Numbers 32:1-33:39

New International Version

The Transjordan Tribes

32 The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks,^(A) saw that the lands of Jazer^(B) and Gilead^(C) were suitable for livestock.^(D) ²So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community,^(E) and said, ³“Ataroth,^(F) Dibon,^(G) Jazer,^(H) Nimrah,^(I) Heshbon,^(J) Elealeh,^(K) Sebam,^(L) Nebo^(M) and Beon^(N)— ⁴the land the Lord subdued^(O) before the people of Israel—are suitable for livestock,^(P) and your servants have livestock. ⁵If we have found favor in your eyes,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.^(Q)”

⁶Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your fellow Israelites go to war while you sit here? ⁷Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them?^(R) ⁸This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land.^(S) ⁹After they went up to the Valley of Eshkol^(T) and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. ¹⁰The Lord’s anger was aroused^(U) that day and he swore this oath:^(V) ¹¹‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more^(W) when they came up out of Egypt^(X) will see the land I promised on oath^(Y) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob^(Z)— ¹²not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’^(AA) ¹³The Lord’s anger burned against Israel^(AB) and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.^(AC)

¹⁴“And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel.^(AD) ¹⁵If 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.^(AE)”

¹⁶Then they came up to him and said, “We would like to build pens^(AF) here for our livestock^(AG) and cities for our women and children. ¹⁷But we will arm ourselves for battle^[a] and go ahead of the Israelites^(AH) until we have brought them to their place.^(AI) Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. ¹⁸We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has received their inheritance.^(AJ) ¹⁹We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance^(AK) has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.”^(AL)

²⁰Then Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle^(AM) ²¹and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him^(AN)— ²²then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return^(AO) and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession^(AP) before the Lord.^(AQ)

²³“But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.^(AR) ²⁴Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks,^(AS) but do what you have promised.^(AT)”

²⁵The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “We your servants will do as our lord commands.^(AU) ²⁶Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead.^(AV) ²⁷But your servants, every man who is armed for battle, will cross over to fight^(AW) before the Lord, just as our lord says.”

²⁸Then Moses gave orders about them^(AX) to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun^(AY) and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes.^(AZ) ²⁹He said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you,^(BA) you must give them the land of Gilead as their possession.^(BB) ³⁰But if they do not cross over^(BC) with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan.^(BD)”

³¹The Gadites and Reubenites answered, “Your servants will do what the Lord has said.^(BE) ³²We will cross over before the Lord into Canaan armed,^(BF) but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan.^(BG)”

³³Then Moses gave to the Gadites,^(BH) the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh^(BI) son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites^(BJ) and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan^(BK)—the whole land with its cities and the territory around them.^(BL)

³⁴The Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,^(BM) ³⁵Atroth Shophan, Jazer,^(BN) Jogbehah,^(BO) ³⁶Beth Nimrah^(BP) and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and built pens for their flocks.^(BQ) ³⁷And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon,^(BR) Elealeh^(BS) and Kiriathaim,^(BT) ³⁸as well as Nebo^(BU) and Baal Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah.^(BV) They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.

³⁹The descendants of Makir^(BW) son of Manasseh went to Gilead,^(BX) captured it and drove out the Amorites^(BY) who were there. ⁴⁰So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites,^(BZ) the descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there. ⁴¹Jair,^(CA) a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called them Havvoth Jair.^[b]^(CB) ⁴²And Nobah captured Kenath^(CC) and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah^(CD) after himself.^(CE)

Stages in Israel’s Journey

33 Here are the stages in the journey^(CF) of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt^(CG) by divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.^(CH) ²At the Lord’s command Moses recorded^(CI) the stages in their journey^(CJ). This is their journey by stages:

³The Israelites set out^(CK) from Rameses^(CL) on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover.^(CM) They marched out defiantly^(CN) in full view of all the Egyptians, ⁴who were burying all their firstborn,^(CO) whom the Lord had struck down among them; for the Lord had brought judgment^(CP) on their gods.^(CQ)

⁵The Israelites left Rameses and camped at Sukkoth.^(CR)

⁶They left Sukkoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the desert.^(CS)

⁷They left Etham, turned back to Pi Hahiroth, to the east of Baal Zephon,^(CT) and camped near Migdol.^(CU)

⁸They left Pi Hahiroth^[c]^(CV) and passed through the sea^(CW) into the desert, and when they had traveled for three days in the Desert of Etham, they camped at Marah.^(CX)

⁹They left Marah and went to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped^(CY) there.

