Numbers 32–33

32ND CHAPTER

The Tribes of Reuben and Gad Request Land East of the Jordan River

¹The tribes of Reuben and Gad had a large number of livestock. They saw that the regions of Jazer and Gilead were a good place for livestock. ²So they came to Moses, the priest Eleazar, and the leaders of the community, and said to them, ³“Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, ⁴the land that the Lord won for the community of Israel, is a good place for livestock. Gentlemen, we have livestock. ⁵Please give us this land as our property. Don’t make us cross the Jordan River.” 

⁶Moses asked the tribes of Gad and Reuben, “Are you going to stay here while the rest of the Israelites go to war? ⁷That might discourage them from entering the land the Lord has given them. ⁸That’s what your ancestors did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to take a look at the land. ⁹They went as far as the Eshcol Valley and saw the land. But then they discouraged the rest of the Israelites from entering the land that the Lord had given them. ¹⁰That day the Lord became angry and swore this oath, ¹¹‘None of the people 20 years old or older, who came from Egypt, will see the land I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with an oath. This is because they didn’t wholeheartedly follow me.’ ¹²Only Caleb (son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite) and Joshua (son of Nun) will get to see the land. This is because they wholeheartedly followed the Lord. ¹³Since the Lord was angry with the Israelites, he made them wander in the desert for 40 years until the whole generation of those who had done evil in the Lord’s presence was gone. 

¹⁴“You’re just like your parents! You’re a bunch of sinners trying to make the Lord angry with Israel again. ¹⁵If you turn away from him, he will abandon all these people in the desert. You would be responsible for their destruction.” 

¹⁶Then the tribes of Gad and Reuben came up to Moses and said, “Allow us to build stone fences for our livestock and cities for our families here. ¹⁷Then we’ll be ready ⸤to march⸥ in battle formation^aahead of the other Israelites until we have brought them to their land. Meanwhile our families will live in walled cities, safe from the other people who live here. ¹⁸We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received his own land. ¹⁹We won’t take possession of any land on the other side of the Jordan River, to the west and beyond. We already have our land here, east of the Jordan.” 

²⁰Moses answered, “Do what you have said. In the Lord’s presence have all your armed men get ready for battle. ²¹Have them cross the Jordan, and fight until the Lord forces out his enemies ²²and the land is conquered. Then you may come back. You will have fulfilled your military duty to the Lord and Israel. This land will be your own property in the Lord’s presence. 

²³“If you don’t do all these things, you will be sinning against the Lord. You can be sure that you will be punished for your sin. ²⁴Build cities for your families and stone fences for your flocks, but do what you have promised.” 

²⁵Then the tribes of Gad and Reuben said to Moses, “Sir, we will do as you command. ²⁶Our children, our wives, our livestock, and all our other animals will stay here in the cities of Gilead. ²⁷But in the Lord’s presence we will all get ready for battle and go with you, as you have said.” 

²⁸So Moses gave orders about them to the priest Eleazar, Joshua (son of Nun), and the family heads of the tribes of Israel. ²⁹Moses told them, “If the tribes of Gad and Reuben get ready for battle in the Lord’s presence and cross the Jordan River with you and you conquer the land, give them Gilead as their own property. ³⁰If they don’t get ready for battle and go with you, the land they will take possession of must be in Canaan with yours.” 

³¹The tribes of Gad and Reuben answered, “Sir, we will do as the Lord has said. ³²We will enter Canaan as armed troops in the Lord’s presence, but the land we will take possession of is here, east of the Jordan.” 

³³So Moses gave the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of the tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph, the kingdoms of King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan—the whole land with its cities and its surrounding territory. 

³⁴The tribe of Gad rebuilt the cities of Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, ³⁵Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, ³⁶Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran as walled cities. They also built stone fences for their flocks. 

³⁷The tribe of Reuben rebuilt the cities of Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, ³⁸Nebo, Baal Meon (whose names were changed), and Sibmah. These are the names they gave the cities they rebuilt. 

³⁹The descendants of Machir, son of Manasseh, went to Gilead, captured it, and forced out the Amorites who were there. ⁴⁰So Moses gave Gilead to the people of Machir (the descendants of Manasseh), and they lived there. ⁴¹Then Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, captured the settlements in Gilead. He called them Havvoth Jair ^[Settlements of Jair^[. ⁴²Nobah captured Kenath and its villages. He named it Nobah after himself. 

