Now 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;
the 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,
Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Sebam, and Nebo, and Beon,
the land which Jehovah smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle; and thy servants have cattle.
And they said, If we have found favor in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession; bring us not over the Jordan.
And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:
but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.
For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan, and forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward.
And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As Jehovah hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.
We will pass over armed before Jehovah into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance (shall remain) with us beyond the Jordan.
And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying,
Remember the word which Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded you, saying, Jehovah your God giveth you rest, and will give you this land.
Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall abide in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan; but ye shall pass over before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valor, and shall help them;
until Jehovah have given your brethren rest, as (he hath given) you, and they also have possessed the land which Jehovah your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and possess it, which Moses the servant of Jehovah gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrising.
And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them:
about forty thousand ready armed for war passed over before Jehovah unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh,
and said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded you, and have hearkened unto my voice in all that I commanded you:
ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of Jehovah your God.