The Transjordan Tribes
1The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for livestock. 2So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community, and said, 3“Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon— 4the land the Lord subdued before the people of Israel—are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock. 5If we have found favor in your eyes,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.”
6Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your fellow Israelites go to war while you sit here? 7Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them? 8This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. 9After they went up to the Valley of Eshkol and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. 10The Lord’s anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath: 11‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more when they came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob— 12not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’ 13The Lord’s anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.
14“And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel. 15If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.”
16Then they came up to him and said, “We would like to build pens here for our livestock and cities for our women and children. 17But we will arm ourselves for battle32:17 Septuagint; Hebrew will be quick to arm ourselves and go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. 18We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has received their inheritance. 19We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.”
20Then Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle 21and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him— 22then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession before the Lord.
23“But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. 24Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”
25The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “We your servants will do as our lord commands. 26Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead. 27But your servants, every man who is armed for battle, will cross over to fight before the Lord, just as our lord says.”
28Then Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes. 29He said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you, you must give them the land of Gilead as their possession. 30But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan.”
31The Gadites and Reubenites answered, “Your servants will do what the Lord has said. 32We will cross over before the Lord into Canaan armed, but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan.”
33Then Moses gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the whole land with its cities and the territory around them.
34The Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and built pens for their flocks. 37And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh and Kiriathaim, 38as well as Nebo and Baal Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.
39The descendants of Makir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it and drove out the Amorites who were there. 40So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites, the descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there. 41Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called them Havvoth Jair.32:41 Or them the settlements of Jair 42And Nobah captured Kenath and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah after himself.
約旦河東的支派
1呂便和迦得的子孫有許多牲畜，他們見雅謝和基列適於放牧， 2就來見摩西、以利亞撒祭司和會眾的首領，說： 3「亞他錄、底本、雅謝、寧拉、希實本、以利亞利、示班、尼波和比穩—— 4這些耶和華為以色列會眾攻取的地方適於放牧，而僕人們有許多牲畜。 5如果你們恩待我們，請將這些地方賜給我們作產業，別讓我們過約旦河了。」
6摩西對他們說：「難道你們的同胞去打仗，你們卻坐在這裡嗎？ 7你們為何使以色列人軍心動搖，不敢進入耶和華所賜之地？ 8從前我在加低斯·巴尼亞派你們的祖先去打探那地方的時候，他們就是這樣。 9他們到以實各谷打探那地方，回來後竟動搖軍心，使以色列人不敢進入耶和華所賜之地。 10那天耶和華發怒，起誓說， 11『從埃及出來、二十歲以上的人都看不到我起誓要賜給亞伯拉罕、以撒和雅各的土地，因為他們沒有一心追隨我； 12只有基尼洗族耶孚尼的兒子迦勒和嫩的兒子約書亞可以看到，因為他們一心追隨我。』 13耶和華向以色列人發怒，使他們在曠野漂泊了四十年，直到在耶和華面前作惡的那一代都死了。
14「現在，你們這群罪人的後代竟然重蹈前人的覆轍，加劇耶和華向以色列所發的怒氣。 15如果你們離棄祂，祂必再次把以色列人丟棄在曠野，這樣你們就毀了整個民族。」
16他們上前對摩西說：「我們要在這裡為牲畜建棚圈，為家小築城邑， 17讓他們留在堅固的城內，免受當地居民的威脅。然後我們必拿起兵器率先上陣，直到幫其他以色列同胞奪取他們的土地。 18在其他同胞佔領各自的產業之前，我們決不回家。 19但我們不會跟他們在約旦河西岸分土地，我們已經得到約旦河東邊作產業。」 20摩西說：「如果你們信守承諾，拿起兵器在耶和華面前出戰， 21你們全軍就要在耶和華面前渡過約旦河，直到祂趕走祂面前的仇敵， 22征服那地方。之後，你們才可以回家，才算在耶和華和以色列人面前盡了自己的責任，這地方就在耶和華面前歸給你們作產業。 23但你們如果不這樣做，就是得罪耶和華，必難逃罪責。 24你們現在去為家小築城邑，為牛羊建棚圈吧，但別忘了信守承諾。」 25迦得和呂便的子孫對摩西說：「僕人們一定遵命而行。 26我們的妻子、孩子、牛羊等牲畜都會留在基列的各城。 27僕人當中所有能上陣打仗的人都會照你的吩咐在耶和華面前過河作戰。」
28於是，摩西對以利亞撒祭司、嫩的兒子約書亞和以色列各支派的族長說： 29「如果迦得和呂便子孫中所有能上陣打仗的人，在耶和華面前跟你們一同過河作戰，你們征服那片土地以後，就要把基列給他們作產業。 30如果他們不帶著兵器跟你們一起過河作戰，就只能在迦南與你們同分產業。」 31迦得和呂便的子孫再次說：「凡耶和華所吩咐的，僕人們一定照辦。 32我們一定帶著兵器在耶和華面前過河，進入迦南，但我們要擁有約旦河東邊作產業。」
33摩西就把亞摩利王西宏和巴珊王噩的國土及周圍的城邑，都給了迦得的子孫、呂便的子孫和約瑟兒子瑪拿西的半個支派。 34迦得的子孫重建了底本、亞他錄、亞羅珥、 35亞他錄·朔反、雅謝、約比哈、 36伯·寧拉和伯·哈蘭，使之成為堅固的城池，並建了羊圈。 37呂便的子孫重建了希實本、以利亞利、基列亭、 38尼波、巴力·免和西比瑪。他們為重建的城邑起了新名字，如尼波和巴力·免。 39瑪拿西之子瑪吉的子孫佔領了基列，趕走了那裡的亞摩利人。 40摩西就把基列賜給瑪拿西的兒子瑪吉，他便住在那裡。 41瑪拿西的子孫雅珥佔領了基列的村莊，將它們改名為哈倭特·雅珥。 42挪巴佔領了基納及其周圍的村莊，就按自己的名字稱基納為挪巴。
