15. For if you turn away from following him, he will once again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will be the reason for their destruction.”
16. Then they came very close to him and said, “We will build sheep folds here for our flocks and cities for our families,
17. but we will maintain ourselves in armed readiness and go before the Israelites until whenever we have brought them to their place. Our descendants will be living in fortified towns as a protection against the inhabitants of the land.
18. We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has his inheritance.
19. For we will not accept any inheritance on the other side of the Jordan River and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this eastern side of the Jordan.”
20. Then Moses replied, “If you will do this thing, and if you will arm yourselves for battle before the Lord,
21. and if all your armed men cross the Jordan before the Lord until he drives out his enemies from his presence