20. Moses answered, “Do what you have said. In the Lord’s presence have all your armed men get ready for battle.
21. Have them cross the Jordan, and fight until the Lord forces out his enemies
22. and the land is conquered. Then you may come back. You will have fulfilled your military duty to the Lord and Israel. This land will be your own property in the Lord’s presence.
23. “If you don’t do all these things, you will be sinning against the Lord. You can be sure that you will be punished for your sin.
24. Build cities for your families and stone fences for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”
25. Then the tribes of Gad and Reuben said to Moses, “Sir, we will do as you command.
26. Our children, our wives, our livestock, and all our other animals will stay here in the cities of Gilead.
27. But in the Lord’s presence we will all get ready for battle and go with you, as you have said.”
28. So Moses gave orders about them to the priest Eleazar, Joshua (son of Nun), and the family heads of the tribes of Israel.
29. Moses told them, “If the tribes of Gad and Reuben get ready for battle in the Lord’s presence and cross the Jordan River with you and you conquer the land, give them Gilead as their own property.
30. If they don’t get ready for battle and go with you, the land they will take possession of must be in Canaan with yours.”
31. The tribes of Gad and Reuben answered, “Sir, we will do as the Lord has said.
32. We will enter Canaan as armed troops in the Lord’s presence, but the land we will take possession of is here, east of the Jordan.”
33. So Moses gave the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of the tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph, the kingdoms of King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan—the whole land with its cities and its surrounding territory.
34. The tribe of Gad rebuilt the cities of Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,
35. Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,
36. Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran as walled cities. They also built stone fences for their flocks.