Study Desk

Then Moses sent them out, 1,000 men from each tribe, and Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest led them into battle. They carried along the holy objects of the sanctuary and the trumpets for sounding the charge.

Only the young girls who are virgins may live; you may keep them for yourselves.

And all of you who have killed anyone or touched a dead body must stay outside the camp for seven days. You must purify yourselves and your captives on the third and seventh days.

and said, "We, your servants, have accounted for all the men who went out to battle under our command; not one of us is missing!

All the fighting men had taken some of the plunder for themselves.

The tribes of Reuben and Gad owned vast numbers of livestock. So when they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were ideally suited for their flocks and herds,

The Lord has conquered this whole area for the community of Israel, and it is ideally suited for all our livestock.

‘Of all those I rescued from Egypt, no one who is twenty years old or older will ever see the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for they have not obeyed me wholeheartedly.

The only exceptions are Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have wholeheartedly followed the Lord .'

"The Lord was angry with Israel and made them wander in the wilderness for forty years until the entire generation that sinned in the Lord 's sight had died.

If you turn away from him like this and he abandons them again in the wilderness, you will be responsible for destroying this entire nation!"

But they approached Moses and said, "We simply want to build pens for our livestock and fortified towns for our wives and children.

Then Moses said, "If you keep your word and arm yourselves for the Lord 's battles,

Go ahead and build towns for your families and pens for your flocks, but do everything you have promised."

But all who are able to bear arms will cross over to fight for the Lord , just as you have said."

He said, "The men of Gad and Reuben who are armed for battle must cross the Jordan with you to fight for the Lord . If they do, give them the land of Gilead as their property when the land is conquered.

We will cross the Jordan into Canaan fully armed to fight for the Lord , but our property will be here on this side of the Jordan."

Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran. These were all fortified towns with pens for their flocks.

They left Pi-hahiroth and crossed the Red Sea into the wilderness beyond. Then they traveled for three days into the Etham wilderness and camped at Marah.

They left Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.