¹⁰They left Elim^(CZ) and camped by the Red Sea.^[d]

¹¹They left the Red Sea and camped in the Desert of Sin.^(DA)

¹²They left the Desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah.

¹³They left Dophkah and camped at Alush.

¹⁴They left Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.^(DB)

¹⁵They left Rephidim^(DC) and camped in the Desert of Sinai.^(DD)

¹⁶They left the Desert of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah.^(DE)

¹⁷They left Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.^(DF)

¹⁸They left Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.

¹⁹They left Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez.

²⁰They left Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah.^(DG)

²¹They left Libnah and camped at Rissah.

²²They left Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.

²³They left Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.

²⁴They left Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.

²⁵They left Haradah and camped at Makheloth.

²⁶They left Makheloth and camped at Tahath.

²⁷They left Tahath and camped at Terah.

²⁸They left Terah and camped at Mithkah.

²⁹They left Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah.

³⁰They left Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.^(DH)

³¹They left Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan.^(DI)

³²They left Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Haggidgad.

³³They left Hor Haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.^(DJ)

³⁴They left Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.

³⁵They left Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber.^(DK)

³⁶They left Ezion Geber and camped at Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.^(DL)

³⁷They left Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor,^(DM) on the border of Edom.^(DN) ³⁸At the Lord’s command Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor, where he died^(DO) on the first day of the fifth month of the fortieth year^(DP) after the Israelites came out of Egypt.^(DQ) ³⁹Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.

Footnotes

Numbers 32:17 Septuagint; Hebrew will be quick to arm ourselves
Numbers 32:41 Or them the settlements of Jair
Numbers 33:8 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch and Vulgate; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text left from before Hahiroth
Numbers 33:10 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verse 11

Numbers 32:1-33:39

New King James Version

The Tribes Settling East of the Jordan^(A)

32 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock; and when they saw the land of ^(B)Jazer and the land of ^(C)Gilead, that indeed the region was a place for livestock, ²the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying, ³“Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, ^(D)Nimrah, ^(E)Heshbon, Elealeh, ^(F)Shebam, Nebo, and ^(G)Beon, ⁴the country ^(H)which the Lord defeated before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.” ⁵Therefore they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan.”

⁶And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben: “Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? ⁷Now why will you ^(I)discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord has given them? ⁸Thus your fathers did ^(J)when I sent them away from Kadesh Barnea ^(K)to see the land. ⁹For ^(L)when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, so that they did not go into the land which the Lord had given them. ¹⁰^(M)So the Lord’s anger was aroused on that day, and He swore an oath, saying, ¹¹‘Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt, ^(N)from twenty years old and above, shall see the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because ^(O)they have not wholly followed Me, ¹²except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, ^(P)for they have wholly followed the Lord.’ ¹³So the Lord’s anger was aroused against Israel, and He made them ^(Q)wander in the wilderness forty years, until ^(R)all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was gone. ¹⁴And look! You have risen in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the ^(S)fierce anger of the Lord against Israel. ¹⁵For if you ^(T)turn away from following Him, He will once again leave them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all these people.”

¹⁶Then they came near to him and said: “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, ¹⁷but ^(U)we ourselves will be armed, ready to go before the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place; and our little ones will dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. ¹⁸^(V)We will not return to our homes until every one of the children of Israel has ^[a]received his inheritance. ¹⁹For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, ^(W)because our inheritance has fallen to us on this eastern side of the Jordan.”

²⁰Then ^(X)Moses said to them: “If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves before the Lord for the war, ²¹and all your armed men cross over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies from before Him, ²²and ^(Y)the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward ^(Z)you may return and be blameless before the Lord and before Israel; and ^(AA)this land shall be your possession before the Lord. ²³But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure ^(AB)your sin will find you out. ²⁴^(AC)Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do ^[b]what has proceeded out of your mouth.”

²⁵And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying: “Your servants will do as my lord commands. ²⁶^(AD)Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gilead; ²⁷^(AE)but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, just as my lord says.”

²⁸So Moses gave command ^(AF)concerning them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel. ²⁹And Moses said to them: “If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben cross over the Jordan with you, every man armed for battle before the Lord, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead as a possession. ³⁰But if they do not cross over armed with you, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.”

³¹Then the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying: “As the Lord has said to your servants, so we will do. ³²We will cross over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, but the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us on this side of the Jordan.”

