² and said to them, “You have done all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded,^(A) and you have obeyed me in everything I commanded.

¹² But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh,^(A) Joshua said, ¹³ “Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, ‘The Lord your God will give you rest^(B) by giving you this land.’ ¹⁴ Your wives,^(C) your children and your livestock may stay in the land^(D) that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, ready for battle,^(E) must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelites.^(F) You are to help them ¹⁵ until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”^(G)

¹⁶ Then they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.^{(H) 17} Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you.^(I) Only may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. ¹⁸ Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey^(J) it, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!^(K)”

¹⁶ But to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave the territory extending from Gilead down to the Arnon Gorge (the middle of the gorge being the border) and out to the Jabbok River,^(A) which is the border of the Ammonites. ¹⁷ Its western border was the Jordan in the Arabah,^(B) from Kinnereth^(C) to the Sea of the Arabah^(D) (that is, the Dead Sea^(E)), below the slopes of Pisgah.

¹⁸ I commanded you at that time: “The Lord your God has given^(F) you this land to take possession of it. But all your able-bodied men, armed for battle, must cross over ahead of the other Israelites.^{(G) 19} However, your wives,^(H) your children and your livestock^(I) (I know you have much livestock) may stay in the towns I have given you, ²⁰ until the Lord gives rest to your fellow Israelites as he has to you, and they too have taken over the land that the Lord your God is giving them across the Jordan. After that, each of you may go back to the possession I have given you.”

²⁰ Then Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle^{(A) 21} and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him^(B)— ²² then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return^(C) and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession^(D) before the Lord.^(E)

²³ “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.^{(F) 24} Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks,^(G) but do what you have promised.^(H)”

²⁵ The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “We your servants will do as our lord commands.^{(I) 26} Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead.^{(J) 27} But your servants, every man who is armed for battle, will cross over to fight^(K) before the Lord, just as our lord says.”

²⁸ Then Moses gave orders about them^(L) to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun^(M) and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes.^{(N) 29} He said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you,^(O) you must give them the land of Gilead as their possession.^(P)