Numbers 10
Common English Bible
Trumpets
10 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 Make two silver trumpets and make them from hammered metalwork. Use them for summoning the community and for breaking camp. 3 When both are blown, the entire community will meet you at the entrance of the meeting tent. 4 When one is blown, the chiefs, the leaders of Israel’s divisions, will meet you. 5 When you blow a series of short blasts, the camp on the east side will march. 6 And when you blow a second series of short blasts, the camp on the south side will march. You will blow a series of short blasts to announce their march.
7 To gather the assembly, blow a long blast, not a series of short blasts. 8 Aaron’s sons the priests will blow the trumpets. This will be a permanent regulation for you throughout time.
9 When you go to war in your land against an enemy who is attacking you, you will blow short blasts with the trumpets so that you may be remembered by the Lord your God and be saved from your enemies.
10 On your festival days, your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you will blow the trumpets over your entirely burned offerings and your well-being sacrifices. They will serve as a reminder of you to your God. I am the Lord your God.
Organization of the wilderness march
11 On the twentieth day of the second month in the second year, the cloud ascended from the covenant dwelling. 12 The Israelites set out on their march from the Sinai desert, and the cloud settled in the Paran desert.
13 They marched for the first time at the Lord’s command through Moses. 14 The banner of Judah’s camp marched first with its military units. Nahshon, Amminadab’s son, commanded its military. 15 Nethanel, Zuar’s son, commanded the military of the tribe of Issachar. 16 Eliab, Helon’s son, commanded the military of the tribe of Zebulun. 17 The dwelling was taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites, who carried the dwelling, marched. 18 The banner of Reuben’s camp marched with its military units. Elizur, Shedeur’s son, commanded its military. 19 Shelumiel, Zurishaddai’s son, commanded the military of the tribe of Simeon. 20 Eliasaph, Deuel’s son, commanded the military of the tribe of Gad. 21 The Kohathites, who carried the holy things, marched. The dwelling would be set up before their arrival. 22 The banner of Ephraim’s camp marched with its military units. Elishama, Ammihud’s son, commanded its military. 23 Gamaliel, Pedahzur’s son, commanded the military of the tribe of Manasseh. 24 Abidan, Gideoni’s son, commanded the military of the tribe of Benjamin. 25 The banner of Dan’s camp, at the rear of the whole camp, marched with its military units. Ahiezer, Ammishaddai’s son, commanded its military. 26 Pagiel, Ochran’s son, commanded the military of the tribe of Asher. 27 Ahira, Enan’s son, commanded the military of the tribe of Naphtali. 28 This was the order of departure of the Israelites with their military units when they set out.
The chest leads
29 Moses said to Hobab the Midianite, Reuel’s son and Moses’ father-in-law, “We’re marching to the place about which the Lord has said, ‘I’ll give it to you.’ Come with us and we’ll treat you well, for the Lord has promised to treat Israel well.”
30 Hobab said to him, “I won’t go; I’d rather go to my land and to my folk.”
31 Moses said, “Please don’t abandon us, for you know where we can camp in the desert, and you can be our eyes. 32 If you go with us, whatever good the Lord does for us, we’ll do for you.”
33 They marched from the Lord’s mountain for three days. The Lord’s chest containing the covenant marched ahead of them for three days to look for a resting place for them. 34 Now the Lord’s cloud was over them by day when they marched from the camp. 35 When the chest set out, Moses would say, “Arise, Lord, let your enemies scatter, and those who hate you flee.” 36 When it rested, he would say, “Return, Lord of the ten thousand thousands of Israel.”
Numbers 10
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
10 And the Lord said to Moses,
2 Make two trumpets of silver; of hammered or turned work you shall make them, that you may use them to call the congregation and for breaking camp.
3 When they both are blown, all the congregation shall assemble before you at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
4 And if one blast on a single trumpet is blown, then the princes or leaders, heads of the tribes of Israel, shall gather themselves to you.
5 When you blow an alarm, the camps on the east side [of the tabernacle] shall set out.
6 When you blow an alarm the second time, then the camps on the south side shall set out. An alarm shall be blown whenever they are to set out on their journeys.
7 When the congregation is to be assembled, you shall blow [the trumpets in short, sharp tones], but not the blast of an alarm.
8 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets, and the trumpets shall be to you for a perpetual statute throughout your generations.
9 When you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresses you, then blow an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies.
10 Also in the day of rejoicing, and in your set feasts, and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and your peace offerings; thus they may be a remembrance before your God. I am the Lord your God.
11 On the twentieth day of the second month in the second year [since leaving Egypt], the cloud [of the Lord’s presence] was taken up from over the tabernacle of the Testimony,
12 And the Israelites took their journey by stages out of the Wilderness of Sinai, and the [guiding] cloud rested in the Wilderness of Paran.
13 When the journey was to begin, at the command of the Lord through Moses,
14 In the first place went the standard of the camp of the sons of Judah by their companies; and over their host was Nahshon son of Amminadab.
15 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Issachar was Nethanel son of Zuar.
16 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun was Eliab son of Helon.
17 When the tabernacle was taken down, the sons of Gershon and Merari, bearing [it] on their shoulders, set out.
18 The standard of the camp of Reuben set forward by their companies; and over Reuben’s host was Elizur son of Shedeur.
19 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Simeon was Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
20 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Gad was Eliasaph son of Deuel.
21 Then the Kohathites set forward, bearing the holy things, and the tabernacle was set up before they arrived.
22 And the standard of the camp of the sons of Ephraim set forward according to their companies; and over Ephraim’s host was Elishama son of Ammihud.
23 Over the host of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh was Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.
24 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin was Abidan son of Gideoni.
25 Then the standard of the camp of the sons of Dan, which was the rear guard of all the camps, set forward according to their companies; and over Dan’s host was Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
26 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Asher was Pagiel son of Ochran.
27 And over the host of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali was Ahira son of Enan.
28 This was the Israelites’ order of march by their hosts when they set out.
29 And Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, We are journeying to the place of which the Lord said, I will give it to you. Come with us, and we will do you good, for the Lord has promised good concerning Israel.
30 And Hobab said to him, I will not go; I will depart to my own land and to my family.
31 And Moses said, [a]Do not leave us, I pray you; for you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you will serve as eyes for us.
32 And if you will go with us, it shall be that whatever good the Lord does to us, the same we will do to you.
33 They departed from the mountain of the Lord [Mount Sinai] three days’ journey; and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them during the three days’ journey to seek out a resting-place for them.
34 The cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they went forward from the camp.
35 Whenever the ark set out, Moses said, Rise up, Lord; let Your enemies be scattered; and let those who hate You flee before You.(A)
36 And when it rested, he said, Return, O Lord, to the ten thousand thousands in Israel.
Footnotes
- Numbers 10:31 The record does not say so, but Hobab seems to have remained with the Israelites, for later history shows that his descendants lived in Canaan (Judg. 1:16; I Sam. 15:6).
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