Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



So Moses gave them-the Gadites, Reubenites, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph-the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land including its cities with the territories surrounding them. The Gadites rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, read more.
Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified cities, and [built] sheepfolds. The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, as well as Nebo and Baal-meon (whose names were changed), and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities they rebuilt. The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there. So Moses gave Gilead to [the clan of] Machir son of Manasseh, and they settled in it. Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages, which he renamed Jair's Villages. Nobah went and captured Kenath with its villages and called it Nobah after his own name.

To the tribe of the Reubenites by their clans, Moses gave this as their territory: From Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the middle of the valley, to the whole plateau as far as Medeba, with Heshbon and all its cities on the plateau-Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon, read more.
Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth-shahar on the hill in the valley, Beth-peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth- all the cities of the plateau, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon. Moses had killed him and the chiefs of Midian-Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba-the princes of Sihon who lived in the land.


But we will arm ourselves and be ready to go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Meanwhile, our dependents will remain in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.

So Moses gave them—the Gadites, Reubenites, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph—the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land including its cities with the territories surrounding them.


So Moses gave them—the Gadites, Reubenites, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph—the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land including its cities with the territories surrounding them.

all the cities of the plateau, Gilead, and Bashan as far as Salecah and Edrei, cities of Og's kingdom in Bashan. (Only Og king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed was made of iron. Isn't it in Rabbah of the Ammonites? It is 13 feet six inches long and six feet wide by a standard measure.) "At that time we took possession of this land. I gave to the Reubenites and Gadites [the area extending] from Aroer by the Arnon Valley, and half the hill country of Gilead along with its cities. read more.
I gave to half the tribe of Manasseh the rest of Gilead and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og. The entire region of Argob, the whole territory of Bashan, used to be called the land of the Rephaim. Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, took over the entire region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites. He called Bashan by his own name, Jair's Villages, as it is today.

Og king of Bashan, of the remnant of the Rephaim, lived in Ashtaroth and Edrei. He ruled over Mount Hermon, Salecah, all Bashan up to the Geshurite and Maacathite border, and half of Gilead to the border of Sihon, king of Heshbon. Moses the Lord's servant and the Israelites struck them down. And Moses the Lord's servant gave their land as an inheritance to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh.

And to half the tribe of Manasseh, that is, to half the tribe of Manasseh's descendants by their clans, Moses gave this as their territory: From Mahanaim through all Bashan-all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, including all of Jair's Villagesthat are in Bashan-60 cities. But half of Gilead, and Og's royal cities in Bashan-Ashtaroth and Edrei-are for the descendants of Machir son of Manasseh, that is, half the descendants of Machir by their clans.

This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh as Joseph’s firstborn. Gilead and Bashan came to Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh and the father of Gilead, who was a man of war.


The Reubenites and Gadites had a very large number of livestock. When they surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, they saw that the region was a [good] one for livestock. So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community and said: "[The territory of] Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, read more.
which the Lord struck down before the community of Israel, is [good] land for livestock, and your servants own livestock." They said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Don't make us cross the Jordan." But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, "Should your brothers go to war while you stay here? Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land the Lord has given them? That's what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. After they went up as far as Eshcol Valley and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. So the Lord's anger burned that day, and He swore an oath: 'Because they did not follow Me completely, none of the men 20 years old or more who came up from Egypt will see the land I swore [to give] Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob- none except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, because they did follow the Lord completely.' The Lord's anger burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness 40 years until the whole generation that had done what was evil in the Lord's sight was gone. And here you, a brood of sinners, stand in your fathers' place adding even more to the Lord's burning anger against Israel. If you turn back from following Him, He will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will destroy all of them." Then they approached him and said, "We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our dependents. But we will arm ourselves and be ready [to go] ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Meanwhile, our dependents will remain in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has taken possession of his inheritance. Yet we will not have an inheritance with them across the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance will be across the Jordan to the east." Moses replied to them, "If you do this-if you arm yourselves for battle before the Lord, and every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven His enemies from His presence, and the land is subdued before the Lord-afterwards you may return and be free from obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the Lord. But if you don't do this, you will certainly sin against the Lord; be sure your sin will catch up with you. Build cities for your dependents and folds for your flocks, but do what you have promised." The Gadites and Reubenites answered Moses, "Your servants will do just as my lord commands. Our little children, wives, livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead, but your servants are equipped for war before the Lord and will go across to the battle as my lord orders." So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the family leaders of the Israelite tribes. Moses told them, "If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, every man in battle formation before the Lord, and the land is subdued before you, you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession. But if they don't go across with you in battle formation, they must accept land in Canaan with you." The Gadites and Reubenites replied, "What the Lord has spoken to your servants is what we will do. We will cross over in battle formation before the Lord into the land of Canaan, but we will keep our hereditary possession across the Jordan." So Moses gave them-the Gadites, Reubenites, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph-the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land including its cities with the territories surrounding them.


