Numbers 32
The tribes of Reuben and Gad, who have large herds, ask Moses for the land east of the Jordan as their inheritance. Moses rebukes them but agrees on the condition that their armed men cross the Jordan and fight alongside the other tribes until Canaan is conquered; the half-tribe of Manasseh also settles east of the Jordan.
| v | King James Version | Modern English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Now 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, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle; | Now the people of Reuben and the people of Gad had a very great number of livestock. And they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and the place was a place for livestock. |
| 2 | 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, | the people of Gad and the people of Reuben came and said to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the chiefs of the congregation, |
| 3 | Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon, | 'Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, |
| 4 | Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle: | the land that the LORD struck down before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and Your servants have livestock.' |
| 5 | 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. | they said, 'If we have found favor in Your sight, let this land be given to Your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan.' |
| 6 | And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? | But Moses said to the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben, 'Shall your brothers go to the war while you sit here? |
| 7 | And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them? | Why will You discourage the heart of the people of Israel from going over into the land that the LORD has given them? |
| 8 | Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land. | Your fathers did this, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. |
| 9 | For when they went up unto the valley 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. | For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the people of Israel from going into the land that the LORD had given them. |
| 10 | And the LORD's anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying, | the LORD's anger was kindled on that day. He swore, saying, |
| 11 | Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me: | "None of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me — |
| 12 | Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD. | none except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the LORD." |
| 13 | And the LORD's anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed. | the LORD's anger was kindled against Israel. He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD was gone. |
| 14 | And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel. | you have risen in Your fathers' place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the LORD against Israel! |
| 15 | For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people. | For if You turn away from following Him, He will again abandon them in the wilderness, and You will destroy all this people.' |
| 16 | And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones: | Then they came near to Him and said, 'We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, |
| 17 | But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land. | but we will take up arms, ready to go before the people of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. And our little ones shall live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. |
| 18 | We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance. | We will not return to our homes until each of the people of Israel has gained his inheritance. |
| 19 | For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward. | For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan to the east.' |
| 20 | And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war, | Moses said to them, 'If you will do this, if you will take up arms to go before the LORD for the war, |
| 21 | And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him, | every armed man of You will pass over the Jordan before the LORD, until He has driven out His enemies from before Him |
| 22 | 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. | the land is subdued before the LORD; then after that You shall return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel, and this land shall be Your possession before the LORD. |
| 23 | But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out. | But if You will not do so, You have sinned against the LORD, and be sure Your sin will find You out. |
| 24 | Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth. | Build cities for Your little ones and folds for Your sheep, and do what You have promised.' |
| 25 | And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth. | the people of Gad and the people of Reuben said to Moses, 'Your servants will do as my lord commands. |
| 26 | Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead: | Our little ones, our wives, our flocks. All our livestock shall be there in the cities of Gilead, |
| 27 | But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith. | but Your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord orders.' |
| 28 | So 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: | So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel. |
| 29 | 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: | Moses said to them, 'If the people of Gad and the people of Reuben, every man who is armed to battle before the LORD, will pass with You over the Jordan and the land shall be subdued before You, then You shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. |
| 30 | But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. | But if they will not pass over with You armed, they shall have possessions among You in the land of Canaan.' |
| 31 | And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD hath said unto thy servants, so will we do. | the people of Gad and the people of Reuben answered, 'What the LORD has said to Your servants, we will do. |
| 32 | 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. | We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.' |
| 33 | And 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. | Moses gave to them — to the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben and to the half-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 and its cities with their territories, the cities of the surrounding land. |
| 34 | And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer, | the people of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, |
| 35 | And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah, | Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, |
| 36 | And Bethnimrah, and Bethharan, fenced cities: and folds for sheep. | Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran — fortified cities — and folds for sheep. |
| 37 | And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim, | the people of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, |
| 38 | And Nebo, and Baalmeon, (their names being changed,) and Shibmah: and gave other names unto the cities which they builded. | Nebo, and Baal-meon (their names were changed) and Sibmah. And they gave other names to the cities that they built. |
| 39 | And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it. | the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and captured it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. |
| 40 | And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein. | Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh. He settled in it. |
| 41 | And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havothjair. | Jair the son of Manasseh went and captured their villages and called them Havvoth-jair. |
| 42 | And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name. | Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name. |