Numbers, 32

1. Now the Reubenites and Gadites had a very large number of livestock. Noticing that the land of Jazer and of Gilead was grazing country,

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,

2. they came to Moses and the priest Eleazar and to the princes of the community and said,

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

3. "The region of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Baal-meon,

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

4. which the LORD has laid low before the community of Israel, is grazing country. Now, since your servants have livestock,"

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

5. they continued, "if we find favor with you, let this land be given to your servants as their property. Do not make us cross the Jordan."

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

6. But Moses answered the Gadites and Reubenites: "Are your kinsmen, then, to engage in war, while you remain here?

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

7. Why do you wish to discourage the Israelites from crossing to the land the LORD has given them?

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

8. That is just what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to reconnoiter the land.

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

9. They went up to the Wadi Eshcol and reconnoitered the land, then so discouraged the Israelites that they would not enter the land the LORD had given them.

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.

10. At that time the wrath of the LORD flared up, and he swore,

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

11. 'Because they have not followed me unreservedly, none of these men of twenty years or more who have come up from Egypt shall ever see this country I promised under oath to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob,

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,

12. except the Kenizzite Caleb, son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, son of Nun, who have followed the LORD unreservedly.'

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

13. So in his anger with the Israelites the LORD made them wander in the desert forty years, until the whole generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD had died out.

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.

14. And now here you are, a brood of sinners, rising up in your fathers' place to add still more to the LORD'S blazing wrath against the Israelites.

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!

15. If you turn away from following him, he will make them stay still longer in the desert, and so you will bring about the ruin of this whole nation."

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.'

16. But they were insistent with him: "We wish only to build sheepfolds here for our flocks, and towns for our families;

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

17. but we ourselves will march as troops in the van of the Israelites, until we have led them to their destination. Meanwhile our families can remain here in the fortified towns, safe from attack by the natives.

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.

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 to our homes until every one of the Israelites has taken possession of his heritage.

19. and will not claim any heritage with them once we cross the Jordan, so long as we receive a heritage for ourselves on this eastern side of the Jordan."

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.'

20. Moses said to them in reply: "If you keep your word to march as troops in the LORD'S vanguard

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

21. and to cross the Jordan in full force before the LORD until he has driven his enemies out of his way

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,

22. and the land is subdued before him, then you may return here, quit of every obligation to the LORD and to Israel, and this region shall be your possession before the LORD.

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.

23. But if you do not do this, you will sin against the LORD, and you can be sure that you will not escape the consequences of your sin.

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

24. Build the towns, then, for your families, and the folds for your flocks, but also fulfill your express promise."

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

25. The Gadites and Reubenites answered Moses, "Your servants will do as you command, my lord.

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

26. While our wives and children, our herds and other livestock remain in the towns of Gilead,

26. Our little ones, our wives, our flocks and all our livestock will stay in the towns of Gilead,

27. all your servants will go across as armed troops to battle before the LORD, just as your lordship says."

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

28. Moses, therefore, gave this order in their regard to the priest Eleazar, to Joshua, son of Nun, and to the heads of the ancestral tribes of the Israelites:

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

29. "If all the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you as combat troops before the LORD, you shall give them Gilead as their property when the land has been subdued before you.

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.

30. But if they will not go across with you as combat troops before the LORD, you shall bring their wives and children and livestock across before you into Canaan, and they shall have their property with you in the land of Canaan."

30. But if they will not cross with you under arms, they will receive their domains in Canaan with the rest of you.'

31. To this the Gadites and Reubenites replied, "We will do what the LORD has commanded us, your servants.

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

32. We ourselves will go across into the land of Canaan as troops before the LORD, but we will retain our hereditary property on this side of the Jordan."

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.'

33. So Moses gave them (the Gadites and Reubenites, as well as half the tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan,) the land with its towns and the districts that surrounded them.

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.

34. The Gadites rebuilt the fortified towns of Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

34. The Gadites rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

35. Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

35. Atroth-Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

36. Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran, and they built sheepfolds.

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

37. The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

37. The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

38. Nebo, Baal-meon (names to be changed!), and Sibmah. These towns, which they rebuilt, they called by their old names.

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

39. The descendants of Machir, son of Manasseh, invaded Gilead and captured it, driving out the Amorites who were there.

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

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

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

41. Jair, a Manassehite clan, campaigned against the tent villages, captured them and called them Havvoth-jair.

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

42. Nobah also campaigned against Kenath, captured it with its dependencies and called it Nobah after his own name.

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