Numbers 1:46-10:10

Contemporary English Version

^20-46 The number of men from each tribe who were at least 20 years old and strong enough to fight in Israel's army was as follows:

The total number of men registered by Moses, Aaron, and the twelve leaders was 603,550.

⁴⁷ But those from the Levi tribe were not included ⁴⁸ because the Lord had said to Moses:

⁴⁹ When you count the Israelites, do not include those from the Levi tribe. ^50-51 Instead, give them the job of caring for the sacred tent, its furnishings, and the objects used for worship. They will camp around the tent, and whenever you move, they will take it down, carry it to the new camp, and set it up again. Anyone else who tries to go near it must be put to death.

⁵² The rest of the Israelites will camp in their own groups and under their own banners. ⁵³ But the Levites will camp around the sacred tent to make sure that no one goes near it and makes me furious with the Israelites.

⁵⁴ The people of Israel did everything the Lord had commanded.

Instructions for Setting Up Israel's Camp

2 The Lord told Moses and Aaron ² how the Israelites should arrange their camp:

Each tribe must set up camp under its own banner and under the flags of its ancestral families. These camps will be arranged around the sacred tent, but not close to it.

^3-4 Judah and the tribes that march with it must set up camp on the east side of the sacred tent, under their own banner. The 74,600 troops of the tribe of Judah will be arranged by divisions and led by Nahshon son of Amminadab. ^5-6 On one side of Judah will be the tribe of Issachar, with Nethanel son of Zuar as the leader of its 54,400 troops. ^7-8 On the other side will be the tribe of Zebulun, with Eliab son of Helon as the leader of its 57,400 troops. ⁹ These 186,400 troops will march into battle first.

^10-11 Reuben and the tribes that march with it must set up camp on the south side of the sacred tent, under their own banner. The 46,500 troops of the tribe of Reuben will be arranged by divisions and led by Elizur son of Shedeur. ^12-13 On one side of Reuben will be the tribe of Simeon, with Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai as the leader of its 59,300 troops. ^14-15 On the other side will be the tribe of Gad, with Eliasaph son of Deuel as the leader of its 45,650 troops. ¹⁶ These 151,450 troops will march into battle second.

¹⁷ Marching behind Reuben will be the Levites, arranged in groups, just as they are camped. They will carry the sacred tent and their own banners.

^18-19 Ephraim and the tribes that march with it must set up camp on the west side of the sacred tent, under their own banner. The 40,500 troops of the tribe of Ephraim will be arranged by divisions and led by Elishama son of Ammihud. ^20-21 On one side of Ephraim will be the tribe of Manasseh, with Gamaliel son of Pedahzur as the leader of its 32,200 troops. ^22-23 On the other side will be the tribe of Benjamin, with Abidan son of Gideoni as the leader of its 35,400 troops. ²⁴ These 108,100 troops will march into battle third.

^25-26 Dan and the tribes that march with it must set up camp on the north side of the sacred tent, under their own banner. The 62,700 troops of the tribe of Dan will be arranged by divisions and led by Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. ^27-28 On one side of Dan will be the tribe of Asher, with Pagiel son of Ochran as the leader of its 41,500 troops. ^29-30 On the other side will be the tribe of Naphtali with Ahira son of Enan as the leader of its 53,400 troops. ³¹ These 157,600 troops will march into battle last.

³² So all the Israelites in the camp were counted according to their ancestral families. The troops were arranged by divisions and totaled 603,550. ³³ The only Israelites not included were the Levites, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

³⁴ Israel did everything the Lord had told Moses. They arranged their camp according to clans and families, with each tribe under its own banner. And that was the order by which they marched into battle.

The Sons of Aaron

3 When the Lord talked with Moses on Mount Sinai, ^2 (A) Aaron's four sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, ³ were the ones to be ordained as priests. ^4 (B) But the Lord killed Nadab and Abihu in the Sinai Desert when they used fire that was unacceptable^[b] in their offering to the Lord.^[c] And because Nadab and Abihu had no sons, only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests with their father Aaron.

The Duties of the Levites

⁵ The Lord said to Moses:

⁶ Assign the Levi tribe to Aaron the priest. They will be his assistants ⁷ and will work at the sacred tent for him and for all the Israelites. ⁸ The Levites will serve the community by being responsible for the furnishings of the tent. ⁹ They are assigned to help Aaron and his sons, ¹⁰ who have been appointed to be priests. Anyone else who tries to perform the duties of a priest must be put to death.

