Numbers 10

1 Yahweh also told Moses/me,

The Lord told 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 out of hammered silver. They are to be used for summoning the Israelites and to have the camp move out.

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

When both trumpets are blown, all the Israelites are to gather 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 blown, then only the tribal leaders 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 blow the trumpet loudly, which is the alarm signal to move out, the camps on the east side are to march out 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.

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

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

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.

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

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 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].”

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 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 cloud rose up from the Tabernacle of the Testimony on the twentieth day of the second month of the second year.

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

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

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

This was the first time they moved out following 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.

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

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

Nethanel, son of Zuar, was in charge of the tribal division 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 in charge of the tribal division 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 dismantled, and the Gershonites and the Merarites set off, carrying it.

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

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

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

Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai, was in charge of the tribal division 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 in charge of the tribal division 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 off, carrying the holy objects. The Tabernacle would be put up before they arrived.

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

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

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

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

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

Pagiel, son of Ocran, was in charge of the tribal division 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 in charge of the tribal division of Naphtali.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 The cloud sent by Yahweh was over them every day.

The cloud of the Lord was above them during day as they moved on 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 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 each time the men [stopped to] set down the sacred chest, Moses/I said, “Yahweh, stay close to the thousands of us Israelis!”

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