Numbers 32 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 The tribes of Reuben and Gad had large numbers of livestock and saw that the land of Jazer and Gilead was a good place to rear them.
1 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock. They saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead. Behold, the place was a place for livestock.
2 So they came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the Israelite leaders and said,
2 Then the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the princes of the congregation, saying,
3 “The towns of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,
3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,
4 which the Lord conquered in full view of the Israelites, are well-suited for the livestock that we your servants own.”
4 the land which Yahweh struck before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock; and your servants have livestock.”
5 They continued, “Please respond to our request favorably: give us this land. Don't make us cross the Jordan.”
5 They said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Don’t bring us over the Jordan.”
6 In reply Moses asked the tribes of Gad and Reuben, “Are you expecting your brothers to go and fight while you just sit here?
6 Moses said to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here?
7 Why discourage the Israelites from crossing into the country that the Lord has given them?
7 Why do you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which Yahweh has given them?
8 This is just what your fathers did when I sent them out from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land.
8 Your fathers did so when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land.
9 After your fathers traveled up the valley of Eshcol and explored the land, they discouraged the Israelites, persuading them not to enter the country that the Lord had given them.
9 For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which Yahweh had given them.
10 As a result, they made the Lord very angry that day, and he swore this oath,
10 Yahweh’s anger burned in that day, and he swore, saying,
11 ‘Not a single one of those I saved from Egypt who is twenty years old or older will ever see the land I promised with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they were not completely committed to me—
11 ‘Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me,
12 no one except Caleb, son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua, son of Nun, because they were completely committed to me.’
12 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, because they have followed Yahweh completely.’
13 The Lord was angry with Israel, and made them wander around in the desert for forty years, until the whole generation who had done evil in his sight had died.
13 Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he made them wander back and forth in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation who had done evil in Yahweh’s sight was consumed.
14 Now look at you, you brood of sinners who have come to take your fathers' place to make the Lord even angrier with Israel!
14 “Behold, you have risen up in your fathers’ place, an increase of sinful men, to increase the fierce anger of Yahweh toward Israel.
15 If you give up following him, he will abandon these people in the desert once again, and their deaths will be your fault!”
15 For if you turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and you will destroy all these people.”
16 Then the tribes of Gad and Reuben came to Moses and told him, “We would plan to build stone walls to keep our livestock safe and towns for our children.
16 They came near to him, and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones;
17 But we will still get ourselves ready for battle, and we will be prepared to lead the Israelites until they can safely occupy their land. In the meantime, our children will stay behind, living in the fortified towns to protect them from the local people.
17 but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
18 We won't return to our homes until every Israelite is in possession of their allotted land.
18 We will not return to our houses until the children of Israel have all received their inheritance.
19 However, we won't own any land on the other side of the Jordan because we've received this land to own on this eastern side of the Jordan.”
19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan eastward.”
20 Moses responded, “If this is what you will actually do, if you will get yourselves ready for battle under the Lord's direction,
20 Moses said to them: “If you will do this thing, if you will arm yourselves to go before Yahweh to the war,
21 and if all your troops cross the Jordan with the Lord until he has driven out his enemies ahead of him,
21 and every one of your armed men will pass over the Jordan before Yahweh until he has driven out his enemies from before him,
22 then once the country is conquered with the Lord's help then you may return, and you will have fulfilled your obligations to the Lord and to Israel. You will own this land, granted to you by the Lord.
22 and the land is subdued before Yahweh; then afterward you shall return, and be clear of obligation to Yahweh and to Israel. Then this land shall be your possession before Yahweh.
23 But if you fail to do this, you will clearly be sinning against the Lord, and the consequences of your sin will catch up with you.
23 “But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against Yahweh; and be sure your sin will find you out.
24 Go ahead and build towns for your children and stone walls for your flocks, but make sure you do what you've promised!”
24 Build cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which has proceeded out of your mouth.”
25 The tribes of Gad and Reuben promised Moses, “Sir, we your servants will do just as you have ordered.
25 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, “Your servants will do as my lord commands.
26 Our wives and children, our livestock and all our animals, will all remain here in the towns of Gilead.
26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock shall be there in the cities of Gilead;
27 But we your servants are ready for battle, and all our troops will cross over to fight with the Lord's help, just as you have said, sir.”
27 but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before Yahweh to battle, as my lord says.”
28 Moses gave the following instructions about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua, son of Nun, and to the family leaders of the tribes of Israel.
28 So Moses commanded concerning them to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’ households of the tribes of the children of Israel.
29 Moses told them, “If the tribes of Gad and Reuben cross the Jordan with you, with all their troops ready for battle with the Lord's help, and the land is conquered as you advance, then give them the land of Gilead to own.
29 Moses said to them, “If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man who is armed to battle before Yahweh, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession;
30 But if they don't get themselves ready for battle and cross over with you, then they must accept their allotted land among you in the country of Canaan.”
30 but if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.”
31 The tribes of Gad and Reuben responded, “We will do just as the Lord has told us, your servants.
31 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, “As Yahweh has said to your servants, so will we do.
32 We will cross over and enter the country of Canaan ready for battle with the Lord's help, so that we may have our allotted share of land on this side of the Jordan.”
32 We will pass over armed before Yahweh into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.”
33 So Moses gave to the tribes of Gad and Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan. This land included its towns and their surrounding area.
33 Moses gave to them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan; the land, according to its cities and borders, even the cities of the surrounding land.
34 The people of Gad rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,
34 The children of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,
35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,
35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,
36 Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified towns, and they built stone walls for their flocks.
36 Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran: fortified cities and folds for sheep.
