Numbers
Chapter 10
1 God spoke to Moses, saying,
2 Make two silver trumpets from one piece of metal to call the people together and to signal when it’s time to move the camps.
3 When they blow the horns, everyone must gather to you at the tent of meeting entrance.
4 If they blow one trumpet, then the leaders, who are in charge of Israel’s groups of a thousand, will come to you.
5 When you sound an alarm, the camps on the east side should move ahead.
6 When you sound the alarm a second time, the camps on the south side will start to travel; they will blow the alarm when they are to move.
7 When it’s time to gather the people, you should blow the trumpets, but do not sound an alarm.
8 Aaron’s sons, who are priests, will blow the trumpets; this will be a lasting rule for all your future families.
9 If you fight in your land against the enemy who attacks you, then you must sound an alarm with the trumpets; and you will be thought of by God, and you will be rescued from your enemies.
10 On happy days, special days, and the start of your months, blow trumpets over your burnt offerings and peace sacrifices as a reminder before your God: I am your God.
11 On the twentieth day of the second month in the second year, the cloud lifted from above the tent of the law.
12 The Israelites left the Sinai desert, and the cloud settled in the Paran desert.
13 They began their journey as God commanded through Moses.
14 First, the group from the tribe of Judah marched with their flag, and Nahshon son of Amminadab led them.
15 The leader of Issachar’s tribe’s army was Nethaneel, Zuar’s son.
16 Eliab, Helon’s son, led the army of Zebulun’s descendants.
17 The tent was taken apart; and Gershon’s and Merari’s sons moved on, carrying the tent.
18 Reuben’s group marched with their banner, and Elizur, Shedeur’s son, was in charge of their soldiers.
19 The leader of Simeon’s tribe was Shelumiel, Zurishaddai’s son.
20 Eliasaph, Deuel’s son, was in charge of Gad tribe’s soldiers.
21 The Kohathites moved ahead, carrying the sanctuary, and others set up the tent before they arrived.
22 The group from Ephraim moved forward with their soldiers, and Elishama, Ammihud’s son, was their leader.
23 Gamaliel, Pedahzur’s son, led the army of Manasseh’s tribe.
24 Abidan, Gideoni’s son, led the army of Benjamin’s tribe.
25 The flag of Dan’s camp moved ahead, which was at the back of all the groups, with Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai, leading his people.
26 Pagiel, son of Ocran, was in charge of the group from the Asher tribe.
27 Ahira, Enan’s son, led the army of Naphtali’s tribe.
28 These were the travels of the Israelites by their groups when they moved on.
29 Moses said to Hobab, Raguel the Midianite’s son and Moses’ father-in-law, “We are traveling to the place God promised to give us. Come with us, and we’ll treat you well. God has promised good things for Israel.”
30 He said to him, “I will not go; instead, I will go back to my own land and to my family.”
31 He said, “Please don’t leave us; you know where we can camp in the desert, and you can guide us.”
32 If you come with us, whatever good things God does for us, we will do the same for you.
33 They left God’s mountain and traveled for three days. The chest of God’s agreement led them during these three days to find a place to rest.
34 God’s cloud was over them during the day when they left the camp.
35 When the ark moved, Moses said, “Get up, God, make your enemies go away, and those who hate you run from you.”
36 When it stopped, he said, “Come back, God, to the many thousands of Israel.”