Two Silver Signal Trumpets

10 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Make two trumpets out of hammered silver. Use them to call the community together and as a signal to break camp. ³ When you blow both trumpets, the whole community will meet with you at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁴ If only one trumpet blows, the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, will meet with you. ⁵ When they hear the trumpet fanfare, the tribes that are camped on the east side will break camp first. ⁶ When the trumpets sound a second fanfare, the tribes that are camped on the south will break camp. The fanfare is the signal to break camp. ⁷ But when you gather the assembly, the trumpets will blow without sounding a fanfare. ⁸ The sons of Aaron, the priests, will blow the trumpets. This will be a permanent law for you and your descendants.

⁹ “When you go to war in your own country against an enemy who is oppressing you, the trumpets will sound a fanfare. Then the Lord your God will remember you and rescue you from your enemies. ¹⁰ Also, on your festival days and on the first day of the month, blow the trumpets when you sacrifice your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. The trumpets will be a reminder for you in God’s presence. I am the Lord your God.”

Israel Leaves Mount Sinai

¹¹ On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the ⌞column of⌟ smoke left the tent of the words of God’s promise. ¹² So the Israelites moved from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the ⌞column of⌟ smoke stopped in the Desert of Paran.

¹³ This was the first time they moved, following the command that the Lord had given through Moses. ¹⁴ With their flag in front, the armies led by Judah’s descendants broke camp first. Nahshon, son of Amminadab, was in command. ¹⁵ Nethanel, son of Zuar, commanded the army of Issachar. ¹⁶ Eliab, son of Helon, commanded the army of Zebulun. ¹⁷ Then the tent ⌞of meeting⌟ was taken down, and the Gershonites and Merarites, who carried it, broke camp.

¹⁸ With their flag in front, the armies led by Reuben’s descendants broke camp next. Elizur, son of Shedeur, was in command. ¹⁹ Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai, commanded the army of Simeon. ²⁰ Eliasaph, son of Deuel, commanded the army of Gad. ²¹ Then the Kohathites, who carried the holy things, broke camp. By the time they arrived, the tent ⌞of meeting⌟ would already be set up.

²² With their flag in front, the armies led by Ephraim’s descendants broke camp next. Elisha, son of Ammihud, was in command. ²³ Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur, commanded the army of Manasseh. ²⁴ Abidan, son of Gideoni, commanded the army of Benjamin.

²⁵ As a rear guard for the whole camp, the armies led by Dan’s descendants broke camp last with their flag in front. Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai, was in command. ²⁶ Pagiel, son of Ochran, commanded the army of Asher. ²⁷ Ahira, son of Enan, commanded the army of Naphtali.

²⁸ This was the order in which the Israelite armies broke camp when they went from place to place.

²⁹ Moses said to his brother-in-law Hobab, son of Reuel the Midianite, “We are going to the place the Lord promised to give us. Come with us. We will be good to you, because the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”

³⁰ Hobab answered, “No, I won’t go. I want to go back to my own country where my relatives are.”

³¹ But Moses said, “Please don’t leave us. You know where we can set up camp in the desert, and you could be our guide. ³² If you come with us, we will share with you all the good things the Lord gives us.”

³³ So they left the mountain of the Lord and traveled for three days. The ark of the Lord’s promise went ahead of them a distance of three days’ journey to find them a place to rest. ³⁴ The Lord’s ⌞column of⌟ smoke was over them by day when they moved the camp.

³⁵ Whenever the ark started to move, Moses would say,

³⁶ And whenever it stopped, he would say,