Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 The tribes of Reuben and Gad had a lot of livestock. When they saw how suitable the land of Jazer and Gilead was for cattle,
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Now 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;
2 they went to Moses, Eleazar, and the other leaders of the community and said,
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the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the princes of the congregation, saying,
3 "This region which the Lord has helped the Israelites occupy - the towns of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sibmah, Nebo, and Beon - is good land for livestock, and we have so much livestock.
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Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Sebam, and Nebo, and Beon,
5 Please give us this land as our property, and do not make us cross the Jordan River and settle there."
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They said, If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession; don't bring us over the Jordan.
6 Moses replied, "Do you want to stay here while the other Israelites go to war?
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Moses said to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brothers go to the war, and shall you sit here?
7 How dare you try to discourage the people of Israel from crossing the Jordan into the land which the Lord has given them?
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Why discourage you the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which Yahweh has given them?
8 That is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land.
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Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land.
9 They went as far as Eshcol Valley and saw the land, but when they returned, they discouraged the people from entering the land which the Lord had given them.
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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 Yahweh had given them.
10 The Lord became angry that day and made a promise:
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Yahweh's anger was kindled in that day, and he swore, saying,
11 "I swear that because they did not remain loyal to me, none of the men twenty years old or older who came out of Egypt will enter the land that I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.'
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Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty 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 This included everyone, except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun; they remained loyal to the Lord.
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save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun; because they have wholly followed Yahweh.
13 The Lord became angry with the people and made them wander in the wilderness forty years until that whole generation that had displeased him was dead.
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Yahweh's anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander back and forth in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, who had done evil in the sight of Yahweh, was consumed.
14 And now you have taken your ancestors' place, a new generation of sinful people ready to bring down the fierce anger of the Lord on Israel again.
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Behold, you are risen up in your fathers' place, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of Yahweh toward Israel.
15 If you people of Reuben and Gad refuse to follow him now, he will once again abandon all these people in the wilderness, and you will be responsible for their destruction."
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For if you turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and you will destroy all this people.
16 They approached Moses and said, "First, allow us to build stone enclosures here for our sheep and fortified towns for our dependents.
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They came near to him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:
17 Then we will be ready to go with the other Israelites into battle and lead the attack until we have settled them in the land that will be theirs. In the meantime, our dependents can live here in the fortified towns, safe from the people of this land.
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but we ourselves will be ready armed 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 homes until all the other Israelites have taken possession of the land assigned to them.
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We will not return to our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.
19 We will not take possession of any property among them on the other side of the Jordan, because we have received our share here east of the Jordan."
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For 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.
20 Moses answered, "If you really mean what you say, then here in the presence of the Lord get ready to go into battle.
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Moses said to them, If you will do this thing, if you will arm yourselves to go before Yahweh to the war,
21 All your fighting men are to cross the Jordan and under the command of the Lord they are to attack our enemies until the Lord defeats them
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and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before Yahweh, until he has driven out his enemies from before him,
22 and takes possession of the land. After that, you may return, because you will have fulfilled your obligation to the Lord and to the other Israelites. Then the Lord will acknowledge that this land east of the Jordan is yours.
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and the land is subdued before Yahweh; then afterward you shall return, and be guiltless towards Yahweh, and towards Israel; and this land shall be to you for a possession before Yahweh.
23 But if you do not keep your promise, I warn you that you will be sinning against the Lord. Make no mistake about it; you will be punished for your sin.
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But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against Yahweh; and be sure your sin will find you out.
24 So build your towns and the enclosures for your sheep, but do what you have promised!"
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Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which has proceeded out of your mouth.
25 The men of Gad and Reuben said, "Sir, we will do as you command.
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The children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, Your servants will do as my lord commands.
26 Our wives and children and our cattle and sheep will remain here in the towns of Gilead.
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Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead;
27 But all of us are ready to go into battle under the Lord's command. We will cross the Jordan and fight, just as you have said."
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but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before Yahweh to battle, as my lord says.
28 So Moses gave these commands to Eleazar, Joshua, and the other leaders of Israel:
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So 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.
29 "If the men of Gad and Reuben cross the Jordan ready for battle at the Lord's command and if with their help you are able to conquer the land, then give them the land of Gilead as their property.
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Moses said to them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man who is armed to battle, before Yahweh, and the land shall be subdued before you; then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession:
30 But if they do not cross the Jordan and go into battle with you, they are to receive their share of the property in the land of Canaan, as you do."
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but if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.
31 The men of Gad and Reuben answered, "Sir, we will do as the Lord has commanded.
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The children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As Yahweh has said to your servants, so will we do.
32 Under his command we will cross into the land of Canaan and go into battle, so that we can retain our property here east of the Jordan."
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We will pass over armed before Yahweh into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance [shall remain] with us beyond the Jordan.
33 So Moses assigned to the tribes of Gad and Reuben and to half the tribe of Manasseh all the territory of King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan, including the towns and the country around them.
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Moses gave to them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and to 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 of it with [their] borders, even the cities of the land round about.
34 The tribe of Gad rebuilt the fortified towns of Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,
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The children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,
35 Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,
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and Atrothshophan, and Jazer, and Jogbehah,
36 Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran.
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and Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran: fortified cities, and folds for sheep.
37 The tribe of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,
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The children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kiriathaim,
38 Nebo, Baal Meon (this name was changed), and Sibmah. They gave new names to the towns they rebuilt.
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and Nebo, and Baal-meon, (their names being changed,) and Sibmah: and they gave other names to the cities which they built.
39 The clan of Machir son of Manasseh invaded the land of Gilead, occupied it, and drove out the Amorites who were there.
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The children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were therein.
40 So Moses gave Gilead to the clan of Machir, and they lived there.
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Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh; and he lived therein.
41 Jair, of the tribe of Manasseh, attacked and captured some villages and named them "Villages of Jair."
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Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the towns of it, and called them Havvoth-jair.
42 Nobah attacked and captured Kenath and its villages, and he renamed it Nobah, after himself.
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Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages of it, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.