~ The Tribes of Reuben and Gad and the Half Tribe of Manasseh ~

The Reubenites and Gadites,
who had very large herds and flocks,
saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead
were suitable for livestock.
So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest
and to the leaders of the community, and said,
. . . "the land the Lord subdued
before the people of Israel --
is suitable for livestock,
and your servants have livestock.
If we have found favor in your eyes," they said,
"Let this land be given to your servants as our possession.
Do not make us cross the Jordan."

. . . Then they came up to him (Moses) and said,
"We would like to build pens here for our livestock
and cities for our women and children.
But we are ready to arm ourselves
and go ahead of the Israelites
until we have brought them to their place.
meanwhile our women and children
will live in fortified cities,
for protection from the inhabitants of the land.
We will not return to our homes
until every Israelite has received his inheritance.
We will not receive any inheritance with them
on the other side of the Jordan,
because our inheritance has come to us
on the east side of the Jordan."

Then Moses said to them,
"If you will do this --
if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle,
and if all of you will go armed
over the Jordan before the Lord
until He has driven His enemies out before Him --
when the land is subdued before the Lord,
you may return and be free
from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel.
And this land will be you possession before the Lord.

. . . Then Moses gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites
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 --
the whole land with its cities and the territory around them.

(Numbers 32:1-2, 4-5, 16-22, 33)