1Now 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.[ † ]Numbers 21:32Joshua 13:252 Samuel 24:5Deuteronomy 3:13 2So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, and said, 3“Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,[ † ]Numbers 32:36Joshua 13:17-26Numbers 32:38 4which the Lord conquered before the congregation of Israel, are suitable for livestock—and your servants have livestock.”[ † ]Numbers 21:24-34, 35
5“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.”
6But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here? 7Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land that the Lord has given them?[ † ]Numbers 13:27-14:4 8This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to inspect the land.[ † ]Numbers 13:3-26Deuteronomy 1:19-25
9For 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.[ † ]Numbers 13:24-31Deuteronomy 1:24-28 10So the anger of the Lord was kindled that day, and He swore an oath, saying,[ † ]Numbers 14:11Deuteronomy 1:34-36 11‘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—[ † ]Numbers 14:28-29Numbers 26:63-65Deuteronomy 1:35Numbers 14:24-30 12not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun—because they did follow the Lord wholeheartedly.’[ † ]Numbers 14:6-9, 24, 30Deuteronomy 1:36Joshua 14:8-9 13The 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.[ † ]Numbers 14:33-35Numbers 26:64-65
14Now 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.[ † ]Numbers 11:1Deuteronomy 1:34 15For 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.”[ † ]Deuteronomy 30:17-18Joshua 22:16-182 Chronicles 7:192 Chronicles 15:2
16Then the Gadites and Reubenites approached Moses and said, “We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our little ones. 17But 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.[ † ]Joshua 4:12-13 18We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has taken possession of his inheritance.[ † ]Joshua 22:1-4 19Yet 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.”[ † ]Joshua 12:1Joshua 13:8
20Moses replied, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle,[ † ]Deuteronomy 3:18Joshua 1:14 21and if every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the Lord, until He has driven His enemies out before Him, 22then 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.[ † ]Deuteronomy 3:20Joshua 11:23Joshua 22:4Deuteronomy 3:12-15, 16, 18Joshua 1:15Joshua 13:8-32Joshua 22:4-9 23But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the Lord—and be assured that your sin will find you out.[ † ]Genesis 4:7Genesis 44:16Joshua 7:1-26Isaiah 59:12Galatians 6:7 24Build cities for your little ones and folds for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”[ † ]Numbers 32:16
25The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “Your servants will do just as our lord commands. 26Our children, our wives, our livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead.[ † ]Joshua 1:14 27But your servants are equipped for war, and every man will cross over to the battle before the Lord, just as our lord says.”[ † ]Joshua 4:12
28So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the family leaders of the tribes of Israel.[ † ]Joshua 1:13 29And 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 arm themselves and go across with you, then they must accept their possession among you in the land of Canaan.”
31The Gadites and Reubenites replied, “As the Lord has spoken to your servants, so we will do. 32We 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 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.[ † ]Deuteronomy 3:8-17Deuteronomy 29:8Joshua 12:1-6Joshua 13:8-31Joshua 22:4Numbers 21:24-33, 35
34And the Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,[ † ]Numbers 33:45-46Deuteronomy 2:36 35Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,[ † ]Numbers 32:1-3 36Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified cities, and they built folds for their flocks.[ † ]Numbers 32:3Numbers 32:24
37The Reubenites built up Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,[ † ]Numbers 21:27 38as well as Nebo and Baal-meon (whose names were changed), and Sibmah. And they renamed the cities they rebuilt.[ † ]Isaiah 46:1Ezekiel 25:9Exodus 23:13Joshua 23:7
39The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there.[ † ]Genesis 50:23Numbers 27:1Numbers 36:1 40So Moses gave Gilead to the clan of Machir son of Manasseh, and they settled there.[ † ]Deuteronomy 3:12-13, 15Joshua 13:31 41Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages and called them Havvoth-jair.[ † ]Deuteronomy 3:14Joshua 13:30Judges 10:41 Kings 4:13 42And Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah, after his own name.