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Numbers 32-33
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, 2 the 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, 4 the land (D)which the Lord [b]conquered before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.” 5 And 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.”

6 But 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? 8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from (F)Kadesh-barnea to see the land. 9 For 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. 10 So (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, 12 except 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. 14 Now 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. 15 For if you (M)turn away from following Him, He will once more leave them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all these people.”

16 Then 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. 19 But 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, 21 and 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. 23 But if you do not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure that (S)your sin will find you out. 24 Build yourselves cities for your little ones, and sheepfolds for your sheep, and (T)do [h]what you have promised.”

25 Then 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, 27 while 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.”

28 So 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. 29 And 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; 30 but if they do not cross over with you armed, they shall instead be settled among you in the land of Canaan.” 31 And the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben answered, saying, “As the Lord has said to your servants, so we will do. 32 We 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. 34 And the sons of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, (X)Aroer, 35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 (Y)Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified cities, and sheepfolds for sheep. 37 The 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. 39 The sons of (AA)Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. 40 So Moses gave (AB)Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he lived in it. 41 Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its [k]towns, and called them [l](AC)Havvoth-jair. 42 Nobah 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. 2 Moses 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, 4 while 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.

5 Then (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. 10 They journeyed from Elim and camped by the [q]Red Sea. 11 And they journeyed from the [r]Red Sea and camped in (AO)the wilderness of Sin. 12 They journeyed from the wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah. 13 They journeyed from Dophkah and camped at Alush. 14 And they journeyed from Alush and camped (AP)at Rephidim; now it was there that the people had no water to drink. 15 And they journeyed from Rephidim and camped in (AQ)the wilderness of Sinai. 16 They journeyed from the wilderness of Sinai, and camped at (AR)Kibroth-hattaavah.

17 They journeyed from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at (AS)Hazeroth. 18 They journeyed from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. 19 They journeyed from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez. 20 They journeyed from Rimmon-perez and camped at (AT)Libnah. 21 They journeyed from Libnah and camped at Rissah. 22 They journeyed from Rissah and camped in Kehelathah. 23 They journeyed from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. 24 They journeyed from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. 25 They journeyed from Haradah and camped at Makheloth. 26 They journeyed from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. 27 They journeyed from Tahath and camped at Terah. 28 They journeyed from Terah and camped at Mithkah. 29 They journeyed from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. 30 They journeyed from Hashmonah and camped at (AU)Moseroth. 31 They journeyed from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan. 32 They journeyed from (AV)Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad. 33 They journeyed from Hor-haggidgad and camped at (AW)Jotbathah. 34 They journeyed from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. 35 They journeyed from Abronah and camped at (AX)Ezion-geber. 36 They journeyed from Ezion-geber and camped in the wilderness of (AY)Zin, that is, Kadesh. 37 They 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. 39 Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.

40 Now the Canaanite, the king of (BC)Arad [t]who lived in the [u]Negev in the land of Canaan, heard about the coming of the sons of Israel.

41 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. 42 They journeyed from Zalmonah and camped at Punon. 43 They journeyed from Punon and camped at (BD)Oboth. 44 They journeyed from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, at the border of Moab. 45 They journeyed from Iyim and camped at Dibon-gad. 46 They journeyed from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim. 47 They journeyed from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of (BE)Abarim, before Nebo. 48 They journeyed from the mountains of Abarim and (BF)camped in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan opposite Jericho. 49 They camped by the Jordan, from Beth-jeshimoth as far as (BG)Abel-shittim, in the plains of Moab.

