Numbers 32:20–32

²⁰Then ^wMoses said to them: “If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves before the Lord for the war, ²¹and all your armed men cross over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies from before Him, ²²and ^xthe land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward ^yyou may return and be blameless before the Lord and before Israel; and ^zthis land shall be your possession before the Lord. ²³But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure ^ayour sin will find you out. ^24bBuild cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do ²what has proceeded out of your mouth.”

²⁵And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying: “Your servants will do as my lord commands. ^26cOur little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gilead; ^27dbut your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, just as my lord says.”

²⁸So Moses gave command ^econcerning them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel. ²⁹And Moses said to them: “If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben cross over the Jordan with you, every man armed for battle before the Lord, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead as a possession. ³⁰But if they do not cross over armed with you, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.”

³¹Then the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying: “As the Lord has said to your servants, so we will do. ³²We will cross over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, but the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us on this side of the Jordan.”