Numbers 32:20-42 ▼

20 Moses (drawn out) replied, “If you⁺ will do this—if you⁺ will arm yourselves before the LORD {YHWH} for battle,

21 and if every one of your⁺ armed men crosses the Jordan (flowing down) before the LORD {YHWH}, until He has driven His enemies out before Him,

22 then when the land is subdued before the LORD {YHWH}, you⁺ may return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel (he wrestles with God). And this land will belong to you⁺ as a possession before the LORD.

23 But if you⁺ do not do this, you⁺ will certainly sin against the LORD {YHWH}—and be assured that your⁺ sin will find you⁺ out.

24 Build cities for your⁺ little ones and folds for your⁺ flocks, but do what you⁺ have promised.”

25 The Gadites (troop) and Reubenites (behold a son) said to Moses (drawn out), “Your servants will do just as our lord commands.

26 Our children, our wives, our livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead (rocky region).

27 But your servants are equipped for war, and every man will cross over to the battle before the LORD {YHWH}, just as our lord says.”

28 So Moses (drawn out) gave orders about them to Eleazar (God has helped) the priest, to Joshua (YHWH saves) son of Nun (fish / posterity), and to the family leaders of the tribes of Israel (he wrestles with God).

29 And Moses (drawn out) said to them, “If the Gadites (troop) and Reubenites (behold a son) cross the Jordan (flowing down) with you⁺, with every man armed for battle before the LORD {YHWH}, and the land is subdued before you⁺, then you⁺ are to give them the land of Gilead (rocky region) as a possession.

30 But if they do not arm themselves and go across with you⁺, then they must accept their possession among you⁺ in the land of Canaan (lowland).”

31 The Gadites (troop) and Reubenites (behold a son) replied, “As the LORD {YHWH} has spoken to your servants, so we will do.

32 We will cross over into the land of Canaan (lowland) armed before the LORD {YHWH}, that we may have our inheritance on this side of the Jordan (flowing down).”

33 So Moses (drawn out) gave to the Gadites (troop), to the Reubenites (behold a son), and to the half-tribe of Manasseh (causing to forget) son of Joseph (YHWH has added) the kingdom of Sihon (warrior) king of the Amorites (sayers) and the kingdom of Og (long-necked) king of Bashan (fruitful)—the land including its cities and the territory surrounding them.

34 And the Gadites (troop) built up Dibon (wasting), Ataroth (crowns), Aroer (ruins),

35 Atroth-shophan (crowns of Shophan), Jazer (helped), Jogbehah (lofty),

36 Beth-nimrah (house of the leopard), and Beth-haran (house of their mount) as fortified cities, and they built folds for their flocks.

37 The Reubenites (behold a son) built up Heshbon (stronghold), Elealeh (God is ascending), Kiriathaim (two cities),

38 as well as Nebo (prophet) and Baal-meon (lord of the habitation) (whose names were changed), and Sibmah (fragrance). And they renamed the cities they rebuilt.

39 The descendants of Machir (sold) son of Manasseh (causing to forget) went to Gilead (rocky region), captured it, and drove out the Amorites (sayers) who were there.

40 So Moses (drawn out) gave Gilead (rocky region) to the clan of Machir (sold) son of Manasseh (causing to forget), and they settled there.

41 Jair (he enlightens), a descendant of Manasseh (causing to forget), went and captured their villages and called them (villages of Jair) Havvoth-jair.

42 And Nobah (barking) went and captured Kenath (possession) and its villages and called it Nobah, after his own name.