So Moses gave them—the Gadites, Reubenites, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph—the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land including its cities with the territories surrounding them.

The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there. So Moses gave Gilead to [the clan of] Machir son of Manasseh, and they settled in it. Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages, which he renamed Jair's Villages. read more.
Nobah went and captured Kenath with its villages and called it Nobah after his own name.


So Moses gave them—the Gadites, Reubenites, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph—the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land including its cities with the territories surrounding them.

And to half the tribe of Manasseh, that is, to half the tribe of Manasseh's descendants by their clans, Moses gave this as their territory: From Mahanaim through all Bashan-all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, including all of Jair's Villagesthat are in Bashan-60 cities. But half of Gilead, and Og's royal cities in Bashan-Ashtaroth and Edrei-are for the descendants of Machir son of Manasseh, that is, half the descendants of Machir by their clans.

The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there. So Moses gave Gilead to [the clan of] Machir son of Manasseh, and they settled in it. Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages, which he renamed Jair's Villages. read more.
Nobah went and captured Kenath with its villages and called it Nobah after his own name.


The Reubenites and Gadites had a very large number of livestock. When they surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, they saw that the region was a [good] one for livestock. So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community and said: "[The territory of] Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, read more.
which the Lord struck down before the community of Israel, is [good] land for livestock, and your servants own livestock." They said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Don't make us cross the Jordan." But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, "Should your brothers go to war while you stay here? Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land the Lord has given them? That's what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. After they went up as far as Eshcol Valley and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. So the Lord's anger burned that day, and He swore an oath: 'Because they did not follow Me completely, none of the men 20 years old or more who came up from Egypt will see the land I swore [to give] Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob- none except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, because they did follow the Lord completely.' The Lord's anger burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness 40 years until the whole generation that had done what was evil in the Lord's sight was gone. And here you, a brood of sinners, stand in your fathers' place adding even more to the Lord's burning anger against Israel. If you turn back from following Him, He will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will destroy all of them." Then they approached him and said, "We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our dependents. But we will arm ourselves and be ready [to go] ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Meanwhile, our dependents will remain in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has taken possession of his inheritance. Yet we will not have an inheritance with them across the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance will be across the Jordan to the east." Moses replied to them, "If you do this-if you arm yourselves for battle before the Lord, and every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven His enemies from His presence, and the land is subdued before the Lord-afterwards you may return and be free from obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the Lord. But if you don't do this, you will certainly sin against the Lord; be sure your sin will catch up with you. Build cities for your dependents and folds for your flocks, but do what you have promised." The Gadites and Reubenites answered Moses, "Your servants will do just as my lord commands. Our little children, wives, livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead, but your servants are equipped for war before the Lord and will go across to the battle as my lord orders." So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the family leaders of the Israelite tribes. Moses told them, "If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, every man in battle formation before the Lord, and the land is subdued before you, you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession. But if they don't go across with you in battle formation, they must accept land in Canaan with you." The Gadites and Reubenites replied, "What the Lord has spoken to your servants is what we will do. We will cross over in battle formation before the Lord into the land of Canaan, but we will keep our hereditary possession across the Jordan." So Moses gave them-the Gadites, Reubenites, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph-the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land including its cities with the territories surrounding them.