³³So ^(AG)Moses gave to the children of Gad, to the children of Reuben, and to half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, ^(AH)the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land with its cities within the borders, the cities of the surrounding country. ³⁴And the children of Gad built ^(AI)Dibon and Ataroth and ^(AJ)Aroer, ³⁵Atroth and Shophan and ^(AK)Jazer and Jogbehah, ³⁶^(AL)Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran, ^(AM)fortified cities, and folds for sheep. ³⁷And the children of Reuben built ^(AN)Heshbon and Elealeh and Kirjathaim, ³⁸^(AO)Nebo and ^(AP)Baal Meon ^(AQ)(their names being changed) and Shibmah; and they gave other names to the cities which they built.

³⁹And the children of ^(AR)Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and ^[c]dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. ⁴⁰So Moses ^(AS)gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he dwelt in it. ⁴¹Also ^(AT)Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its small towns, and called them ^(AU)Havoth Jair.^[d] ⁴²Then Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and he called it Nobah, after his own name.

Israel’s Journey from Egypt Reviewed

33 These are the journeys of the children of Israel, who went out of the land of Egypt by their armies under the ^(AV)hand of Moses and Aaron. ²Now Moses wrote down the starting points of their journeys at the command of the Lord. And these are their journeys according to their starting points:

³They ^(AW)departed from Rameses in ^(AX)the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the children of Israel went out ^(AY)with boldness in the sight of all the Egyptians. ⁴For the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, ^(AZ)whom the Lord had killed among them. Also ^(BA)on their gods the Lord had executed judgments.

⁵^(BB)Then the children of Israel moved from Rameses and camped at Succoth. ⁶They departed from ^(BC)Succoth and camped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness. ⁷^(BD)They moved from Etham and turned back to Pi Hahiroth, which is east of Baal Zephon; and they camped near Migdol. ⁸They departed ^[e]from before Hahiroth and ^(BE)passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, went three days’ journey in the Wilderness of Etham, and camped at Marah. ⁹They moved from Marah and ^(BF)came to Elim. At Elim were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there.

¹⁰They moved from Elim and camped by the Red Sea. ¹¹They moved from the Red Sea and camped in the ^(BG)Wilderness of Sin. ¹²They journeyed from the Wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah. ¹³They departed from Dophkah and camped at Alush. ¹⁴They moved from Alush and camped at ^(BH)Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.

¹⁵They departed from Rephidim and camped in the ^(BI)Wilderness of Sinai. ¹⁶They moved from the Wilderness of Sinai and camped ^(BJ)at ^[f]Kibroth Hattaavah. ¹⁷They departed from Kibroth Hattaavah and ^(BK)camped at Hazeroth. ¹⁸They departed from Hazeroth and camped at ^(BL)Rithmah. ¹⁹They departed from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez. ²⁰They departed from Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah. ²¹They moved from Libnah and camped at Rissah. ²²They journeyed from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah. ²³They went from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. ²⁴They moved from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. ²⁵They moved from Haradah and camped at Makheloth. ²⁶They moved from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. ²⁷They departed from Tahath and camped at Terah. ²⁸They moved from Terah and camped at Mithkah. ²⁹They went from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. ³⁰They departed from Hashmonah and ^(BM)camped at Moseroth. ³¹They departed from Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan. ³²They moved from ^(BN)Bene Jaakan and ^(BO)camped at Hor Hagidgad. ³³They went from Hor Hagidgad and camped at Jotbathah. ³⁴They moved from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. ³⁵They departed from Abronah ^(BP)and camped at Ezion Geber. ³⁶They moved from Ezion Geber and camped in the ^(BQ)Wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh. ³⁷They moved from ^(BR)Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the boundary of the land of Edom.

³⁸Then ^(BS)Aaron the priest went up to Mount Hor at the command of the Lord, and died there in the fortieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month. ³⁹Aaron was one hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.

Footnotes

Numbers 32:18 possessed
Numbers 32:24 what you said you would do
Numbers 32:39 drove out
Numbers 32:41 Lit. Towns of Jair
Numbers 33:8 Many Heb. mss., Sam., Syr., Tg., Vg. from Pi Hahiroth; cf. Num. 33:7
Numbers 33:16 Lit. Graves of Craving

Numbers 32:1-33:39

New American Standard Bible

Reuben and Gad Settle in Gilead

32 Now the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad had a ^(A)very large number of livestock. So when they saw the land of ^(B)Jazer and the land of Gilead, that ^[a]it was indeed a place suitable for livestock, ²the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying, ³“^(C)Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, ⁴the land ^(D)which the Lord ^[b]conquered before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.” ⁵And they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as our property; do not take us across the Jordan.”