37 The people of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,
37 The children of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,
38 as well as Nebo and Baal-meon (changing their names), and Sibmah. In fact they renamed those towns they rebuilt.
38 Nebo, and Baal Meon, (their names being changed), and Sibmah. They gave other names to the cities which they built.
39 The descendants of Machir, son of Manasseh, attacked Gilead and captured it. They drove out the Amorites who were living there.
39 The children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were therein.
40 So Moses gave Gilead to the family of Machir, son of Manasseh, and they settled there.
40 Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh; and he lived therein.
41 Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, attacked their villages and captured them. He named them the Villages of Jair.
41 Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its villages, and called them Havvoth Jair.
42 Nobah attacked Kenath and captured it, along with its villages. He named it Nobah after himself.
42 Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Jair
Son of Segub and grandson of Hezron by Machir's daughter, counted among Manasseh's descendants; he captured the villages of Gilead that were called Havvoth-jair after him.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 32:41; Deuteronomy 3:14; Joshua 13:30
Jephunneh
The father of Caleb, the faithful spy of the tribe of Judah, called a Kenizzite in Numbers 32:12.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 13:6; Numbers 14:6; Numbers 32:12
Machir
Manasseh's son, whose own sons were brought up on Joseph's knees, called the father of Gilead; his descendants captured Gilead and Moses gave it to his clan.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 50:23; Numbers 26:29; Numbers 32:39–40
Moses
Drawn from the Nile, he led Israel out of Egypt and received God's Law.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 2–Deuteronomy 34
Nobah
A man who captured Kenath and its villages during the conquest of Gilead and called it Nobah after his own name.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 32:42
Cross references (37)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Numbers 21:32; Genesis 13:2; Genesis 13:10–11; Numbers 32:3; Numbers 32:35
- 3 Isaiah 16:8–9; Numbers 32:34–38; Joshua 13:17; Jeremiah 48:34; Jeremiah 48:22–23
- 4 Numbers 21:34; Numbers 21:24; Deuteronomy 2:24–35
- 5 Joshua 7:7; 1 Samuel 20:3; Deuteronomy 1:37; Deuteronomy 3:25–26; Jeremiah 31:2
- 6 1 Corinthians 13:5; Philippians 2:4; 2 Samuel 11:11
- 7 Numbers 13:27–14:4; Deuteronomy 1:28; Numbers 32:9; Numbers 21:4; Acts 21:13
- 8 Numbers 13:2–26; Numbers 14:2; Joshua 14:6–7; Deuteronomy 1:19–25
- 9 Deuteronomy 1:24–28; Numbers 13:23–14:10
- 10 Numbers 14:11; Numbers 14:23; Numbers 14:29; Ezekiel 20:15; Psalm 95:11
- 11 Numbers 14:28–30; Numbers 14:24; Numbers 26:2; Joshua 14:8–9; Deuteronomy 1:35
- 12 Deuteronomy 1:36; Numbers 14:30; Numbers 14:24; Joshua 14:8–9; Numbers 26:65
- 13 1 Corinthians 10:5; Hebrews 3:16–19; Numbers 14:33–35; Deuteronomy 2:14–15; Numbers 26:64–65
- 14 Matthew 23:31–33; Luke 11:48; Acts 7:51–52; Ezra 10:10; Deuteronomy 1:34–35
- 15 2 Chronicles 15:2; 1 Corinthians 8:11–12; Romans 14:15; Deuteronomy 28:15–68; Romans 14:20–21
- 16 Genesis 33:17; Numbers 34:22
- 17 Joshua 4:12–13; Deuteronomy 3:18–20; Numbers 32:29–32
- 18 Joshua 22:1–5
- 19 Joshua 13:8; 1 Chronicles 5:25–26; Genesis 13:10–12; Proverbs 20:21; Numbers 32:32–33
- 20 Joshua 4:12–13; Deuteronomy 3:18–20; Joshua 1:13–15; Joshua 22:2–4
- 22 Joshua 22:4; Joshua 22:9; Deuteronomy 3:20; Joshua 1:15; Joshua 13:8
- 23 Isaiah 59:12; Proverbs 13:21; Genesis 44:16; Psalm 90:8; Genesis 4:7
- 24 Numbers 32:16; Numbers 30:2; Numbers 32:34–42
- 25 Joshua 1:13–14
- 26 Joshua 1:14
- 27 Joshua 4:12; Numbers 36:2; 2 Timothy 4:7–8; Numbers 11:28; Ephesians 6:10–18
- 28 Joshua 1:13
- 30 Joshua 22:19
- 33 Joshua 12:6; Deuteronomy 29:8; Deuteronomy 3:12–17; Joshua 22:4; Psalm 135:10–11
- 34 Deuteronomy 2:36; Numbers 32:3; Isaiah 17:2; Numbers 33:45–46; Numbers 21:20
- 35 Numbers 32:3; Numbers 32:1
- 36 Numbers 32:3
- 37 Numbers 21:27; Numbers 32:3; Isaiah 15:4
- 38 Isaiah 46:1; Numbers 32:3; Joshua 23:7; Exodus 23:13; Numbers 22:41
- 39 Genesis 50:23; Numbers 26:29; Joshua 17:1
- 40 Joshua 17:1; Deuteronomy 3:13–15; Joshua 13:29–31
- 41 Deuteronomy 3:14; Judges 10:4; Joshua 13:30; 1 Kings 4:13; 1 Chronicles 2:21–23
- 42 Psalm 49:11; 2 Samuel 18:18
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Forty years also did the people wander in the wilderness. Forty days the waters of the flood lasted.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)