The Wilderness Years

Except Caleb the son of Jephone the Cenezite, and Josue the son of Nun: these have fulfilled my will.

And the Lord being angry against Israel, led them about through the desert forty years, until the whole generation, that had done evil in his sight, was consumed.

And behold, said he, you are risen up instead of your fathers, the increase and offspring of sinful men, to augment the fury of the Lord against Israel.

For if you will not follow him, he will leave the people in the wilderness, and you shall be the cause of the destruction of all.

But they coming near, said: We will make sheepfolds, and stalls for our cattle, and strong cities for our children:

And we ourselves will go armed and ready for battle before the children of Israel, until we bring them in unto their places. Our little ones, and all we have, shall be in walled cities, for fear of the ambushes of the inhabitants.

We will not return into our houses until the children of Israel possess their inheritance:

Neither will we seek any thing beyond the Jordan, because we have already our possession on the east side thereof,

And Moses said to them: If you do what you promise, go on well appointed for war before the Lord:

And let every fighting man pass over the Jordan, until the Lord overthrow his enemies:

And all the land be brought under him, then shall you be blameless before the Lord and before Israel, and you shall obtain the countries that you desire, before the Lord.

But if you do not what you say, no man can doubt but you sin against God: and know ye, that your sin shall overtake you.

Build therefore cities for your children, and folds and stalls for your sheep and beasts, and accomplish what you have promised.

And the children of Gad and Ruben said to Moses: We are thy servants, we will do what my lord commandeth.

We will leave our children, and our wives and sheep and cattle, in the cities of Galaad:

And we thy servants all well appointed will march on to the war, as thou, my lord, speakest.

Moses therefore commanded Eleazar the priest, and Josue the son of Nun, and the princes of the families of all the tribes of Israel, and said to them:

If the children of Gad, and the children of Ruben pass with you over the Jordan, all armed for war before the Lord, and the land be made subject to you: give them Galaad in possession.

But if they will not pass armed with you into the land of Chanaan, let them receive places to dwell in among you.

And the children of Gad, and the children of Ruben answered: As the Lord hath spoken to his servants, so will we do:

We will go armed before the Lord into the land of Chanaan, and we confess that we have already received our possession beyond the Jordan.

Moses therefore gave to the children of Gad and of Ruben, and to the half tribe of Manasses the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sehon king of the Amorrhites, and the kingdom of Og king of Basan, and their land and the cities thereof round about.

And the sons of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

And Etroth, and Sophan, and Jazer, and Jegbaa,

And Bethnemra, and Betharan, fenced cities, and folds for their cattle.