Numbers 10
World English Bible
10 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 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. 3 When they blow them, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 4 If they blow just one, then the princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves to you. 5 When you blow an alarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall go forward. 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. 7 But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm.
8 “The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. This shall be to you for a statute forever throughout your generations. 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.
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.”
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. 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. 13 They first went forward according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses.
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. 15 Nethanel the son of Zuar was over the army of the tribe of the children of Issachar. 16 Eliab the son of Helon was over the army of the tribe of the children of Zebulun. 17 The tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tabernacle, went forward. 18 The standard of the camp of Reuben went forward according to their armies. Elizur the son of Shedeur was over his army. 19 Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai was over the army of the tribe of the children of Simeon. 20 Eliasaph the son of Deuel was over the army of the tribe of the children of Gad.
21 The Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary. The others set up the tabernacle before they arrived.
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. 23 Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur was over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh. 24 Abidan the son of Gideoni was over the army of the tribe of the children of Benjamin.
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. 26 Pagiel the son of Ochran was over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher. 27 Ahira the son of Enan was over the army of the tribe of the children of Naphtali. 28 Thus were the travels of the children of Israel according to their armies; and they went forward.
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.”
30 He said to him, “I will not go; but I will depart to my own land, and to my relatives.”
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. 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.”
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. 34 The cloud of Yahweh was over them by day, when they set forward from the camp. 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!” 36 When it rested, he said, “Return, Yahweh, to the ten thousands of the thousands of Israel.”
Numbers 10
International Standard Version
Silver Trumpets
10 The Lord also told Moses, 2 “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. 3 Sound them when the whole assembly is to gather together at the entrance to the appointed place of meeting. 4 When one trumpet is blown, the elders and the heads of the thousands of the Israelis are to gather to you. 5 When you sound an alarm, the ones encamped on the east side are to begin to travel. 6 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. 7 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] 8 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
9 “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
- Numbers 10:7 The Heb. lacks as you do for sounding an alarm
- 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.
- Numbers 10:31 Lit. he
- Numbers 10:31 Lit. be eyes for us
- Numbers 10:32 Lit. we’ll cause to be good to you
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