⁶But Moses said to the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben, “Should your brothers go to war while you remain here? ⁷^(E)And why are you discouraging the ^[c]sons of Israel from crossing over into the land which the Lord has given them? ⁸This is what your fathers did when I sent them from ^(F)Kadesh-barnea to see the land. ⁹For when they went up to ^(G)the ^[d]Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the ^[e]sons of Israel so that they did not go into the land which the Lord had given them. ¹⁰So ^(H)the Lord’s anger burned on that day, and He swore, saying, ¹¹‘^(I)None of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; for they did not follow Me fully, ¹²except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun; ^(J)for they have followed the Lord fully.’ ¹³^(K)So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until the entire generation of those who had done evil in the sight of the Lord came to an end. ¹⁴Now behold, you have risen up in your fathers’ place, born of sinful men, to add still more to the burning ^(L)anger of the Lord against Israel. ¹⁵For if you ^(M)turn away from following Him, He will once more leave them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all these people.”

¹⁶Then they approached him and said, “We will build sheepfolds for our livestock here and cities for our little ones; ¹⁷^(N)but we ourselves will be armed, hurrying ahead of the sons of Israel, until we have brought them to their place, while our little ones live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. ¹⁸^(O)We will not return to our homes until every one of the sons of Israel has gained possession of his inheritance. ¹⁹But we will not have an inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us ^(P)on this side of the Jordan toward the east.”

²⁰^(Q)So Moses said to them, “If you will do ^[f]this, if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for the war, ²¹and all of you armed men cross over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven His enemies out from Him, ²²^(R)and the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you may return and be ^[g]free of obligation toward the Lord and toward Israel, and this land shall be yours as property before the Lord. ²³But if you do not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure that ^(S)your sin will find you out. ²⁴Build yourselves cities for your little ones, and sheepfolds for your sheep, and ^(T)do ^[h]what you have promised.”

²⁵Then the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, “Your servants will do just as my lord commands. ²⁶^(U)Our little ones, our wives, our livestock, and all our cattle shall ^[i]remain there in the cities of Gilead, ²⁷while your servants, that is, everyone who is armed for war, ^(V)cross over in the presence of the Lord to battle, just as my lord says.”

²⁸So Moses gave the command regarding them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’ households of the tribes of the sons of Israel. ²⁹And Moses said to them, “If the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben, everyone who is armed for battle, cross with you over the Jordan in the presence of the Lord, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead as their property; ³⁰but if they do not cross over with you armed, they shall instead be settled among you in the land of Canaan.” ³¹And the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben answered, saying, “As the Lord has said to your servants, so we will do. ³²We ourselves will cross over armed in the presence of the Lord into the land of Canaan, and the property of our inheritance shall remain with us across the Jordan.”

³³^(W)So Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad, the sons of Reuben, and to the half-tribe of Joseph’s son Manasseh, the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og, the king of Bashan, the land with its cities with their ^[j]territories, the cities of the surrounding land. ³⁴And the sons of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, ^(X)Aroer, ³⁵Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, ³⁶^(Y)Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified cities, and sheepfolds for sheep. ³⁷The sons of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, ³⁸^(Z)Nebo, and Baal-meon—their names being changed—and Sibmah, and they gave other names to the cities which they built. ³⁹The sons of ^(AA)Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. ⁴⁰So Moses gave ^(AB)Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he lived in it. ⁴¹Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its ^[k]towns, and called them ^[l]^(AC)Havvoth-jair. ⁴²Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and named it Nobah, after ^(AD)his own name.

Review of the Journey from Egypt to Jordan

33 These are the journeys of the sons of Israel, by which they came out of the land of Egypt by their armies, ^[m]under ^(AE)the leadership of Moses and Aaron. ²Moses recorded their starting places according to their journeys by the ^[n]command of the Lord, and these are their journeys according to their starting places. ³^(AF)Now they journeyed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the sons of Israel ^(AG)started out ^[o]boldly in the sight of all the Egyptians, ⁴while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn whom the Lord had fatally struck among them. The Lord had also executed judgments ^(AH)against their gods.

