¹³ “Remember ^(A)the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘The Lord your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.’

²⁰ Then ^(A)Moses said to them: “If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves before the Lord for the war, ²¹ and all your armed men cross over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies from before Him, ²² and ^(B)the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward ^(C)you may return and be blameless before the Lord and before Israel; and ^(D)this land shall be your possession before the Lord. ²³ But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure ^(E)your sin will find you out. ^24 (F)Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do ^[a]what has proceeded 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 (G)Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gilead; ^27 (H)but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, just as my lord says.”

²⁸ So Moses gave command ^(I)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.

Eastern Tribes Return to Their Lands

22 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, ² and said to them: “You have kept ^(A)all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, ^(B)and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. ³ You have not ^[a]left your brethren these many days, up to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God. ⁴ And now the Lord your God has given ^(C)rest to your brethren, as He promised them; now therefore, return and go to your tents and to the land of your possession, ^(D)which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan.

¹⁸ “Then I commanded you at that time, saying: ‘The Lord your God has given you this land to possess. ^(A)All you men of valor shall cross over armed before your brethren, the children of Israel. ¹⁹ But your wives, your little ones, and your livestock (I know that you have much livestock) shall stay in your cities which I have given you, ²⁰ until the Lord has given ^(B)rest to your brethren as to you, and they also possess the land which the Lord your God is giving them beyond the Jordan. Then each of you may ^(C)return to his possession which I have given you.’