Numbers:32

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* Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock ; and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead , that indeed the region was a place for livestock , * the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses , to Eleazar the priest , and to the leaders of the congregation , saying , * "Ataroth , Dibon , Jazer , Nimrah , Heshbon , Elealeh , Shebam , Nebo , and Beon , * the country which the LORD defeated before the congregation of Israel , is a land for livestock , and your servants have livestock ." * Therefore they said , "If we have found favor in your sight , let this land be given to your servants as a possession . Do not take us over the Jordan ." * And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben : "Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here ? * Now why will you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD has given them ? * Thus your fathers did when I sent them away from Kadesh Barnea to see the land . * For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land , they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel , so that they did not go into the land which the LORD had given them . * So the LORD 's anger was aroused on that day , and He swore an oath , saying , * "Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt , from twenty years old and above , shall see the land of which I swore to Abraham , Isaac , and Jacob , because they have not wholly followed Me , * except Caleb the son of Jephunneh , the Kenizzite , and Joshua the son of Nun , for they have wholly followed the LORD .' * So the LORD 's anger was aroused 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 gone . * And look ! You have risen in your fathers ' place , a brood of sinful men , to increase still more the fierce anger of the LORD against Israel . * For if you turn away from following Him , He will once again leave them in the wilderness , and you will destroy all these people ." * Then they came near to him and said : "We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock , and cities for our little ones , * but we ourselves will be armed , ready to go before the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place ; and our little ones will dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land . * We will not return to our homes until every one of the children of Israel has received his inheritance . * For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond , because our inheritance has fallen to us on this eastern side of the Jordan ." * Then Moses said to them : "If you do this thing , if you arm yourselves before the LORD for the war , * and all your armed men cross over the Jordan before the LORD until He has driven out His enemies from before Him , * and the land is subdued before the LORD , then afterward you may return and be blameless before the LORD and before Israel ; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD . * But if you do not do so , then take note , you have sinned against the LORD ; and be sure your sin will find you out . * Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep , and do what has proceeded out of your mouth ." * And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses , saying : "Your servants will do as my lord commands . * Our little ones , our wives , our flocks , and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gilead ; * but your servants will cross over , every man armed for war , before the LORD to battle , just as my lord says ." * So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest , to Joshua the son of Nun , and to the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel . * And Moses said to them : "If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben cross over the Jordan with you , every man armed for battle before the LORD , and the land is subdued before you , then you shall give them the land of Gilead as a possession . * But if they do not cross over armed with you , they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan ." * Then the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered , saying : "As the LORD has said to your servants , so we will do . * We will cross over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan , but the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us on this side of the Jordan ." * So Moses gave to the children of Gad , to the children of Reuben , and to 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 its cities within the borders , the cities of the surrounding country . * And the children of Gad built Dibon and Ataroth and Aroer , * Atroth and Shophan and Jazer and Jogbehah , * Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran , fortified cities , and folds for sheep . * And the children of Reuben built Heshbon and Elealeh and Kirjathaim , * Nebo and Baal Meon (their names being changed ) and Shibmah ; and they gave other names to the cities which they built . * And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it , and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it . * So Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh , and he dwelt in it . * Also Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its small towns , and called them Havoth Jair . * Then Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages , and he called it Nobah , after his own name .

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