The Wilderness Years

Except Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh the Kenesite, and Ioshua the sonne of Nun: for they haue constantly followed the Lord.

And the Lord was very angry with Israel, and made them wander in the wildernesse fourty yeeres, vntill all the generation that had done euill in the sight of the Lord were consumed.

And behold, ye are risen vp in your fathers steade as an encrease of sinfull men, still to augment the fierce wrath of the Lord, toward Israel.

For if ye turne away from following him, he will yet againe leaue the people in the wildernesse, and ye shall destroy all this folke.

And they went neere to him, and said, We will builde sheepe foldes here for our sheepe, and for our cattell, and cities for our children.

But we our selues will be readie armed to go before the children of Israel, vntill we haue brought them vnto their place: but our childre shall dwell in the defenced cities, because of the inhabitants of the lande.

We will not returne vnto our houses, vntil the children of Israel haue inherited, euery man his inheritance.

Neither wil we inherite with them beyond Iorden and on that side, because our inheritance is fallen to vs on this side Iorden Eastwarde.

And Moses saide vnto them, If ye will doe this thing, and goe armed before the Lord to warre:

And will goe euery one of you in harnesse ouer Iorden before the Lord, vntill he hath cast out his enemies from his sight:

And vntill the land be subdued before the Lord, then ye shall returne and be innocent toward the Lord, and toward Israel: and this land shalbe your possession before the Lord.

But if ye will not doe so, beholde, ye haue sinned against the Lord, and be sure, that your sinne will finde you out.

Builde you then cities for your children and folds for your sheepe, and do that ye haue spoke.

Then the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake vnto Moses, saying, Thy seruats will doe as my lorde commandeth:

Our childre, our wiues, our sheepe, and al our cattell shall remaine there in the cities of Gilead,

But thy seruants will goe euery one armed to warre before the Lord for to fight, as my lorde saith.

So concerning them, Moses commanded Eleazar the Priest, and Ioshua the sonne of Nun, and the chiefe fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel:

And Moses said vnto them, If the children of Gad, and the children of Reuben, will go with you ouer Iorden, all armed to fight before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you, ye shall giue the the lad of Gilead for a possessio:

But if they will not goe ouer with you armed, then they shall haue their possessions amog you in the land of Canaan.

And the children of Gad, and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the Lord hath said vnto thy seruants, so will we doe.

We will goe armed before the Lord into the lande of Canaan: that the possession of our inheritance may be to vs on this side Iorden.

So Moses gaue vnto them, euen to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and to halfe the tribe of Manasseh the sonne of Ioseph, the kingdome of Sihon King of the Amorites, and the kingdome of Og King of Bashan, the lande with the cities thereof and coastes, euen the cities of the countrey round about.

Then the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

And Atroth, Shophan, and Iazer, and Iogbehah,

And Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, defenced cities: also sheepe foldes.