Previous     Next       Play // Stop Sound    

          DASV: Numbers 32    

1 Now the Reubenite and Gadite tribes had a large number of
livestock. So when they saw the land of Jazer and Gilead
were a good place for cattle,
2 the Gadites and Reubenites came and spoke to Moses,
Eleazar the priest and the leaders of the congregation,
saying,
3 "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam,
Nebo and Beon,
4 the land the LORD conquered before the congregation of
Israel, is a land ideal for cattle; and we, your servants,
have cattle."
5 So they asked, "If we have found favor in your sight,
let this land be given to your servants for a possession.
Do not make us cross the Jordan River."

6 But Moses answered the Gadites and Reubenites, "Must your
brothers go to the war while you sit here?
7 Why would you discourage the heart of the Israelites from
going over into the land which the LORD has given them?
8 Your fathers did the same thing when I sent them from
Kadesh-barnea to see the land.
9 For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol, and saw
the land, they discouraged the heart of the Israelites from
entering the land the LORD had given them.
10 So the LORD's anger was sparked on that day, and he swore,
saying,
11 'Surely none of the people who came up out of Egypt,
from twenty years old and upward, will see the land I
swore to give Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, because they
have not followed me wholeheartedly,
12 none except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite,
and Joshua the son of Nun, for they wholeheartedly followed
the LORD.'
13 The LORD's anger was sparked against Israel, and he
made them wander in the wilderness for forty years,
until all the generation that had done evil in the
sight of the LORD, was gone.
14 But, look, here you are a brood of sinners standing
up in your fathers' place, to further increase the LORD's
fierce anger toward Israel.
15 For if you turn away from following him, he will once
again leave them in the wilderness; and you will be
responsible for the destruction all this people."

16 Then they approached him and said, "We want to build
folds here for our cattle, and towns for our children,
17 but we ourselves will take up arms to go before
the Israelites, until we have brought them to their place.
Meanwhile our children will dwell in the fortified
cities as protection against the inhabitants of the land.
18 We will not return to our houses until every
Israelite has received his land inheritance.
19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side
of the Jordan and beyond because our land inheritance
has come to us on this eastern side of the Jordan River."
20 Then Moses said to them, "If you will do this--if you
will arm yourselves to go before the LORD for battle,
21 and if all your armed men cross over the Jordan before
the LORD, until he has driven out his enemies from
before him,
22 and the land is subdued before the LORD, then afterward
you may return and be free of your obligation to the
LORD and to Israel. This land will be your possession
before the LORD.
23 But if you will not do this, then you have sinned
against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out.
24 So build your towns for your children, and folds for
your sheep; but then do what your mouth has promised
you would do."

25 Then the Gadites and the Reubenites spoke to Moses,
saying, "Your servants will do as my lord commands.
26 Our children, our wives, our flocks and all our cattle,
will remain there in the towns of Gilead;
27 but your servants will cross over, every man armed
for war, to do battle before the LORD, just as my
lord has said."

28 So Moses gave orders concerning them to Eleazar the
priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the
clans of the tribes of the Israelites.
29 Then Moses said to them, "If the Gadites and the
Reubenites will cross over the Jordan with you, every man
armed for battle before the LORD, and the land is subdued
before you; then give them the land of Gilead for
a possession.
30 But if they do not cross over with you armed, they
must accept their possessions among you in the land
of Canaan."
31 The Gadites and Reubenites answered, saying,
"As the LORD has said to your servants, we will do.
32 We will cross over armed before the LORD into the
land of Canaan, but the possession of our inheritance
will remain with us on this eastern side of the
Jordan River."

33 So Moses gave to them, to the Gadites and Reubenites
and the half-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 towns and the land around them.
34 The Gadites built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,
35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,
36 Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran as fortified towns,
and made folds for their sheep.
37 The Reubenites built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,
38 Nebo, Baal-meon, (their names were changed,)
and Sibmah. They renamed towns that they rebuilt.
39 The descendants of Makir, the son of Manasseh
went to Gilead, captured it and drove out the
Amorites who were there.
40 Moses gave Gilead to Makir, the son of Manasseh;
and he settled there.
41 Jair, the son of Manasseh, went and captured
its towns, and called them Havvoth-jair (towns
of Jair).
42 Nobah went and captured Kenath, and its
villages, and called it Nobah after his own name.

 Previous     Next       Play // Stop Sound