UST NUM Chapter 32

◄ NUM 32 ► ║ ═ ©

32 Now the people from the tribes of Reuben and Gad had very many animals. They noticed that the Jazer region and the Gilead region were good places for animals to live. 2 So, leaders from the tribes of Gad and Reuben approached Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the men who led the Israelite community. They said, 3 “We want to speak about the region that includes the towns of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon. 4 Yahweh enabled us, the Israelite community, to capture that region. It is a good place for animals to live, and we have many animals. 5 So, please treat us kindly by giving us that region to live in! We do not want to cross over the Jordan River.”

6 Moses replied, “Your fellow Israelites are about to fight their enemies. It is not right for you to stay here! 7 You are convincing the rest of the Israelites not to travel to the land that Yahweh is giving to us Israelites. That is not right! 8 You are doing the same kind of thing that your ancestors did. That happened when I had some of your ancestors travel from Kadesh Barnea to find out what Canaan was like. 9 They walked all the way to Eshkol Stream Bed and found out what Canaan was like. When they returned, they convinced the rest of the Israelites not to travel to the land that Yahweh was giving to them. 10 So, Yahweh was angry at that time. He solemnly stated 11 that they had not obeyed him completely. So, he promised that none of the men who had left Egypt and who were at least 20 years old would experience the land that he promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that he would give to their descendants. 12 However, he stated that this did not apply for two men, who did obey him completely. They are Jephunneh’s son, Caleb, from the Kenizzite tribal group, and Nun’s son, Joshua. 13 Yahweh was angry with the Israelites, so he had them roam around in the desolate area for 40 years. They roamed around until all the adults who had done what Yahweh considered wrong had died. 14 And yet, now you are acting just like your ancestors by together doing what is wrong! You are making Yahweh even angrier with the Israelites. 15 If you do this, you will stop obeying Yahweh. Then, he will make us Israelites go back to the desolate area. So, you will be the ones who harmed all the Israelites.”

16 Then the leaders from the tribes of Gad and Reuben approached Moses again. They said, “We would like to construct walls here to protect our animals. We would like to fortify towns here to protect our families. 17 As for us who can be soldiers, we will quickly prepare to lead the rest of the Israelites to fight their enemies. We will fight along with them until they can live in the area we conquer. Meanwhile, our families will be safe from the people who live nearby because they will live in the towns we fortified. 18 Once the rest of the Israelites have received the land that will be theirs, only then will we go back home. 19 We propose this because we have already received land on the east side of the Jordan River. So, we will not receive any land on the west side of the Jordan River.”

20 Moses replied, “Suppose that you do what you have proposed. You must prepare to fight in Yahweh’s presence. 21 All the soldiers among you must go to the west side of the Jordan River in Yahweh’s presence. They must stay there until Yahweh has made all the people who oppose him leave. 22 Once the whole area belongs to Yahweh, then you may go back home. In that case, you have not done anything wrong to Yahweh or your fellow Israelites. So, Yahweh will give you this area east of the Jordan. 23 Suppose that you do not do what you have proposed. In that case, you will have done what is wrong to Yahweh. You should realize that Yahweh will punish you for that. 24 So, you may fortify towns to protect your families. You may construct walls to protect your sheep and goats. However, you must then do what you said you would do.” 25 The leaders from the tribes of Gad and Reuben told Moses, “Sir, we will do exactly what you have told us to do. 26 We who can be soldiers will leave our children, wives, farm animals, and other animals in the towns here in the Gilead region. 27 All the soldiers among us will go to the west side of the Jordan River in Yahweh’s presence to fight our enemies. We will do what you, sir, have said.”

28 Then Moses told Eleazar the priest, Nun’s son Joshua, and the men who led the ancestral families that made up the Israelite tribes what to do with the people from the tribes of Gad and Reuben. 29 Moses told them, “Suppose that all the soldiers from the tribes of Gad and Reuben go to the west side of the Jordan River with you to fight your enemies in Yahweh’s presence. Once that whole area belongs to you, then you must give them the Gilead region to live in. 30 On the other hand, suppose that their soldiers do not go to the west side of the Jordan River with you. In that case, they will have to receive land with you in Canaan on the west side of the Jordan River.” 31 The leaders from the tribes of Gad and Reuben responded, “We will do exactly what Yahweh has told us to do. 32 The soldiers among us will go to Canaan on the west side of the Jordan River in Yahweh’s presence. After that, we will receive land to live in on this east side of the Jordan River.”

33 So Moses gave land to the people from the tribes of Gad and Reuben and to half of the people from the tribe of Manasseh, who descended from Joseph. He gave them all the cities that were there and the land around the cities. That land had previously belonged to the Amorite people group, whom Sihon had ruled, and to the people who lived in the region of Bashan, whom Og had ruled. 34 The people from the tribe of Gad fortified these towns: Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran. These were the cities that they fortified. They also constructed walls to protect their sheep and goats. 37 The people from the tribe of Reuben fortified these towns: Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 Nebo, Baal Meon, and Sibmah. They named these cities that they fortified. Later, people renamed Nebo and Baal Meon.

39 The descendants of Manasseh’s son Machir traveled to the Gilead region. They made the Amorite people who lived there leave, and they took the land that those people had lived in. 40 So, Moses gave the Gilead region to the descendants of Manasseh’s son Machir to live in.

41 A descendant of Manasseh, whose name was Jair, traveled with his relatives to some small towns in the Gilead region that belonged to the Amorite people. He attacked and took those towns and called them Havvoth Jair.

42 A man whose name was Nobah and others with him traveled to the town of Kenath and its surrounding villages. They attacked and took them. Nobah called the town by his own name: Nobah.

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