33RD CHAPTER

A Summary of Israel’s Journeys after Leaving Egypt

¹This is a list of all the places where the Israelites set up camp after they left Egypt in organized groups under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. ²At the Lord’s command Moses wrote down the places where they went as they traveled. This is the list: 

³They moved from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover. The Israelites boldly left in full view of all the Egyptians. ⁴The Egyptians were burying all their firstborn sons, whom the Lord had killed in a mighty act of judgment on their gods. 

⁵The Israelites moved from Rameses and set up camp at Succoth. 

⁶They moved from Succoth and set up camp at Etham, on the edge of the desert. 

⁷They moved from Etham and turned back to Pi Hahiroth, east of Baal Zephon, and set up camp near Migdol. 

⁸They moved from Pi Hahiroth^aand went through the middle of the sea into the desert. After they traveled for three days in the Desert of Etham, they set up camp at Marah. 

⁹They moved from Marah and came to Elim. Elim had 12 springs and 70 palm trees, so they set up camp there. 

¹⁰They moved from Elim and set up camp by the Red Sea. 

¹¹They moved from the Red Sea and set up camp in the Desert of Sin. 

¹²They moved from the Desert of Sin and set up camp at Dophkah. 

¹³They moved from Dophkah and set up camp at Alush. 

¹⁴They moved from Alush and set up camp at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. 

¹⁵They moved from Rephidim and set up camp in the Desert of Sinai. 

¹⁶They moved from the Desert of Sinai and set up camp at Kibroth Hattaavah. 

¹⁷They moved from Kibroth Hattaavah and set up camp at Hazeroth. 

¹⁸They moved from Hazeroth and set up camp at Rithmah. 

¹⁹They moved from Rithmah and set up camp at Rimmon Perez. 

²⁰They moved from Rimmon Perez and set up camp at Libnah. 

²¹They moved from Libnah and set up camp at Rissah. 

²²They moved from Rissah and set up camp at Kehelathah. 

²³They moved from Kehelathah and set up camp at Mount Shepher. 

²⁴They moved from Mount Shepher and set up camp at Haradah. 

²⁵They moved from Haradah and set up camp at Makheloth. 

²⁶They moved from Makheloth and set up camp at Tahath. 

²⁷They moved from Tahath and set up camp at Terah. 

²⁸They moved from Terah and set up camp at Mithcah. 

²⁹They moved from Mithcah and set up camp at Hashmonah. 

³⁰They moved from Hashmonah and set up camp at Moseroth. 

³¹They moved from Moseroth and set up camp at Bene Jaakan. 

³²They moved from Bene Jaakan and set up camp at Hor Haggidgad. 

³³They moved from Hor Haggidgad and set up camp at Jotbathah. 

³⁴They moved from Jotbathah and set up camp at Abronah. 

³⁵They moved from Abronah and set up camp at Ezion Geber. 

³⁶They moved from Ezion Geber and set up camp at Kadesh in the Desert of Zin. 

³⁷They moved from Kadesh and set up camp at Mount Hor on the border of Edom. ³⁸At the Lord’s command the priest Aaron went up on Mount Hor. He died there on the first day of the fifth month in the fortieth year after the Israelites had left Egypt. ³⁹Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor. 

⁴⁰(The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, which was in Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming.) 

⁴¹They moved from Mount Hor and set up camp at Zalmonah. 

⁴²They moved from Zalmonah and set up camp at Punon. 

⁴³They moved from Punon and set up camp at Oboth. 

⁴⁴They moved from Oboth and set up camp at Iye Abarim on the border of Moab. 

⁴⁵They moved from Iyim^band set up camp at Dibon Gad. 

⁴⁶They moved from Dibon Gad and set up camp at Almon Diblathaim. 

⁴⁷They moved from Almon Diblathaim and set up camp in the Abarim Mountains east of Nebo. 

⁴⁸They moved from the Abarim Mountains and set up camp on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho. ⁴⁹They set up camp on the plains of Moab along the Jordan. Their camp extended from Beth Jeshimoth to Abel Shittim. 

The Canaanites Must Be Forced Out

⁵⁰The Lord said to Moses on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho, ⁵¹“Tell the Israelites, ‘You will be crossing the Jordan River and entering Canaan. ⁵²As you advance, force out all the people who live there. Get rid of all their stone and metal idols, and destroy all their places of worship. ⁵³Take possession of the land and live there, because I will give it to you for your own. ⁵⁴Divide the land among your families by drawing lots. Give more land to larger families and less land to smaller ones. The land must be given to each family by drawing lots. Divide it among your ancestors’ tribes. 

⁵⁵“ ‘But if you do not force out those who live in the land, they will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will constantly fight with you over the land you live in. ⁵⁶Then I will do to you what I planned to do to them.’ ”