The Wilderness Years

not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun—because they did follow the LORD wholeheartedly.’

The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation who had done evil in His sight was gone.

Now behold, you, a brood of sinners, have risen up in place of your fathers to further stoke the burning anger of the LORD against Israel.

For if you turn away from following Him, He will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.”

Then the Gadites and Reubenites approached Moses and said, “We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our little ones.

But we will arm ourselves and be ready to go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Meanwhile, our little ones will remain in the fortified cities for protection from the inhabitants of the land.

We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has taken possession of his inheritance.

Yet we will not have an inheritance with them across the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.”

Moses replied, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle,

and if every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the LORD, until He has driven His enemies out before Him,

then when the land is subdued before the LORD, you may return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the LORD.

But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.

Build cities for your little ones and folds for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”

The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “Your servants will do just as our lord commands.

Our children, our wives, our livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead.

But your servants are equipped for war, and every man will cross over to the battle before the LORD, just as our lord says.”

So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the family leaders of the tribes of Israel.

And Moses said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, with every man armed for battle before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession.

But if they do not arm themselves and go across with you, then they must accept their possession among you in the land of Canaan.”

The Gadites and Reubenites replied, “As the LORD has spoken to your servants, so we will do.

We will cross over into the land of Canaan armed before the LORD, that we may have our inheritance on this side of the Jordan.”

So Moses gave to the Gadites, to the Reubenites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the land including its cities and the territory surrounding them.

And the Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified cities, and they built folds for their flocks.