Numbers 32–33

The Tribes East of the Jordan

32The people of Reuben and Gad had large flocks and herds. When they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were good for the animals, ²they came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the people. ^3–4They said, “We, your servants, have flocks and herds. The Lord has captured for the Israelites a land that is good for animals—the land around Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon. ⁵If it pleases you, we would like this land to be given to us. Don’t make us cross the Jordan River.”

⁶Moses told the people of Gad and Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to war while you stay behind? ⁷You will discourage the Israelites from going over to the land the Lord has given them. ⁸Your ancestors did the same thing. I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look at the land. ⁹They went as far as the Valley of Eshcol, and when they saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from going into the land the Lord had given them. ¹⁰The Lord became very angry that day and made this promise: ¹¹‘None of the people who came from Egypt and who are twenty years old or older will see the land that I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These people have not followed me completely. ¹²Only Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun followed the Lord completely.’

¹³“The Lord was angry with Israel, so he made them wander in the desert for forty years. Finally all the people who had sinned against the Lord died, ¹⁴and now you are acting just like your ancestors! You sinful people are making the Lord even more angry with Israel. ¹⁵If you quit following him, it will add to their stay in the desert, and you will destroy all these people.”

¹⁶Then the Reubenites and Gadites came up to Moses and said, “We will build pens for our animals and cities for our children here. ¹⁷Then our children will be in strong, walled cities, safe from the people who live in this land. Then we will prepare for war. We will help the other Israelites get their land, ¹⁸and we will not return home until every Israelite has received his land. ¹⁹We won’t take any of the land west of the Jordan River; our part of the land is east of the Jordan.”

²⁰So Moses told them, “You must do these things. You must go before the Lord into battle ²¹and cross the Jordan River armed, until the Lord forces out the enemy. ²²After the Lord helps us take the land, you may return home. You will have done your duty to the Lord and Israel, and you may have this land as your own.

²³“But if you don’t do these things, you will be sinning against the Lord; know for sure that you will be punished for your sin. ²⁴Build cities for your children and pens for your animals, but then you must do what you promised.”

²⁵The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “We are your servants, and we will do what you, our master, command. ²⁶Our children, wives, and all our cattle will stay in the cities of Gilead, ²⁷but we, your servants, will prepare for battle. We will go over and fight for the Lord, as you, our master, have said.”

²⁸So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the leaders of the tribes of Israel. ²⁹Moses said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites prepare for battle and cross the Jordan River with you, to go before the Lord and help you take the land, give them the land of Gilead for their own. ³⁰But if they do not go over armed, they will not receive it; their land will be in Canaan with you.”

³¹The Gadites and Reubenites answered, “We are your servants, and we will do as the Lord said. ³²We will cross over into Canaan and go before the Lord ready for battle. But our land will be east of the Jordan River.”

³³So Moses gave that land to the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and East Manasseh. (Manasseh was Joseph’s son.) That land had been the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan, as well as all the cities and the land around them.

³⁴The Gadites rebuilt the cities of Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, ³⁵Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, ³⁶Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran. These were strong, walled cities. And they built sheep pens.

³⁷The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, ³⁸Nebo, Baal Meon, and Sibmah. They renamed Nebo and Baal Meon when they rebuilt them.

³⁹The descendants of Makir son of Manasseh went and captured Gilead and forced out the Amorites who were there. ⁴⁰So Moses gave Gilead to the family of Makir son of Manasseh, and they settled there. ⁴¹Jair son of Manasseh went out and captured the small towns there, and he called them the Towns of Jair. ⁴²Nobah went and captured Kenath and the small towns around it; then he named it Nobah after himself.

Israel’s Journey from Egypt

33These are the places the Israelites went as Moses and Aaron led them out of Egypt in divisions. ²At the Lord’s command Moses recorded the places they went, and these are the places they went.

³On the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover, the Israelites left Rameses and marched out boldly in front of all the Egyptians. ⁴The Egyptians were burying their firstborn sons, whom the Lord had killed; the Lord showed that the gods of Egypt were false.

⁵The Israelites left Rameses and camped at Succoth.

⁶They left Succoth and camped at Etham, at the edge of the desert.

⁷They left Etham and went back to Pi Hahiroth, to the east of Baal Zephon, and camped near Migdol.

⁸They left Pi Hahiroth and walked through the sea into the desert. After going three days through the Desert of Etham, they camped at Marah.

⁹They left Marah and went to Elim; there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees where they camped.

¹⁰They left Elim and camped near the Red Sea.

¹¹They left the Red Sea and camped in the Desert of Sin.

¹²They left the Desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah.

¹³They left Dophkah and camped at Alush.

¹⁴They left Alush and camped at Rephidim, where the people had no water to drink.

¹⁵They left Rephidim and camped in the Desert of Sinai.

¹⁶They left the Desert of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah.

¹⁷They left Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.

¹⁸They left Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.

¹⁹They left Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez.

²⁰They left Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah.

²¹They left Libnah and camped at Rissah.

²²They left Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.

²³They left Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.

²⁴They left Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.

²⁵They left Haradah and camped at Makheloth.

²⁶They left Makheloth and camped at Tahath.

²⁷They left Tahath and camped at Terah.

²⁸They left Terah and camped at Mithcah.

²⁹They left Mithcah and camped at Hashmonah.

³⁰They left Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.

³¹They left Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan.

³²They left Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Haggidgad.

³³They left Hor Haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.

³⁴They left Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.

³⁵They left Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber.

³⁶They left Ezion Geber and camped at Kadesh in the Desert of Zin.

³⁷They left Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the border of Edom. ³⁸Aaron the priest obeyed the Lord and went up Mount Hor. There he died on the first day of the fifth month In the fortieth year after the Israelites left Egypt. ³⁹Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.

⁴⁰The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the southern area of Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming.

⁴¹The people left Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.

⁴²They left Zalmonah and camped at Punon.

⁴³They left Punon and camped at Oboth.

⁴⁴They left Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim, on the border of Moab.

⁴⁵They left Iye Abarim and camped at Dibon Gad.

⁴⁶They left Dibon Gad and camped at Almon Diblathaim.

⁴⁷They left Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, near Nebo.

⁴⁸They left the mountains of Abarim and camped on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho. ⁴⁹They camped along the Jordan on the plains of Moab, and their camp went from Beth Jeshimoth to Abel Acacia.

⁵⁰On the plains of Moab by the Jordan River across from Jericho, the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, ⁵¹“Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you cross the Jordan River and go into Canaan, ⁵²force out all the people who live there. Destroy all of their carved statues and metal idols. Wreck all of their places of worship. ⁵³Take over the land and settle there, because I have given this land to you to own. ⁵⁴Throw lots to divide up the land by family groups, giving larger portions to larger family groups and smaller portions to smaller family groups. The land will be given as the lots decide; each tribe will get its own land.

⁵⁵“ ‘But if you don’t force those people out of the land, they will bring you trouble. They will be like sharp hooks in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will bring trouble to the land where you live. ⁵⁶Then I will punish you as I had planned to punish them.’ ”