Numbers 32

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 sons of Ruben and of Gad had many herds, and their substance in cattle was inestimable. And when they had seen that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for feeding animals,
2 the Gadites and Reubenites went to Moses, the priest Eleazar and the leaders of the community, andsaid to them,	2 they went to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest and the leaders of the multitude, and they said:
3 'The territory of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon,	3 “Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Sebam, and Nebo, and Beon,
4 which Yahweh has conquered before the advancing community of Israel, is ideal land for raisingstock, and your servants are cattle breeders.	4 the land, which the Lord has struck in the sight of the sons of Israel, is a very fertile region for pasturing animals. And we, your servants, have very many cattle.
5 So', they said, 'if you approve, give your servants this land for us to own; do not make us cross theJordan.'	5 And so we beseech you, if we have found favor before you, that you give it to us, your subjects, as a possession, and that you not cause 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 And Moses answered them: “Should your brothers go to battle, while you sit here?
7 Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing to the country which Yahweh has given them?	7 Why do you subvert the minds of the sons of Israel, so that they might not dare to cross into the place which the Lord will give to them?
8 Your fathers behaved in the same way when I sent them from Kadesh-Barnea to see the country,	8 Did not your fathers act in the same way, when I sent them from Kadesh-Barnea to explore 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 And when they had gone all the way to the Valley of the Cluster of Grapes, having viewed the entire region, they subverted the hearts of the sons of Israel, so that they would not enter into the parts that the Lord gave to them.
10 Hence Yahweh's anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath,	10 And being angry, the Lord swore an oath, saying:
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 ‘These men, who ascended out of Egypt, from twenty years and above, will not see the land, which I have promised under an oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For they were not willing to follow me,
12 except for Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua son of Nun: these indeed havefol owed Yahweh absolutely."	12 except Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun; these have fulfilled my will.’
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 And the Lord, being angry against Israel, led them in a course through the desert for forty years, until the entire generation, which had done evil in his sight, was consumed.
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 behold,” he said, “you have risen up in the place of your fathers, the offshoots and the nurslings of sinful men, in order to augment the fury of the Lord against Israel.
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 But if you are not willing to follow him, he will leave the people behind in the wilderness, and you will have been the cause of all our deaths.”
16 They came to Moses and said, 'We should like to build sheepfolds here for our flocks and towns forour little ones.	16 But approaching closer, they said: “We will manufacture sheep pens and cattle stalls, as well as fortified cities, for our little ones.
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 continue on, armed and girded for battle, before the sons of Israel, until we lead them to their places. Our little ones, and whatever we may be able to have, shall be in walled cities, because of the treachery of the inhabitants.
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 houses, even until the sons of Israel may possess their inheritance.
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 Neither will we seek anything across the Jordan, because we already have our possession on its eastern side.”
20 Moses said to them, 'If you do as you have said, if you are prepared to fight before Yahweh,	20 And Moses said to them: “If you accomplish what you have promised, you may go out, equipped for battle, before the Lord.
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 let every fighting man cross over the Jordan, until the Lord overthrows his enemies,
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 all the land is subjected to him. Then you will be guiltless with the Lord and with Israel, and you will obtain the regions which you desire 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 what you have said, no one could doubt that you will have sinned against God. And know this: your sin shall overtake you.
24 Build towns, then, for your little ones and folds for your flocks; but do what you have promised.'	24 Therefore, build cities for your little ones, and pens and stables for your sheep and cattle; and fulfill what you have promised.”
25 The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, 'Your servants will do as my lord directs.	25 And the sons of Gad and of Ruben said to Moses: “We are your servants, we shall do what you, our ruler, orders.
26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks and al our livestock wil stay in the towns of Gilead,	26 We will leave behind our little ones, and our wives, and the sheep and cattle, in the cities of Gilead.
27 but your servants, each armed for war, will cross in Yahweh's name and fight, as my lord says.'	27 And we, your servants, all well-equipped, will go forth to battle, just as you, our ruler, has spoken.”
28 So Moses gave orders about them to the priest Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads offamilies in the Israelite tribes.	28 Therefore, Moses instructed Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the princes of the families throughout the tribes of Israel, and he said to them:
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 the sons of Gad and the sons of Ruben cross over the Jordan with you, all armed for war before the Lord, and if the land becomes subject to you, give them Gilead as a possession.
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 are not willing to cross with you, armed, into the land of Canaan, then let them receive places among you for their dwellings.”
31 To this, the Gadites and Reubenites replied, 'What Yahweh has said to your servants, we shal do.	31 And the sons of Gad and the sons of Ruben responded: “Just as the Lord has spoken to his servants, so shall we do.
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 will go forth, armed, before the Lord into the land of Canaan; and we acknowledge that we have already received our possession across 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 And so, Moses gave to the sons of Gad and of Ruben, 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, and their land with its surrounding cities.
34 The Gadites rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,	34 Therefore, the sons of Gad built up Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,
35 Atroth-Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,	35 and Atroth and Shophan, and Jazer, and Jogbehah,
36 Beth-Nimrah and Beth-Haran as fortified towns with folds for the flocks.	36 and Beth-Nimrah, and Beth-Haran, as fortified cities with pens for their cattle.
37 The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,	37 Yet truly, the sons of Ruben built up Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kiriathaim,
38 Nebo and Baal-Meon (the names of which were altered), and Sibmah, giving new names to thetowns which they rebuilt.	38 and Nebo, and Baal-meon (their names having been changed) and Sibmah, appointing names for the cities which they had built.
39 The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead. They conquered it and drove out theAmorites who were there.	39 Moreover, the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, continued on within Gilead, and they devastated it, putting to death its inhabitant, the Amorite.
40 Moses gave Gilead to Machir son of Manasseh, and he settled there.	40 Therefore, Moses gave the land of Gilead to Machir, the son of Manasseh, and he lived in it.
41 Jair son of Manasseh went and seized their encampments, renaming them the Encampments ofJair.	41 But Jair, the son of Manasseh, went out and occupied its villages, which he called Havoth Jair, that is, the Villages of Jair.
42 Nobah went and seized Kenat with its dependent townships, and cal ed it Nobah after himself.	42 Likewise, Nobah went forth and captured Kenath with its villages. And he called it by his own name, Nobah.