Numbers, 32

1. Now, the Reubenites and Gadites owned very large herds of cattle. Having seen that the territories of Jazer and Gilead formed an ideal region for raising stock,

1. 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 Gadites and Reubenites went to Moses, the priest Eleazar and the leaders of the community, and said to them,

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. 'The territory of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon,

3. Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,

4. which Yahweh has conquered before the advancing community of Israel, is ideal land for raising stock, and your servants are cattle breeders.

4. [Even] the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, [is] a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:

5. So', they said, 'if you approve, give your servants this land for us to own; do not make us cross the Jordan.'

5. Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, [and] bring us not over Jordan.

6. Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, 'Do you intend your brothers to go into battle while you stay here?

6. And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?

7. Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing to the country which Yahweh has given them?

7. And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?

8. Your fathers behaved in the same way when I sent them from Kadesh-Barnea to see the country,

8. Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land.

9. for, having gone as far as the Valley of Eshcol and seen the country, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the country which Yahweh had given them.

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 the LORD had given them.

10. Hence Yahweh's anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath,

10. And the LORD'S anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying,

11. "No man of twenty years and over, who left Egypt, shall set eyes on the country which I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob . . . , for they have not followed me absolutely,

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. except for Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua son of Nun: these indeed have followed Yahweh absolutely."

12. Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.

13. Yahweh's anger being aroused by Israel, he made them wander in the desert for forty years, until the generation that offended Yahweh had all disappeared.

13. And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.

14. And now you rise up in your father's place, offshoot of sinful stock, to increase Yahweh's burning anger with Israel even more!

14. And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel.

15. If you turn away from him, he will prolong the time spent in the desert, and you will bring about this entire people's ruin.'

15. For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.

16. They came to Moses and said, 'We should like to build sheepfolds here for our flocks and towns for our little ones.

16. And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:

17. We ourselves will take up arms and lead the Israelites until we have brought them to the place appointed for them, while our little ones stay in the fortified towns to be safe from the local inhabitants.

17. But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land.

18. We will not return to our homes until every one of the Israelites has taken possession of his heritage.

18. We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.

19. For we shall have no heritage with them on the other bank of the Jordan or beyond, since our heritage has fallen to us here, east of the Jordan.'

19. For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward.

20. Moses said to them, 'If you do as you have said, if you are prepared to fight before Yahweh,

20. And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war,

21. and if all those of you who bear arms cross the Jordan before Yahweh, until he has driven all his enemies out before him,

21. And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,

22. then, once the country has become subject to Yahweh, you may go back, and will have discharged your obligation to Yahweh and Israel, and Yahweh will consider this territory yours.

22. And the land be subdued before the LORD: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD.

23. But if you do not, you will sin against Yahweh, and be sure your sin will find you out.

23. But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

24. Build towns, then, for your little ones and folds for your flocks; but do what you have promised.'

24. Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.

25. The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, 'Your servants will do as my lord directs.

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 livestock will stay in the towns of Gilead,

26. Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:

27. but your servants, each armed for war, will cross in Yahweh's name and fight, as my lord says.'

27. But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith.

28. So Moses gave orders about them to the priest Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of families in the Israelite tribes.

28. So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel:

29. Moses said to them, 'If the Gadites and Reubenites, all those under arms, cross the Jordan with you to fight in Yahweh's name, then, once the country has become subject to you, you will give them the territory of Gilead as theirs.

29. And Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed to battle, before the LORD, 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 cross with you under arms, they will receive their domains in Canaan with the rest of you.'

30. But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.

31. To this, the Gadites and Reubenites replied, 'What Yahweh has said to your servants, we shall do.

31. And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.

32. Under arms, we shall cross in Yahweh's name into Canaan, so that ownership of our heritage on this side of the Jordan will be ours.'

32. We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan [may be] ours.

33. Moses then gave them -- the Gadites, the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph -- the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the country and the towns within its territory, and the country's frontier-towns.

33. And Moses gave unto them, [even] to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the 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, with the cities thereof in the coasts, [even] the cities of the country round about.

34. The Gadites rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

34. And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

35. Atroth-Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

35. And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,

36. Beth-Nimrah and Beth-Haran as fortified towns with folds for the flocks.

36. And Bethnimrah, and Bethharan, fenced cities: and folds for sheep.

37. The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

37. And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,

38. Nebo and Baal-Meon (the names of which were altered), and Sibmah, giving new names to the towns which they rebuilt.

38. And Nebo, and Baalmeon, (their names being changed,) and Shibmah: and gave other names unto the cities which they builded.

39. The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead. They conquered it and drove out the Amorites who were there.

39. And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which [was] in it.

40. Moses gave Gilead to Machir son of Manasseh, and he settled there.

40. And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein.

41. Jair son of Manasseh went and seized their encampments, renaming them the Encampments of Jair.

41. And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havothjair.

42. Nobah went and seized Kenat with its dependent townships, and called it Nobah after himself.

42. And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name.