Numbers chapter .xxxij.
¶ The children of Ruben and the children of Gad, had an exceeding great multitude of cattle. And when they saw the land of Iaeser and the land of Gilead that it was an apt place for cattle,
they came and spake unto Moses and Eleazer the priest and unto the lords of the congregation saying.
The land of Ataroth, Dibo and Beon,
which country the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel: is a land for cattle and we thy servants have cattle
wherefore (said they) if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants to possess, and bring us not over Iordan.
And Moses said unto the children of Gad and of Ruben: shall your brethren go to war and ye tarry here?
Wherefore discourage ye the hearts of the children of Israel for to go over into the land which the LORD hath given them?
This did your fathers, when I sent them from Cades bernea to see the land.
And they went up even unto the river of Escol and saw the land, and discouraged the hearts of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.
And the LORD was wroth the same time and sware saying:
None of the men that came out of Egypt from twenty years old and above, shall see the land which I swore unto Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, because they have not continually followed me:
save Caleb the son of Iephune the Kenesite, and Iosua the son of Nun, for they have followed me continually.
And the LORD was angry with Israel, and made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD were consumed.
And behold, ye are risen up in your father's stead, the increase of sinful men, to augment the fierce wrath of the LORD to Israelward.
For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave the people in the wilderness, so shall ye destroy all this folk.
¶ And they went near him and said: we will build sheepfolds here for our sheep and for our cattle, and cities for our children:
But we our selves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place. And our children shall dwell in the strong cities, because of the inhabiters of the land.
And we will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited: every man his inheritance.
For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Iordan forward, because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Iordan eastward.
And Moses said unto them: If ye will do this thing, that ye will go all harnessed before the LORD to war,
and will go all of you in harness over Iordan before the LORD, until he have cast out his enemies before him,
and until the land be subdued before the LORD, then ye shall return and be without sin against the LORD and against Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the LORD.
But and if ye will not do so, behold, ye sin against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.
Build your cities for your children and folds for your sheep, and see ye do that ye have spoken.
And the Children of Gad and of Ruben spake unto Moses saying: thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.
Our children, our wives, substance and all our cattle shall remain here in the cities of Gilead.
But we thy servants will go all harnessed for the war unto battle before the LORD, as my lord hath said.
¶ And Moses commanded Eleazer the priest: and Iosua the son of Nun and the ancient heads of the tribes of the children of Israel,
and said unto them: If the children of Gad and Ruben will go with you over Iordan, all prepared to fight before the LORD: then when the land is subdued unto you, give them the land of Gilead to possess,
but and if they will not go over with you in harness, then they shall have their possessions among you in the land of Canaan.
And the children of Gad and Ruben answered saying: that which the LORD hath said unto thy servants we will do.
We will go harnessed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall be on this side the Iordan.
And Moses gave unto the children of Gad and of Ruben and unto half the tribe of Manasse the son of Ioseph, the kingdom of Sehon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Basan, the land that longed unto the cities thereof in the coasts of the country round about.
And the children of Gad built Dibo, ataroth Aroer,
Atroth, Sophan, Iaeser, Iegabea,
Bethnimra and Betharan strong cities, and they built folds for their sheep.
And the children of Ruben built Hesebon, Elalea, Kiriathaim,
Nebo, Baal Meon and turned their names, and Sibama also: and gave names unto the cities which they built.
And the children of Machir the son of Manasse went to Gilead and took it, and put out the Amorites that were therein.
And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasse and he dwelt therein.
And Iahir the son of Manasse went and took the small towns thereof, and called them the towns of Iair.
And Nobah went and took kenath with the towns longing thereto, and called it Nobah after his own name.
Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.