Numbers 10

1 Yahweh also told Moses/me,

And the LORD spoke unto 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 silver; of beaten work shalt thou make them; and they shall be unto thee for the calling of the congregation, and for causing the camps to set forward.

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

And when they shall blow with them, all the congregation shall gather themselves unto thee at the door of the tent of meeting.

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

And if they blow but with one, then the princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee.

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

And when ye blow an alarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall take their journey.

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 when ye blow an alarm the second time, the camps that lie on the south side shall set forward; they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.

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

But when the assembly is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound 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 sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for a statute for ever 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 when ye go to war in your land against the adversary that oppresseth you, then ye shall sound an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye 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].”

Also in the day of your gladness, and in your appointed seasons, and in your new moons, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt-offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace-offerings; and they shall be to you for a memorial 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, that the cloud was taken up from over 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 children of Israel set forward by their stages out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud abode 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 they took their first journey, 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.

And in the first place the standard of the camp of the children of Judah set forward according to their hosts; and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

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 children of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar.

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 children of Zebulun 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 Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tabernacle, set forward.

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

And the standard of the camp of Reuben set forward according to their hosts; and over his host 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 over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon 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 over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

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 Kohathites the bearers of the sanctuary set forward, that the tabernacle might be set up against their coming.

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

And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their hosts; and over his host 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 over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh 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 over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin 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.

And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan, which was the rearward of all the camps, set forward according to their hosts; and over his host 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 over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher 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 over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan.

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

Thus were the journeyings of the children of Israel according to their hosts. — And 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 unto Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law: 'We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD said: I will give it you; come thou with us, and we will do thee good; for the LORD hath 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 unto him: 'I will not go; but I will depart to mine own 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, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou shalt be to us instead of eyes.

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

And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that what good soever the LORD shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee.'

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 set forward from the mount of the LORD three days' journey; and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them three days' journey, to seek out 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 forward 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: 'Rise up, O LORD, and let Thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate Thee flee before Thee.'

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 rested, he said: 'Return, O LORD, unto the ten thousands of the families of Israel.'