1 And the children of Ruben and Gad had much cattle, and they had in beasts an infinite substance. And when they had seen Jazer and Galaad fit countries for to feed cattle, 2
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2 they came to Moyses and Eleazar the Priest, and the Princes of the multitude, and said: 2
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3 Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nemra, Hesebon, and Eleale, and Sabam, and Nebo, and Beon,
4 the land, which our Lord smote in the sight of the children of Israel, is of a very plentiful soil for the feeding of beasts: and we thy servants have very much cattle:
5 and we pray thee if we have found grace before thee, that thou give us thy servants the same in possession, and make us not pass over Jordan.
6 To whom Moyses answered: Why shall your brethren go to fight, and will you sit here?
7 Why subvert you the minds of the children of Israel, that they may not be bold to pass into the place, which our Lord will give them?
8 Did not your fathers so, when I sent from Cadesbarne to view the Land?
9 And when they were come as far as the Valley of cluster, having viewed all the country, they subverted the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not enter the coasts, which our Lord gave them.
10 Who being wrath sware, saying:
11 If these men, that came up out of Ægypt, from twenty years and upward, shall see the land, which under oath I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: and they would not follow me,
12 except Caleb the son of Jephone the Cenezeite, and Josue the son of Nun: these have fulfilled my will.
13 And our Lord being wrath against Israel, led him about through the desert forty years, until the whole generation was consumed, that had done evil in his sight.
14 And behold, quoth he, you are risen up in stead of your fathers, the offspring and disciples of sinful men, to augment the fury of our Lord against Israel.
15 But if you will not follow him, he will leave the people in the wilderness, and you shall be the cause of the death of all.
16 But they coming near, said: We will make sheepcotes, and stalls for our cattle, for our little ones also fenced cities:
17 and we ourselves armed and girded will march on to battle before the children of Israel, until we bring them in unto their places. Our little ones and whatsoever we can have, shall be in walled cities, because of the lying of wait of the inhabitants.
18 We will not return into our houses, until the children of Israel possess their inheritance:
19 neither will we seek any thing beyond Jordan, because already we have our possession on the east side thereof.
20 To whom Moyses said: If you do that you promise, march on well appointed before our Lord to fight:
21 and let every man of war pass over Jordan, until our Lord subvert his enemies,
22 and all the Land be subdued to him: then shall you be blameless before our Lord & before Israel, & you shall obtain the countries that you would in the sight of our Lord.
23 But if you do not that which you say, no man can doubt but you sin against God: and know ye that your sin shall apprehend you.
24 Build therefore cities for your little ones, and sheepcotes and stalls for your sheep and cattle: and accomplish that which you have promised.
25 And the children of Gad and Ruben said to Moyses: We are thy servants, we will do that which our Lord commandeth.
26 We will leave our little ones, and our wives, and sheep, and cattle in the cities of Galaad:
27 and we thy servants all well appointed will march on to the war, as thou my Lord speakest.
28 Moyses therefore commanded Eleazar the Priest, & Josue the son of Nun, and the Princes of the families by the tribes of Israel, and he said to them:
29 If the children of Gad, and the children of Ruben pass with you over Jordan all armed to the war before our Lord, and the Land be subdued to you: give them Galaad in possession.
30 But if they will not pass armed with you into the Land of Chanaan, let them take places to dwell in among you.
31 And the children of Gad, and the children of Ruben answered: As our lord hath spoken to his servants, so will we do:
32 ourselves armed will march before our Lord into the Land of Chanaan, and we confess that we have already received our possession beyond Jordan.
33 Moyses therefore gave to the children of Gad and Ruben, and to the half tribe of Manasses the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sehon king of the Amorrhite, and the Kingdom of Og king of Basan, and their land and the cities thereof round about.
34 Therefore the sons of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,
35 and Etroth, and Sophan, and Iazar, and Iegbaa,
36 and Bethnemra, and Betharan, cities fenced, and sheepcotes for their sheep.
37 But the children of Ruben builded Hesebon, and Eleale, & Cariathaim,
38 and Nabo, and Baalmeon changing their names, Sabama also: giving names to the cities, which they had built.
39 Moreover the children of Machir, the son of Manasses, went into Galaad, and wasted it killing the Amorrhite the inhabiter thereof.
40 Moyses therefore gave the land of Galaad to Machir the son of Manasses, who dwelt in it.
41 And Jair the son of Manasses went, and took the villages thereof, which he called Havoth Jair, that is to say, the Villages of Jair.
42 Nobe also went, and took Canath with the villages thereof: and he called it by his own name Nobe.