Numbers 10

1 Then the LORD said to Moses,

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

2 “Make two trumpets of hammered silver to be used for calling the congregation and for having the camps set out.

“Make for yourself two trumpets of ductile silver, with which you may be able to call together the multitude when the camp is to be moved.

3 When both are sounded, the whole congregation is to assemble before you at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

And when you sound the trumpets, all the multitude shall gather to you at the door of the tabernacle of the covenant.

4 But if only one is sounded, then the leaders, the heads of the clans of Israel, are to gather before you.

If you sound it only once, the leaders and the heads of the multitude of Israel shall come to you.

5 When you sound short blasts, the camps that lie on the east side are to set out.

But if the sound of the trumpets is prolonged, but with interruptions, those who are toward the east side shall move the camp first.

6 When you sound the short blasts a second time, the camps that lie on the south side are to set out. The blasts are to signal them to set out.

Then, at the second sounding of the trumpet with the same cadence, those who live toward the south shall take up their tents. And the remainder shall act in like manner, when the trumpets shall reverberate for a departure.

7 To convene the assembly, you are to sound long blasts, not short ones.

But when the people are to be gathered together, the sound of the trumpets shall be simple, and the sounds shall not be separated.

8 The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to sound the trumpets. This shall be a permanent statute for you and the generations to come.

Now it is the sons of Aaron the priest who shall sound the trumpets. And this shall be an everlasting ordinance, in your generations.

9 When you enter into battle in your land against an adversary who attacks you, sound short blasts on the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God and saved from your enemies.

If you go forth to war from your land, against the enemies who set out against you, you shall sound the trumpets repeatedly, and there shall be a remembrance of you before the Lord your God, so that you may be rescued from the hands of your enemies.

10 And on your joyous occasions, your appointed feasts, and the beginning of each month, you are to blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to serve as a reminder for you before your God. I am the LORD your God.”

If at any time you will have a banquet, and on feast days, and on the first days of the months, you shall sound the trumpets over the holocausts and the peace-offering victims, so that they may be for you as a remembrance by your God. I am the Lord your God.”

11 On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the cloud was lifted from above the tabernacle of the Testimony,

In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was lifted up from the tabernacle of the covenant.

12 and the Israelites set out from the Wilderness of Sinai, traveling from place to place until the cloud settled in the Wilderness of Paran.

And the sons of Israel set out by their companies from the desert of Sinai, and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran.

13 They set out this first time according to the LORD’s command through Moses.

And the first to move their camp, according to the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses,

14 First, the divisions of the camp of Judah set out under their standard, with Nahshon son of Amminadab in command.

were the sons of Judah by their companies, whose leader was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

15 Nethanel son of Zuar was over the division of the tribe of Issachar,

In the tribe of the sons of Issachar, the leader was Nathanael the son of Zuar.

16 and Eliab son of Helon was over the division of the tribe of Zebulun.

In the tribe of Zebulon, the leader was Eliab the son of Helon.

17 Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites set out, transporting it.

And the tabernacle was taken down, because the sons of Gershon and Merari, who carry it, were departing.

18 Then the divisions of the camp of Reuben set out under their standard, with Elizur son of Shedeur in command.

And the sons of Ruben also set out, by their companies and ranks, whose leader was Elizur the son of Shedeur.

19 Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was over the division of the tribe of Simeon,

And in the tribe of Simeon, the leader was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

20 and Eliasaph son of Deuel was over the division of the tribe of Gad.

And in the tribe of Gad, the leader was Eliasaph the son of Reuel.

21 Then the Kohathites set out, transporting the holy objects; the tabernacle was to be set up before their arrival.

Then the Kohathites also set out, carrying the Sanctuary. The tabernacle was carried, all the while, until they arrived at the place for setting it up.

22 Next, the divisions of the camp of Ephraim set out under their standard, with Elishama son of Ammihud in command.

The sons of Ephraim also moved their camp by their companies, and the leader of their army was Elishama the son of Ammihud.

23 Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the division of the tribe of Manasseh,

And in the tribe of the sons of Manasseh, the leader was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

24 and Abidan son of Gideoni was over the division of the tribe of Benjamin.

And in the tribe of Benjamin, the leader was Abidan the son of Gideoni.

25 Finally, the divisions of the camp of Dan set out under their standard, serving as the rear guard for all units, with Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai in command.

The last of all the camp to set out were the sons of Dan by their companies, and the leader of their army was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

26 Pagiel son of Ocran was over the division of the tribe of Asher,

And in the tribe of the sons of Asher, the leader was Pagiel the son of Ochran.

27 and Ahira son of Enan was over the division of the tribe of Naphtali.

And in the tribe of the sons of Naphtali, the leader was Ahira the son of Enan.

28 This was the order of march for the Israelite divisions as they set out.

These were the camps and departures of the sons of Israel by their companies, when they went forth.

29 Then Moses said to Hobab, the son of Moses’ father-in-law Reuel the Midianite, “We are setting out for the place of which the LORD said: ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the LORD has promised good things to Israel.”

And Moses said to Hobab the son of Raguel the Midianite, his kinsman: “We are setting out to the place which the Lord will give to us. Come with us, so that we may do good to you. For the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”

30 “I will not go,” Hobab replied. “Instead, I am going back to my own land and my own people.”

And he answered him, “I will not go with you, but I will return to my own land, in which I was born.”

31 “Please do not leave us,” Moses said, “since you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can serve as our eyes.

And he said: “Do not choose to leave us. For you know in which places in the desert we ought to make camp, and so you shall be our guide.

32 If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the LORD gives us.”

And if you come with us, whatever will be best among the riches which the Lord will deliver to us, we will give to you.”

33 So they set out on a three-day journey from the mountain of the LORD, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD traveling ahead of them for those three days to seek a resting place for them.

Therefore, they set out from the Mountain of the Lord on a journey of three days. And the ark of the covenant of the Lord preceded them, for three days, in order to provide a place for the camp.

34 And the cloud of the LORD was over them by day when they set out from the camp.

Likewise, the cloud of the Lord was over them, throughout the day, while they proceeded.

35 Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say, “Rise up, O LORD! May Your enemies be scattered; may those who hate You flee before You.”

And when the ark was lifted up, Moses said, “Rise up, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee from your face.”

36 And when it came to rest, he would say: “Return, O LORD, to the countless thousands of Israel.”

And when it was set down, he said: “Return, O Lord, to the multitude of the army of Israel.”