Numbers 10

1 And YHWH speaks to Moses, saying,

The Lord told Moses,

2 “Make two trumpets of silver for yourself; you make them of beaten work, and they have been for you for the convocation of the congregation, and for the journeying of the camps;

“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 they have blown with them, and all the congregation has assembled to you at the opening of the Tent of Meeting.

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

4 And if they blow with one, then the princes, heads of the thousands of Israel, have assembled to you;

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

5 and you have blown—a shout, and the camps which are encamping eastward have journeyed.

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 you have blown—a second shout, and the camps which are encamping southward have journeyed; they blow a shout for their journeys.

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 And in the assembling of the assembly you blow, and do not shout;

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

8 and sons of Aaron, the priests, blow with the trumpets; and they have been for a continuous statute to you throughout your generations.

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

9 And when you go into battle in your land against the adversary who is distressing you, then you have shouted with the trumpets, and you have been remembered before your God YHWH, and you have been saved from 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 And in the day of your gladness, and in your appointed times, and in the beginnings of your months, you have also blown with the trumpets over your burnt-offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace-offerings, and they have been for a memorial to you before your God; I [am] your God YHWH.”

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 And it comes to pass, in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month, the cloud has gone up from off the Dwelling Place of the Testimony,

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 sons of Israel journey in their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai, and the cloud dwells in the wilderness of Paran;

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

13 and they journey at first by the command of YHWH in the hand of Moses.

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

14 And the standard of the camp of the sons of Judah journeys in the first [place], by their hosts, and over its host [is] Nahshon son of Amminadab.

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

15 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Issachar [is] Nathaneel son of Zuar.

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

16 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun [is] Eliab son of Helon.

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

17 And the Dwelling Place has been taken down, and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari have journeyed, carrying the Dwelling Place.

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

18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben has journeyed, by their hosts, and over its host [is] Elizur son of Shedeur.

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

19 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Simeon [is] Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.

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

20 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Gad [is] Eliasaph son of Deuel.

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

21 And the Kohathites have journeyed, carrying the Dwelling Place, and the [others] have raised up the Dwelling Place until their coming in.

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

22 And the standard of the camp of the sons of Ephraim has journeyed, by their hosts, and over its host [is] Elishama son of Ammihud.

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

23 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh [is] Gamalial son of Pedahzur.

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

24 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin [is] Abidan son of Gideoni.

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

25 And the standard of the camp of the sons of Dan has journeyed (rearward to all the camps), by their hosts, and over its host [is] Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.

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 over the host of the tribe of the sons of Asher [is] Pagiel son of Ocran.

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

27 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali [is] Ahira son of Enan.

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

28 These [are] the journeys of the sons of Israel by their hosts when they journey.

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

29 And Moses says to Hobab son of Raguel the Midianite, father-in-law of Moses, “We are journeying to the place of which YHWH has said, I give it to you; go with us, and we have done good to you, for YHWH has spoken good concerning 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 And he says to him, “I do not go; but I go to my land and to my family.”

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

31 And he says, “Please do not forsake us, because you have known our encamping in the wilderness, and you have been to us for eyes;

“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 it has come to pass, when you go with us—indeed, it has come to pass—that good which YHWH does kindly with us, we have done it kindly to you.”

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

33 And they journey from the mountain of YHWH a journey of three days; and the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH is journeying before them [for] the journey of three days, to spy out a resting place for them;

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 and the cloud of YHWH [is] on them by day, in their journeying from the camp.

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

35 And it comes to pass in the journeying of the Ark, that Moses says, “Rise, O YHWH, and Your enemies are scattered, and those hating You flee from Your presence.”

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 in its resting he says, “Return, O YHWH, [to] the myriads, the thousands of Israel.”

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