Study Desk

For the men of war had taken booty, every man for himself.--

And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tent of meeting, for a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD.

Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle; and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle,

the land which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle.'

And they said: 'If we have found favour in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession; bring us not over the Jordan.'

For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they turned away the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.

For if ye turn away from after Him, He will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and so ye will destroy all this people.'

And they came near unto him, and said: 'We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones;

For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan, and forward, because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward.'

and the land be subdued before the LORD, and ye return afterward; then ye shall be clear before the LORD, and before Israel, and this land shall be unto you for a possession before the LORD.

Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.'

but thy servants will pass over, every man that is armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith.'

And Moses said unto them: 'If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man that is 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;

and Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran; fortified cities, and folds for sheep.

And they journeyed from Alush, and pitched in Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drink.

And ye shall drive out the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein; for unto you have I given the land to possess it.

'Command the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye come into the land of Canaan, this shall be the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan according to the borders thereof.

And for the western border, ye shall have the Great Sea for a border; this shall be your west border.

And ye shall mark out your line for the east border from Hazar-enan to Shepham;

for the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their fathers' houses, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to their fathers' houses, have received, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received, their inheritance;