⁵Then ^(AI)the sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses and camped in Succoth. ⁶^(AJ)They journeyed from Succoth and camped in Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness. ⁷^(AK)Then they journeyed from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which faces Baal-zephon; and they camped before Migdol. ⁸^(AL)They journeyed ^[p]from Pi-hahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea to the wilderness; and ^(AM)they went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah. ⁹^(AN)They journeyed from Marah and came to Elim; and in Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there. ¹⁰They journeyed from Elim and camped by the ^[q]Red Sea. ¹¹And they journeyed from the ^[r]Red Sea and camped in ^(AO)the wilderness of Sin. ¹²They journeyed from the wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah. ¹³They journeyed from Dophkah and camped at Alush. ¹⁴And they journeyed from Alush and camped ^(AP)at Rephidim; now it was there that the people had no water to drink. ¹⁵And they journeyed from Rephidim and camped in ^(AQ)the wilderness of Sinai. ¹⁶They journeyed from the wilderness of Sinai, and camped at ^(AR)Kibroth-hattaavah.

¹⁷They journeyed from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at ^(AS)Hazeroth. ¹⁸They journeyed from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. ¹⁹They journeyed from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez. ²⁰They journeyed from Rimmon-perez and camped at ^(AT)Libnah. ²¹They journeyed from Libnah and camped at Rissah. ²²They journeyed from Rissah and camped in Kehelathah. ²³They journeyed from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. ²⁴They journeyed from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. ²⁵They journeyed from Haradah and camped at Makheloth. ²⁶They journeyed from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. ²⁷They journeyed from Tahath and camped at Terah. ²⁸They journeyed from Terah and camped at Mithkah. ²⁹They journeyed from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. ³⁰They journeyed from Hashmonah and camped at ^(AU)Moseroth. ³¹They journeyed from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan. ³²They journeyed from ^(AV)Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad. ³³They journeyed from Hor-haggidgad and camped at ^(AW)Jotbathah. ³⁴They journeyed from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. ³⁵They journeyed from Abronah and camped at ^(AX)Ezion-geber. ³⁶They journeyed from Ezion-geber and camped in the wilderness of ^(AY)Zin, that is, Kadesh. ³⁷They journeyed from Kadesh and camped at ^(AZ)Mount Hor, ^(BA)at the edge of the land of Edom.

³⁸^(BB)Then Aaron the priest went up to Mount Hor at the ^[s]command of the Lord, and died there in the fortieth year after the sons of Israel had come from the land of Egypt, on the first day in the fifth month. ³⁹Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.

Footnotes

Numbers 32:1 Lit behold, the place, a place of
Numbers 32:4 Lit struck
Numbers 32:7 Lit heart of the sons
Numbers 32:9 Or wadi
Numbers 32:9 Lit heart of the sons
Numbers 32:20 Lit this thing
Numbers 32:22 Lit blameless toward
Numbers 32:24 Lit that which has gone out of your mouth
Numbers 32:26 Lit be
Numbers 32:33 Lit borders
Numbers 32:41 Lit tent villages
Numbers 32:41 I.e., the towns of Jair
Numbers 33:1 Lit by the hand
Numbers 33:2 Lit mouth
Numbers 33:3 Lit with a high hand
Numbers 33:8 Many mss and some ancient versions; MT from before Hahiroth
Numbers 33:10 Lit Sea of Reeds
Numbers 33:11 Lit Sea of Reeds
Numbers 33:38 Lit mouth

Numbers 32:1-33:39

New Living Translation

The Tribes East of the Jordan

32 The tribes of Reuben and Gad owned vast numbers of livestock. So when they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were ideally suited for their flocks and herds, ²they came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the other leaders of the community. They said, ³“Notice the towns of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sibmah,^[a] Nebo, and Beon. ⁴The Lord has conquered this whole area for the community of Israel, and it is ideally suited for all our livestock. ⁵If we have found favor with you, please let us have this land as our property instead of giving us land across the Jordan River.”

⁶“Do you intend to stay here while your brothers go across and do all the fighting?” Moses asked the men of Gad and Reuben. ⁷“Why do you want to discourage the rest of the people of Israel from going across to the land the Lord has given them? ⁸Your ancestors did the same thing when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land. ⁹After they went up to the valley of Eshcol and explored the land, they discouraged the people of Israel from entering the land the Lord was giving them. ¹⁰Then the Lord was very angry with them, and he vowed, ¹¹‘Of all those I rescued from Egypt, no one who is twenty years old or older will ever see the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for they have not obeyed me wholeheartedly. ¹²The only exceptions are Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have wholeheartedly followed the Lord.’

