1Now the descendants of Reuben and of Gad had very large herds of cattle; and when they saw the lands of Jazer and Gilead, that it was a place for cattle; 2They came and spoke to Moses, and Eleazar, the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, and said, 3“Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon - 4The country which the LORD conquered before the congregation of Israel - is a land for cattle, and we have much cattle: 5Therefore”, said they, “if we have found grace in your sight, let this land be given to us, your servants, for a possession, and do not take us over the Jordan.”

6And Moses said to them, “Shall your brethren go to war, while you sit here? 7Why discourage the Israelites from going over into the land which the LORD has given them? 8This is what your fathers did, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land. 9For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites, saying that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them. 10And the LORD's anger was kindled at that time, and He swore, saying, 11‘Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and older, shall ever see the land which I swore unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; because they have not wholly followed Me, 12Except for Caleb, son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua, son of Nun; for they have wholly followed the LORD.’ 13And the LORD's anger was kindled against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the eyes of the LORD, was consumed. 14And here you are, rising up like your fathers, to invoke even more the fierce anger from the LORD toward Israel. 15For if you turn away from following Him, He will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and you shall destroy all this people.”

16And they came nearer to him, and said, “We will build corals and sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, 17But we, ourselves, will go ready armed ahead of the Israelites, until we have brought them into their place; and our women and children shall remain in the fenced cities for protection from the inhabitants of this land. 18We will not return to our houses, until every man of the Israelites has received his inheritance. 19For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan, or beyond, because our inheritance will fall to us on this east side of the Jordan.” 20And Moses said “If you will do this thing, if you will go armed before the LORD to war, 21And all of you will go armed over the Jordan before the LORD, until He has driven out His enemies from before Him, 22And the land is subdued before the LORD: then afterward you shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. 23But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out. 24Build cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do what you have said.” 25And the descendants of Gad and Reuben said to Moses, “Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26Our little ones, wives, flocks, and all our cattle, shall remain here in the cities of Gilead: 27But we, your servants, will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord says.”

28So concerning them, Moses commanded Eleazar, the priest, and Joshua, son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the Israelites; 29And Moses said to them, “If the descendants of Gad and of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, each man armed for war, before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you; then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession: 30But if they will not cross over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.” 31And the descendants of Gad and of Reuben answered, saying, “As the LORD has said to us, so will we do. 32We will cross over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this (east) side Jordan may be ours.”

33And Moses gave to them - the progeny of Gad, and of Reuben, and the half tribe of Manasseh, sons of Joseph - the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan, the land, with its cities within the boarders, plus the cities of the country around. 34And the descendants of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, fortified cities; and folds for sheep. 37And the descendants of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiri-ath-aim, 38Nebo, Baal-meon (their names being changed), and Shibmah: and gave other names to the cities which they built. 39And the descendants of Machir, son of Manasseh, went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. 40And Moses gave Gilead to Machir, son of Manasseh, and he dwelt there. 41And Jair, son of Manasseh, went and took many of the small towns of Gilead, and named them Havvoth-jair. 42And Nobah went and took Kenath, and its villages, and named it Nobah, after his own name.