King James Version, Updated™

(1) 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, they beheld that the place was a place for livestock;

(2) The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the rulers of the congregation, saying,

(3) "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Shebam, Nebo, and Beon,

(4) The country which the LORD struck before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock."

(5) Therefore, they said, "If we have found grace in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession, and do not bring us over Jordan."

(6) Then Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, "Shall YOUR brethren go to war, and shall YOU sit here?

(7) And why do YOU discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD has given them?

(8) Thus YOUR fathers did, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land.

(9) For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.

(10) And the LORD’S anger was kindled at the same time, and he swore, saying,

(11) 'Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from 20 years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me,

(12) except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun; for they have wholly followed the LORD.'

(13) So the LORD’S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness 40 years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.

(14) And, behold, YOU have risen up in your fathers' place, an increase of sinful men, to still add to the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel.

(15) For if YOU turn away from following him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness, and YOU shall destroy all these people."

(16) They came near to him, and said, "We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones,

(17) but we ourselves will go armed, ready to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place; and our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.

(18) We will not return to our houses, until every man of the children of Israel has been given his inheritance.

(19) For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan, or beyond, because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward."

(20) Moses said to them, "If YOU will do this thing, if YOU will go armed before the LORD to war,

(21) and all of YOUR armed men will go over the Jordan before the LORD, until he has driven out his enemies from before him,

(22) and the land is subdued before the LORD; then afterward YOU shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be YOUR possession before the LORD.

(23) But if YOU will not do so, behold, YOU have sinned against the LORD; and be sure YOUR sin will find YOU out.

(24) Build cities for YOUR little ones, and folds for YOUR sheep; and do that which has proceeded out of YOUR mouth."

(25) And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, "Your servants will do as my lord commands.

(26) Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock, shall be there in the cities of Gilead;

(27) But your servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord says."

(28) So Moses commanded concerning them to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel.

(29) Moses said to them, "If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben pass with YOU over the Jordan, every man armed for battle, before the LORD, and the land shall be subdued before YOU, then YOU shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession.

(30) But if they will not pass over with YOU armed, they shall have possessions among YOU in the land of Canaan."

(31) The children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, "As the LORD has said to your servants, so we will do.

(32) We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, so that the possession of our inheritance on this side of the Jordan may be ours."

(33) Moses gave to them, to the children of Gad, and 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 country around them.

(34) And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

(35) and Atroth, and Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,

(36) and Bethnimrah, and Bethharan, fortified cities, and folds for sheep.

(37) The children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,

(38) and Nebo, and Baalmeon, (their names being changed,) and Shibmah; and gave other names to the cities which they built.

(39) The children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it.

(40) Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he dwelt in it.

(41) And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its small towns, and called them Havothjair.

(42) Then Nobah went and took Kenath, and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.