32:1 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;
32:2 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and
spoke to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the princes
of the congregation, saying,
32:3 Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and
Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,
32:4 [Even] the country which the LORD smote before the
congregation of Israel, [is] a land for cattle, and thy
servants have cattle:
32:5 Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight,
let this land be given to thy servants for a possession, [and]
bring us not over Jordan.
32:6 And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children
of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit
here?
32:7 And why discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel
from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?
32:8 Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea
to see the land.
32:9 For when they went up to 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.
32:10 And the LORD'S anger was kindled the same time, and he
swore, saying,
32:11 Surely none of the men that came up from Egypt, from
twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore
to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; because they have not
wholly followed me:
32:12 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua
the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.
32:13 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.
32:14 And behold, ye have risen up in your fathers' stead, an
increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the
LORD towards Israel.
32:15 For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again
leave them in the wilderness; and he will destroy all this
people.
32:16 And they came near to him, and said, We will build
sheep-folds here for our cattle, and cities for our little
ones:
32:17 But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children
of Israel, until we have brought them to their place: and our
little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities, because of the
inhabitants of the land.
32:18 We will not return to our houses, until the children of
Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.
32:19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of
Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance hath fallen to us
on this side of Jordan eastward.
32:20 And Moses said to them, If ye will do this thing, if ye
will go armed before the LORD to war,
32:21 And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD,
until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,
32:22 And the land shall 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.
32:23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against
the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.
32:24 Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your
sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.
32:25 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke
to Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.
32:26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our
cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:
32:27 But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war,
before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith.
32:28 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:
32:29 And Moses said to them, If the children of Gad and the
children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man
armed for battle, before the LORD, and the land shall be
subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead
for a possession:
32:30 But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall
have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.
32:31 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben
answered, saying, As the LORD hath said to thy servants, so
will we do.
32:32 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.
32:33 And Moses gave to them, [even] to the children of Gad, and
to the children of Reuben, and to 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 its cities
in the borders, [even] the cities of the country around.
32:34 And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and
Aroer,
32:35 And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,
32:36 And Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, fortified cities: and
folds for sheep.
32:37 And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and
Kirjathaim,
32:38 And Nebo, and Baal-meon, (their names being changed,) and
Shibmah: and gave other names to the cities which they built.
32:39 And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to
Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite who [was] in
it.
32:40 And Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh; and
he dwelt in it.
32:41 And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its small
towns, and called them Havoth-jair.
32:42 And Nobah went and took Kenath, and its villages, and
called it Nobah, after his own name.
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