1Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle : and when they saw the land of Jazer , and the land of Gilead , that , behold , the place was a place for cattle ; 2the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses , and to Eleazar the priest , and unto the princes of the congregation , saying, 3Ataroth , and Dibon , and Jazer , and Nimrah , and Heshbon , and Elealeh, and Sebam , and Nebo , and Beon , 4the land which Jehovah smote before the congregation of Israel , is a land for cattle ; and thy servants have cattle . 5And they said, If we have found favor in thy sight , let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession; bring us not over the Jordan .
Moses' Response and Concerns
6And Moses said unto the children of Gad , and to the children of Reuben , Shall your brethren go to the war , and shall ye sit here ? 7And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which Jehovah hath given them ? 8Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. 9For when they went up unto 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 Jehovah had given them . 10And Jehovah ’s anger was kindled in that day , and he sware , saying, 11Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt , from twenty years old and upward , shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac , and unto Jacob ; because they have not wholly followed me : 12save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite , and Joshua the son of Nun ; because they have wholly followed Jehovah . 13And Jehovah ’s anger was kindled against Israel , and he made them wander to and fro in the wilderness forty years , until all the generation , that had done evil in the sight of Jehovah , was consumed . 14And , behold , ye are risen up in your fathers’ stead , an increase of sinful men , to augment yet the fierce anger of Jehovah toward Israel . 15For if ye turn away from after him , he will yet again leave them in the wilderness ; and ye will destroy all this people .
The Agreement and Conditions
16And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle , and cities for our little ones : 17but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel , until we have brought them unto their place : and our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land . 18We will not return unto our houses , until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance . 19For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan , and forward ; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward . 20And Moses said unto them , If ye will do this thing , if ye will arm yourselves to go before Jehovah to the war , 21and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before Jehovah , until he hath driven out his enemies from before him , 22and the land is subdued before Jehovah ; then afterward ye shall return , and be guiltless towards Jehovah , and towards Israel ; and this land shall be unto you for a possession before Jehovah . 23But if ye will not do so , behold , ye have sinned against Jehovah ; and be sure your sin will find you out . 24Build you cities for your little ones , and folds for your sheep ; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth . 25And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses , saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth . 26Our little ones , our wives, our flocks , and all our cattle , shall be there in the cities of Gilead ; 27but thy servants will pass over , every man that is armed for war , before Jehovah to battle , as my lord saith .
The Inheritance of the Tribes
28So Moses gave charge concerning them to Eleazar the priest , and to Joshua the son of Nun , and to the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel . 29And Moses said unto them , If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan , every man that is armed to battle , before Jehovah , and the land shall be subdued before you ; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession: 30but if they will not pass over with you armed , they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan . 31And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered , saying , As Jehovah hath said unto thy servants , so will we do . 32We will pass over armed before Jehovah into the land of Canaan , and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan . 33And Moses gave unto them , even to the children of Gad , and to the children of Reuben , and unto the half-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, according to the cities thereof with their borders , even the cities of the land round about . 34And the children of Gad built Dibon , and Ataroth , and Aroer , 35and Atroth-shophan , and Jazer , and Jogbehah , 36and Beth-nimrah , and Beth-haran : fortified cities , and folds for sheep . 37And the children of Reuben built Heshbon , and Elealeh, and Kiriathaim , 38and Nebo , and Baal-meon , ( their names being changed ,) and Sibmah : and they gave other names unto the cities which they builded . 39And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead , and took it , and dispossessed the Amorites that were therein. 40And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh ; and he dwelt therein . 41And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the towns thereof, and called them Havvoth-jair . 42And Nobah went and took Kenath , and the villages thereof , and called it Nobah , after his own name .