 1 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, behold, the place was a place for cattle. 2 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the priest, and to the rulers of the congregation saying, 3 Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon, 4 the land which the Lord struck before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and your servants have cattle. 5 And, they said, If we have found grace in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not bring us over Jordan. 6 Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brothers go to war, and shall you sit here? 7 Why do you break the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord has given them? 8 So your fathers did when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land. 9 For when they went into the valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they broke the hearts of the children of Israel, so that they should not go into the land that the Lord had given them. 10 The Lord's anger was kindled the same time, and He swore saying, 11 Surely, none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from 20 years old and up, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not fully followed me, 12 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have fully followed the Lord. 13 The Lord's anger was kindled against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness 40 years until all the generation which had done evil in the sight of the Lord was destroyed. 14 Behold, you are risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men, to add even more to the fierce anger of the Lord toward Israel. 15 For if you turn away from after Him, He will yet again leave them in the wilderness. And you shall destroy all this people. 16 They came near to him and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little children. 17 But we will go ready armed before the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place. And our little children will live in the fenced cities because of those who live in the land. 18 We will not return to our houses until the children of Israel have received+ their inheritance. 19 We will not inherit with them on the other side of Jordan or beyond because our inheritance has fallen to us on this side of Jordan, eastward. 20 Moses said to them, If you will do this, if you will go armed before the Lord to war, 21 and all of you will go armed over Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies from before Him, 22 and the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you shall return and be guiltless before the Lord and before Israel. This land will be your possession before the Lord. 23 But if you will not do so, then you have sinned against the Lord and your sin will surely find you out. 24 Build cities for your children and folds for your sheep, and do what has proceeded out of your mouth. 25 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses saying, Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 Our little children, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle will be there in the cities of Gilead. 27 But your servants will go over, every man armed for war before the Lord to battle, as my lord says. 28 Thus regarding 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 children of Gad and the children of Reuben will go with you over Jordan, each armed to battle before the Lord, and the land will be humbled before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. 30 But if they will not go over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. 31 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered saying, As the Lord has said to your servants, so we will do. 32 We will go over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan so that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be ours. 33 Moses gave to the children of Gad and the children of Reuben and the half the tribe of Manasseh, Joseph's son, the kingdom of King Sihon of the Amorites and the kingdom of King Og of Bashan, the land with its cities in the borders and the cities of the land all around. 34 The sons of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, and Aroer. 35 Also Atroth, Shophan, Jaazer, and Jogbehah. 36 Also Bethnimrah, Bethharan, and fortified cities. They built folds for sheep. 37 The children of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, and Kirjathaim. 38 Also Nebo and Baalmeon, their names being changed, and Sibmah. They gave other names to the cities that they built. 39 The sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it and put out the Amorite who was in it. 40 Moses gave Gilead to Machir, the son of Manasseh, and he lived in it. 41 Jair, the son of Manasseh took their small towns and called them Havothjair. 42 Nobah took Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah after his own name.
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