¹³“The Lord was angry with Israel and made them wander in the wilderness for forty years until the entire generation that sinned in the Lord’s sight had died. ¹⁴But here you are, a brood of sinners, doing exactly the same thing! You are making the Lord even angrier with Israel. ¹⁵If you turn away from him like this and he abandons them again in the wilderness, you will be responsible for destroying this entire nation!”

¹⁶But they approached Moses and said, “We simply want to build pens for our livestock and fortified towns for our wives and children. ¹⁷Then we will arm ourselves and lead our fellow Israelites into battle until we have brought them safely to their land. Meanwhile, our families will stay in the fortified towns we build here, so they will be safe from any attacks by the local people. ¹⁸We will not return to our homes until all the people of Israel have received their portions of land. ¹⁹But we do not claim any of the land on the other side of the Jordan. We would rather live here on the east side and accept this as our grant of land.”

²⁰Then Moses said, “If you keep your word and arm yourselves for the Lord’s battles, ²¹and if your troops cross the Jordan and keep fighting until the Lord has driven out his enemies, ²²then you may return when the Lord has conquered the land. You will have fulfilled your duty to the Lord and to the rest of the people of Israel. And the land on the east side of the Jordan will be your property from the Lord. ²³But if you fail to keep your word, then you will have sinned against the Lord, and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. ²⁴Go ahead and build towns for your families and pens for your flocks, but do everything you have promised.”

²⁵Then the men of Gad and Reuben replied, “We, your servants, will follow your instructions exactly. ²⁶Our children, wives, flocks, and cattle will stay here in the towns of Gilead. ²⁷But all who are able to bear arms will cross over to fight for the Lord, just as you have said.”

²⁸So Moses gave orders to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders of the clans of Israel. ²⁹He said, “The men of Gad and Reuben who are armed for battle must cross the Jordan with you to fight for the Lord. If they do, give them the land of Gilead as their property when the land is conquered. ³⁰But if they refuse to arm themselves and cross over with you, then they must accept land with the rest of you in the land of Canaan.”

³¹The tribes of Gad and Reuben said again, “We are your servants, and we will do as the Lord has commanded! ³²We will cross the Jordan into Canaan fully armed to fight for the Lord, but our property will be here on this side of the Jordan.”

³³So Moses assigned land to the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph. He gave them the territory of King Sihon of the Amorites and the land of King Og of Bashan—the whole land with its cities and surrounding lands.

³⁴The descendants of Gad built the towns of Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, ³⁵Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, ³⁶Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran. These were all fortified towns with pens for their flocks.

³⁷The descendants of Reuben built the towns of Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, ³⁸Nebo, Baal-meon, and Sibmah. They changed the names of some of the towns they conquered and rebuilt.

³⁹Then the descendants of Makir of the tribe of Manasseh went to Gilead and conquered it, and they drove out the Amorites living there. ⁴⁰So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites, descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there. ⁴¹The people of Jair, another clan of the tribe of Manasseh, captured many of the towns in Gilead and changed the name of that region to the Towns of Jair.^[b] ⁴²Meanwhile, a man named Nobah captured the town of Kenath and its surrounding villages, and he renamed that area Nobah after himself.

Remembering Israel’s Journey

33 This is the route the Israelites followed as they marched out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. ²At the Lord’s direction, Moses kept a written record of their progress. These are the stages of their march, identified by the different places where they stopped along the way.

³They set out from the city of Rameses in early spring—on the fifteenth day of the first month^[c]—on the morning after the first Passover celebration. The people of Israel left defiantly, in full view of all the Egyptians. ⁴Meanwhile, the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn sons, whom the Lord had killed the night before. The Lord had defeated the gods of Egypt that night with great acts of judgment!

⁵After leaving Rameses, the Israelites set up camp at Succoth.

⁶Then they left Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness.

⁷They left Etham and turned back toward Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon, and camped near Migdol.

⁸They left Pi-hahiroth^[d] and crossed the Red Sea^[e] into the wilderness beyond. Then they traveled for three days into the Etham wilderness and camped at Marah.

⁹They left Marah and camped at Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees.

¹⁰They left Elim and camped beside the Red Sea.^[f]

¹¹They left the Red Sea and camped in the wilderness of Sin.^[g]

¹²They left the wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah.

¹³They left Dophkah and camped at Alush.

¹⁴They left Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.

¹⁵They left Rephidim and camped in the wilderness of Sinai.

¹⁶They left the wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah.

¹⁷They left Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.

¹⁸They left Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.

¹⁹They left Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez.

²⁰They left Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah.

²¹They left Libnah and camped at Rissah.

