Numbers 10:11-11:3

Christian Standard Bible

From Sinai to Paran

¹¹ During the second year, in the second month on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was lifted up above the tabernacle of the testimony. ¹² The Israelites traveled on from the Wilderness of Sinai, moving from one place to the next^(A) until the cloud stopped in the Wilderness of Paran.^{(B) 13} They set out for the first time according to the Lord’s command through Moses.^(C)

¹⁴ The military divisions of the camp of Judah’s descendants with their banner set out first, and Nahshon son of Amminadab^(D) was over their divisions. ¹⁵ Nethanel son of Zuar^(E) was over the division of the tribe of Issachar’s descendants, ¹⁶ and Eliab son of Helon was over the division of the tribe of Zebulun’s descendants. ¹⁷ The tabernacle was then taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites set out, transporting the tabernacle.

¹⁸ The military divisions of the camp of Reuben with their banner set out, and Elizur son of Shedeur was over their divisions. ¹⁹ Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai^(F) was over the division of the tribe of Simeon’s descendants, ²⁰ and Eliasaph son of Deuel^[a] was over the division of the tribe of Gad’s descendants. ²¹ The Kohathites then set out, transporting the holy objects;^(G) the tabernacle was to be set up before their arrival.

²² Next the military divisions of the camp of Ephraim’s descendants with their banner set out, and Elishama son of Ammihud^(H) was over their divisions. ²³ Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the division of the tribe of Manasseh’s descendants, ²⁴ and Abidan son of Gideoni was over the division of the tribe of Benjamin’s descendants.

²⁵ The military divisions of the camp of Dan’s descendants with their banner set out, serving as rear guard for all the camps, and Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai^(I) was over their divisions. ²⁶ Pagiel son of Ochran was over the division of the tribe of Asher’s descendants, ²⁷ and Ahira son of Enan was over the division of the tribe of Naphtali’s descendants. ²⁸ This was the order of march for the Israelites by their military divisions as they set out.

²⁹ Moses said to Hobab, descendant of Reuel^(J) the Midianite and Moses’s relative by marriage, “We’re setting out for the place the Lord promised, ‘I will give it to you.’^(K) Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”^(L)

³⁰ But he replied to him, “I don’t want to go. Instead, I will go to my own land and my relatives.”

³¹ “Please don’t leave us,” Moses said, “since you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can serve as our eyes. ³² If you come with us, whatever good the Lord does for us we will do for you.”^(M)

³³ They set out from the mountain of the Lord on a three-day journey with the ark of the Lord’s covenant traveling ahead of them for those three days to seek a resting place for them.^{(N) 34} Meanwhile, the cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they set out from the camp.

³⁵ Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say:

³⁶ When it came to rest, he would say:

Complaints about Hardship

11 Now the people began complaining openly before^[b] the Lord about hardship. When the Lord heard, his anger burned,^(Q) and fire^(R) from the Lord blazed among them and consumed the outskirts of the camp. ² Then the people cried out to Moses, and he prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down. ³ So that place was named Taberah,^[c](S) because the Lord’s fire had blazed among them.