^11-13 (C) Moses, I have chosen these Levites from all Israel, and they will belong to me in a special way. When I killed the first-born sons of the Egyptians, I decided that the first-born sons in every Israelite family and the first-born males of their flocks and herds would be mine.^[d] But now I accept these Levites in place of the first-born sons of the Israelites.

The Levites Are Counted

¹⁴ In the Sinai Desert the Lord said to Moses, ¹⁵ “Now I want you to count the men and boys in the Levi tribe by families and by clans. Include every one at least a month old.” ¹⁶ So Moses obeyed and counted them.

¹⁷ Levi's three sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, had become the heads of their own clans. ¹⁸ Gershon's sons were Libni and Shimei. ¹⁹ Kohath's sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ²⁰ And Merari's sons were Mahli and Mushi. These were the sons and grandsons of Levi, and they had become the leaders of the Levite clans.

²¹ The two Gershon clans were the Libnites and Shimeites, ²² and they had 7,500 men and boys at least one month old. ^23-24 The Gershonites, under the leadership of Eliasaph son of Lael, were to camp on the west side of the sacred tent. ²⁵ Their duties at the tent included taking care of the tent itself, along with its outer covering, the curtain for the entrance, ²⁶ the curtains hanging inside the courtyard around the tent, as well as the curtain and ropes for the entrance to the courtyard and its altar. The Gershonites were responsible for setting these things up and taking them down.

²⁷ The four Kohath clans were the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites, and the Uzzielites, ²⁸ and they had 8,600^[e] men and boys at least one month old. ^29-30 The Kohathites, under the leadership of Elizaphan son of Uzziel, were to camp on the south side of the sacred tent. ³¹ Their duties at the tent included taking care of the sacred chest, the table for the sacred bread, the lampstand, the altars, the objects used for worship, and the curtain in front of the most holy place. The Kohathites were responsible for setting these things up and taking them down.

³² Eleazar son of Aaron was the head of the Levite leaders, and he made sure that the work at the sacred tent was done.

³³ The two Merari clans were the Mahlites and the Mushites, ³⁴ and they had 6,200 men and boys at least one month old. ³⁵ The Merarites, under the leadership of Zuriel son of Abihail, were to camp on the north side of the sacred tent. ^36-37 Their duties included taking care of the tent frames and the pieces that held the tent up: the bars, the posts, the stands, and its other equipment. They were also in charge of the posts that supported the courtyard, as well as their stands, tent pegs, and ropes. The Merari clans were responsible for setting these things up and taking them down.

³⁸ Moses, Aaron, and his sons were to camp in front of the sacred tent, on the east side, and to make sure that the Israelites worshiped in the proper way. Anyone else who tried to do the work of Moses and Aaron was to be put to death.

³⁹ So Moses and Aaron obeyed the Lord and counted the Levites by their clans. The total number of Levites at least one month old was 22,000.

The Levites Are Accepted as Substitutes for the First-Born Sons

⁴⁰ The Lord said to Moses, “Make a list and count the first-born sons at least one month old in each of the Israelite families. ⁴¹ They belong to me, but I will accept the Levites as substitutes for them, and I will accept the Levites' livestock as substitutes for the Israelites' first-born livestock.”

⁴² Moses obeyed the Lord and counted the first-born sons; ⁴³ there were 22,273 of them.

⁴⁴ Then the Lord said, ⁴⁵ “The Levites will belong to me and will take the place of the first-born sons; their livestock will take the place of the Israelites' first-born livestock. ⁴⁶ But since there are more first-born sons than Levites, the extra 273 men and boys must be bought back from me. ⁴⁷ For each one, you are to collect five pieces of silver, weighed according to the official standards. ⁴⁸ This money must then be given to Aaron and his sons.”

⁴⁹ Moses collected the silver from the extra 273 first-born men and boys, ⁵⁰ and it amounted to 1,365 pieces of silver, weighed according to the official standards. ⁵¹ Then he gave it to Aaron and his sons, just as the Lord had commanded.

The Duties of the Kohathite Clans

4 The Lord told Moses and Aaron:

^2-3 Find out how many men between the ages of 30 and 50 are in the four Levite clans of Kohath. Count only those who are able to work at the sacred tent.

⁴ The Kohathites will be responsible for carrying the sacred objects used in worship at the sacred tent. ⁵ When the Israelites are ready to move their camp, Aaron and his sons will enter the tent and take down the curtain that separates the sacred chest from the rest of the tent. They will cover the chest with this curtain, ⁶ and then with a piece of fine leather, and cover it all with a solid blue cloth. After this they will put the carrying poles in place.

