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. They came near to him, and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones;
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 will not return to our houses, until the children of Israel have each inherited their inheritance.
19. For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan, and forward; because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan eastward.”
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 every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before Yahweh, until he has driven out his enemies from before him,
22. and the land is subdued before Yahweh; then afterward you shall return, and be guiltless towards Yahweh, and towards Israel; and this land shall be to you for a possession before Yahweh.
23. “But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against Yahweh; and be sure your sin will find you out.
24. Build cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which has proceeded out of your mouth.”
25. The children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, “Your servants will do as my lord commands.
26. Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock, shall be there in the cities of Gilead;
27. but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before Yahweh to battle, as my lord says.”
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 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 will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.”
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 pass over armed before Yahweh into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.”
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.