Numbers 32
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
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 favour 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 sheepfolds 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 – afterwards 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 folds 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 sheepfolds. 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
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.”
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The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.