Numbers 32
Names of God Bible
The Tribes of Reuben and Gad Request Land East of the Jordan River
32 The tribes of Reuben and Gad had a large number of livestock. They saw that the regions of Jazer and Gilead were a good place for livestock. 2 So they came to Moses, the priest Eleazar, and the leaders of the community, and said to them, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4 the land that Yahweh won for the community of Israel, is a good place for livestock. Gentlemen, we have livestock. 5 Please give us this land as our property. Don’t make us cross the Jordan River.”
6 Moses asked the tribes of Gad and Reuben, “Are you going to stay here while the rest of the Israelites go to war? 7 That might discourage them from entering the land Yahweh has given them. 8 That’s what your ancestors did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to take a look at the land. 9 They went as far as the Eshcol Valley and saw the land. But then they discouraged the rest of the Israelites from entering the land that Yahweh had given them. 10 That day Yahweh became angry and swore this oath, 11 ‘None of the people 20 years old or older, who came from Egypt, will see the land I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with an oath. This is because they didn’t wholeheartedly follow me.’ 12 Only Caleb (son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite) and Joshua (son of Nun) will get to see the land. This is because they wholeheartedly followed Yahweh. 13 Since Yahweh was angry with the Israelites, he made them wander in the desert for 40 years until the whole generation of those who had done evil in Yahweh’s presence was gone.
14 “You’re just like your parents! You’re a bunch of sinners trying to make Yahweh angry with Israel again. 15 If you turn away from him, he will abandon all these people in the desert. You would be responsible for their destruction.”
16 Then the tribes of Gad and Reuben came up to Moses and said, “Allow us to build stone fences for our livestock and cities for our families here. 17 Then we’ll be ready to march in battle formation[a] ahead of the other Israelites until we have brought them to their land. Meanwhile our families will live in walled cities, safe from the other people who live here. 18 We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received his own land. 19 We won’t take possession of any land on the other side of the Jordan River, to the west and beyond. We already have our land here, east of the Jordan.”
20 Moses answered, “Do what you have said. In Yahweh’s presence have all your armed men get ready for battle. 21 Have them cross the Jordan, and fight until Yahweh forces out his enemies 22 and the land is conquered. Then you may come back. You will have fulfilled your military duty to Yahweh and Israel. This land will be your own property in Yahweh’s presence.
23 “If you don’t do all these things, you will be sinning against Yahweh. You can be sure that you will be punished for your sin. 24 Build cities for your families and stone fences for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”
25 Then the tribes of Gad and Reuben said to Moses, “Sir, we will do as you command. 26 Our children, our wives, our livestock, and all our other animals will stay here in the cities of Gilead. 27 But in Yahweh’s presence we will all get ready for battle and go with you, as you have said.”
28 So Moses gave orders about them to the priest Eleazar, Joshua (son of Nun), and the family heads of the tribes of Israel. 29 Moses told them, “If the tribes of Gad and Reuben get ready for battle in Yahweh’s presence and cross the Jordan River with you and you conquer the land, give them Gilead as their own property. 30 If they don’t get ready for battle and go with you, the land they will take possession of must be in Canaan with yours.”
31 The tribes of Gad and Reuben answered, “Sir, we will do as Yahweh has said. 32 We will enter Canaan as armed troops in Yahweh’s presence, but the land we will take possession of is here, east of the Jordan.”
33 So Moses gave the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of the tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph, the kingdoms of King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan—the whole land with its cities and its surrounding territory.
34 The tribe of Gad rebuilt the cities of Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran as walled cities. They also built stone fences for their flocks.
37 The tribe of Reuben rebuilt the cities of Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 Nebo, Baal Meon (whose names were changed), and Sibmah. These are the names they gave the cities they rebuilt.
39 The descendants of Machir, son of Manasseh, went to Gilead, captured it, and forced out the Amorites who were there. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to the people of Machir (the descendants of Manasseh), and they lived there. 41 Then Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, captured the settlements in Gilead. He called them Havvoth Jair [Settlements of Jair]. 42 Nobah captured Kenath and its villages. He named it Nobah after himself.
Footnotes
- Numbers 32:17 Greek, Latin; Masoretic Text “ready to march ahead quickly.”
Numbers 32
American Standard Version
32 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle; 2 the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying, 3 Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and [a]Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and [b]Sebam, and Nebo, and [c]Beon, 4 the land which Jehovah smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle; and thy servants have cattle. 5 And they said, If we have found favor in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession; bring us not over the Jordan.
6 And Moses said unto the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to the war, and shall ye sit here? 7 And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which Jehovah hath given them? 8 Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. 9 For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which Jehovah had given them. 10 And Jehovah’s anger was kindled in that day, and he sware, saying, 11 Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me: 12 save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun; because they have wholly followed Jehovah. 13 And Jehovah’s anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander to and fro in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of Jehovah, was consumed. 14 And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers’ stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of Jehovah toward Israel. 15 For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye will destroy all this people.
16 And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones: 17 but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance. 19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan, and forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward.
20 And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will arm yourselves to go before Jehovah to the war, 21 and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before Jehovah, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him, 22 and the land is subdued before Jehovah; then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless towards Jehovah, and towards Israel; and this land shall be unto you for a possession before Jehovah. 23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against Jehovah; and be sure your sin will find you out. 24 Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth. 25 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth. 26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead; 27 but thy servants will pass over, every man that is armed for war, before Jehovah to battle, as my lord saith.
28 So Moses gave charge concerning them to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel. 29 And Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man that is armed to battle, before Jehovah, and the land shall be subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession: 30 but if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. 31 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As Jehovah hath said unto thy servants, so will we do. 32 We will pass over armed before Jehovah into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.
33 And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto 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, according to the cities thereof with their borders, even the cities of the land round about. 34 And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer, 35 and Atroth-shophan, and Jazer, and Jogbehah, 36 and Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran: fortified cities, and folds for sheep. 37 And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kiriathaim, 38 and Nebo, and Baal-meon, (their names being changed,) and Sibmah: and they gave other names unto the cities which they builded. 39 And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites that were therein. 40 And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein. 41 And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the towns thereof, and called them [d]Havvoth-jair. 42 And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the [e]villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
Footnotes
- Numbers 32:3 In verse 36, Beth-nimrah.
- Numbers 32:3 In verse 38, Sibmah.
- Numbers 32:3 In verse 38, Baal-meon.
- Numbers 32:41 That is, The towns of Jair.
- Numbers 32:42 Hebrew daughters.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
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