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 thee two trumpets of beaten silver, wherewith thou mayest call together the multitude when the camp is to be removed.

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

And when thou shalt sound the trumpets, all the multitude shall gather unto thee to 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 thou sound but once, the princes and the heads of the multitude of Israel shall come to thee.

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 be longer, and with interruptions, they that are on the east side, shall first go forward.

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 at the second sounding and like noise of the trumpet, they who lie on the south side shall take up their tents. And after this manner shall the rest do, when the trumpets shall sound for a march.

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

But when the people is to be gathered together, the sound of the trumpets shall be plain, and they shall not make a broken sound.

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 sons of Aaron the priest shall sound the trumpets: and this shall be an ordinance for ever 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 out of your land against the enemies that fight against you, you shall sound aloud with the trumpets, and there shall be a remembrance of you before the Lord your God, that you may be delivered out of 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 shall have a banquet, and on your festival days, and on the first days of your months, you shall sound the trumpets over the holocausts, and the sacrifices of peace offerings, that they may be to you for a remembrance of 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.

The second year, in the second month, the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was taken 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 children of Israel marched by their troops from the desert of Sinai, 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 went forward according to the commandment 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.

The sons of Juda by their troops: whose prince was Nahasson the son of Aminadab.

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 prince was Nathanael the son of Suar.

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

In the tribe of Zabulon, the prince 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, and the sons of Gerson and Merari set forward, bearing it.

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 marched, by their troops and ranks, whose prince was Helisur the son of Sedeur.

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 prince was Salamiel the son of Surisaddai.

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

And in the tribe of Cad, the prince was Eliasaph the son of Duel.

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 Caathites also marched carrying the sanctuary. So long was the tabernacle carried, till they same to the place of 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 troops, in whose army the prince was Elisama the son of Ammiud.

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 Manasses, the prince 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 in the tribe of Benjamin, the prince was Abidan the son of Gedeon.

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 marched the sons of Dan by their troops, in whose army the prince was Ahiezer the son of Ammisaddai.

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 Aser, the prince was Phegiel 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 Nephtali, the prince was Ahira the son of Enan.

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

This was the order of the camps, and marches of the children of Israel by their troops, when they set forward.

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 Madianite, his kinsman: We are going towards the place which the Lord will give us: come with us, that we may do thee good: for the Lord hath 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.”

But he answered him: I will not go with thee, but I will return to my country, wherein 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 leave us: for thou knowest in what places we should encamp in the wilderness, and thou shalt be our guide.

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

And if thou comest with us, we will give thee what is the best of the riches which the Lord shall deliver to 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 marched from the mount of the Lord three days’ journey, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them, for three days providing a place for the camp.

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

The cloud also of the Lord was over them by day when they marched.

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: Arise, O Lord, and let thy enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee, flee from before thy 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 host of Israel.