Numbers 10
10
The Silver Trumpets
1The Lord told Moses:
2Have someone make two trumpets out of hammered silver. These will be used to call the people together and to give the signal for moving your camp. 3If both trumpets are blown, everyone is to meet with you at the entrance to the sacred tent. 4But if just one is blown, only the twelve tribal leaders need to come together.
5-6Give a signal on a trumpet when it is time to break camp. The first blast will be the signal for the tribes camped on the east side, and the second blast will be the signal for those on the south. 7But when you want everyone to come together, sound a different signal on the trumpet. 8The priests of Aaron's family will be the ones to blow the trumpets, and this law will never change.
9Whenever you go into battle against an enemy attacking your land, give a warning signal on the trumpets. Then I, the Lord, will hear it and rescue you. 10During the celebration of the New Moon Festival and other religious festivals, sound the trumpets while you offer sacrifices. This will be a reminder that I am the Lord your God.
The Israelites Begin Their Journey
11On the twentieth day of the second month#10.11 second month: See the note at 1.1. of that same year, the cloud over the sacred tent moved on. 12So the Israelites broke camp and left the Sinai Desert. And some time later, the cloud stopped in the Paran Desert.#10.12 the Paran Desert: Probably a general name for the northernmost part of the Sinai Desert. 13This was the first time the Lord had told Moses to command the people of Israel to move on.
14Judah and the tribes that camped alongside it marched out first, carrying their banner. Nahshon son of Amminadab was the leader of the Judah tribe, 15Nethanel son of Zuar was the leader of the Issachar tribe, 16and Eliab son of Helon was the leader of the Zebulun tribe.
17The sacred tent had been taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites carried it, marching behind the Judah camp.
18Reuben and the tribes that camped alongside it marched out second, carrying their banner. Elizur son of Shedeur was the leader of the Reuben tribe, 19Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was the leader of the Simeon tribe, 20and Eliasaph son of Deuel was the leader of the Gad tribe.
21Next were the Kohathites, carrying the objects for the sacred tent, which was to be set up before they arrived at the new camp.
22Ephraim and the tribes that camped alongside it marched next, carrying their banner. Elishama son of Ammihud was the leader of the Ephraim tribe, 23Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was the leader of the Manasseh tribe, 24and Abidan son of Gideoni was the leader of the Benjamin tribe.
25Dan and the tribes that camped alongside it were to protect the Israelites against an attack from behind, and so they marched last, carrying their banner. Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai was the leader of the tribe of Dan, 26Pagiel son of Ochran was the leader of the Asher tribe, 27and Ahira son of Enan was the leader of the Naphtali tribe.
28This was the order in which the Israelites marched each time they moved their camp.
29Hobab#10.29 Hobab: Hebrew “Hobab son of Reuel.” the Midianite, the father-in-law of Moses, was there. And Moses said to him, “We're leaving for the place the Lord has promised us. He has said that all will go well for us. So come along, and we will make sure that all goes well for you.”
30“No, I won't go,” Hobab answered. “I'm returning home to be with my own people.”
31“Please go with us!” Moses said. “You can be our guide because you know the places to camp in the desert. 32Besides that, if you go, we will give you a share of the good things the Lord gives us.”
33The people of Israel began their journey from Mount Sinai.#10.33 Mount Sinai: Hebrew “the Lord's mountain.” They traveled three days, and the Levites who carried the sacred chest led the way, so the Lord could show them where to camp. 34And the cloud always stayed with them.
35 #
Ps 68.1. Each day as the Israelites began their journey, Moses would pray, “Our Lord, defeat your enemies and make them run!” 36And when they stopped to set up camp, he would pray, “Our Lord, stay close to Israel's thousands and thousands of people.”
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Numbers 10: CEV
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Numbers 10
10
The Silver Trumpets
1The Lord said to Moses, 2“Make two trumpets. Use silver and hammer it to make the trumpets. These trumpets will be for calling the people together and for telling them when it is time to move the camp. 3If you blow long blasts on both trumpets, all the people must meet together at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. 4But if you blow long blasts on only one trumpet, only the leaders will come to meet with you. (These are the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel.)
