Numbers 10

1 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

Yahweh also told Moses/me,

2 Make unto thyself two trumpets of silver, beaten out of one piece shalt thou make them; and they shall serve thee for the calling of the congregation, and for the setting forward of the camps.

“[Tell someone to] make two trumpets by hammering each one from [one lump of] silver. Blow the trumpets to summon the people to come together and also to signal that they must move their tents [to a new location].

3 And when they shall blow with both, all the congregation shall assemble themselves unto thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

If both trumpets are blown, it means that everyone must gather together at the entrance of the Sacred Tent.

4 And if they blow with but one, then shall assemble themselves unto thee the princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel.

If only one trumpet is blown, it means that only the [twelve] leaders of the tribes must gather together.

5 And when ye blow an alarm, then shall set forward the camps that encamp on the east side.

If the trumpets are blown loudly, the tribes that are to the east [of the Sacred Tent] should start to travel.

6 And when ye blow an alarm the second time, then shall set forward the camps that encamp on the south side: an alarm shall they blow for their setting forward.

When the trumpets are blown loudly the second time, the tribes that are to the south should start to travel. The loud blasts on the trumpet will signal that they should start to travel.

7 But at the assembling of the assembly, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm.

When you want only to gather the people together, blow the trumpets, but do not blow them as loudly.

8 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.

“The priests who are descended from Aaron are the ones who should blow the trumpets. That is a regulation that will never be changed.

9 And if ye go to war in your land against the oppressor that oppresseth you, then shall ye blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the Lord your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.

When you fight against enemies who attack you in your own land, tell the priests to blow the trumpets loudly. I, Yahweh, your God, will hear that, and I will rescue you from your enemies.

10 And on the day of your gladness, and on your appointed festivals, and on the beginnings of your months, shall ye blow with the trumpets over your burnt-offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace-offerings; and they shall be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the Lord your God.

Also tell the priests to blow the trumpets when the people are happy, and at the festivals [each year], and at the times when they celebrate the new moon each month. Tell them to blow the trumpets when the people bring offerings that will be completely burned, and when they bring offerings to maintain fellowship with me. If they do that, it will help you to remember that I, Yahweh your God, [will help you].”

11 And it came to pass in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony.

On the twentieth day of May in the second year [after the/we Israelis left Egypt], the cloud rose up from above the Sacred Tent.

12 And the children of Israel set forward on their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai, and the cloud halted in the wilderness of Paran.

So we/the Israelis traveled from the Sinai Desert, and we/they continued traveling [north] until the cloud stopped in the Paran Desert.

13 And they set forward for the first time at the order of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

That was the first time we/they moved, obeying the instructions that Yahweh had given to Moses/me to tell them.

14 And the standard of the camp of the children of Judah set forward at the first, according to their armies: and over their host was Nachshon the son of 'Amminadab.

The group that went first, carrying their flag/banner, was the group from the tribe of Judah. Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, was their leader.

15 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar.

The group from the tribe of Issachar [followed them]. Nethanel, the son of Zuar, was their leader.

16 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Chelon.

The group from the tribe of Zebulun went next. Eliab, the son of Helon, was their leader.

17 And [in the mean time] the tabernacle was taken down; and then set forward the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, the bearers of the tabernacle.

Then they dismantled the Sacred Tent, and the descendants of Gershon and Merari carried it, and they went next.

18 Then set forward the standard of the camp of Reuben, according to their armies: and over their host was Elizur the son of Shedeur.

The group from the tribe of Reuben went next, carrying their flag. Elizur, the son of Shedeur, was their leader.

19 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

The group from the tribe of Simeon was next. Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai, was their leader.

20 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad was Elyassaph the son of Deuel.

The group from the tribe of Gad was next. Eliasaph, the son of Deuel, was their leader.

21 And then set forward the Kehathites, the bearers of the sanctuary: and the others set up the tabernacle against they came.

The group descended from Kohath was next. They carried the sacred items from the Sacred Tent. The Sacred Tent itself was set up at the new location before they arrived there.

22 Then set forward the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim according to their armies; and over their host was Elishama the son of 'Ammihud.

The group from the tribe of Ephraim was next, carrying their flag. Elishama, the son of Ammihud, was their leader.

23 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Menasseh was Gamliel the son of Pedahzur.

The group from the tribe of Manasseh went next. Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, was their leader.

24 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gidoni.

The group from the tribe of Benjamin, went next. Abidan, the son of Gideoni, was their leader.

25 Then set forward the standard of the camp of the children of Dan, the rereward of all the camps, according to their hosts: and over their host was Achiezer the son of 'Ammishaddai.

The ones who went last were the group from the tribe of Dan, carrying their flag. Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai, was their leader.

26 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of 'Ochran.

The group from the tribe of Asher went next. Pagiel, the son of Ocran, was their leader.

27 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Achira the son of 'Enan.

The group from the tribe of Naphtali went last. Ahira, the son of Enan, was their leader.

28 In this order were the journeyings of the children of Israel according to their armies, when they set forward.

That was the order in which the groups of Israeli tribes traveled.

29 And Moses said unto Chobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, the father-in-law of Moses, We are journeying unto the place of which the Lord hath said, This will I give unto you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good; for the Lord hath spoken [to bring] good upon Israel.

One day Moses/I said to his/my brother-in-law Hobab, the son of Reuel from the Midian people-group, “We are on the way to the place that Yahweh promised to give to us. Come with us, and we will take good care of you, because Yahweh has promised [to do] good things for us Israeli people.”

30 And he said unto him, I will not go; but to my own land, and to my birthplace will I go.

But Hobab replied, “No, I will not go with you. I want to return to my own land and to my own family.”

31 And he said, Do not, I pray thee, leave us; since thou didst find out the places where we were to encamp in the wilderness, and thou hast been to us instead of eyes.

But Moses/I said, “Please do not leave us. You know the places where we can set up our tents in this desert, and you can guide us.

32 And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that the same goodness which the Lord may do unto us, will we do unto thee.

Come with us. We will share with you all the good things that Yahweh gives to us.”

33 And they set forward from the mount of the Lord a three days' journey; and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them in the three days' journey, to search out for them a resting-place.

[So Hobab agreed to go with them]. The Israelis left Sinai Mountain, [which they called] Yahweh’s Mountain, and they walked for three days. The [men carrying the] sacred chest went in front of the other people for those three days, and they kept looking for a place to set up their tents.

34 And the cloud of the Lord was over them by day, when they set forward from the camp.

The cloud sent by Yahweh was over them every day.

35 And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let thy enemies be scattered; and let those that hate thee flee before thy face.

Each morning when the men who were carrying the sacred chest started to walk, Moses/I said, “Yahweh, arise! Scatter your enemies! Cause those who hate you to run away from you!”

36 And when it rested, he said, Return, O Lord, among thy myriads of the thousands of Israel.

And each time the men [stopped to] set down the sacred chest, Moses/I said, “Yahweh, stay close to the thousands of us Israelis!”