Numbers 32:15-17

New International Version

¹⁵ If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.^(A)”

¹⁶ Then they came up to him and said, “We would like to build pens^(B) here for our livestock^(C) and cities for our women and children. ¹⁷ But we will arm ourselves for battle^[a] and go ahead of the Israelites^(D) until we have brought them to their place.^(E) Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land.