32The tribes of Reuben and Gad had very large herds and flocks. They looked at the lands of Jazer and Gilead. They saw that those lands were just right for livestock.

²So they came to Moses and the priest Eleazar. They also came to the leaders of the community. They said, ³“We have seen the cities of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah and Heshbon. We’ve seen Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon. ⁴All of them are in the land the Lord has brought under Israel’s control. This land is just right for livestock. And we have livestock.

⁵“We hope you are pleased with us,” they continued. “If you are, please give us this land. Then it will belong to us. But don’t make us go across the Jordan River.”

⁶Moses spoke to the people of Gad and Reuben. He said, “Should the rest of us go to war while you stay here? ⁷The Lord has given the land of Canaan to the people of Israel. So why would you want to keep them from going over into it?

⁸“That’s what your fathers did. I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to check out the land. ⁹They went up to the Valley of Eshcol and looked at the land. Then they talked the people of Israel out of entering the land the Lord had given them.

¹⁰“The Lord’s anger was stirred up that day. So he took an oath and made a promise. He said, ¹¹‘Not one of the men who is 20 years old or more who came up out of Egypt will see the land. They have not followed me with their whole heart. I took an oath and promised to give the land to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

¹²“ ‘But not one of these men will see it except Caleb and Joshua. Caleb is the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite. And Joshua is the son of Nun. They will see the land. They followed me with their whole heart.’

¹³“The Lord’s anger burned against Israel. He made them wander around in the desert for 40 years. They wandered until all of the people who had done evil in his sight had died.

¹⁴“Now here you are, you bunch of sinners! You have taken the place of your fathers. And you are making the Lord even more angry with Israel. ¹⁵What if you turn away from following him? Then he’ll leave all of these people in the desert again. And it will be your fault when they are destroyed.”

¹⁶Then they came up to Moses. They said, “We would like to build pens here for our livestock. We would also like to build cities for our women and children.

¹⁷“But we’re ready to prepare ourselves for battle. We’re even ready to go ahead of the people of Israel. We’ll go with them until we’ve brought them to their place. While we’re gone, our women and children will live in cities that have high walls around them. That will keep them safe from the people who are living in this land.

¹⁸“We won’t return to our homes until all of the people of Israel have received their share of the land.

¹⁹“We won’t receive any share with them on the west side of the Jordan River. We’ve already received our share here on the east side.”

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