32:1¹ Now the Reubenites and the Gadites possessed a very large amount of cattle, and when they saw that the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead was ideal for cattle,² 32:2 the Gadites and the Reubenites came and addressed Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community, saying, 32:3 “Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealah, and Sebam, and Nebo, and Beon, 32:4 the land that the LORD subdued³ before the community of Israel, is ideal for cattle, and your servants have cattle.” 32:5 So they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this territory be given to your servants for an heritage. Do not have us cross⁴ the Jordan.”

32:6 And Moses said to the Gadites and the Reubenites, “Must your brothers go to war while you⁵ remain here? 32:7 And why do you frustrate the intent⁶ of the Israelites to cross over into the land which the LORD has given them? 32:8 Your fathers did the same thing when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. 32:9 When⁷ they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they frustrated the intent of the Israelites so that they did not enter⁸ the land that the LORD had given⁹ them. 32:10 And so the anger of the LORD was kindled that day, and he swore, saying, 32:11 ‘Not¹⁰ one of the men twenty years old and higher who came from Egypt will see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they have not followed me wholeheartedly,¹¹ 32:12 except Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua, the son of Nun, for they followed the LORD wholeheartedly.’ 32:13 So the LORD’s anger was kindled against the Israelites, and he made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all that generation that had done wickedly before the LORD was finished.¹² 32:14 Now look, you are standing in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinners, to increase still further the fierce wrath of the LORD against the Israelites. 32:15 For if you turn away from following him, he will once again abandon¹³ them in the wilderness, and you will be the reason for the destruction.”

32:16 Then they came very close to him and said, “We will build sheep folds here for our flocks, and cities for our families,¹⁴ 32:17 but we will maintain ourselves in armed readiness¹⁵ and go before the Israelites until whenever have brought them to their place. And our descendants will be living in fortified towns as a protection against¹⁶ the inhabitants of the land. 32:18 We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has his heritage. 32:19 For we will not accept any inheritance on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this eastern side of the Jordan.”

32:20 Then Moses replied, “If you will do this thing, and if you will arm yourselves for battle before the LORD, 32:21 and if all your armed men cross the Jordan before the LORD until he drives out his enemies from his presence 32:22 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 then be your possession in the LORD’s sight.

32:23 But if you do not do all this, then look, you will have sinned¹⁷ against the LORD. And know that your sin will find you. 32:24 So build cities for your descendants and pens for your sheep, but do what you have said¹⁸ you would.”

32:25 So the Gadites and the Reubenites replied to Moses, saying, “Your servants will do as my lord commands. 32:26 Our children, our wives, our flocks, and our livestock will be there in the cities of Gilead, 32:27 but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, to do battle in the LORD’s presence, just as my lord says.”

32:28 So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the families of the Israelite tribes. 32:29 Moses said to them: “If the Gadites and the Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, each one equipped for battle in the LORD’s presence, and the land is conquered by you, then you must allot them the territory of Gilead as their possession. 32:30 But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must receive possessions among you in Canaan.” 32:31 Then the Gadites and the Reubenites answered, saying, “Your servants will do what the LORD has spoken. 32:32 We will cross armed in the LORD’s presence into Canaan, and then the possession of our inheritance that we inherit will be ours on this side of the Jordan.”

32:33 So Moses gave to the Gadites, to the Reubenites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan, the entire land with its cities and the territory surrounding them. 32:34 And the Gadites rebuilt Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer, 32:35 and Atroth-shophan, and Jazer, and Jogbehah, 32:36 and Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified cities, and constructed pens for their flocks. 32:37 And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, and Elealeh, and and Kirlathaim, 32:38 and Nebo and Baal-meon (with a change of name) and Sibmah. And they renamed¹⁹ the cities they built.

32:39 And the descendants of Machir, the son of Manasseh, went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who where in it. 32:40 So Moses gave Gilead to Machir, son of Manasseh, and he dwelt there. 32:41 Now Jair, the son of Manasseh, went and captured their small towns and named them Havvoth Jair. 32:42 Then Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah after his own name.