5“Short blasts on the trumpets will be the way to tell the people to move the camp. The first time you blow a short blast on the trumpets, the tribes camping on the east side of the Meeting Tent must begin to move. 6The second time you blow a short blast on the trumpets, the tribes camping on the south side of the Meeting Tent will begin to move. 7But if you want to gather the people together for a special meeting, blow the trumpets in a different way—blow a long steady blast on the trumpets. 8Only Aaron’s sons, the priests, should blow the trumpets. This is a law for you that will continue forever, for generations to come.
9“If you are fighting an enemy in your own land, blow loudly on the trumpets before you go to fight them. The Lord your God will hear you, and he will save you from your enemies. 10Also blow these trumpets for your special meetings, New Moon celebrations, and all your happy times together. Blow the trumpets when you give your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. This will be a special way for your God to remember you. I command you to do this; I am the Lord your God.”
The Israelites Move Their Camp
11On the 20th day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites left Egypt, the cloud rose from above the Tent of the Agreement. 12So the Israelites began their journey. They left the desert of Sinai and traveled until the cloud stopped in the desert of Paran. 13This was the first time the people moved their camp. They moved it the way the Lord commanded Moses.
14The three divisions from Judah’s camp went first. They traveled under their flag. The first group was the tribe of Judah. Nahshon son of Amminadab was the commander of that group. 15Next came the tribe of Issachar. Nethanel son of Zuar was the commander of that group. 16And then came the tribe of Zebulun. Eliab son of Helon was the commander of that group.
17Then the Holy Tent was taken down. And the men from the Gershon and the Merari families carried the Holy Tent. So the people from these families were next in line.
18Then came the three divisions from Reuben’s camp. They traveled under their flag. The first group was the tribe of Reuben. Elizur son of Shedeur was the commander of that group. 19Next came the tribe of Simeon. Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was the commander of that group. 20And then came the tribe of Gad. Eliasaph son of Deuel#10:20 Deuel Or “Reuel.” was the commander of that group. 21Then came the Kohath family. They carried the holy things from inside the Holy Tent. These people came at this time so that the other people could set up the Holy Tent and make it ready at the new camp before these people arrived.
22Next came the three groups from Ephraim’s camp. They traveled under their flag. The first group was the tribe of Ephraim. Elishama son of Ammihud was the commander of that group. 23Next came the tribe of Manasseh. Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was the commander of that group. 24Then came the tribe of Benjamin. Abidan son of Gideoni was the commander of that group.
25The last three tribes in the line were the rear guard for all the other tribes. These were the groups from Dan’s camp. They traveled under their flag. The first group was the tribe of Dan. Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai was their commander. 26Next came the tribe of Asher. Pagiel son of Ocran was the commander of that group. 27Then came the tribe of Naphtali. Ahira son of Enan was the commander of that group. 28That was the way the Israelites marched when they moved from place to place.
29Hobab was the son of Reuel, the Midianite. (Reuel was Moses’ father-in-law.) Moses said to Hobab, “We are traveling to the land that the Lord promised to give to us. Come with us and we will be good to you. The Lord has promised good things to the Israelites.”
30But Hobab answered, “No, I will not go with you. I will go back to my homeland and to my own people.”
31Then Moses said, “Please don’t leave us. You know more about the desert than we do. You can be our guide. 32If you come with us, we will share with you all the good things that the Lord gives us.”
33So they began traveling from the mountain of the Lord. The priests took the Box of the Lord’s Agreement and walked in front of the people. They carried the Holy Box for three days, looking for a place to camp. 34The Lord’s cloud was over them every day. And when they left their camp every morning, the cloud was there to lead them.
35When the people lifted the Holy Box to move the camp, Moses always said,
“Get up, Lord!
May your enemies be scattered.
May your enemies run away from you.”
36And when the Holy Box was put in its place, Moses always said,
“Come back, Lord,
to the millions of Israelites.”
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