⁷ Next, Aaron and his sons will use another blue cloth to cover the table for the sacred bread.^[f] On the cloth they will place the dishes, the bowls for incense, the cups, the jugs for wine, as well as the bread itself. ⁸ They are to cover all of this with a bright red cloth, and then with a piece of fine leather, before putting the carrying poles in place.

⁹ With another blue cloth they will cover the lampstand, along with the lamps, the lamp snuffers, the fire pans, and the jars of oil for the lamps. ¹⁰ All of this will then be covered with a piece of fine leather and placed on a carrying frame.

¹¹ The gold incense altar^[g] is to be covered with a blue cloth, and then with a piece of fine leather, before its carrying poles are put in place.

¹² Next, Aaron and his sons will take blue cloth and wrap all the objects used in worship at the sacred tent. These will need to be covered with a piece of fine leather, then placed on a carrying frame.

¹³ They are to remove the ashes from the bronze altar and cover it with a purple cloth. ¹⁴ On that cloth will be placed the utensils used at the altar, including the fire pans, the meat forks, the shovels, and the sprinkling bowls. All of this will then be covered with a piece of fine leather, before the carrying poles are put in place.

¹⁵ When the camp is ready to be moved, the Kohathites will be responsible for carrying the sacred objects and the furnishings of the sacred tent. But Aaron and his sons must have already covered those things so the Kohathites won't touch them and die.

¹⁶ Eleazar son of Aaron the priest will be in charge of the oil for the lamps, the sweet-smelling incense, the grain for the sacrifices, and the olive oil used for dedications and ordinations. Eleazar is responsible for seeing that the sacred tent, its furnishings, and the sacred objects are taken care of.

^17-20 The Kohathites must not go near or even look at the sacred objects until Aaron and his sons have covered those objects. If they do, their entire clan will be wiped out. So make sure that Aaron and his sons go into the tent with them and tell them what to carry.

The Duties of the Gershonite Clans

²¹ The Lord said to Moses:

^22-23 Find out how many men between the ages of 30 and 50 are in the two Levite clans of Gershon. Count only those who are able to work at the sacred tent.

²⁴ The Gershonites will be responsible ²⁵ for carrying the curtains of the sacred tent, its two outer coverings,^[h] the curtain for the entrance to the tent, ²⁶ the curtains hanging around the courtyard of the tent, and the curtain and ropes for the entrance to the courtyard. The Gershonites are to do whatever needs to be done to take care of these things, ²⁷ and they will carry them wherever Aaron and his sons tell them to. ²⁸ These are the duties of the Gershonites at the sacred tent, and Ithamar son of Aaron will make sure they do their work.

The Duties of the Merarite Clans

^29-30 The Lord said:

Moses, find out how many men between 30 and 50 are in the two Levite clans of Merari, but count only those who are able to work at the sacred tent.

³¹ The Merarites will be responsible for carrying the frames of the tent and its other pieces, including the bars, the posts, and the stands, ³² as well as the posts that support the courtyard, together with their stands, tent pegs, and ropes. The Merarites are to be told exactly what objects they are to carry, ³³ and Ithamar son of Aaron will make sure they do their work.

The Levites Are Counted Again

^34-49 Moses, Aaron, and the other Israelite leaders obeyed the Lord and counted the Levi tribe by families and clans, to find out how many men there were between the ages of 30 and 50 who could work at the sacred tent. There were 2,750 Kohathites, 2,630 Gershonites, and 3,200 Merarites, making a total of 8,580. Then they were all assigned their duties.

People Are Sent Outside the Camp

5 The Lord told Moses ^2-3 to say to the people of Israel, “Put out of the camp everyone who has leprosy^[i] or a bodily discharge or who has touched a dead body. Now that I live among my people, their camp must be kept clean.”

⁴ The Israelites obeyed the Lord's instructions.

The Penalty for Committing a Crime

(Leviticus 6.1-7)

^5 (D) The Lord told Moses ⁶ to say to the community of Israel:

If any of you commit a crime against someone, you have sinned against me. ⁷ You must confess your guilt and pay the victim in full for whatever damage has been done, plus a fine of 20 percent. ⁸ If the victim has no relative who can accept this money, it belongs to me and will be paid to the priest. In addition to that payment, you must take a ram for the priest to sacrifice so your sin will be forgiven.

