Numbers 32

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Now, the Reubenites and Gadites owned very large herds of cattle. Having seen that the territories ofJazer and Gilead formed an ideal region for raising stock,	1 Now the Reubenites and Gadites had a very large number of livestock. Noticing that the land of Jazer and of Gilead was grazing country,
2 the Gadites and Reubenites went to Moses, the priest Eleazar and the leaders of the community, andsaid to them,	2 they came to Moses and the priest Eleazar and to the princes of the community and said,
3 'The territory of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon,	3 "The region of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Baal-meon,
4 which Yahweh has conquered before the advancing community of Israel, is ideal land for raisingstock, and your servants are cattle breeders.	4 which the LORD has laid low before the community of Israel, is grazing country. Now, since your servants have livestock,"
5 So', they said, 'if you approve, give your servants this land for us to own; do not make us cross theJordan.'	5 they continued, "if we find favor with you, let this land be given to your servants as their property. Do not make us cross the Jordan."
6 Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, 'Do you intend your brothers to go into battle while youstay here?	6 But Moses answered the Gadites and Reubenites: "Are your kinsmen, then, to engage in war, while you remain here?
7 Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing to the country which Yahweh has given them?	7 Why do you wish to discourage the Israelites from crossing to the land the LORD has given them?
8 Your fathers behaved in the same way when I sent them from Kadesh-Barnea to see the country,	8 That is just what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to reconnoiter the land.
9 for, having gone as far as the Val ey of Eshcol and seen the country, they discouraged the Israelitesfrom entering the country which Yahweh had given them.	9 They went up to the Wadi Eshcol and reconnoitered the land, then so discouraged the Israelites that they would not enter the land the LORD had given them.
10 Hence Yahweh's anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath,	10 At that time the wrath of the LORD flared up, and he swore,
11 "No man of twenty years and over, who left Egypt, shal set eyes on the country which I promised onoath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob . . . , for they have not fol owed me absolutely,	11 'Because they have not followed me unreservedly, none of these men of twenty years or more who have come up from Egypt shall ever see this country I promised under oath to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob,
12 except for Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua son of Nun: these indeed havefol owed Yahweh absolutely."	12 except the Kenizzite Caleb, son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, son of Nun, who have followed the LORD unreservedly.'
13 Yahweh's anger being aroused by Israel, he made them wander in the desert for forty years, untilthe generation that offended Yahweh had all disappeared.	13 So in his anger with the Israelites the LORD made them wander in the desert forty years, until the whole generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD had died out.
14 And now you rise up in your father's place, offshoot of sinful stock, to increase Yahweh's burninganger with Israel even more!	14 And now here you are, a brood of sinners, rising up in your fathers' place to add still more to the LORD'S blazing wrath against the Israelites.
15 If you turn away from him, he wil prolong the time spent in the desert, and you wil bring about thisentire people's ruin.'	15 If you turn away from following him, he will make them stay still longer in the desert, and so you will bring about the ruin of this whole nation."
16 They came to Moses and said, 'We should like to build sheepfolds here for our flocks and towns forour little ones.	16 But they were insistent with him: "We wish only to build sheepfolds here for our flocks, and towns for our families;
17 We ourselves wil take up arms and lead the Israelites until we have brought them to the placeappointed for them, while our little ones stay in the fortified towns to be safe from the local inhabitants.	17 but we ourselves will march as troops in the van of the Israelites, until we have led them to their destination. Meanwhile our families can remain here in the fortified towns, safe from attack by the natives.
18 We wil not return to our homes until every one of the Israelites has taken possession of his heritage.	18 We will not return to our homes until every one of the Israelites has taken possession of his heritage,
19 For we shall have no heritage with them on the other bank of the Jordan or beyond, since ourheritage has fal en to us here, east of the Jordan.'	19 and will not claim any heritage with them once we cross the Jordan, so long as we receive a heritage for ourselves on this eastern side of the Jordan."
