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Silver Trumpets

10 The Lord also told Moses, “Make two trumpets, crafting them from beaten silver, for use in calling the congregation together and for notifying the camps to set out for travel. Sound them when the whole assembly is to gather together at the entrance to the appointed place of meeting. When one trumpet is blown, the elders and the heads of the thousands of the Israelis are to gather to you. When you sound an alarm, the ones encamped on the east side are to begin to travel. When you sound the alarm the second time, those encamped on the south are to begin to travel. Alarms are to be sounded for their travels. But when you blow the trumpet to assemble the whole congregation, don’t use the same sound as you do for sounding an alarm.[a] The descendants of Aaron the priest are to blow the trumpets. Have them do this for you permanently throughout your generations to come.”

Sounding the Trumpet in Battle

“When you wage war in your land against an enemy who is hostile to you, you are to sound an alarm with the trumpets. Then you will be remembered before the face of the Lord your God and you will be delivered from your enemies. 10 At the beginning of the month, during your time of rejoicing at the appointed place, sound the trumpet over your burnt offering, then sacrifice your peace offering, since they are to be your memorial before the Lord your God. I am the Lord your God.”

Order of Travel in the Wilderness

11 On the twentieth day of the second month in the second year, the cloud was lifted up from the Tent of Meeting, 12 so the Israelis set out from the Sinai Wilderness until the cloud settled in the Paran Wilderness, 13 doing what the Lord had said through Moses.

14 The standard of the camp of Judah was the first to travel, accompanied by its army with Amminadab’s son Nahshon in charge. 15 Zuar’s son Nethanel was in charge of the camp of Issachar. 16 Helon’s son Eliab was in charge of the camp of Zebulun. 17 The tent was taken down, and the descendants of Gershon and Merari carried the tent.

18 Then the standard of the camp of Reuben set out, accompanied by its army with Shedeur’s son Elizur in charge. 19 Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel was in charge of the tribe of Simeon. 20 Deuel’s son Eliasaph was in charge of the tribe of Gad. 21 Then the descendants of Kohath, carrying the sanctuary, set out, since the tent was to be set up before they arrive.

22 After this, the standard of the camp of Ephraim set out, accompanied by its army with Ammihud’s son Elishama in charge. 23 Pedazzur’s son Gamaliel was in charge of the tribe of Manasseh. 24 Gideoni’s son Abidan was in charge of the army of the tribe of Benjamin.

25 Then the standard of the camp of Dan set out, functioning as the rear guard for all the encampments, accompanied by its army with Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer. 26 Ochran’s son Pagiel was in charge of the tribe of Asher. 27 Enan’s son Ahira was in charge of the tribe of Naphtali.

28 This was the travel order for the Israelis, whenever their companies traveled.

Moses invites His Father-in-Law to Accompany Israel

29 Then Moses told Reuel’s son Hobab, Moses’ relative by marriage[b] from Midian, “We are traveling to the place about which the Lord said ‘I will give it to you.’ So come with us and we’ll be good to you, because the Lord has spoken good things about Israel.”

30 But he said, “I won’t go with you because I’m returning to my land and to my own family.”

31 Then Moses[c] responded, “Please don’t leave us now, since you know where we can camp in the wilderness. You could be our guide.[d] 32 And when you come with us, the good things that the Lord will grant us, we’ll give you as well.”[e]

33 So they traveled from the mountain of the Lord, a three-day trip, with the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord traveling in front of them—a three day trip to explore a place for them to rest. 34 Moreover, the cloud of the Lord protected them during the day when they left their camp. 35 Whenever the ark was ready to travel, Moses would say:

“Arise, Lord,
    to scatter your enemies,
so that whoever hates you
    will flee from your presence.”

