The Transjordan Tribes

32 The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks,^(A) saw that the lands of Jazer^(B) and Gilead^(C) were suitable for livestock.^{(D) 2} So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community,^(E) and said, ³ “Ataroth,^(F) Dibon,^(G) Jazer,^(H) Nimrah,^(I) Heshbon,^(J) Elealeh,^(K) Sebam,^(L) Nebo^(M) and Beon^(N)— ⁴ the land the Lord subdued^(O) before the people of Israel—are suitable for livestock,^(P) and your servants have livestock. ⁵ If we have found favor in your eyes,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.^(Q)”

⁶ Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your fellow Israelites go to war while you sit here? ⁷ Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them?^{(R) 8} This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land.^{(S) 9} After they went up to the Valley of Eshkol^(T) and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. ¹⁰ The Lord’s anger was aroused^(U) that day and he swore this oath:^{(V) 11} ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more^(W) when they came up out of Egypt^(X) will see the land I promised on oath^(Y) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob^(Z)— ¹² not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’^{(AA) 13} The Lord’s anger burned against Israel^(AB) and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.^(AC)

¹⁴ “And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel.^{(AD) 15} If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.^(AE)”

¹⁶ Then they came up to him and said, “We would like to build pens^(AF) here for our livestock^(AG) and cities for our women and children. ¹⁷ But we will arm ourselves for battle^[a] and go ahead of the Israelites^(AH) until we have brought them to their place.^(AI) Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. ¹⁸ We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has received their inheritance.^{(AJ) 19} We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance^(AK) has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.”^(AL)

²⁰ Then Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle^{(AM) 21} and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him^(AN)— ²² then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return^(AO) and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession^(AP) before the Lord.^(AQ)

²³ “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.^{(AR) 24} Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks,^(AS) but do what you have promised.^(AT)”

²⁵ The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “We your servants will do as our lord commands.^{(AU) 26} Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead.^{(AV) 27} But your servants, every man who is armed for battle, will cross over to fight^(AW) before the Lord, just as our lord says.”

²⁸ Then Moses gave orders about them^(AX) to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun^(AY) and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes.^{(AZ) 29} He said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you,^(BA) you must give them the land of Gilead as their possession.^{(BB) 30} But if they do not cross over^(BC) with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan.^(BD)”

³¹ The Gadites and Reubenites answered, “Your servants will do what the Lord has said.^{(BE) 32} We will cross over before the Lord into Canaan armed,^(BF) but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan.^(BG)”

¹² But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh,^(A) Joshua said, ¹³ “Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, ‘The Lord your God will give you rest^(B) by giving you this land.’ ¹⁴ Your wives,^(C) your children and your livestock may stay in the land^(D) that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, ready for battle,^(E) must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelites.^(F) You are to help them ¹⁵ until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”^(G)

¹⁸ The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men ready for military service^(A)—able-bodied men who could handle shield and sword, who could use a bow, and who were trained for battle. ¹⁹ They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur,^(B) Naphish and Nodab. ²⁰ They were helped^(C) in fighting them, and God delivered the Hagrites and all their allies into their hands, because they cried^(D) out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted^(E) in him. ²¹ They seized the livestock of the Hagrites—fifty thousand camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep and two thousand donkeys. They also took one hundred thousand people captive, ²² and many others fell slain, because the battle^(F) was God’s. And they occupied the land until the exile.^(G)

⁸ Some Gadites^(A) defected to David at his stronghold in the wilderness. They were brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions,^(B) and they were as swift as gazelles^(C) in the mountains.

¹⁴ These Gadites were army commanders; the least was a match for a hundred,^(D) and the greatest for a thousand.^{(E) 15} It was they who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks,^(F) and they put to flight everyone living in the valleys, to the east and to the west.