Numbers 32

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;

1Reuben and Gad were two family groups of Israel. They owned huge herds of animals. They looked at the land of Jazer and Gilead. It was very good land for animals.

2The 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,

2So the men of Gad and Reuben came to Moses. They also came to Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the people. This is what they said.

3Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,

3"Look at these places: Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Shebam, Nebo, and Beon.

4Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:

4The LORD helped Israel win all this land. It is good land for animals. And we have many animals."

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.

5They said, "If you are willing, please give us this land. Let it be ours to keep. Do not make us cross the Jordan River."

6And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?

6Moses said to the men of Gad and Reuben, "Your brothers will go and fight. Will you just sit here?

7And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?

7Why would you make the people of Israel lose heart? God gave them that land across the river.

8Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land.

8Your fathers did this same thing. I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to look at the land.

9For 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.

9They went up to the valley of Eshcol and saw the land. Then they made the people afraid to go in. So Israel would not enter the land God gave them.

10And the LORD’s anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying,

10That day the LORD became very angry. He made a promise. He said,

11Surely 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:

11'None of the men who came out of Egypt will see that land. I mean the men twenty years old and older. I promised that land to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But these men did not follow me with their whole heart.

12Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.

12Only two will see it. Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. They followed the LORD with their whole heart.'

13And 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.

13The LORD was angry with Israel. He made them wander in the desert for forty years. He waited until that whole group of grown-ups had died.

14And, 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.

14"Now here you are, doing what your fathers did. You are one more crowd of people who do wrong. You will only make the LORD more angry with Israel.

15For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.

15If you turn away from him, he will leave the people in the desert again. Then you will be the reason they are ruined."

16And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:

16The men came close to Moses and said, "We will build stone pens here for our animals. We will build towns for our children.

17But 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.

17But we ourselves will pick up weapons. We will march in front of the other Israelites. We will keep going until they are safe in their land. Our children will stay in walled towns, safe from the people who live here.

18We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.

18We will not go back to our homes. We will stay until every Israelite has his own piece of land.

19For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward.

19We will not take land with them across the Jordan River. Our land is right here, on the east side of the river."

20And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war,

20Moses said to them, "If you really do this, then good. Take up your weapons and go to war before the LORD.

21And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,

21Every one of your fighting men must cross the Jordan River. Keep going until the LORD has driven his enemies out.

22And 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.

22When the land is won for the LORD, you may come home. Then no one can blame you, not the LORD and not Israel. And this land here will be yours to keep.

23But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

23But if you do not do this, you have sinned against the LORD. And be sure of it: your sin will find you out.

24Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.

24So build towns for your children and pens for your sheep. But do what you said you would do."

25And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.

25The men of Gad and Reuben said to Moses, "We will do just what you say.

26Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:

26Our children, our wives, and all our animals will stay here in the towns of Gilead.

27But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith.

27But every one of us will cross the river with weapons. We will fight before the LORD, just as you say."

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:

28So Moses gave orders about them. He told Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the family leaders of Israel.

29And 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:

29Moses said to them, "The men of Gad and Reuben must cross the Jordan with you. Every man must be armed for battle before the LORD. If the land is won, give them Gilead to keep.

30But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.

30But if they will not cross over armed with you, they get no land here. They must take their share with you inside 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.

31The men of Gad and Reuben answered, "We will do what the LORD has said.

32We 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.

32We will cross into Canaan with our weapons, before the LORD. Then the land here, on this side of the river, will be ours."

33And 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.

33So Moses gave them the land. He gave it to Gad, to Reuben, and to half of Manasseh's family group. Manasseh was a son of Joseph. This land had belonged to Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan. It included the towns and the country around them.

34And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

34The men of Gad built up Dibon, Ataroth, and Aroer.

35And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,

35They also built Atroth, Shophan, Jaazer, and Jogbehah.

36And Bethnimrah, and Bethharan, fenced cities: and folds for sheep.

36They built Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran too. These towns had strong walls. They also made pens for their sheep.

37And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,

37The men of Reuben built up Heshbon, Elealeh, and Kirjathaim.

38And Nebo, and Baalmeon, (their names being changed,) and Shibmah: and gave other names unto the cities which they builded.

38They also built Nebo, Baal-meon, and Shibmah. They gave new names to the towns they built.

NoteThe old wording says the names "were changed." It means Reuben's people gave these towns new names, not that the towns moved.

39And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it.

39The family of Machir went to Gilead. Machir was a son of Manasseh. They took the land and drove out the Amorites who lived there.

40And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein.

40So Moses gave Gilead to Machir's family, and they lived there.

41And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havothjair.

41Jair, from the family of Manasseh, took the small towns nearby. He named them Havoth-jair.

NoteHavoth-jair means "the villages of Jair." Jair named the towns after himself, the way Nobah did in the next verse.

42And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name.

42Nobah took the town of Kenath and its villages. He named it Nobah, after himself.