Numbers 10

1 Yahweh also told Moses/me,

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

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 to yourself two silver trumpets: you shall make them of beaten work; and they shall be to you for the purpose of calling the assembly, and of removing the camps.

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

And you shall sound with them, and all the congregation shall be gathered to the door of the tabernacle of witness.

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

And if they shall sound with one, all the rulers even the princes of Israel shall come to you.

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

And you shall sound an alarm, and the camps pitched eastward shall begin to move.

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.

And you shall sound a second alarm, and the camps pitched southward shall move; and you shall sound a third alarm, and the camps pitched westward shall move forward; and you shall sound a fourth alarm, and they that encamp towards the north shall move forward: they shall sound an alarm at their departure.

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

And whenever you shall gather the assembly, you shall sound, but not an alarm.

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.

And the priests the sons of Aaron shall sound with the trumpets; and it shall be a perpetual ordinance for you throughout your generations.

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.

And if you shall go forth to war in your land against your enemies that are opposed to you, then shall you sound with the trumpets; and you shall be had in remembrance before the Lord, and you shall be 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 in the days of your gladness, and in your feasts, and in your new moons, you shall sound with the trumpets at your whole burnt offerings, and at the sacrifices of your peace-offerings; and there shall be a memorial 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.

And it came to pass in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud went up from the tabernacle of witness.

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 children of Israel set forward with their baggage in the wilderness of Sina; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Pharan.

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

And the first rank departed by the word of the Lord by the hand of 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.

And they first set in motion the order of the camp of the children of Juda with their host; and over their host [was] Naasson, son of Aminadab.

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

And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Issachar, [was] Nathanael son of Sogar.

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

And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Zabulon, [was] Eliab the son of Chaelon.

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

And they shall take down the tabernacle, and the sons of Gedson shall set forward, and the sons of Merari, who bear the tabernacle.

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

And the order of the camp of Ruben set forward with their host; and over their host [was] Elisur the son of Sediur.

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

And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Symeon, [was] Salamiel son of Surisadai.

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

And over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad, [was] Elisaph the son of Raguel.

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.

And the sons of Caath shall set forward bearing the holy things, and [the others] shall set up the tabernacle until they arrive.

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

And the order of the camp of Ephraim shall set forward with their forces; and over their forces [was] Elisama the son of Semiud.

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

And over the forces of the tribes of the sons of Manasse, [was] Gamaliel the [son] of Phadassur.

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

And over the forces of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, [was] Abidan the [son] of Gadeoni.

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.

And the order of the camp of the sons of Dan shall set forward the last of all the camps, with their forces: and over their forces [was] Achiezer the [son] of Amisadai.

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

And over the forces of the tribe of the sons of Aser, [was] Phageel the son of Echran.

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

And over the forces of the tribe of the sons of Nephthali, [was] Achire the son of Aenan.

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

These [are] the armies of the children of Israel; and they set forward with their forces.

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.”

And Moses said to Obab the son of Raguel the Madianite, the father-in-law of Moses, We are going forward to the place concerning which the Lord said, This will I give to you: Come with us, and we will do you good, for the Lord has spoken good concerning 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.”

And he said to him, I will not go, but [I will go] to my land and to my kindred.

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.

And he said, Leave us not, because you have been with us in the wilderness, and you shall be an elder amongst us.

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

And it shall come to pass if you will go with us, it shall even come to pass that in whatever things the Lord shall do us good, we will also do you good.

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.

And they departed from the mount of the Lord a three days' journey; and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them a three days' journey to provide rest for them.

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

And the cloud overshadowed them by day, when they departed 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!”

And it came to pass when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered: let all that hate you flee.

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 in the resting he said, Turn again, O Lord, the thousands [and] tens of thousands in Israel.