13. The Lord became angry with the Israelites and made them wander in the desert for forty years until the entire generation had died, which had done evil in the Lord’s eyes.
14. Now you’ve taken the place of your ancestors, a group of sinful men, to intensify the Lord’s anger against Israel.
15. If you turn away from him, he will turn away again to abandon Israel in the desert. Then you will destroy this entire people."
16. So they approached him and said, "We will build walled enclosures here for our livestock and towns for our children.
17. Then we will eagerly fight in front of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Our children will live in the fortified cities because of the land’s inhabitants.
18. And we won’t return to our homes until each one of the Israelites takes possession of his property.
19. We won’t inherit land with them there across the Jordan, because we’ve received our property on the east side of the Jordan."
20. Moses said to them, "Do this and fight before the Lord in war.
21. All of you who are equipped for war, cross the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him
22. and the land is subdued in the Lord’s presence. Then you may return innocently before the Lord and Israel, and this land will be your property before the Lord.
23. But if you don’t do this, you’ve sinned against the Lord. Know that your sin will find you.
24. So build towns for your children and walled enclosures for your flocks, but do what you have promised."
25. The Gadites and the Reubenites said to Moses, "Your servants will do as my master has commanded.
26. Our children, wives, livestock, and all of our animals will remain in the cities of Gilead.
27. But your servants, everyone equipped for war before the Lord, will go over to do battle as my master said."
28. Moses made demands for them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua, Nun’s son, and to the leaders of the households of the Israelite tribes.