1   Now the Reubenites and the Gadites had large and very numerous flocks, and when they saw that the land of Jazer and Gilead was good grazing country, 2   they came and said to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community, 3   ‘Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, 4   Elealeh, Sebam, ^note Nebo, and Beon, the region which the Lord has subdued before the advance of the Israelite community, is grazing country, and our flocks are our livelihood. 5   If’, they said, ‘we have found favour with you, sir, then let this country be given to us as our possession, and do not make us cross the Jordan.’ 6   Moses replied to the Gadites and the Reubenites, ‘Are your kinsmen to go into battle while you stay here? 7   How dare you discourage the Israelites from crossing over to the land which the Lord has given them? 8   This is what your fathers did when I sent them out from Kadesh-barnea to view the land. 9   They went up as far as the gorge of Eshcol and viewed the land, and on their return so discouraged the Israelites that they would not enter the land which the Lord had given them. 10   The Lord became angry that day, and he solemnly swore: 11   “Because they have not followed me with their whole heart, none of the men who came out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upwards, shall see the land which I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” 12   This meant all except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, who followed the Lord with their whole heart. 13   The Lord became angry with Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness for forty years until that whole generation was dead which had done what was wrong in his eyes. 14   And now you are following in your fathers' footsteps, a fresh brood of sinful men to fire the Lord's anger once more against Israel; 15   for if you refuse to follow him, he will again

Israel in the plains of Moab abandon this whole people in the wilderness and you will be the cause of their destruction.’

16   Presently they came forward with this offer: ‘We will build folds for our sheep here and towns for our dependants. 17   Then we can be drafted as a fighting force ^note to go at the head of the Israelites until we have brought them to the lands that will be theirs. Meanwhile our dependants can live in the walled towns, safe from the people of the country. 18   We will not return until every Israelite is settled in possession of his patrimony; 19   we will claim no share of the land with them over the Jordan and beyond, because our patrimony has already been allotted to us east of the Jordan.’ 20   Moses answered, ‘If you stand by your promise, if in the presence of the Lord you are drafted for battle, 21   and the whole draft crosses the Jordan in front of the Lord and remains there until the Lord has driven out his enemies, 22   and the land falls before him, then you may come back and be quit of your obligation to the Lord and to Israel; and this land shall be your possession in the sight of the Lord. 23   But I warn you, if you fail to do all this, you will have sinned against the Lord, and your sin will find you out. 24   So build towns for your dependants and folds for your sheep; but carry out your promise.’

25   The Gadites and Reubenites answered Moses, ‘Sir, we are your servants and will do as you command. 26   Our dependants and wives, our flocks and all our beasts shall remain here in the cities of Gilead; 27   but we, all who have been drafted for active service with the Lord, will cross the river and fight, according to your command.’

28   Accordingly Moses gave these instructions to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and to the heads of the families in the Israelite tribes: 29   ‘If the Gadites and Reubenites, all who have been drafted for battle before the Lord, cross the Jordan with you, and if the land falls into your hands, then you shall give them Gilead for their possession. 30   But if, thus drafted, they fail to cross with you, then they shall acquire land alongside you in Canaan.’ 31   The Gadites and Reubenites said in response, ‘Sir, the Lord has spoken, and we will obey. 32   Once we have been drafted, we will cross over before the Lord into Canaan; then we shall have our patrimony here beyond the Jordan.’

33   So to the Gadites, the Reubenites, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph, Moses gave the kingdoms of Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan, the whole land with its towns and the country round them. 34    35   The Gadites built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, Atrothshophan, Jazer, 36   Jogbehah, Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, all of them walled towns with folds for their sheep. 37    ^noteThe Reubenites built Heshbon, Elealeh, 38   Kiriathaim, Nebo, Baal-meon (whose name was changed), and

Israel in the plains of Moab Sibmah; these were the names they gave to the towns they built. 39   The sons of Machir son of Manasseh invaded Gilead, took it and drove out the Amorite inhabitants; 40   Moses then assigned Gilead to Machir son of Manasseh, and he made his home there. 41   Jair son of Manasseh attacked and took the tent-villages of Ham ^note and called them Havvoth-jair. ^note 42   Nobah attacked and took Kenath and its villages and gave it his own name, Nobah.

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