THE FOURTH BOOK OF
MOSES,
called
N U M B E R S
Numbers 32 ©
The tribes of Reuben and Gad desire, for reasons to move there, that Moses would assign them their inheritance on this side Jordan, v. 1, etc. Moses first reproves them sharply, 6. But they promise to march in arms before their brethren into Canaan until it was subdued; they, together with the half tribe of Manasseh, obtain their desire on the aforementioned condition, 16.
NOW the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great 1multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place 2for cattle;
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,
Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,
Even the country 3which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:
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.
¶And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, 4Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?
And wherefore 5discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?
Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barneaa to see the land.
For when they went up unto the 6valley 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.
And the LORD's anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying,
Surelyb none of the men that came up out of Egypt, 7from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob;8 because they have not 9wholly followed me:
Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the 10Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have 11wholly followed the LORD.
And the LORD's anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness 12forty years, until all the generation, that had done 13evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.
And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men, 14to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel.
For if ye turn away from after 15him, he will yet again leave 16them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.
¶And 17they came near unto him, and said, We will build 18sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:
But we ourselves will 19go ready 20armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities 21because of the inhabitants of the land.
We will not 22return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.
For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan, or 23forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan 24eastward.
¶And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will 25go armed before the LORD to war,
And will go all of you armed over Jordan 26before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,
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.
But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and 27be sure your sin will 28find you out.
Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded 29out of your mouth.
And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben 30spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.
Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:
But thy servants will pass over, 31every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith.
Soc 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:
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:
But if they will not pass over with you 32armed, they shall have possessions among you 33in the land of Canaan.
And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.
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.
Andd 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.
¶And the children of Gad 34built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,
And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,
And Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, fenced cities: and folds for sheep.
And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,
And 35Nebo, and Baal-meon, (36their names being changed,) and Shibmah: and gave other names unto the cities which they builded.
Ande the children of Machir the son of Manasseh 37went to Gilead, and took 38it, and 39dispossessed the Amorite which was in it.
And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein.
And 40Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns 41thereof, and called them 42Havoth-jair.
And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the 43villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name.