Numbers 32
Christian Standard Bible
Transjordan Settlements
32 The Reubenites and Gadites had a very large number of livestock. When they surveyed the lands of Jazer(A) and Gilead, they saw that the region was a good one for livestock. 2 So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, the priest Eleazar, and the leaders of the community and said, 3 “The territory of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam,[a] Nebo, and Beon,(B) 4 which the Lord struck down(C) before the community of Israel,(D) is good land for livestock, and your servants own livestock.” 5 They said, “If we have found favor with you, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Don’t make us cross the Jordan.”
6 But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your brothers go to war while you stay here? 7 Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land the Lord has given them? 8 That’s what your ancestors did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land.(E) 9 After they went up as far as Eshcol Valley and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. 10 So the Lord’s anger burned that day, and he swore an oath:(F) 11 ‘Because they did not remain loyal to me,(G) none of the men twenty years old or more who came up from Egypt will see the land I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob(H)— 12 none except Caleb(I) son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua(J) son of Nun, because they did remain loyal to the Lord.’ 13 The Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years until the whole generation that had done what was evil in the Lord’s sight was gone.(K) 14 And here you, a brood of sinners, stand in your ancestors’ place adding even more to the Lord’s burning anger against Israel. 15 If you turn back from following him,(L) he will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will destroy all of them.”
16 Then they approached him and said, “We want to build sheep pens here for our livestock and cities for our dependents. 17 But we will arm ourselves and be ready to go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place.(M) Meanwhile, our dependents will remain in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has taken possession of his inheritance.(N) 19 Yet we will not have an inheritance with them across the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance will be across the Jordan to the east.”(O)
20 Moses replied to them, “If you do this—if you arm yourselves for battle before the Lord, 21 and every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies from his presence, 22 and the land is subdued before the Lord—afterward you may return and be free from obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the Lord. 23 But if you don’t do this, you will certainly sin against the Lord; be sure your sin will catch up with you. 24 Build cities for your dependents and pens for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”(P)
25 The Gadites and Reubenites answered Moses, “Your servants will do just as my lord commands. 26 Our dependents, wives, livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead, 27 but your servants are equipped for war before the Lord and will go across to the battle as my lord orders.”
28 So Moses gave orders about them to the priest Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun, and the family heads of the Israelite tribes. 29 Moses told them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, every man in battle formation before the Lord, and the land is subdued before you, you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession.(Q) 30 But if they don’t go across with you in battle formation, they must accept land in Canaan with you.”
31 The Gadites and Reubenites replied, “What the Lord has spoken to your servants is what we will do. 32 We will cross over in battle formation before the Lord into the land of Canaan, but we will keep our hereditary possession across the Jordan.”
33 So Moses gave them—the Gadites, Reubenites, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph—the kingdom of King Sihon of the Amorites and the kingdom of King Og of Bashan, the land including its cities with the territories surrounding them.(R) 34 The Gadites rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran(S) as fortified cities, and built sheep pens. 37 The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 as well as Nebo and Baal-meon (whose names were changed), and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.
39 The descendants of Machir(T) son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to the clan of Machir son of Manasseh, and they settled in it.(U) 41 Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages, which he renamed Jair’s Villages.[b](V) 42 Nobah went and captured Kenath with its surrounding villages and called it Nobah after his own name.
Numbers 32
English Standard Version
Reuben and Gad Settle in Gilead
32 Now the people of Reuben and the people of Gad had a very great number of livestock. And they saw the land of (A)Jazer and the land of Gilead, and behold, the place was a place for livestock. 2 So the people of Gad and the people of Reuben came and said to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the chiefs of the congregation, 3 (B)“Ataroth, (C)Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, (D)Nebo, and Beon, 4 the land (E)that the Lord struck down 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 for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan.”
6 But Moses said to the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to the war while you sit here? 7 Why will you discourage the heart of the people of Israel from going over into the land that the Lord has given them? 8 Your fathers did this, (F)when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. 9 For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the people of Israel from going into the land that the Lord had given them. 10 (G)And the Lord's anger was kindled on that day, and he swore, saying, 11 ‘Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, (H)from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land that I swore to give (I)to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me, 12 none except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the (J)Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for (K)they have wholly followed the Lord.’ 13 And the Lord's anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them (L)wander in the wilderness forty years, until (M)all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was gone. 14 And behold, you have risen in your fathers' place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel! 15 For if you (N)turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people.”
16 Then they came near to him and said, (O)“We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, 17 but (P)we will take up arms, ready to go before the people of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. And our little ones shall live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 (Q)We will not return to our homes until each of the people of Israel has gained his inheritance. 19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, (R)because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan to the east.” 20 So (S)Moses said to them, “If you will do this, if you will take up arms to go before the Lord for the war, 21 and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the Lord, until he has (T)driven out his enemies from before him 22 and the land is subdued before the Lord; then after that you shall return and be free of obligation to the Lord and to Israel, and (U)this land shall be your possession before the Lord. 23 But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and (V)be sure your sin will find you out. 24 (W)Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do what you have promised.” 25 And the people of Gad and the people of Reuben said to Moses, “Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 (X)Our little ones, our wives, our livestock, and all our cattle shall remain there in the cities of Gilead, 27 (Y)but your servants will pass over, every man who is (Z)armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord orders.”
28 So (AA)Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest and to (AB)Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel. 29 And Moses said to them, “If the people of Gad and the people of Reuben, every man who is armed to battle before the Lord, will pass with you over the Jordan and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. 30 However, if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.” 31 And the people of Gad and the people of Reuben answered, “What the Lord has said to your servants, we will do. 32 We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.”
33 And (AC)Moses gave to them, to the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land and its cities with their territories, the cities of the land throughout the country. 34 And the people of Gad built (AD)Dibon, (AE)Ataroth, (AF)Aroer, 35 Atroth-shophan, (AG)Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 (AH)Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran, (AI)fortified cities, and folds for sheep. 37 And the people of Reuben built (AJ)Heshbon, (AK)Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 (AL)Nebo, and (AM)Baal-meon ((AN)their names were changed), and (AO)Sibmah. And they gave other names to the cities that they built. 39 And the sons of (AP)Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and captured it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. 40 And Moses (AQ)gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he settled in it. 41 And (AR)Jair the son of Manasseh went and captured their villages, and called them Havvoth-jair.[a] 42 And Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
Footnotes
- Numbers 32:41 Havvoth-jair means the villages of Jair
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
