Numbers 32:1-19

1The people in the tribes of Reuben and Gad had very many animals. They saw that the land in Jazer and Gilead was good for their animals.

2They went to speak to Moses, Eleazar and the other leaders of the Israelites.

3They said, ‘The land at Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon

4is good for animals. The Lord has given all this land to us Israelites. We have very many animals,

5so please let us have this land for our animals. Let us have this land to live on, instead of land on the other side of the Jordan River.’

6Moses said to the men of Reuben and Gad, ‘The other Israelite tribes will go across the river to fight against the people who live there. It is not fair that you should stay here!

7If you stay here, the rest of the Israelites may not want to cross the river. Do not stop them going into the land that the Lord has given to them!

8Your fathers did the same thing when I sent them from Kadesh-Barnea to look at the land of Canaan.

9They went to Eshcol valley and they saw the land. But they told the Israelites that it was not a good idea to go into Canaan. So the people did not go into the land that the Lord had given to them.

10As a result, the Lord was very angry with them.

11He promised, “None of the men that I brought out from Egypt will go into the land. It is the land that I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But they have not trusted me completely. So any man who is 20 years old or older will not go into this land.

12Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun are the only men who will go into the land. They are the only men who trusted me completely.”

13At that time, the Lord was angry with all the Israelites. He caused them to travel in the desert for 40 years. After that, all the men who had turned against him were dead.’

14Moses continued to say, ‘Now you are turning against God, as your fathers did. You are as bad as them! You will cause the Lord to be even more angry with the Israelites.

15If you turn against him, he will leave them here in the desert. If all the Israelite people die, it will be because of you!’

16The men of Reuben and Gad said to Moses, ‘Let us build strong houses here for our women and our children. We will also build places to keep our animals safe.

17Then we will be ready to join the other tribes and we will lead them to the battle. While we are fighting, our families will be safe here. The people who live in this land will not be able to hurt them.

18We will not return to our homes here until all the Israelite tribes receive their own part of the land.

19We will not receive any of the land on the other side of the Jordan River. Our part of the land will be here, on the east side of the river.’