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Numbers 32:6-32
New International Version
Numbers 32:6-32
New International Version
6 Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your fellow Israelites go to war while you sit here? 7 Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them?(A) 8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land.(B) 9 After they went up to the Valley of Eshkol(C) and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. 10 The Lord’s anger was aroused(D) that day and he swore this oath:(E) 11 ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more(F) when they came up out of Egypt(G) will see the land I promised on oath(H) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob(I)— 12 not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’(J) 13 The Lord’s anger burned against Israel(K) 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.(L)
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.(M) 15 If 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.(N)”
16 Then they came up to him and said, “We would like to build pens(O) here for our livestock(P) and cities for our women and children. 17 But we will arm ourselves for battle[a] and go ahead of the Israelites(Q) until we have brought them to their place.(R) Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has received their inheritance.(S) 19 We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance(T) has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.”(U)
20 Then Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle(V) 21 and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him(W)— 22 then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return(X) and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession(Y) before the Lord.(Z)
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.(AA) 24 Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks,(AB) but do what you have promised.(AC)”
25 The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “We your servants will do as our lord commands.(AD) 26 Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead.(AE) 27 But your servants, every man who is armed for battle, will cross over to fight(AF) before the Lord, just as our lord says.”
28 Then Moses gave orders about them(AG) to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun(AH) and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes.(AI) 29 He 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,(AJ) you must give them the land of Gilead as their possession.(AK) 30 But if they do not cross over(AL) with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan.(AM)”
31 The Gadites and Reubenites answered, “Your servants will do what the Lord has said.(AN) 32 We will cross over before the Lord into Canaan armed,(AO) but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan.(AP)”
Footnotes
- Numbers 32:17 Septuagint; Hebrew will be quick to arm ourselves
Numbers 32:6-32
King James Version
Numbers 32:6-32
King James Version
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?
7 And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord hath given them?
8 Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land.
9 For 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.
10 And the Lord'S anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying,
11 Surely 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:
12 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the Lord.
13 And 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.
14 And, 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.
15 For 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:
17 But 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.
18 We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.
19 For 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,
21 And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the Lord, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,
22 And 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.
23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.
24 Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.
25 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.
26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:
27 But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord saith.
28 So 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:
29 And 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:
30 But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.
31 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the Lord hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.
32 We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be our's.
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