²²They left Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.

²³They left Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.

²⁴They left Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.

²⁵They left Haradah and camped at Makheloth.

²⁶They left Makheloth and camped at Tahath.

²⁷They left Tahath and camped at Terah.

²⁸They left Terah and camped at Mithcah.

²⁹They left Mithcah and camped at Hashmonah.

³⁰They left Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.

³¹They left Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan.

³²They left Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad.

³³They left Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.

³⁴They left Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.

³⁵They left Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber.

³⁶They left Ezion-geber and camped at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.

³⁷They left Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, at the border of Edom. ³⁸While they were at the foot of Mount Hor, Aaron the priest was directed by the Lord to go up the mountain, and there he died. This happened in midsummer, on the first day of the fifth month^[h] of the fortieth year after Israel’s departure from Egypt. ³⁹Aaron was 123 years old when he died there on Mount Hor.

Footnotes

32:3 As in Samaritan Pentateuch and Greek version (see also 32:38); Hebrew reads Sebam.
32:41 Hebrew Havvoth-jair.
33:3 This day in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in late March, April, or early May.
33:8a As in many Hebrew manuscripts, Samaritan Pentateuch, and Latin Vulgate (see also 33:7); most Hebrew manuscripts read left from in front of Hahiroth.
33:8b Hebrew the sea.
33:10 Hebrew sea of reeds; also in 33:11.
33:11 The geographical name Sin is related to Sinai and should not be confused with the English word sin.
33:38 This day in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in July or August.

Numbers 32:1-33:39

The Message

Tribes East of the Jordan

32 ^1-4The families of Reuben and Gad had huge herds of livestock. They saw that the country of Jazer and Gilead was just the place for grazing livestock. And so they came, the families of Gad and of Reuben, and spoke to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the leaders of the congregation, saying, “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon—the country that God laid low before the community of Israel—is a country just right for livestock, and we have livestock.”

⁵They continued, “If you think we’ve done a good job so far, give us this country for our inheritance. Don’t make us go across the Jordan.”

^6-12Moses answered the families of Gad and Reuben: “Do you mean that you are going to leave the fighting that’s ahead to your brothers while you settle down here? Why would you even think of letting the People of Israel down, demoralizing them just as they’re about to move into the land God gave them? That’s exactly what your ancestors did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to survey the country. They went as far as the Valley of Eshcol, took one look and quit. They completely demoralized the People of Israel from entering the land God had given them. And God got angry—oh, did he get angry! He swore: ‘They’ll never get to see it; none of those who came up out of Egypt who are twenty years and older will ever get to see the land that I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They weren’t interested in following me—their hearts weren’t in it. None, except for Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua son of Nun; they followed me—their hearts were in it.’

¹³“God’s anger smoked against Israel. He made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until that entire generation that acted out evil in his sight had died out.

^14-15“And now here you are, just one more mob of sinners stepping up to replace your ancestors, throwing fuel on the already blazing anger of God against Israel. If you won’t follow him, he’ll do it again. He’ll dump them in the desert and the disaster will be all your fault.”

^16-19They came close to him and said, “All we want to do is build corrals for our livestock and towns for our families. Then we’ll take up arms and take the front lines, leading the People of Israel to their place. We’ll be able to leave our families behind, secure in fortified towns, safe from those who live in the land. But we won’t go back home until every Israelite is in full possession of his inheritance. We won’t expect any inheritance west of the Jordan; we are claiming all our inheritance east of the Jordan.”

^20-22Moses said, “If you do what you say, take up arms before God for battle and together go across the Jordan ready, before God, to fight until God has cleaned his enemies out of the land, then when the land is secure you will have fulfilled your duty to God and Israel. Then this land will be yours to keep before God.

^23-24“But if you don’t do what you say, you will be sinning against God; you can be sure that your sin will track you down. So, go ahead. Build towns for your families and corrals for your livestock. Do what you said you’d do.”

^25-27The families of Gad and Reuben told Moses: “We will do as our master commands. Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will stay behind here in the towns of Gilead. But we, every one of us fully armed, will cross the river to fight for God, just as our master has said.”

^28-30So Moses issued orders for them to Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the ancestral tribes of the People of Israel. Moses said, “If the families of Gad and Reuben cross the Jordan River with you and before God, all armed and ready to fight, then after the land is secure, you may give them the land of Gilead as their inheritance. But if they don’t cross over with you, they’ll have to settle up with you in Canaan.”