Then the Israelites heard [it] said, "Look, the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the frontier of the land of Canaan at the region of the Jordan, on the Israelite side." When the Israelites heard [this], the entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh to go to war against them. The Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead. read more.
[They sent] 10 leaders with him-one family leader for each tribe of Israel. All of them were heads of their families among the clans of Israel. They went to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and told them, "This is what the Lord's entire community says: 'What is this treachery you have committed today against the God of Israel by turning away from the Lord and building an altar for yourselves, so that you are in rebellion against the Lord today? Wasn't the sin of Peor, which brought a plague on the Lord's community, enough for us, so that we have not cleansed ourselves from it even to this day, and now, you would turn away from the Lord? If you rebel against the Lord today, tomorrow He will be angry with the entire community of Israel. But if the land you possess is defiled, cross over to the land the Lord possesses where the Lord's tabernacle stands, and take possession [of it] among us. But don't rebel against the Lord or against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God. Wasn't Achan son of Zerah unfaithful regarding what was set apart for destruction, bringing wrath on the entire community of Israel? He was not the only one who perished because of his sin.' " The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered the leaders of the Israelite clans, "The Lord is the God of gods! The Lord is the God of gods! He knows, and may Israel also know. Do not spare us today, if [it was] in rebellion or treachery against the Lord that we have built for ourselves an altar to turn away from Him. May the Lord Himself hold us accountable if [we intended] to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings on it, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it. We actually did this from a specific concern that in the future your descendants might say to our descendants, 'What relationship do you have with the Lord, the God of Israel? For the Lord has made the Jordan a border between us and you descendants of Reuben and Gad. You have no share in the Lord!' So your descendants may cause our descendants to stop fearing the Lord. "Therefore we said: Let us take action and build an altar for ourselves, but not for burnt offering or sacrifice. Instead, it is to be a witness between us and you, and between the generations after us, so that we may carry out the worship of the Lord in His presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and fellowship offerings. Then in the future, your descendants will not be able to say to our descendants, 'You have no share in the Lord!' We thought that if they said this to us or to our generations in the future, we would reply: Look at the replica of the Lord's altar that our fathers made, not for burnt offering or sacrifice, but as a witness between us and you. We would never rebel against the Lord or turn away from Him today by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the Lord our God, which is in front of His tabernacle." When Phinehas the priest and the community leaders, the heads of Israel's clans who were with him, heard what the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh had to say, they were pleased. Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest said to the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, "Today we know that the Lord is among us, because you have not committed this treachery against Him. As a result, you have delivered the Israelites from the Lord's power."


The Reubenites and Gadites had a very large number of livestock. When they surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, they saw that the region was a [good] one for livestock. So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community and said: "[The territory of] Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, read more.
which the Lord struck down before the community of Israel, is [good] land for livestock, and your servants own livestock." They said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Don't make us cross the Jordan." But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, "Should your brothers go to war while you stay here? Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land the Lord has given them? That's what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. After they went up as far as Eshcol Valley and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. So the Lord's anger burned that day, and He swore an oath: 'Because they did not follow Me completely, none of the men 20 years old or more who came up from Egypt will see the land I swore [to give] Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob- none except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, because they did follow the Lord completely.' The Lord's anger burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness 40 years until the whole generation that had done what was evil in the Lord's sight was gone. And here you, a brood of sinners, stand in your fathers' place adding even more to the Lord's burning anger against Israel. If you turn back from following Him, He will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will destroy all of them." Then they approached him and said, "We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our dependents. But we will arm ourselves and be ready [to go] ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Meanwhile, our dependents will remain in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has taken possession of his inheritance. Yet we will not have an inheritance with them across the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance will be across the Jordan to the east." Moses replied to them, "If you do this-if you arm yourselves for battle before the Lord, and every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven His enemies from His presence, and the land is subdued before the Lord-afterwards you may return and be free from obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the Lord. But if you don't do this, you will certainly sin against the Lord; be sure your sin will catch up with you. Build cities for your dependents and folds for your flocks, but do what you have promised." The Gadites and Reubenites answered Moses, "Your servants will do just as my lord commands. Our little children, wives, livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead, but your servants are equipped for war before the Lord and will go across to the battle as my lord orders." So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the family leaders of the Israelite tribes. Moses told them, "If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, every man in battle formation before the Lord, and the land is subdued before you, you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession. But if they don't go across with you in battle formation, they must accept land in Canaan with you." The Gadites and Reubenites replied, "What the Lord has spoken to your servants is what we will do. We will cross over in battle formation before the Lord into the land of Canaan, but we will keep our hereditary possession across the Jordan." So Moses gave them-the Gadites, Reubenites, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph-the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land including its cities with the territories surrounding them.


So Moses gave them—the Gadites, Reubenites, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph—the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land including its cities with the territories surrounding them.

Og king of Bashan, of the remnant of the Rephaim, lived in Ashtaroth and Edrei. He ruled over Mount Hermon, Salecah, all Bashan up to the Geshurite and Maacathite border, and half of Gilead to the border of Sihon, king of Heshbon. Moses the Lord's servant and the Israelites struck them down. And Moses the Lord's servant gave their land as an inheritance to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh.

the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei; he was one of the remaining Rephaim.

Moses struck them down and drove them out,

When you reached this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out against us in battle, but we defeated them. We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh.

Geber son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan.

There was one deputy in the land of Judah.

