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 for yourself two trumpets of ductile silver, with which you may be able to call together the multitude when the camp is to be moved.

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

And when you sound the trumpets, all the multitude shall gather to you at the door of the tabernacle of the covenant.

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

If you sound it only once, the leaders and the heads of the multitude 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.

But if the sound of the trumpets is prolonged, but with interruptions, those who are toward the east side shall move the camp first.

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.

Then, at the second sounding of the trumpet with the same cadence, those who live toward the south shall take up their tents. And the remainder shall act in like manner, when the trumpets shall reverberate for a departure.

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

But when the people are to be gathered together, the sound of the trumpets shall be simple, and the sounds shall not be separated.

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.

Now it is the sons of Aaron the priest who shall sound the trumpets. And this shall be an everlasting ordinance, in 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.

If you go forth to war from your land, against the enemies who set out against you, you shall sound the trumpets repeatedly, and there shall be a remembrance of you before the Lord your God, so that you may be rescued from the hands of 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].”

If at any time you will have a banquet, and on feast days, and on the first days of the months, you shall sound the trumpets over the holocausts and the peace-offering victims, so that they may be for you as a remembrance by 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.

In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was lifted up from the tabernacle of the covenant.

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 sons of Israel set out by their companies from the desert of Sinai, and the cloud rested 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.

And the first to move their camp, according to the command 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.

were the sons of Judah by their companies, whose leader was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

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

In the tribe of the sons of Issachar, the leader was Nathanael the son of Zuar.

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

In the tribe of Zebulon, the leader was Eliab the son of Helon.

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

And the tabernacle was taken down, because the sons of Gershon and Merari, who carry it, were departing.

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

And the sons of Ruben also set out, by their companies and ranks, whose leader was Elizur the son of Shedeur.

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

And in the tribe of Simeon, the leader was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

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

And in the tribe of Gad, the leader was Eliasaph the son of Reuel.

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 also set out, carrying the Sanctuary. The tabernacle was carried, all the while, until they arrived at the place for setting it up.

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

The sons of Ephraim also moved their camp by their companies, and the leader of their army was Elishama the son of Ammihud.

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

And in the tribe of the sons of Manasseh, the leader was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

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

And in the tribe of Benjamin, the leader was Abidan the son of Gideoni.

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.

The last of all the camp to set out were the sons of Dan by their companies, and the leader of their army was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

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

And in the tribe of the sons of Asher, the leader was Pagiel the son of Ochran.

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

And in the tribe of the sons of Naphtali, the leader was Ahira the son of Enan.

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

These were the camps and departures of the sons of Israel by their companies, when they went forth.

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 Hobab the son of Raguel the Midianite, his kinsman: “We are setting out to the place which the Lord will give to us. Come with us, so that we may do good to you. 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.”

And he answered him, “I will not go with you, but I will return to my own land, in which I was born.”

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: “Do not choose to leave us. For you know in which places in the desert we ought to make camp, and so you shall be our guide.

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

And if you come with us, whatever will be best among the riches which the Lord will deliver to us, we will give to you.”

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.

Therefore, they set out from the Mountain of the Lord on a journey of three days. And the ark of the covenant of the Lord preceded them, for three days, in order to provide a place for the camp.

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

Likewise, the cloud of the Lord was over them, throughout the day, while they proceeded.

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 when the ark was lifted up, Moses said, “Rise up, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee from your face.”

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 was set down, he said: “Return, O Lord, to the multitude of the army of Israel.”