^31-32The families of Gad and Reuben responded: “We will do what God has said. We will cross the Jordan before God, ready and willing to fight. But the land we inherit will be here, to the east of the Jordan.”

³³Moses gave the families of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan—the land, its towns, and all the territories connected with them—the works.

^34-36The Gadites rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran as fortified cities; they also built corrals for their animals.

^37-38The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, and Kiriathaim, also Nebo and Baal Meon and Sibmah. They renamed the cities that they rebuilt.

^39-40The family of Makir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who lived there. Moses then gave Gilead to the Makirites, the descendants of Manasseh. They moved in and settled there.

⁴¹Jair, another son of Manasseh, captured some villages and named them Havvoth Jair (Jair’s Tent-Camps).

⁴²Nobah captured Kenath and its surrounding camps. He renamed it after himself, Nobah.

Campsites from Rameses to Jordan-Jericho

33 ^1-2These are the camping sites in the journey of the People of Israel after they left Egypt, deployed militarily under the command of Moses and Aaron. Under God’s instruction Moses kept a log of every time they moved, camp by camp:

^3-4They marched out of Rameses the day after the Passover. It was the fifteenth day of the first month. They marched out heads high and confident. The Egyptians, busy burying their firstborn whom God had killed, watched them go. God had exposed the nonsense of their gods.

^5-36The People of Israel:

left Rameses and camped at Succoth;

left Succoth and camped at Etham at the edge of the wilderness;

left Etham, circled back to Pi Hahiroth east of Baal Zephon, and camped near Migdol;

left Pi Hahiroth and crossed through the Sea into the wilderness; three days into the Wilderness of Etham they camped at Marah;

left Marah and came to Elim where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees; they camped there;

left Elim and camped by the Red Sea;

left the Red Sea and camped in the Wilderness of Sin;

left the Wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah;

left Dophkah and camped at Alush;

left Alush and camped at Rephidim where there was no water for the people to drink;

left Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai;

left the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah;

left Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth;

left Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah;

left Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez;

left Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah;

left Libnah and camped at Rissah;

left Rissah and camped at Kehelathah;

left Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher;

left Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah;

left Haradah and camped at Makheloth;

left Makheloth and camped at Tahath;

left Tahath and camped at Terah;

left Terah and camped at Mithcah;

left Mithcah and camped at Hashmonah;

left Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth;

left Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan;

left Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Haggidgad;

left Hor Haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah;

left Jotbathah and camped at Abronah;

left Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber;

left Ezion Geber and camped at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.

^37-39After they left Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor at the border of Edom, Aaron the priest climbed Mount Hor at God’s command and died there. It was the first day of the fifth month in the fortieth year after the People of Israel had left Egypt. Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.

* * *

New International Version (NIV)

Numbers 32:1-33:39

New International Version

The Transjordan Tribes

Stages in Israel’s Journey

Footnotes

Cross references

Numbers 32:1-33:39

New King James Version

The Tribes Settling East of the Jordan^(A)

Israel’s Journey from Egypt Reviewed

Footnotes

Cross references

Numbers 32:1-33:39

New American Standard Bible

Reuben and Gad Settle in Gilead

Review of the Journey from Egypt to Jordan

Footnotes

Cross references

Numbers 32:1-33:39

New Living Translation

The Tribes East of the Jordan

Remembering Israel’s Journey

Footnotes

Numbers 32:1-33:39

The Message

Tribes East of the Jordan

Campsites from Rameses to Jordan-Jericho

More on the NIV

Numbers 32:1-33:39 New International Version

The Transjordan Tribes

Stages in Israel’s Journey

Footnotes

Cross references

Numbers 32:1-33:39 New King James Version

The Tribes Settling East of the Jordan(A)

Israel’s Journey from Egypt Reviewed

Footnotes

Cross references

Numbers 32:1-33:39 New American Standard Bible

Reuben and Gad Settle in Gilead

Review of the Journey from Egypt to Jordan

Footnotes

Cross references

Numbers 32:1-33:39 New Living Translation

The Tribes East of the Jordan

Remembering Israel’s Journey

Footnotes

Numbers 32:1-33:39 The Message

Tribes East of the Jordan

Campsites from Rameses to Jordan-Jericho

More on the NIV

Numbers 32:1-33:39

New International Version

Numbers 32:1-33:39

New King James Version

The Tribes Settling East of the Jordan^(A)

Numbers 32:1-33:39

New American Standard Bible

Numbers 32:1-33:39

New Living Translation

Numbers 32:1-33:39

The Message