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1-2 “Next we turned toward King Og’s land of Bashan. He immediately mobilized his army and attacked us at Edrei. But the Lord told me not to be afraid of him. ‘All his people and his land are yours,’ the Lord told me. ‘You will do to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites at Heshbon.’ So the Lord helped us fight against King Og and his people, and we killed them all. We conquered all sixty of his cities, the entire Argob region of Bashan. These were well-fortified cities with high walls and barred gates. Of course we also took all of the unwalled towns. We utterly destroyed the kingdom of Bashan just as we had destroyed King Sihon’s kingdom at Heshbon, killing the entire population—men, women, and children alike. But we kept the cattle and loot for ourselves.

“We now possessed all the land of the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan River—all the land from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon. (The Sidonians called Mount Hermon ‘Sirion,’ while the Amorites called it ‘Senir.’) 10 We had now conquered all the cities on the plateau, and all of Gilead and Bashan as far as the cities of Salecah and Edrei.

11 “Incidentally, King Og of Bashan was the last of the giant Rephaim. His iron bedstead is kept in a museum at Rabbah, one of the cities of the Ammonites, and measures thirteen and a half feet long by six feet wide.

12 “At that time I gave the conquered land to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. To the tribes of Reuben and Gad I gave the area beginning at Aroer on the Arnon River, plus half of Mount Gilead, including its cities. 13 The half-tribe of Manasseh received the remainder of Gilead and all of the former kingdom of King Og, the Argob region. (Bashan is sometimes called ‘The Land of the Rephaim.’) 14 The clan of Jair, of the tribe of Manasseh, took over the whole Argob region (Bashan) to the borders of the Geshurites and Maacathites. They renamed their country after themselves, calling it Havvoth-jair (meaning ‘Jair’s Villages’) as it is still known today. 15 Then I gave Gilead to the clan of Machir. 16 The tribes of Reuben and Gad received the area extending from the Jabbok River in Gilead (which was the Ammonite frontier) to the middle of the valley of the Arnon River. 17 They also received the Arabah (or wasteland), bounded by the Jordan River on the west, from Chinnereth to Mount Pisgah and the Dead Sea (also called the Sea of the Arabah).

18 “At that time I reminded the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh that, although the Lord had given them the land, they could not begin settling down until their armed men led the other tribes across the Jordan to the land the Lord was giving them.

19 “‘But your wives and children,’ I told them, ‘may live here in the cities the Lord has given you, caring for your many cattle 20 until you return after the Lord has given victory to the other tribes too. When they conquer the land the Lord your God has given them across the Jordan River, then you may return here to your own land.’

21 “Then I said to Joshua, ‘You have seen what the Lord your God has done to those two kings. You will do the same to all the kingdoms on the other side of the Jordan. 22 Don’t be afraid of the nations there, for the Lord your God will fight for you.’

23-25 “At that time I made this plea to God: ‘O Lord God, please let me cross over into the Promised Land—the good land beyond the Jordan River with its rolling hills—and Lebanon. I want to see the result of all the greatness and power you have been showing us; for what God in all of heaven or earth can do what you have done for us?’

26 “But the Lord was angry with me because of you and would not let me cross over. ‘Speak of it no more,’ he ordered, 27 ‘but go to the top of Mount Pisgah where you can look out in every direction, and there you will see the land in the distance. But you shall not cross the Jordan River. 28 Commission Joshua to replace you, and then encourage him, for he shall lead the people across to conquer the land you will see from the mountaintop.’

29 “So we remained in the valley near Beth-peor.

Defeat of Og King of Bashan

Next we turned and went up along the road toward Bashan, and Og king of Bashan(A) with his whole army marched out to meet us in battle at Edrei.(B) The Lord said to me, “Do not be afraid(C) of him, for I have delivered him into your hands, along with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon.”

So the Lord our God also gave into our hands Og king of Bashan and all his army. We struck them down,(D) leaving no survivors.(E) At that time we took all his cities.(F) There was not one of the sixty cities that we did not take from them—the whole region of Argob, Og’s kingdom(G) in Bashan.(H) All these cities were fortified with high walls and with gates and bars, and there were also a great many unwalled villages. We completely destroyed[a] them, as we had done with Sihon king of Heshbon, destroying[b](I) every city—men, women and children. But all the livestock(J) and the plunder from their cities we carried off for ourselves.

So at that time we took from these two kings of the Amorites(K) the territory east of the Jordan, from the Arnon Gorge as far as Mount Hermon.(L) (Hermon is called Sirion(M) by the Sidonians; the Amorites call it Senir.)(N) 10 We took all the towns on the plateau, and all Gilead, and all Bashan as far as Salekah(O) and Edrei, towns of Og’s kingdom in Bashan. 11 (Og king of Bashan was the last of the Rephaites.(P) His bed was decorated with iron and was more than nine cubits long and four cubits wide.[c] It is still in Rabbah(Q) of the Ammonites.)

Division of the Land

12 Of the land that we took over at that time, I gave the Reubenites and the Gadites the territory north of Aroer(R) by the Arnon Gorge, including half the hill country of Gilead, together with its towns. 13 The rest of Gilead and also all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh.(S) (The whole region of Argob in Bashan used to be known as a land of the Rephaites.(T) 14 Jair,(U) a descendant of Manasseh, took the whole region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maakathites;(V) it was named(W) after him, so that to this day Bashan is called Havvoth Jair.[d]) 15 And I gave Gilead to Makir.(X) 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,(Y) which is the border of the Ammonites. 17 Its western border was the Jordan in the Arabah,(Z) from Kinnereth(AA) to the Sea of the Arabah(AB) (that is, the Dead Sea(AC)), below the slopes of Pisgah.

18 I commanded you at that time: “The Lord your God has given(AD) 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.(AE) 19 However, your wives,(AF) your children and your livestock(AG) (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.”

Moses Forbidden to Cross the Jordan

21 At that time I commanded Joshua: “You have seen with your own eyes all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings. The Lord will do the same to all the kingdoms over there where you are going. 22 Do not be afraid(AH) of them;(AI) the Lord your God himself will fight(AJ) for you.”

23 At that time I pleaded(AK) with the Lord: 24 “Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness(AL) and your strong hand. For what god(AM) is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works(AN) you do?(AO) 25 Let me go over and see the good land(AP) beyond the Jordan—that fine hill country and Lebanon.(AQ)

26 But because of you the Lord was angry(AR) with me and would not listen to me. “That is enough,” the Lord said. “Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah(AS) and look west and north and south and east.(AT) Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross(AU) this Jordan.(AV) 28 But commission(AW) Joshua, and encourage(AX) and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across(AY) and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see.” 29 So we stayed in the valley near Beth Peor.(AZ)

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 3:6 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  2. Deuteronomy 3:6 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  3. Deuteronomy 3:11 That is, about 14 feet long and 6 feet wide or about 4 meters long and 1.8 meters wide
  4. Deuteronomy 3:14 Or called the settlements of Jair