1Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;
I wonder how many cattle the children of Gad would have in more enlightened time or whether these cattle should have been retained by the now orphaned daughters from the Midianites massacre.
2The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,
3Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,
4Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:
5Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.
6And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?
Fuck me ! Although his beliefs suck Moses has a point.
7And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?
8Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land.
9For when they went up unto 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 the LORD had given them.
10And the LORD'S anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying,
11Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:
I think I mentioned at the time gods legendary foresight was as usual totally lacking when he caused the Israelites to do their own recognizance. Even if he didn't have omniscience and omni prescience he should known from an historical perspective that his chosen were unreliable untrustworthy backstabbing cunts.
12Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.
Who no doubt, were no different, save for the fact they hadn't been caught.
13And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.
14And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel.
15For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.
16And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:
Perhaps if they hadn't made such a total mess of the cities that were already there then they wouldn't have to be building new cities.
17But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
18We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.
Inheritance ?......
–noun 1. something that is or may be inherited; property passing at the owner's death to the heir or those entitled to succeed; legacy. 2. the genetic characters transmitted from parent to offspring, taken collectively. 3. something, as a quality, characteristic, or other immaterial possession, received from progenitors or predecessors as if by succession: an inheritance of family pride. 4. the act or fact of inheriting by succession, as if by succession, or genetically: to receive property by inheritance. 5. portion; birthright; heritage: Absolute rule was considered the inheritance of kings.Notice the word pillage or the phrase about to be pillaged, not included in the above definition.
19For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward.
20And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war,
21And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,
22And the land be subdued before the LORD: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD.
I doubt the Geneva Conventions would think them guiltless especially since 1996 when the war crimes act was passed, I certainly don't.
23But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.
How many good german soldiers were prosecuted especially guards of concentration camps for "following orders".
I ask you Hitler and Moses are they much different ?
24Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.
25And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.
26Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:
27But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord saith.
28So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel:
29And Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed to battle, before the LORD, and the land shall be subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession:
30But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.
31And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.
32We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be our's.
33And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the 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, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about.
34And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,
35And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,
36And Bethnimrah, and Bethharan, fenced cities: and folds for sheep.
37And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,
38And Nebo, and Baalmeon, (their names being changed,) and Shibmah: and gave other names unto the cities which they builded.
39And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it.
Some how seems to be OK unless you realise dispossed in this case probably means the Amorites were dispossed from thier lives aswell.
40And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein.
41And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havothjair.
42And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name.Nobah is that No Bar or Knobba ? Either way I don't think I would like to be there.