13 Since the Lord was angry with the Israelites, he made them wander in the desert for 40 years until the whole generation of those who had done evil in the Lord’s presence was gone.
14 “You’re just like your parents! You’re a bunch of sinners trying to make the Lord angry with Israel again.
15 If you turn away from him, he will abandon all these people in the desert. You would be responsible for their destruction.”
16 Then the tribes of Gad and Reuben came up to Moses and said, “Allow us to build stone fences for our livestock and cities for our families here.
17 Then we’ll be ready ⌊to march⌋ in battle formation ahead of the other Israelites until we have brought them to their land. Meanwhile our families will live in walled cities, safe from the other people who live here.
18 We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received his own land.
19 We won’t take possession of any land on the other side of the Jordan River, to the west and beyond. We already have our land here, east of the Jordan.”