1Now the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad had an exceeding great multitude of cattle: and they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that it was an apt place for cattle.
2Then 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,
3The land of Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,
4Which country the Lord smote before the Congregation of Israel; is a land meet for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:
5Wherefore, 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.
6And Moses said unto the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and ye tarry here?
7Wherefore now discourage you the heart of the children of Israel to go over into the land, which the Lord hath given them?
8Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land.
9For when they went up even unto the river of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they would not go into the land, which the Lord had given them.
10And the Lord’s wrath was kindled the same day, and he did swear, saying,
11None of the men that came out of Egypt, from twenty years old and above, shall see the land for the which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me:
12Except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have constantly followed the Lord.
13And the Lord was very angry with Israel, and made [them] wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord, was consumed.
14And behold, ye are risen up in your father’s stead as an increase of sinful men still to augment the fierce wrath of the Lord toward Israel.
15For if ye turn away from following him, he will yet again leave the people in the wilderness, and ye shall destroy all this folk.
16And they went near to him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our sheep, and for our cattle, and cities for our children.
17But we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: but our children shall dwell in the defensed cities, because of the inhabitants of the land.
18We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited, every man his inheritance.
19Neither will we inherit with them beyond Jordan and on that side, because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan Eastward.
20And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, and go armed before the Lord to war:
21And will go every one of you in harness over Jordan before the Lord, until he have cast out his enemies from his sight:
22And until the land be subdued before the Lord, then ye shall return and be innocent toward the Lord, and toward Israel: and this land shall be your possession before the Lord.
23But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord, and be sure, that your sin will find you out.
24Build you then cities for your children, and folds for your sheep, and do that ye have spoken.
25Then the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth:
26Our children, our wives, our sheep, and all our cattle shall remain there in the cities of Gilead,
27But thy servants will go every one armed to war before the Lord for to fight, as my lord saith.
28So 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.
29And Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will go with you over Jordan, all armed to fight before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you, ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession:
30But if they will not go over with you armed, then they shall have their possessions among you in the land of Canaan.
31And the children of Gad, and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the Lord hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.
32We will go armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan: that the possession of our inheritance may be to us on this side Jordan.
33So Moses gave unto 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 the cities thereof and coasts, even the cities of the country round about.
34Then the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,
35And Atroth, Shophan, and Jazer, and Jogbehah,
36And Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran, defensed cities: also sheepfolds.
37And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,
38And Nebo, and Baal Meon, and turned their names, and Shibmah: and gave other names unto the cities which they built.
39And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and put out the Amorites that dwelt therein.
40Then Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh, and he dwelt therein.
41And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havoth Jair.
42Also Nobah went and took Kenath, with the villages thereof, and called it Nobah after his own name.