1 The tribes of Reuben and Gad had large numbers of livestock and saw that the land of Jazer and Gilead was a good place to rear them. 2 So they came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the Israelite leaders and said, 3 “The towns of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam,* Listed as Sibmah in verse 38. Nebo, and Beon, 4 which the Lord conquered in full view of the Israelites, are well-suited for the livestock that we your servants own.”

5 They continued, “Please respond to our request favorably: give us this land. Don't make us cross the Jordan.”

6 In reply Moses asked the tribes of Gad and Reuben, “Are you expecting your brothers to go and fight while you just sit here? 7 Why discourage the Israelites from crossing into the country that the Lord has given them? 8 This is just what your fathers did when I sent them out from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land. 9 After your fathers traveled up the valley of Eshcol and explored the land, they discouraged the Israelites, persuading them not to enter the country that the Lord had given them. 10 As a result, they made the Lord very angry that day, and he swore this oath, 11 ‘Not a single one of those I saved from Egypt who is twenty years old or older will ever see the land I promised with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they were not completely committed to me— 12 no one except Caleb, son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua, son of Nun, because they were completely committed to me.’ 13 The Lord was angry with Israel, and made them wander around in the desert for forty years, until the whole generation who had done evil in his sight had died.

14 Now look at you, you brood of sinners who have come to take your fathers' place to make the Lord even angrier with Israel! 15 If you give up following him, he will abandon these people in the desert once again, and their deaths will be your fault!”

16 Then the tribes of Gad and Reuben came to Moses and told him, “We would plan to build stone walls to keep our livestock safe and towns for our children. 17 But we will still get ourselves ready for battle, and we will be prepared to lead the Israelites until they can safely occupy their land. In the meantime, our children will stay behind, living in the fortified towns to protect them from the local people. 18 We won't return to our homes until every Israelite is in possession of their allotted land. 19 However, we won't own any land on the other side of the Jordan because we've received this land to own on this eastern side of the Jordan.”

20 Moses responded, “If this is what you will actually do, if you will get yourselves ready for battle under the Lord's direction, 21 and if all your troops cross the Jordan with the Lord until he has driven out his enemies ahead of him, 22 then once the country is conquered with the Lord's help then you may return, and you will have fulfilled your obligations to the Lord and to Israel. You will own this land, granted to you by the Lord. 23 But if you fail to do this, you will clearly be sinning against the Lord, and the consequences of your sin will catch up with you. 24 Go ahead and build towns for your children and stone walls for your flocks, but make sure you do what you've promised!”

25 The tribes of Gad and Reuben promised Moses, “Sir, we your servants will do just as you have ordered. 26 Our wives and children, our livestock and all our animals, will all remain here in the towns of Gilead. 27 But we your servants are ready for battle, and all our troops will cross over to fight with the Lord's help, just as you have said, sir.”

28 Moses gave the following instructions about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua, son of Nun, and to the family leaders of the tribes of Israel. 29 Moses told them, “If the tribes of Gadites and Reuben cross the Jordan with you, with all their troops ready for battle with the Lord's help, and the land is conquered as you advance, then give them the land of Gilead to own. 30 But if they don't get themselves ready for battle and cross over with you, then they must accept their allotted land among you in the country of Canaan.”

31 The tribes of Gad and Reuben responded, “We will do just as the Lord has told us, your servants. 32 We will cross over and enter the country of Canaan ready for battle with the Lord's help, so that we may have our allotted share of land on this side of the Jordan.”

33 So Moses gave to the tribes of Gad and 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. This land included its towns and their surrounding area. 34 The people of Gad rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified towns, and they built stone walls for their flocks.

37 The people of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 as well as Nebo and Baal-meon (changing their names), and Sibmah. In fact they renamed those towns they rebuilt.

39 The descendants of Machir, son of Manasseh, attacked Gilead and captured it. They drove out the Amorites who were living there. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to the family of Machir, son of Manasseh, and they settled there. 41 Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, attacked their villages and captured them. He named them the Villages of Jair. 42 Nobah attacked Kenath and captured it, along with its villages. He named it Nobah after himself.