20 Moses said to them, 'If you do as you have said, if you are prepared to fight before Yahweh,	20 Moses said to them in reply: "If you keep your word to march as troops in the LORD'S vanguard
21 and if al those of you who bear arms cross the Jordan before Yahweh, until he has driven all hisenemies out before him,	21 and to cross the Jordan in full force before the LORD until he has driven his enemies out of his way
22 then, once the country has become subject to Yahweh, you may go back, and will have dischargedyour obligation to Yahweh and Israel, and Yahweh wil consider this territory yours.	22 and the land is subdued before him, then you may return here, quit of every obligation to the LORD and to Israel, and this region shall be your possession before the LORD.
23 But if you do not, you wil sin against Yahweh, and be sure your sin wil find you out.	23 But if you do not do this, you will sin against the LORD, and you can be sure that you will not escape the consequences of your sin.
24 Build towns, then, for your little ones and folds for your flocks; but do what you have promised.'	24 Build the towns, then, for your families, and the folds for your flocks, but also fulfill your express promise."
25 The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, 'Your servants will do as my lord directs.	25 The Gadites and Reubenites answered Moses, "Your servants will do as you command, my lord.
26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks and al our livestock wil stay in the towns of Gilead,	26 While our wives and children, our herds and other livestock remain in the towns of Gilead,
27 but your servants, each armed for war, will cross in Yahweh's name and fight, as my lord says.'	27 all your servants will go across as armed troops to battle before the LORD, just as your lordship says."
28 So Moses gave orders about them to the priest Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads offamilies in the Israelite tribes.	28 Moses, therefore, gave this order in their regard to the priest Eleazar, to Joshua, son of Nun, and to the heads of the ancestral tribes of the Israelites:
29 Moses said to them, 'If the Gadites and Reubenites, al those under arms, cross the Jordan with youto fight in Yahweh's name, then, once the country has become subject to you, you wil give them the territory ofGilead as theirs.	29 "If all the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you as combat troops before the LORD, you shall give them Gilead as their property when the land has been subdued before you.
30 But if they will not cross with you under arms, they wil receive their domains in Canaan with the restof you.'	30 But if they will not go across with you as combat troops before the LORD, you shall bring their wives and children and livestock across before you into Canaan, and they shall have their property with you in the land of Canaan."
31 To this, the Gadites and Reubenites replied, 'What Yahweh has said to your servants, we shal do.	31 To this the Gadites and Reubenites replied, "We will do what the LORD has commanded us, your servants.
32 Under arms, we shall cross in Yahweh's name into Canaan, so that ownership of our heritage onthis side of the Jordan will be ours.'	32 We ourselves will go across into the land of Canaan as troops before the LORD, but we will retain our hereditary property on this side of the Jordan."
33 Moses then gave them -- the Gadites, the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph-- the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the country and the townswithin its territory, and the country's frontier-towns.	33 So Moses gave them (the Gadites and Reubenites, as well as 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 land with its towns and the districts that surrounded them.
34 The Gadites rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,	34 The Gadites rebuilt the fortified towns of Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,
35 Atroth-Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,	35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,
36 Beth-Nimrah and Beth-Haran as fortified towns with folds for the flocks.	36 Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran, and they built sheepfolds.
37 The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,	37 The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,
38 Nebo and Baal-Meon (the names of which were altered), and Sibmah, giving new names to thetowns which they rebuilt.	38 Nebo, Baal-meon (names to be changed!), and Sibmah. These towns, which they rebuilt, they called by their old names.
39 The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead. They conquered it and drove out theAmorites who were there.	39 The descendants of Machir, son of Manasseh, invaded Gilead and captured it, driving out the Amorites who were there.
40 Moses gave Gilead to Machir son of Manasseh, and he settled there.	40 (Moses gave Gilead to Machir, son of Manasseh, and he settled there.)
41 Jair son of Manasseh went and seized their encampments, renaming them the Encampments ofJair.	41 Jair, a Manassehite clan, campaigned against the tent villages, captured them and called them Havvoth-jair.
42 Nobah went and seized Kenat with its dependent townships, and cal ed it Nobah after himself.	42 Nobah also campaigned against Kenath, captured it with its dependencies and called it Nobah after his own name.