Numbers, 32

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;

1. The tribes of Reuben and Gad owned great herds of fine cattle. Now they saw that the land of Jazer and Gilead was good for raising livestock.

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,

2. Because of this they went to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community, and said to them,

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

3. "The land around Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon,

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

4. which Yahweh has conquered in the sight of the community of Israel, is good land for raising cattle, and we have livestock.

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.

5. If we have deserved your friendship, give us this land for our own; do not make us cross the Jordan River."

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?

6. Moses replied, "Shall you stay here while your brothers are off to the war?

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

7. Why do you discourage the people of Israel from entering the land that Yahweh has given them?

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

8. This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to inspect 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 the LORD had given them.

9. They went up as far as the Valley of Eshcol and inspected the land; but they kept the people of Israel from entering the land Yahweh had given them.

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

10. Because of this Yahweh was angry that day and swore this oath,

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:

11. 'These men of twenty years and over, who came out from Egypt, will never see the land that I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For they have not followed me faithfully,

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

12. except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua son of Nun: these indeed have followed Yahweh faithfully.'

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.

13. The anger of Yahweh blazed out against Israel and he made them wander in the desert for forty years, until the generation that offended Yahweh had all disappeared.

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.

14. And now, will you do as your fathers did? You, new generation of sinful people, will you add still more to the burning anger of Yahweh against Israel!

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.

15. If you turn away from him, he will make your roaming in the desert still longer, and all this people will perish because of you."

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

16. But they explained their purpose to Moses, "We would like to build sheepfolds here for our flocks and towns for our young children.

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.

17. Then we ourselves will take up arms to lead the people of Israel until we have brought them to the place appointed for them: only our young children will stay in the fortified towns, safe from the inhabitants of the country.

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

18. As for us we will not return to our homes until every one of the Israelites has taken possession of his inheritance.

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.

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

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

20. Moses said to them, "If you mean what you have said, if you are prepared to go to battle in the presence of Yahweh,

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

21. and if all your fighting men cross the Jordan River under the command of Yahweh, until he has defeated all his enemies,

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.

22. then, once Yahweh has taken possession of the land, you may go back; you shall be free of your obligation toward Yahweh and Israel, and this country shall be your inheritance before Yahweh.

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

23. But if you do not, you will sin against Yahweh, and you can be sure that your sin will follow you.

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

24. Build towns, then, for your young children and fenced places for your sheep; but do what you have promised."

25. And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.

25. The sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben said to Moses, "Your servants will do as you order, sir.

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

26. Our children, our wives, our sheep and all our livestock will stay in the towns of Gilead,

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

27. but we, every man armed for war, will cross over the Jordan before Yahweh to fight as you have ordered."

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:

28. Then Moses gave instructions about them to Eleazar, the priest, to Joshua, son of Nun, and to the other leaders of Israel.

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:

29. Moses said to them, "If the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben, all who are armed for battle, cross the Jordan before Yahweh to fight with you, then once you have conquered the land, you will give them the country of Gilead for their possession.

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

30. But if they do not cross over and go into battle with you, then they must have their possessions among you in the land of Canaan."

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.

31. The sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben replied, "What Yahweh has said to us, we will do.

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.

32. We will cross into the land of Canaan and go into battle under Yahweh's command; but our inheritance shall be beyond the Jordan."

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.

33. Moses gave to the tribes of Gad and Reuben and to half the tribe of Manasseh, the territory of Sihon, king of the Amorites, as well as that of Og, king of Bashan, and all the land and towns surrounding them.

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

34. The sons of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

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

35. Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

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

36. Beth-nimrah, Beth-haran, fortified towns, and fenced places for the sheep.

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

37. The sons of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

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

38. Nebo, Baal-meon (their names were changed), and Sibmah. They gave names to the towns they had built.

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

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

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

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

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

41. Jair son of Manasseh attacked and captured some villages and called them villages of Jair.

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

42. Nobah attacked and captured Kenath with its outlying villages, and called it Nobah after himself.