Gilead: Good Land for Livestock
32 1 The sons of Reuben and sons of Gad had vast herds of livestock. Seeing the land of Jazer and land of Gilead, they noticed it suited livestock well. 2 The sons of Gad and sons of Reuben came and said to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the community's leaders: 3 "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon 4 —the land our Father struck down before Israel's community—is land for livestock, and your servants have livestock. 5 They said, "If we have found favor in your eyes, give this land to your servants as a possession. Don't make us cross the Jordan."
6 Moses said to the sons of Gad and Reuben, "Should your brothers go to war while you sit here?" 7 Why discourage Israel from crossing into the land our Father has given them? 8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. 9 They went up to the Valley of Eshcol, saw the land, then discouraged the Israelites' hearts from entering the land our Father had given them. 10 And our Father's anger burned that day, and he swore an oath, saying, 11 Surely the men who came up from Egypt, twenty years old and up, will not see the land I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob—because they did not fully follow me. 12 None but Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they fully followed our Father. 13 The anger of our Father burned against Israel; he made them wander the wilderness forty years until the whole generation that had done evil before our Father had died.
14 Now you have risen up in place of your fathers, a brood of sinners, adding still more to our Father's fierce anger against Israel! 15 If you turn from following him, he will leave them in the wilderness once again, and you will destroy all this people."
16 They came to him and said, "We'll build pens here for our livestock and cities for our children." 17 But we will arm ourselves, ready to go ahead of the Israelites until we bring them to their place, while our children stay in fortified cities, safe from those living in the land. 18 We will not return home until every Israelite has taken his inheritance. 19 We won't inherit with them across the Jordan and beyond, since our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan, to the east.
20 Moses said to them, "If you do this—if you arm yourselves before our Father for the war, 21 and every armed man among you crosses the Jordan before our Father until he drives out his enemies from before him, 22 and the land is subdued before our Father, afterward you may return and be free of obligation to him and to Israel, and this land will be your possession before our Father. 23 But if you don't do this, look—you will have sinned against our Father, and know: your sin will overtake you. 24 Build cities for your little ones, pens for your flocks, and do what your mouth has promised.
25 The sons of Gad and Reuben said to Moses, "Your servants will do as my lord commands." 26 Our children, wives, flocks, and all our herds will stay there in the cities of Gilead, 27 But your servants, every man armed for war, will cross before our Father to battle, as my lord says.
28 So Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the clan leaders of Israel's tribes about them. 29 Moses said to them, "If Gad's and Reuben's sons cross the Jordan with you, every man armed for battle before our Father, and the land is subdued before you, then give them Gilead as their possession." 30 But if they won't cross over armed with you, they must take possession among you in the land of Canaan.
31 Gad's and Reuben's sons answered, "We will do as our Father told your servants." 32 We ourselves will cross armed before our Father into the land of Canaan, and our inherited possession will remain ours beyond the Jordan."
33 Moses gave to them—the sons of Gad, the sons of Reuben, and 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, its cities, the territories, and the cities of the country around. 34 And the sons of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran—fortified cities and pens for sheep. 37 And the sons of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 Nebo, Baal-meon (renamed), and Sibmah — they gave the cities they rebuilt new names. 39 Sons of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites living there. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to Machir son of Manasseh, and he settled in it. 41 And Jair son of Manasseh went and captured their villages, and called them Havvoth-jair. 42 And Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
