Numbers 10
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Yahweh also told Moses/me,
2 “Make two trumpets of silver. You shall make them of beaten work. You shall use them for the calling of the congregation and for the journeying of the camps.
“[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].
3 When they blow them, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
If both trumpets are blown, it means that everyone must gather together at the entrance of the Sacred Tent.
4 If they blow just one, then the princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves to you.
If only one trumpet is blown, it means that only the [twelve] leaders of the tribes must gather together.
5 When you blow an alarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall go forward.
If the trumpets are blown loudly, the tribes that are to the east [of the Sacred Tent] should start to travel.
6 When you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that lie on the south side shall go forward. They shall blow an alarm for their journeys.
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.
7 But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm.
When you want only to gather the people together, blow the trumpets, but do not blow them as loudly.
8 “The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. This shall be to you for a statute forever throughout your generations.
“The priests who are descended from Aaron are the ones who should blow the trumpets. That is a regulation that will never be changed.
9 When you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets. Then you will be remembered before Yahweh your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.
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.
10 “Also in the day of your gladness, and in your set feasts, and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow 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 Yahweh your God.”
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].”
11 In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle of the covenant.
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.
12 The children of Israel went forward on their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud stayed in the wilderness of Paran.
So we/the Israelis traveled from the Sinai Desert, and we/they continued traveling [north] until the cloud stopped in the Paran Desert.
13 They first went forward according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses.
That was the first time we/they moved, obeying the instructions that Yahweh had given to Moses/me to tell them.
14 First, the standard of the camp of the children of Judah went forward according to their armies. Nahshon the son of Amminadab was over his army.
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.
15 Nethanel the son of Zuar was over the army of the tribe of the children of Issachar.
The group from the tribe of Issachar [followed them]. Nethanel, the son of Zuar, was their leader.
16 Eliab the son of Helon was over the army of the tribe of the children of Zebulun.
The group from the tribe of Zebulun went next. Eliab, the son of Helon, was their leader.
17 The tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tabernacle, went forward.
Then they dismantled the Sacred Tent, and the descendants of Gershon and Merari carried it, and they went next.
18 The standard of the camp of Reuben went forward according to their armies. Elizur the son of Shedeur was over his army.
The group from the tribe of Reuben went next, carrying their flag. Elizur, the son of Shedeur, was their leader.
19 Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai was over the army of the tribe of the children of Simeon.
The group from the tribe of Simeon was next. Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai, was their leader.
20 Eliasaph the son of Deuel was over the army of the tribe of the children of Gad.
The group from the tribe of Gad was next. Eliasaph, the son of Deuel, was their leader.
21 The Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary. The others set up the tabernacle before they arrived.
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.
22 The standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies. Elishama the son of Ammihud was over his army.
The group from the tribe of Ephraim was next, carrying their flag. Elishama, the son of Ammihud, was their leader.
23 Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur was over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh.
The group from the tribe of Manasseh went next. Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, was their leader.
24 Abidan the son of Gideoni was over the army of the tribe of the children of Benjamin.
The group from the tribe of Benjamin, went next. Abidan, the son of Gideoni, was their leader.
25 The standard of the camp of the children of Dan, which was the rear guard of all the camps, set forward according to their armies. Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai was over his army.
The ones who went last were the group from the tribe of Dan, carrying their flag. Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai, was their leader.
26 Pagiel the son of Ochran was over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher.
The group from the tribe of Asher went next. Pagiel, the son of Ocran, was their leader.
27 Ahira the son of Enan was over the army of the tribe of the children of Naphtali.
The group from the tribe of Naphtali went last. Ahira, the son of Enan, was their leader.
28 Thus were the travels of the children of Israel according to their armies; and they went forward.
That was the order in which the groups of Israeli tribes traveled.
29 Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are journeying to the place of which Yahweh said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well; for Yahweh has spoken good concerning Israel.”
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.”
30 He said to him, “I will not go; but I will depart to my own land, and to my relatives.”
But Hobab replied, “No, I will not go with you. I want to return to my own land and to my own family.”
31 Moses said, “Don’t leave us, please; because you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.
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.
32 It shall be, if you go with us—yes, it shall be—that whatever good Yahweh does to us, we will do the same to you.”
Come with us. We will share with you all the good things that Yahweh gives to us.”
33 They set forward from the Mount of Yahweh three days’ journey. The ark of Yahweh’s covenant went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them.
[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.
34 The cloud of Yahweh was over them by day, when they set forward from the camp.
The cloud sent by Yahweh was over them every day.
35 When the ark went forward, Moses said, “Rise up, Yahweh, and let your enemies be scattered! Let those who hate you flee before you!”
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!”
36 When it rested, he said, “Return, Yahweh, to the ten thousands of the thousands of Israel.”
And each time the men [stopped to] set down the sacred chest, Moses/I said, “Yahweh, stay close to the thousands of us Israelis!”
