The Wilderness Years

except Kalev the son of Y'funeh the K'nizi and Y'hoshua the son of Nun, because they have followed ADONAI unreservedly.'

Thus ADONAI's anger blazed against Isra'el, so that he made them wander here and there in the desert forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of ADONAI had died out.

Now you, another brood of sinners, have arisen in your fathers' place to increase still more the fierce anger of ADONAI toward Isra'el!

For if you turn away from him, he will leave them in the desert again, and thus you will cause the destruction of all these people!"

But they came up to him and said, "Here we will build enclosures for our livestock and cities for our little ones,

but we ourselves will be armed and ready for action to march at the head of the people of Isra'el, until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones will stay in the fortified cities here because of the people now living in the land.

However, we will not return to our own homes until every man in Isra'el has taken possession of his land for inheritance.

We will not have an inheritance with them on the other side of the Yarden, westward; because our inheritance has fallen to us on this side of the Yarden, eastward."

Moshe said to them, "If you will do this - if you will arm yourselves to go before ADONAI to the war,

and if every one of your soldiers will cross the Yarden before ADONAI, until he has driven out his enemies ahead of him,

and if the land has been conquered before ADONAI, and only after that do you return - then you will be clear before ADONAI and before Isra'el, and this land here will be yours to possess before ADONAI.

But if you will not do this, then you have sinned against ADONAI, and you must understand that your sin will find you out.

Build cities for your little ones and enclosures for your sheep; then do what you said you would do."

The descendants of Gad and the descendants of Re'uven said to Moshe, "Your servants will do as my lord orders.

Our little ones, wives, flocks and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gil'ad;

but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, before ADONAI to do battle, as my lord says."

So Moshe gave orders concerning them to El'azar the cohen, Y'hoshua the son of Nun and the clan leaders of the tribes of the people of Isra'el.

Moshe said to them, "If the descendants of Gad and of Re'uven cross over the Yarden with you, every man armed for battle, before ADONAI; and if the land is conquered before you, then you are to give them the land of Gil'ad as theirs to possess.

But if they do not cross with you armed, they are to possess land along with you in Kena'an."

The descendants of Gad and of Re'uven answered, "We will do as ADONAI has said to your servants.

We will cross over into the land of Kena'an armed before ADONAI, and the land we will possess for inheritance will be on this side of the Yarden."

So Moshe gave the descendants of Gad and of Re'uven, and also to the half-tribe of M'nasheh the son of Yosef, the kingdom of Sichon king of the Emori and the kingdom of 'Og king of Bashan - the country and its cities within its borders, along with their surrounding towns.

The descendants of Gad built Divon, 'Atarot, 'Aro'er,

'Atrot-Shofan, Ya'zer, Yogbehah,

Beit-Nimrah and Beit-Haran - fortified cities; and also enclosures for sheep.