⁸ Joseph also took his entire household and his brothers and their households. But they left their little children and flocks and herds in the land of Goshen.

²⁴ Go ahead and build towns for your families and pens for your flocks, but do everything you have promised.”

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

²⁶ All our livestock must go with us, too; not a hoof can be left behind. We must choose our sacrifices for the Lord our God from among these animals. And we won’t know how we are to worship the Lord until we get there.”

⁸ So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “All right,” he told them, “go and worship the Lord your God. But who exactly will be going with you?”

⁹ Moses replied, “We will all go—young and old, our sons and daughters, and our flocks and herds. We must all join together in celebrating a festival to the Lord.”