"At that time we took the land from the two Amorite kings across the Jordan, from the Arnon Valley as far as Mount Hermon, which the Sidonians call Sirion, but the Amorites call Senir, all the cities of the plateau, Gilead, and Bashan as far as Salecah and Edrei, cities of Og's kingdom in Bashan. read more.
(Only Og king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed was made of iron. Isn't it in Rabbah of the Ammonites? It is 13 feet six inches long and six feet wide by a standard measure.) "At that time we took possession of this land. I gave to the Reubenites and Gadites [the area extending] from Aroer by the Arnon Valley, and half the hill country of Gilead along with its cities. I gave to half the tribe of Manasseh the rest of Gilead and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og. The entire region of Argob, the whole territory of Bashan, used to be called the land of the Rephaim. Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, took over the entire region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites. He called Bashan by his own name, Jair's Villages, as it is today. I gave Gilead to Machir, and I gave to the Reubenites and Gadites [the area extending] from Gilead to the Arnon Valley (the middle of the valley was the border) and up to the Jabbok River, the border of the Ammonites. The Arabah and Jordan are also borders from Chinnereth as far as the Sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea, under the slopes of Pisgah on the east.

They took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two Amorite kings who were across the Jordan to the east, from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley as far as Mount Sion (that is, Hermon) and all the Arabah on the east side of the Jordan as far as the Dead Sea below the slopes of Pisgah.

this as their territory: From Mahanaim through all Bashan-all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, including all of Jair's Villagesthat are in Bashan-60 cities. But half of Gilead, and Og's royal cities in Bashan-Ashtaroth and Edrei-are for the descendants of Machir son of Manasseh, that is, half the descendants of Machir by their clans.

You gave them kingdoms and peoples
and assigned them to be a boundary.
They took possession
of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon
and of the land of Og king of Bashan.

and Og king of Bashan- His love is eternal. and gave their land as an inheritance, His love is eternal.


The Reubenites and Gadites had a very large number of livestock. When they surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, they saw that the region was a [good] one for livestock. So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community and said: "[The territory of] Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, read more.
which the Lord struck down before the community of Israel, is [good] land for livestock, and your servants own livestock." They said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Don't make us cross the Jordan." But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, "Should your brothers go to war while you stay here? Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land the Lord has given them? That's what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. After they went up as far as Eshcol Valley and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. So the Lord's anger burned that day, and He swore an oath: 'Because they did not follow Me completely, none of the men 20 years old or more who came up from Egypt will see the land I swore [to give] Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob- none except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, because they did follow the Lord completely.' The Lord's anger burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness 40 years until the whole generation that had done what was evil in the Lord's sight was gone. And here you, a brood of sinners, stand in your fathers' place adding even more to the Lord's burning anger against Israel. If you turn back from following Him, He will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will destroy all of them." Then they approached him and said, "We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our dependents. But we will arm ourselves and be ready [to go] ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Meanwhile, our dependents will remain in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has taken possession of his inheritance. Yet we will not have an inheritance with them across the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance will be across the Jordan to the east." Moses replied to them, "If you do this-if you arm yourselves for battle before the Lord, and every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven His enemies from His presence, and the land is subdued before the Lord-afterwards you may return and be free from obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the Lord. But if you don't do this, you will certainly sin against the Lord; be sure your sin will catch up with you. Build cities for your dependents and folds for your flocks, but do what you have promised." The Gadites and Reubenites answered Moses, "Your servants will do just as my lord commands. Our little children, wives, livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead, but your servants are equipped for war before the Lord and will go across to the battle as my lord orders." So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the family leaders of the Israelite tribes. Moses told them, "If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, every man in battle formation before the Lord, and the land is subdued before you, you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession. But if they don't go across with you in battle formation, they must accept land in Canaan with you." The Gadites and Reubenites replied, "What the Lord has spoken to your servants is what we will do. We will cross over in battle formation before the Lord into the land of Canaan, but we will keep our hereditary possession across the Jordan." So Moses gave them-the Gadites, Reubenites, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph-the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land including its cities with the territories surrounding them.

"I commanded you at that time: The Lord your God has given you this land to possess. All your fighting men will cross over in battle formation ahead of your brothers the Israelites. But your wives, young children, and livestock-I know that you have a lot of livestock-will remain in the cities I have given you until the Lord gives rest to your brothers as He has to you, and they also take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them across the Jordan. Then each of you may return to his possession that I have given you.