36 Whenever the ark was being readied to rest, he would say:

“Return, Lord,
    to the countless thousands of Israel.”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 10:7 The Heb. lacks as you do for sounding an alarm
  2. Numbers 10:29 The Heb. word can connote any family relationship established through marriage, including father-in-law or brother-in-law; cf. Judg 4:11; Exod 2:18 3:1, 18.
  3. Numbers 10:31 Lit. he
  4. Numbers 10:31 Lit. be eyes for us
  5. Numbers 10:32 Lit. we’ll cause to be good to you

The Silver Trumpets

10 Yahweh spoke further to Moses, saying, “Make yourself two trumpets of silver, of hammered work you shall make them; and you shall use them for (A)summoning the congregation and for having the camps set out. (B)So both will be blown, and all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the doorway of the tent of meeting. Yet if only one is blown, then the (C)leaders, the heads of the [a]divisions of Israel, shall assemble before you. But when you blow an alarm, the camps that are pitched (D)on the east side shall set out. Then you will blow an alarm the second time, and the camps that are pitched on (E)the south side shall set out; an alarm is to be blown for them to set out. When convening the assembly, however, you shall blow without (F)sounding an alarm. (G)The priestly sons of Aaron, moreover, shall blow the trumpets; and [b]this shall be for you a perpetual statute throughout your generations. Now when you go to war in your land against the adversary who (H)attacks you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be (I)remembered before Yahweh your God and be saved from your enemies. 10 Also in the day of your gladness and in your appointed [c]feasts, and on the first days of your months, (J)you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be as a remembrance of you before your God. I am Yahweh your God.”

Israel Sets Out from Sinai

11 Now it happened in (K)the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month, that the cloud was lifted from over the [d]tabernacle of the testimony; 12 and the sons of Israel set out on (L)their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai. Then the cloud settled down in the (M)wilderness of Paran. 13 (N)So they moved out for the first time according to the [e]command of Yahweh by the hand of Moses. 14 And the standard of the camp of the sons of Judah, according to their armies, (O)set out first, with Nahshon the son of Amminadab, over its army, 15 and Nethanel the son of Zuar, over the tribal army of the sons of Issachar; 16 and Eliab the son of Helon over the tribal army of the sons of Zebulun.

17 (P)Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who were carrying the tabernacle, set out. 18 Next (Q)the standard of the camp of Reuben, according to their armies, set out with Elizur the son of Shedeur, over its army, 19 and Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai over the tribal army of the sons of Simeon, 20 and Eliasaph the son of Deuel over the tribal army of the sons of Gad.

21 (R)Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy objects; and (S)the tabernacle was set up before their arrival. 22 (T)Next the standard of the camp of the sons of Ephraim, according to their armies, set out, with Elishama the son of Ammihud over its army, 23 and Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur over the tribal army of the sons of Manasseh; 24 and Abidan the son of Gideoni over the tribal army of the sons of Benjamin.

25 (U)Then the standard of the camp of the sons of Dan, according to their armies, which formed the (V)rear guard for all the camps, set out, with Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai over its army, 26 and Pagiel the son of Ochran over the tribal army of the sons of Asher; 27 and Ahira the son of Enan over the tribal army of the sons of Naphtali. 28 [f]This was the order of march of the sons of Israel by their armies as they set out.

29 Then Moses said to (W)Hobab the son of (X)Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out to the place of which Yahweh said, ‘(Y)I will give it to you’; (Z)come with us and we will do you good, for Yahweh (AA)has [g]promised good concerning Israel.” 30 But he said to him, “(AB)I will not come, but rather will go to my own land and kin.” 31 Then he said, “Please do not leave us, inasmuch as you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you (AC)will be as eyes for us. 32 So it will be, if you go with us, that [h](AD)whatever good Yahweh [i]does for us, (AE)we will [j]do for you.”

33 (AF)Thus they set out from the mount of Yahweh three days’ journey, with (AG)the ark of the covenant of Yahweh journeying in front of them for the [k]three days, to spy out (AH)a resting place for them. 34 (AI)Now the cloud of Yahweh was over them by day when they set out from the camp.

35 Then it happened when the ark set out that Moses said,

(AJ)Rise up, O Yahweh!
And let Your enemies be scattered,
And let those (AK)who hate You flee [l]before You.”

36 And when it came to rest, he said,

(AL)Return, O Yahweh,
To the myriad (AM)thousands of Israel.”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 10:4 Or clans; lit thousands
  2. Numbers 10:8 Lit it
  3. Numbers 10:10 Or times
  4. Numbers 10:11 Lit dwelling place, so in ch
  5. Numbers 10:13 Lit mouth
  6. Numbers 10:28 Lit These are the settings out of the sons
  7. Numbers 10:29 Lit spoken
  8. Numbers 10:32 Lit that good which
  9. Numbers 10:32 Lit does good
  10. Numbers 10:32 Lit do good
  11. Numbers 10:33 Lit 3 days’ journey
  12. Numbers 10:35 Or from Your presence