Then they sat down to eat their meal. As they did, they saw some Ishmaelite traders coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, lotion and myrrh. They were on their way to take them down to Egypt.
But Geshur and Aram captured Havvoth Jair. They also captured Kenath and the settlements around it. The total number of towns captured was 60. Hezron, Segub and Jair belonged to the family line of Makir. Makir was the father of Gilead.
He said, “The men of Gad and Reuben must get ready for battle. They must go across the Jordan River with you. They must help you fight for the Lord. They must stay with you until the land has been brought under your control. If they do, you must give them the land of Gilead as their own.
We captured all the towns on the high plains. We took the whole land of Gilead. And we captured the whole land of Bashan as far away as Salekah and Edrei. Those were towns that belonged to Og’s kingdom in Bashan.
Jabin sent the same message to the people of east Canaan and west Canaan. He sent it to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites. They lived in the central hill country. He also sent it to the Hivites who lived below Mount Hermon in the area of Mizpah.
Some of them even went across the Jordan River. They went to the lands of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal. All the troops with him were shaking with fear.