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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

The Silver Trumpets

10 Now the Lord said to Moses, “Make two trumpets of hammered silver for calling the community to assemble and for signaling the breaking of camp. When both trumpets are blown, everyone must gather before you at the entrance of the Tabernacle.[a] But if only one trumpet is blown, then only the leaders—the heads of the clans of Israel—must present themselves to you.

“When you sound the signal to move on, the tribes camped on the east side of the Tabernacle must break camp and move forward. When you sound the signal a second time, the tribes camped on the south will follow. You must sound short blasts as the signal for moving on. But when you call the people to an assembly, blow the trumpets with a different signal. Only the priests, Aaron’s descendants, are allowed to blow the trumpets. This is a permanent law for you, to be observed from generation to generation.

“When you arrive in your own land and go to war against your enemies who attack you, sound the alarm with the trumpets. Then the Lord your God will remember you and rescue you from your enemies. 10 Blow the trumpets in times of gladness, too, sounding them at your annual festivals and at the beginning of each month. And blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and peace offerings. The trumpets will remind your God of his covenant with you. I am the Lord your God.”

The Israelites Leave Sinai

11 In the second year after Israel’s departure from Egypt—on the twentieth day of the second month[b]—the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle of the Covenant.[c] 12 So the Israelites set out from the wilderness of Sinai and traveled on from place to place until the cloud stopped in the wilderness of Paran.

13 When the people set out for the first time, following the instructions the Lord had given through Moses, 14 Judah’s troops led the way. They marched behind their banner, and their leader was Nahshon son of Amminadab. 15 They were joined by the troops of the tribe of Issachar, led by Nethanel son of Zuar, 16 and the troops of the tribe of Zebulun, led by Eliab son of Helon.

17 Then the Tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonite and Merarite divisions of the Levites were next in the line of march, carrying the Tabernacle with them. 18 Reuben’s troops went next, marching behind their banner. Their leader was Elizur son of Shedeur. 19 They were joined by the troops of the tribe of Simeon, led by Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, 20 and the troops of the tribe of Gad, led by Eliasaph son of Deuel.

21 Next came the Kohathite division of the Levites, carrying the sacred objects from the Tabernacle. Before they arrived at the next camp, the Tabernacle would already be set up at its new location. 22 Ephraim’s troops went next, marching behind their banner. Their leader was Elishama son of Ammihud. 23 They were joined by the troops of the tribe of Manasseh, led by Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, 24 and the troops of the tribe of Benjamin, led by Abidan son of Gideoni.

25 Dan’s troops went last, marching behind their banner and serving as the rear guard for all the tribal camps. Their leader was Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 26 They were joined by the troops of the tribe of Asher, led by Pagiel son of Ocran, 27 and the troops of the tribe of Naphtali, led by Ahira son of Enan.

28 This was the order in which the Israelites marched, division by division.

29 One day Moses said to his brother-in-law, Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, “We are on our way to the place the Lord promised us, for he said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised wonderful blessings for Israel!”

30 But Hobab replied, “No, I will not go. I must return to my own land and family.”

31 “Please don’t leave us,” Moses pleaded. “You know the places in the wilderness where we should camp. Come, be our guide. 32 If you do, we’ll share with you all the blessings the Lord gives us.”

33 They marched for three days after leaving the mountain of the Lord, with the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant moving ahead of them to show them where to stop and rest. 34 As they moved on each day, the cloud of the Lord hovered over them. 35 And whenever the Ark set out, Moses would shout, “Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered! Let them flee before you!” 36 And when the Ark was set down, he would say, “Return, O Lord, to the countless thousands of Israel!”

Footnotes

  1. 10:3 Hebrew Tent of Meeting.
  2. 10:11a This day in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in late April, May, or early June.
  3. 10:11b Or Tabernacle of the Testimony.