Reuben and Gad Ask for Gilead

(Deuteronomy 3:12-22)

1Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that behold, the place was a place for cattle; 2The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the princes of the congregation, saying, 3Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon, 4Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle: 5Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given to thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.

Moses Reproves Reuben and Gad

6And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? 7And why discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them? 8Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. 9For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them. 10And the LORD'S anger was kindled the same time, and he swore, saying, 11Surely none of the men that came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me: 12Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the 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 forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD was consumed. 14And behold, ye have risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD towards Israel. 15For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and he will destroy all this people.

Reuben and Gad Appease Moses

16And they came near to him, and said, We will build sheep-folds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones: 17But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities, because of the inhabitants of the land. 18We will not return to our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance. 19For we will not inherit with them on the other side of Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance hath fallen to us on this side of Jordan eastward.

20And Moses said to them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war, 21And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him, 22And the land shall be subdued before the LORD: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. 23But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out. 24Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.

25And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth. 26Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead: 27But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith.

28So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and 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 will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed for battle, before the LORD, and the land shall be subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession: 30But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. 31And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD hath said to thy servants, so will we do. 32We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be ours.

Reuben and Gad Settle in Gilead

33And Moses gave to them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and to half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with its cities in the borders, even the cities of the country around. 34And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer, 35And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah, 36And Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, fortified cities: and folds for sheep. 37And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim, 38And Nebo, and Baal-meon, (their names being changed,) and Shibmah: and gave other names to the cities which they built. 39And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite who was in it. 40And Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt in it. 41And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its small towns, and called them Havoth-jair. 42And Nobah went and took Kenath, and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.