1 Now the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock, and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, it seemed unto them that the place was a place for livestock. 2 And the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben came and spoke unto Moses and to Eleazar, the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying, 3 Ataroth and Dibon and Jazer and Nimrah and Heshbon and Elealeh and Shebam and Nebo and Beon, 4 the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and thy slaves have livestock. 5 Therefore, they said, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy slaves for a possession and do not make us pass the Jordan.
6 And Moses said unto the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? 7 Why do ye discourage the heart of the sons of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD has given them? 8 Thus did your fathers when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land. 9 For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the sons of Israel that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them. 10 And the LORD’s anger was kindled the same time, and he swore, saying, 11 Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they were not perfect in following me, 12 except Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua, the son of Nun, for they were perfect in following the LORD. 13 And the LORD’s anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD was consumed. 14 And, behold, ye are risen up in the place of your fathers, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel. 15 For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave you in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.
16 Then they came near unto him and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our little ones, 17 but we ourselves will go arm ourselves and go with diligence before the sons of Israel until we have brought them unto their place, and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return unto our houses until the sons of Israel have inherited each man his inheritance. 19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan or forward because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of Jordan eastward. 20 Then Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will prepare yourselves to go before the LORD to the war 21 and will all pass the Jordan armed before the LORD until he has driven out his enemies from before him 22 and the land is subdued before the LORD, then afterward ye shall return and be guiltless before the LORD and before Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. 23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye shall have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will catch up with you. 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 sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben spoke unto Moses, saying, Thy slaves will do as my lord commands. 26 Our little ones, our wives, our livestock, and all our beasts, shall be there in the cities of Gilead; 27 but thy slaves, each one armed for war, will pass before the LORD to battle, as our lord saith.
28 So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar, the priest, and Joshua, the son of Nun, and the princes of the fathers of the tribes of the sons of Israel. 29 And Moses said unto them, If the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben will pass the Jordan with you, each one armed to battle, before the LORD, after the land shall be subdued before you, then ye 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 And the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD has said unto thy slaves, so will we do. 32 We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance on this side of the Jordan shall be ours.
33 Thus Moses gave unto the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben and unto 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 and borders, even the cities of the country round about. 34 And the sons of Gad built Dibon and Ataroth and Aroer 35 and Atroth-shophan and Jaazer and Jogbehah 36 and Bethnimrah and Bethharan, fenced cities, and also folds for sheep. 37 And the sons of Reuben built Heshbon and Elealeh and Kirjathaim 38 and Nebo and Baalmeon (their names being changed) and Shibmah and gave other names unto the cities which they built. 39 And the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, went to Gilead and took it and dispossessed the Amorite who was in it. 40 And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir, the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein. 41 Jair, the son of Manasseh also went and took the small towns thereof and called them Havothjair. 42 Likewise Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah, after his own name.