Numbers 10

1 Yahweh also told Moses/me,

Then the LORD said to Moses,

2 “[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].

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

9 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.

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.

10 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].”

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.”

11 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.

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

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

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

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

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

14 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

21 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

29 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.”

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.”

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

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

31 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.

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

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

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

33 [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.

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.

34 The cloud sent by Yahweh was over them every day.

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

35 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!”

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.”

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

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