Numbers 10

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

The Lord told Moses,

2 Make thee two trumpets of beaten silver, wherewith thou mayest call together the multitude when the camp is to be removed.

“Make two trumpets out of hammered silver. They are to be used for summoning the Israelites and to have the camp move out.

3 And when thou shalt sound the trumpets, all the multitude shall gather unto thee to the door of the tabernacle of the covenant.

When both trumpets are blown, all the Israelites are to gather before you at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

4 If thou sound but once, the princes and the heads of the multitude of Israel shall come to thee.

But if only one is blown, then only the tribal leaders are to gather before you.

5 But if the sound of the trumpets be longer, and with interruptions, they that are on the east side, shall first go forward.

When you blow the trumpet loudly, which is the alarm signal to move out, the camps on the east side are to march out first.

6 And at the second sounding and like noise of the trumpet, they who lie on the south side shall take up their tents. And after this manner shall the rest do, when the trumpets shall sound for a march.

When you blow the trumpet loudly the second time, the camps on the south side are to march out. That's their signal to start moving.

7 But when the people is to be gathered together, the sound of the trumpets shall be plain, and they shall not make a broken sound.

To summon the people, blow the trumpets normally, not the loud alarm signal.

8 And the sons of Aaron the priest shall sound the trumpets: and this shall be an ordinance for ever in your generations.

Aaron's descendants are to blow the trumpets. This regulation is for all time and for all future generations.

9 If you go forth to war out of your land against the enemies that fight against you, you shall sound aloud with the trumpets, and there shall be a remembrance of you before the Lord your God, that you may be delivered out of the hands of your enemies.

When you're in your own land and have to go into battle against an enemy who has attacked you, blow the alarm signal and the Lord your God won't forget you—he will save you from your enemies.

10 If at any time you shall have a banquet, and on your festival days, and on the first days of your months, you shall sound the trumpets over the holocausts, and the sacrifices of peace offerings, that they may be to you for a remembrance of your God. I am the Lord your God.

Blow the trumpets when you celebrate too, at your regular feasts and at the beginning of each month. This is when you give your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings which act as a reminder for you before your God. I am the Lord your God.”

11 The second year, in the second month, the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle of the covenant.

The cloud rose up from the Tabernacle of the Testimony on the twentieth day of the second month of the second year.

12 And the children of Israel marched by their troops from the desert of Sinai, and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Pharan.

The Israelites left the Desert of Sinai and moved from place to place until the cloud stopped in the Desert of Paran.

13 And the first went forward according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

This was the first time they moved out following the Lord's command through Moses.

14 The sons of Juda by their troops: whose prince was Nahasson the son of Aminadab.

The tribal divisions of Judah went first, marching out under their flag, with Nahshon, son of Amminadab, in charge.

15 In the tribe of the sons of Issachar, the prince was Nathanael the son of Suar.

Nethanel, son of Zuar, was in charge of the tribal division of Issachar,

16 In the tribe of Zabulon, the prince was Eliab the son of Helon.

and Eliab, son of Helon, was in charge of the tribal division of Zebulun.

17 And the tabernacle was taken down, and the sons of Gerson and Merari set forward, bearing it.

Then the Tabernacle was dismantled, and the Gershonites and the Merarites set off, carrying it.

18 And the sons of Ruben also marched, by their troops and ranks, whose prince was Helisur the son of Sedeur.

Then came the divisions of Reuben who marched out under their flag, with Elizur, son of Shedeur, in charge.

19 And in the tribe of Simeon, the prince was Salamiel the son of Surisaddai.

Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai, was in charge of the tribal division of Simeon,

20 And in the tribe of Cad, the prince was Eliasaph the son of Duel.

and Eliasaph, son of Deuel, was in charge of the tribal division of Gad.

21 Then the Caathites also marched carrying the sanctuary. So long was the tabernacle carried, till they same to the place of setting it up.

Then the Kohathites set off, carrying the holy objects. The Tabernacle would be put up before they arrived.

22 The sons of Ephraim also moved their camp by their troops, in whose army the prince was Elisama the son of Ammiud.

Then came the divisions of Ephraim who marched out under their flag, with Elishama, son of Ammihud in charge.

23 And in the tribe of the sons of Manasses, the prince was Gamaliel the son of Phadassur.

Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur, was in charge of the tribal division of Manasseh,

24 And in the tribe of Benjamin, the prince was Abidan the son of Gedeon.

and Abidan, son of Gideoni, was in charge of the tribal division of Benjamin.

25 The last of all the camp marched the sons of Dan by their troops, in whose army the prince was Ahiezer the son of Ammisaddai.

Lastly came the divisions of Dan who marched out under their flag, defending the rear of all the tribal groups, with Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai, in charge.

26 And in the tribe of the sons of Aser, the prince was Phegiel the son of Ochran.

Pagiel, son of Ocran, was in charge of the tribal division of Asher,

27 And in the tribe of the sons of Nephtali, the prince was Ahira the son of Enan.

and Ahira, son of Enan, was in charge of the tribal division of Naphtali.

28 This was the order of the camps, and marches of the children of Israel by their troops, when they set forward.

This was the order in which the Israelite tribal divisions moved out.

29 And Moses said to Hobab the son of Raguel the Madianite, his kinsman: We are going towards the place which the Lord will give us: come with us, that we may do thee good: for the Lord hath promised good things to Israel.

Moses explained to Hobab, the son of Moses' father-in-law Reuel the Midianite, “We're leaving for the place of which the Lord promised, ‘I'm going to give it to you.’ Come with us, and we'll be good to you, because the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”

30 But he answered him: I will not go with thee, but I will return to my country, wherein I was born.

“No, I won't go—I'll return to my own country and my own people,” Hobab replied.

31 And he said: Do not leave us: for thou knowest in what places we should encamp in the wilderness, and thou shalt be our guide.

“Please don't abandon us now,” Moses said, “because you're the one who knows where we should camp in the desert and you can guide us.

32 And if thou comest with us, we will give thee what is the best of the riches which the Lord shall deliver to us.

If you come with us, whatever good things the Lord blesses us with we'll share with you.”

33 So they marched from the mount of the Lord three days’ journey, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them, for three days providing a place for the camp.

They left the mountain of the Lord to go on a three-day journey The Ark of the Lord's Agreement led the way for them during these three days to find a place for them to camp.

34 The cloud also of the Lord was over them by day when they marched.

The cloud of the Lord was above them during day as they moved on from the camp.

35 And when the ark was lifted up, Moses said: Arise, O Lord, and let thy enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee, flee from before thy face.

Whenever the Ark was carried out, Moses would call out, “Stand up, Lord, and may your enemies be scattered, and may those who hate you run away from you.”

36 And when it was set down, he said: Return, O Lord, to the multitude of the host of Israel.

Whenever it was set down, he would call out, “Return, Lord, to the thousands and thousands of the people of Israel.”