The Reubenites and Gadites had a very large number of livestock. When they surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, they saw that the region was a [good] one for livestock. So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community and said: "[The territory of] Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, read more.
which the Lord struck down before the community of Israel, is [good] land for livestock, and your servants own livestock." They said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Don't make us cross the Jordan." But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, "Should your brothers go to war while you stay here? Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land the Lord has given them? That's what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. After they went up as far as Eshcol Valley and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. So the Lord's anger burned that day, and He swore an oath: 'Because they did not follow Me completely, none of the men 20 years old or more who came up from Egypt will see the land I swore [to give] Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob- none except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, because they did follow the Lord completely.' The Lord's anger burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness 40 years until the whole generation that had done what was evil in the Lord's sight was gone. And here you, a brood of sinners, stand in your fathers' place adding even more to the Lord's burning anger against Israel. If you turn back from following Him, He will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will destroy all of them." Then they approached him and said, "We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our dependents. But we will arm ourselves and be ready [to go] ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Meanwhile, our dependents will remain in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has taken possession of his inheritance. Yet we will not have an inheritance with them across the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance will be across the Jordan to the east." Moses replied to them, "If you do this-if you arm yourselves for battle before the Lord, and every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven His enemies from His presence, and the land is subdued before the Lord-afterwards you may return and be free from obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the Lord. But if you don't do this, you will certainly sin against the Lord; be sure your sin will catch up with you. Build cities for your dependents and folds for your flocks, but do what you have promised." The Gadites and Reubenites answered Moses, "Your servants will do just as my lord commands. Our little children, wives, livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead, but your servants are equipped for war before the Lord and will go across to the battle as my lord orders." So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the family leaders of the Israelite tribes. Moses told them, "If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, every man in battle formation before the Lord, and the land is subdued before you, you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession. But if they don't go across with you in battle formation, they must accept land in Canaan with you." The Gadites and Reubenites replied, "What the Lord has spoken to your servants is what we will do. We will cross over in battle formation before the Lord into the land of Canaan, but we will keep our hereditary possession across the Jordan." So Moses gave them-the Gadites, Reubenites, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph-the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land including its cities with the territories surrounding them.

Then the Israelites heard [it] said, "Look, the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the frontier of the land of Canaan at the region of the Jordan, on the Israelite side." When the Israelites heard [this], the entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh to go to war against them. The Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead. read more.
[They sent] 10 leaders with him-one family leader for each tribe of Israel. All of them were heads of their families among the clans of Israel. They went to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and told them, "This is what the Lord's entire community says: 'What is this treachery you have committed today against the God of Israel by turning away from the Lord and building an altar for yourselves, so that you are in rebellion against the Lord today? Wasn't the sin of Peor, which brought a plague on the Lord's community, enough for us, so that we have not cleansed ourselves from it even to this day, and now, you would turn away from the Lord? If you rebel against the Lord today, tomorrow He will be angry with the entire community of Israel. But if the land you possess is defiled, cross over to the land the Lord possesses where the Lord's tabernacle stands, and take possession [of it] among us. But don't rebel against the Lord or against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God. Wasn't Achan son of Zerah unfaithful regarding what was set apart for destruction, bringing wrath on the entire community of Israel? He was not the only one who perished because of his sin.' " The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered the leaders of the Israelite clans, "The Lord is the God of gods! The Lord is the God of gods! He knows, and may Israel also know. Do not spare us today, if [it was] in rebellion or treachery against the Lord that we have built for ourselves an altar to turn away from Him. May the Lord Himself hold us accountable if [we intended] to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings on it, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it. We actually did this from a specific concern that in the future your descendants might say to our descendants, 'What relationship do you have with the Lord, the God of Israel? For the Lord has made the Jordan a border between us and you descendants of Reuben and Gad. You have no share in the Lord!' So your descendants may cause our descendants to stop fearing the Lord. "Therefore we said: Let us take action and build an altar for ourselves, but not for burnt offering or sacrifice. Instead, it is to be a witness between us and you, and between the generations after us, so that we may carry out the worship of the Lord in His presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and fellowship offerings. Then in the future, your descendants will not be able to say to our descendants, 'You have no share in the Lord!' We thought that if they said this to us or to our generations in the future, we would reply: Look at the replica of the Lord's altar that our fathers made, not for burnt offering or sacrifice, but as a witness between us and you. We would never rebel against the Lord or turn away from Him today by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the Lord our God, which is in front of His tabernacle." When Phinehas the priest and the community leaders, the heads of Israel's clans who were with him, heard what the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh had to say, they were pleased. Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest said to the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, "Today we know that the Lord is among us, because you have not committed this treachery against Him. As a result, you have delivered the Israelites from the Lord's power."