Numbers 32 (UDB)

1The people of the tribes of Reuben and Gad had much livestock. They saw that the land near the city of Jazer and the region of Gilead east of the Jordan River had good grass for the animals to graze on.Now the Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, and they saw that the region was suitable for livestock.

2So their leaders came to Eleazar and the leaders of the people and Moses. They said,So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, and said,

3These are the lands we have captured: Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon.“Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,

4It was Yahweh who enabled your servants to capture these lands, and they are very good for animals to graze on, and now your servants have a lot of livestock.which the LORD conquered before the congregation of Israel, are suitable for livestock—and your servants have livestock.”

5If it pleases you, we would like you to give this land to your servants, as a property that we would own. Please, do not make us go over to the land on the other side of the Jordan River."“If we have found favor in your sight,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.”

6Moses replied to the leaders of the tribes of Gad and Reuben, "It is not right for your fellow Israelites to go to fight in wars and you stay here!But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here?

7If you do that, you will cause the other Israelites to be discouraged, with the result that they will not cross the Jordan River to the land that Yahweh is giving to them.Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land that the LORD has given them?

8Our ancestors did the same kind of thing. I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see what the land of Canaan was like.This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to inspect the land.

9They went as far as Eshcol Valley, but when they saw the huge people in the land, they returned and caused the Israelite people to be discouraged saying, 'We should not try to enter the land that Yahweh said that he is giving to us.'For when your fathers went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land that the LORD had given them.

10So Yahweh became very angry with them, and he solemnly declared this,So the anger of the LORD was kindled that day, and He swore an oath, saying,

11'From all the people who came out of Egypt, the only ones who are at least twenty years old who will see the land that I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, are Jephunneh's son Caleb and Nun's son Joshua because they trusted me completely. None of the other people who came out of Egypt will even see that land, because they have not completely believed in my power.'‘Because they did not follow Me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years of age or older who came out of Egypt will see the land that I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—

13So Yahweh was angry with the Israelite people, and as a result he has caused us to wander in this desert for forty years. Finally, all the people who had sinned against Yahweh by refusing to trust him died, one by one.The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation who had done evil in His sight was gone.

14And you are acting like your ancestors did! You sinful Israelite people are going to cause Yahweh to be more angry with you than he was with our ancestors!Now behold, you, a brood of sinners, have risen up in place of your fathers to further stoke the burning anger of the LORD against Israel.

15If you stop trusting him, he will cause you and all your fellow Israelites to stay longer in the desert, and he will get rid of all of you!"For if you turn away from following Him, He will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.”

16Then the leaders of the tribes of Reuben and Gad said to Moses, "First we will build pens for our animals and build cities for our families here.Then the Gadites and Reubenites approached Moses and said, “We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our little ones.

17Then our families will live in strong cities with walls around them, and they will be safe from the people who live in this land. Then we will get ready to fight battles. We will help the other Israelites to get land on the other side of the river.But we will arm ourselves and be ready to go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Meanwhile, our little ones will remain in the fortified cities for protection from the inhabitants of the land.

18We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received some land.We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has taken possession of his inheritance.

19We will not take any land on the west side of the Jordan River, because our land will be here on the east side."Yet we will not have an inheritance with them across the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.”

20So Moses told them, "I will tell you what you must do. You must get ready to fight battles for Yahweh.Moses replied, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle,

21You must cross the Jordan River carrying your weapons.and if every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the LORD, until He has driven His enemies out before Him,

22After Yahweh helps us to take that land from the people who live there, you will be permitted to return to your homes. You will have done what you have promised Yahweh and the Israelite people that you would do, and you may keep this land to be your own, given to you by Yahweh.then when the land is subdued before the LORD, you may return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the LORD.

23But if you do not do these things, you will be sinning against Yahweh, and he will punish you for that sin.But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.

24Now you can build cities for your families and pens for your animals, but after doing that, you must do what you have promised."Build cities for your little ones and folds for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”

25The leaders of the tribes of Gad and Reuben replied, "Your servants will do what you have asked us to do, because you are our leader.The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “Your servants will do just as our lord commands.

26Our wives and children and our cattle and sheep and goats will stay here in the cities of the Gilead area,Our children, our wives, our livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead.

27but your servants will cross over before Yahweh as he leads us in battle. Every man will prepare to fight a war, just as our leader gives us orders."But your servants are equipped for war, and every man will cross over to the battle before the LORD, just as our lord says.”

28So Moses gave instructions about them to Eleazar, Joshua, and the leaders of the Israelite tribes.So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the family leaders of the tribes of Israel.

29Moses said to them, "If the men from the tribes of Gad and Reuben prepare for battle and cross the Jordan River with you, in order to do what Yahweh desires and help you to take that land, give them the Gilead area to belong to them.And Moses said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, with every man armed for battle before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession.

30But if they do not take their weapons and go with you prepared to fight, they will not receive this land. They will need to accept some land in Canaan, like the rest of you will do."But if they do not arm themselves and go across with you, then they must accept their possession among you in the land of Canaan.”

31The descendants of the tribes of Gad and Reuben replied, "We your servants will do what Yahweh has said.The Gadites and Reubenites replied, “As the LORD has spoken to your servants, so we will do.

32We will cross the river into the land of Canaan, and we will do what Yahweh desires and be prepared for battle. But our land will be here on the east side of the Jordan River."We will cross over into the land of Canaan armed before the LORD, that we may have our inheritance on this side of the Jordan.”

33So Moses agreed to give that land to the tribes of Gad and Reuben and to half of the tribe of Joseph's son Manasseh. That land was previously the land where Sihon, the king of the Amor people, ruled, and the land where Og, the king of Bashan, ruled, including its cities and surrounding land.So Moses gave to the Gadites, to the Reubenites, and to 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 land including its cities and the territory surrounding them.

34The people of the tribe of Gad rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,And the Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

35Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

36Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran cities. Those were cities with strong walls around them. And they also built pens for their sheep.Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified cities, and they built folds for their flocks.

37The people of the tribe of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,The Reubenites built up Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

38Nebo, Baal Meon, and Sibmah cities. When they rebuilt Nebo and Baal Meon, they gave new names to those cities.as well as Nebo and Baal-meon (whose names were changed), and Sibmah. And they renamed the cities they rebuilt.

39The descendants of Manasseh's son Makir went to the region of Gilead and took it away from the Amor people.The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there.

40So Moses gave Gilead to the family of Makir, and they started to live there.So Moses gave Gilead to the clan of Machir son of Manasseh, and they settled there.

41Jair, who was also a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured the small towns in that region, and he named them Havvoth Jair, which means "the villages of Jair."Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages and called them Havvoth-jair.

42A man named Nobah went and captured the city of Kenath and the nearby towns, and then he used his own name to be the new name of that area.And Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah, after his own name.

Numbers 32

The Tribes East of the Jordan

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Numbers 32

The Tribes East of the Jordan

You’ve read Numbers 32

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