Issachar’s leaders were with Deborah, the men of Issachar ¹  supported ²  Barak; into the valley they were sent under Barak’s command. ³  Among the clans of Reuben there was intense ⁴  heart searching. ⁵ 

the gates of the city ¹  will be named for the tribes of Israel; there will be three gates to the north: one gate for Reuben, one gate for Judah, and one gate for Levi.

the Gadites and the Reubenites came and addressed Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community. They said,

Moses said to the Gadites and the Reubenites, “Must your brothers go to war while you ¹  remain here?

They went to the land of Gilead to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and said to them:

The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered the leaders ¹  of the Israelite clans:

Within the territory of the tribe of Reuben across the Jordan River east of Jericho: ¹  Bezer in the desert and its pasturelands, Jahzah and its pasturelands,

The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn – (Now he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s bed, ¹  his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph, Israel’s son. So Reuben is not listed as firstborn in the genealogical records. ² 

because the tribe of the Reubenites by their families, ¹  the tribe of the Gadites by their families, and half of the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance.

¹ Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, who were Reubenites, ²  took men ³ 

¹ Now the Reubenites and the Gadites possessed a very large number of cattle. When they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were ideal for cattle, ² 

The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed for battle ahead of the Israelites, just as Moses had instructed them.

Reuben continued, ¹  “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” ²  (Reuben said this ³  so he could rescue Joseph ⁴  from them ⁵  and take him back to his father.)

But the Levites will not have an allotted portion among you, for their inheritance is to serve the Lord. ¹  Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their allotted land ²  east of the Jordan which Moses the Lord’s servant assigned them.”

Beyond the Jordan east of Jericho ¹  they selected ²  Bezer in the desert on the plain belonging to the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead belonging to the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan belonging to the tribe of Manasseh.

The Israelites sent Phinehas, son of Eleazar, the priest, to the land of Gilead to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

The Reubenites and Gadites named the altar, “Surely it is a Reminder to us ¹  that the Lord is God.”

And they were as follows: The descendants of Reuben, the firstborn son of Israel: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name individually.

The Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh came to Geliloth near the Jordan in the land of Canaan and built there, near the Jordan, an impressive altar. ¹ 

The Israelites were satisfied with their report and gave thanks to God. ¹  They said nothing more about launching an attack to destroy the land in which the Reubenites and Gadites lived. ²