Law for Possessing the Land

50 Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying, 51 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘(BH)When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from you, and (BI)destroy all their idolatrous sculptures, destroy all their cast metal images, and eliminate all their high places; 53 (BJ)and you shall take possession of the land and live in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it. 54 (BK)You shall maintain the land as an inheritance by lot according to your families; to the larger you shall give more inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give less inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to anyone, that shall be his. You shall pass on land as an inheritance according to the tribes of your fathers. 55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from you, then it will come about that those whom you let remain of them will be (BL)like thorns in your eyes and like pricks in your sides, and they will trouble you in the land in which you live. 56 And just as I plan to do to them, I will do to you.’”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 32:1 Lit behold, the place, a place of
  2. Numbers 32:4 Lit struck
  3. Numbers 32:7 Lit heart of the sons
  4. Numbers 32:9 Or wadi
  5. Numbers 32:9 Lit heart of the sons
  6. Numbers 32:20 Lit this thing
  7. Numbers 32:22 Lit blameless toward
  8. Numbers 32:24 Lit that which has gone out of your mouth
  9. Numbers 32:26 Lit be
  10. Numbers 32:33 Lit borders
  11. Numbers 32:41 Lit tent villages
  12. Numbers 32:41 I.e., the towns of Jair
  13. Numbers 33:1 Lit by the hand
  14. Numbers 33:2 Lit mouth
  15. Numbers 33:3 Lit with a high hand
  16. Numbers 33:8 Many mss and some ancient versions; MT from before Hahiroth
  17. Numbers 33:10 Lit Sea of Reeds
  18. Numbers 33:11 Lit Sea of Reeds
  19. Numbers 33:38 Lit mouth
  20. Numbers 33:40 Lit and he
  21. Numbers 33:40 I.e., South country
Listen to Numbers 32-33
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Numbers 32-33
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) 2 So 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)— 4 the land the Lord subdued(O) before the people of Israel—are suitable for livestock,(P) and your servants have livestock. 5 If 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)”

6 Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your fellow Israelites go to war while you sit here? 7 Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them?(R) 8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land.(S) 9 After 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. 10 The 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)— 12 not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’(AA) 13 The 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) 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.(AE)”

16 Then 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. 17 But 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. 18 We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has received their inheritance.(AJ) 19 We 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)

20 Then Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle(AM) 21 and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him(AN)— 22 then 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) 24 Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks,(AS) but do what you have promised.(AT)”

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

28 Then 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) 29 He 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) 30 But if they do not cross over(BC) with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan.(BD)”

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

33 Then 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)

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

39 The descendants of Makir(BW) son of Manasseh went to Gilead,(BX) captured it and drove out the Amorites(BY) who were there. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites,(BZ) the descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there. 41 Jair,(CA) a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called them Havvoth Jair.[b](CB) 42 And 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) 2 At the Lord’s command Moses recorded(CI) the stages in their journey(CJ). This is their journey by stages:

3 The 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, 4 who 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)

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

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

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

8 They 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)

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

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

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

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

13 They left Dophkah and camped at Alush.

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

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

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

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

18 They left Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.

19 They left Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez.

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

21 They left Libnah and camped at Rissah.

22 They left Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.

23 They left Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.

24 They left Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.

25 They left Haradah and camped at Makheloth.

26 They left Makheloth and camped at Tahath.

27 They left Tahath and camped at Terah.

28 They left Terah and camped at Mithkah.

29 They left Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah.

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

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

32 They left Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Haggidgad.

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

34 They left Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.

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

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

37 They left Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor,(DM) on the border of Edom.(DN) 38 At 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) 39 Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.

40 The Canaanite king(DR) of Arad,(DS) who lived in the Negev(DT) of Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming.

41 They left Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.

42 They left Zalmonah and camped at Punon.

43 They left Punon and camped at Oboth.(DU)

44 They left Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim, on the border of Moab.(DV)

45 They left Iye Abarim and camped at Dibon Gad.

46 They left Dibon Gad and camped at Almon Diblathaim.

47 They left Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim,(DW) near Nebo.(DX)

48 They left the mountains of Abarim(DY) and camped on the plains of Moab(DZ) by the Jordan(EA) across from Jericho.(EB) 49 There on the plains of Moab they camped along the Jordan from Beth Jeshimoth(EC) to Abel Shittim.(ED)

50 On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho(EE) the Lord said to Moses, 51 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan,(EF) 52 drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places.(EG) 53 Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess.(EH) 54 Distribute the land by lot,(EI) according to your clans.(EJ) To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one.(EK) Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes.(EL)

55 “‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns(EM) in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. 56 And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.(EN)’”

Footnotes

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