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses saying,”Your servants will do as my lord commands.

26. Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock shall be there in the cities of Gilead.

27. But your servants will go over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle as my lord says.”

28. So regarding them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of
the tribes of the children of Israel.

29. And Moses said to them, “If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will go with you over Jordan, each armed to battle before the LORD, and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession.

30. But if they will not go over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.”

31. And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, “As the LORD has said to your servants, so we will do.

32. We will go over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan so that the possession of our inheritance on this side of the Jordan may be ours.”

33. And 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 king of Bashan, the land with its cities in the borders, the cities of the land all around.

34. And the children of Gad built Dibon and Ataroth and Aroer,

35. And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,

36. And Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran, fortified cities. And they built folds for sheep.

37. And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,

38. And Nebo, and Baal Meon (their names being changed) and Sibmah, and they gave other names to the cities which they built.

39. And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and put out the Amorite who was in it.

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

41. And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns of it, and called them Havoth Jair.

42. And Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah after his own name