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 spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying, 3Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,32.3 Nimrah: also called, Beth-nimrah32.3 Shebam: also called, Shibmah32.3 Beon: also called, Baal-meon 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 unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.
6¶ And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? 7And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?32.7 discourage: Heb. break 8Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. 9For when they went up unto 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 sware, saying, 11Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:32.11 wholly…: Heb. fulfilled after 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 are risen up in your fathers’ stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel. 15For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.
16¶ And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds 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 unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance. 19For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward.
20¶ And Moses said unto 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 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 spake unto 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 unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed to 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 unto 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. 33And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto 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 the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about.
34¶ And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer, 35And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,32.35 Jaazer: also called, Jazer 36And Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, fenced cities: and folds for sheep.32.36 Beth-nimrah: also called, Nimrah 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 unto the cities which they builded.32.38 gave…: Heb. they called by names the names of the cities 39And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it. 40And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein. 41And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havoth-jair. 42And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
Nogle israelitter bosætter sig øst for Jordanfloden
1Rubens og Gads stammer havde masser af kvæg, og da de opdagede, hvor velegnet Jazers og Gileads land var til kvægavl, 2henvendte deres ledere sig til Moses og præsten Eleazar og de øvrige stammeledere og sagde: 3-4„Herren har hjulpet sit folk med at erobre hele området omkring byerne Atarot, Dibon, Jazer, Nimra, Heshbon, Elale, Sebam, Nebo og Beon. Dette område er særdeles velegnet til kvægavl. 5Derfor vi vil gerne bede om at få tildelt det område som vores ejendom, så vi kan slå os ned her frem for at tage over på den anden side af Jordanfloden.”
6„Skal de andre stammer så gå i krig alene?” spurgte Moses. 7„Det vil tage modet fra resten af folket, så vi risikerer, at de går glip af det land, Herren har lovet dem. 8Var det ikke netop det, der skete for jeres fædre, dengang jeg sendte spioner fra Kadesh-Barnea ind i landet? 9Kom spionerne ikke tilbage fra Eshkoldalen og tog modet fra folket, så de ikke nåede ind i det land, Herren havde lovet dem? 10-11Ved den lejlighed blev Herren så vred over deres vantro, at han svor på, at ikke en eneste over 20 år af alle dem, der havde været med fra begyndelsen, da de forlod Egypten, skulle få det land at se, han havde lovet Abraham, Isak og Jakob. 12Kun Kaleb og Josva var undtaget, for de havde fuld tillid til Herren, og de opfordrede folket til at gå ind og tage landet i besiddelse.
13Efter den episode lod Herren os strejfe omkring i ørkenen i 40 år, indtil den oprørske generation var uddød i ørkenen som følge af deres synd. 14Og nu kommer I og vil gøre det samme igen. Hvis I nu også nægter at adlyde Herren, vil han i sin vrede straffe Israels folk endnu værre. 15Hvis I svigter, vil folket få forlænget opholdet i ørkenen, og på den måde bringer I ulykke over hele folket.”
16„Nej, nej,” svarede de, „vi har kun tænkt os at lave indhegninger og bygge byer, så vi kan efterlade vores kvæg og vores familier her, 17mens vi selv ruster os til krig og går i spidsen for Israels folk ind i landet, så vi kan sikre os, at de når deres bestemmelsessted, hvor de kan slå sig ned i fred og ro. Men forinden må vi bygge befæstede byer til vores familier for at sikre os, at de ikke bliver udplyndret af de øvrige indbyggere i området. 18Når det er gjort, vil vi følge med folket og ikke vende tilbage, før alle Israels stammer har taget deres land i besiddelse. 19Det eneste, vi siger, er, at vi vil foretrække at bo på den østlige side af Jordanfloden i stedet for på den vestlige side.”
20„Godt,” svarede Moses, „hvis I vil holde jeres ord og ruste jer til krig, 21-22kan I overtage området øst for Jordanfloden på den betingelse, at I ikke vender tilbage, før Herren har jaget fjenderne bort, og folket har indtaget landet. Først da har I opfyldt jeres forpligtelser over for Herren og folket, så Herren kan give jer det område, I er interesseret i. 23Men hvis I løber fra jeres ord, har I syndet imod Herren selv—og da skal I få konsekvensen af jeres synd at mærke. 24Gå bare i gang med at lave indhegninger til jeres kvæg og bygge byer til jeres familier, sådan som I foreslår.”
25„Vi vil gøre nøjagtig, som du siger,” svarede Gads og Rubens stammeledere. 26„Vi vil efterlade vores børn, koner, kvæg og øvrige husdyr i byerne her i Gilead, 27men alle våbenføre mænd iblandt os følger med over på den anden side af Jordanfloden for at kæmpe i krigen for Herren, sådan som du har befalet.”
28Moses bekendtgjorde denne afgørelse for Eleazar, Josva og stammelederne. 29„Hvis alle våbenføre mænd fra Gads og Rubens stammer hjælper med til at erobre landet på den anden side af Jordanfloden,” sagde han, „skal Gileads land bagefter tilfalde dem. 30Men hvis de kryber udenom, skal de have jord side om side med de øvrige stammer i Kana’an.”
31Gads og Rubens stammeledere bekræftede Moses’ ord. „Vi vil gøre, som Herren har befalet,” erklærede de. 32„Alle våbenføre mænd følger med til Kana’an og deltager i krigen for Herren, og vi overtager så ejendomsretten til området øst for Jordanfloden.”
33Derpå overdrog Moses officielt amoritterkongen Sihons område og kong Og af Bashans område med de tilhørende byer til Gads, Rubens og det halve af Manasses stammer.
34Gads stamme genopbyggede følgende byer: Dibon, Atarot, Aroer, 35Atarot-Shofan, Jazer, Jogbeha, 36Bet-Nimra og Bet-Haran. De var alle befæstede byer med indhegnede græsgange udenom.
37Rubens stamme genopbyggede følgende byer: Heshbon, Elale, Kirjatajim, 38Nebo, Ba’al-Meon og Sibma. De gav mange af byerne nye navne.
39Makirs slægt af Manasses stamme tog op til Gilead, erobrede landet og jog amoritterne bort. 40Derfor gav Moses Gilead til makiritterne, som bosatte sig der. 41Jair-slægten fra Manasses stamme erobrede en lang række byer i Gilead, hvorefter de gav området navneforandring til Jairs landsbyer. 42En mand ved navn Noba erobrede med sin hærstyrke byen Kenat og de omkringliggende landsbyer og opkaldte området efter sig selv.