^9-10 When you make a donation to the sacred tent, that money belongs only to the priest, and each priest will keep what is given to him.

A Suspicious Husband

¹¹ The Lord told Moses ^12-14 to say to the people of Israel:

Suppose a man becomes jealous and suspects that his wife has been unfaithful, but he has no proof. ¹⁵ He must take his wife to the priest, together with one kilogram of ground barley as an offering to find out if she is guilty. No olive oil or incense is to be put on that offering.

¹⁶ The priest will lead the woman to my altar and make her stand there. ¹⁷ He will then pour sacred water into a clay jar and stir in some dust from the floor of the sacred tent. ^18-22 Next, he will remove her veil, then hand her the barley offering, and say, “If you have been faithful to your husband, this water won't harm you. But if you have been unfaithful, it will bring down the Lord's curse—you will never be able to give birth to a child, and everyone will curse your name.”

Then the woman will answer, “If I am guilty, let it happen just as you say.”

²³ The priest will write these curses on special paper and wash them off into the bitter water, ²⁴ so that when the woman drinks this water, the curses will enter her body. ²⁵ He will take the barley offering from her and lift it up^[j] in dedication to me, the Lord. Then he will place it on my altar ²⁶ and burn part of it as a sacrifice. After that, the woman must drink the bitter water.

²⁷ If the woman has been unfaithful, the water will immediately make her unable to have children, and she will be a curse among her people. ²⁸ But if she is innocent, her body will not be harmed, and she will still be able to have children.

^29-30 This is the ceremony that must take place at my altar when a husband suspects that his wife has been unfaithful. The priest must tell the woman to stand in my presence and carefully follow these instructions. ³¹ If the husband is wrong, he will not be punished; but if his wife is guilty, she will be punished.

Rules for Nazirites

6 The Lord told Moses ² to say to the people of Israel:

If any of you want to dedicate yourself to me by vowing to become a Nazirite, ^3 (E) you must no longer drink any wine or beer or use any kind of vinegar. Don't drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins— ⁴ not even the seeds or skins.

⁵ The hair of a Nazirite is sacred to me, and as long as you are a Nazirite, you must never cut your hair.

⁶ During the time that you are a Nazirite, you must never go close to a dead body, ^7-8 not even that of your father, mother, brother, or sister. That would make you unclean. Your hair is the sign that you are dedicated to me, so remain holy.

⁹ If someone suddenly dies near you, your hair is no longer sacred, and you must shave it seven days later during the ceremony to make you clean. ¹⁰ Then on the next day, bring two doves or two pigeons to the priest at the sacred tent. ¹¹ He will offer one of the birds as a sacrifice for sin and the other as a sacrifice to please me.^[k] You will then be forgiven for being too near a dead body, and your hair will again become sacred. ¹² But the dead body made you unacceptable, so you must make another vow to become a Nazirite and be dedicated once more. Finally, a year-old ram must be offered as the sacrifice to make things right.

^13 (F) When you have completed your promised time of being a Nazirite, go to the sacred tent ¹⁴ and offer three animals that have nothing wrong with them: a year-old ram as a sacrifice to please me, a year-old female lamb as a sacrifice for sin, and a full-grown ram as a sacrifice to ask my blessing.^{[l] 15} Wine offerings and grain sacrifices must also be brought with these animals. Finally, you are to bring a basket of bread made with your finest flour and olive oil, but without yeast. Also bring some thin wafers brushed with oil.

¹⁶ The priest will take these gifts to my altar and offer them, so that I will be pleased and will forgive you. ¹⁷ Then he will sacrifice the ram and offer the wine, grain, and bread.

¹⁸ After that, you will stand at the entrance to the sacred tent, shave your head, and put the hair in the fire where the priest has offered the sacrifice to ask my blessing.

¹⁹ Once the meat from the ram's shoulder has been boiled, the priest will take it, along with one loaf of bread and one wafer brushed with oil, and give them to you. ²⁰ You will hand them back to the priest, who will lift them up^[m] in dedication to me. Then he can eat the meat from the ram's shoulder, its choice ribs, and its hind leg, because this is his share of the sacrifice. After this, you will no longer be a Nazirite, and you will be free to drink wine.

²¹ These are the requirements for Nazirites. However, if you can afford to offer more, you must do so.

The Blessing for the People

²² The Lord told Moses, ²³ “When Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel, they must say:

²⁷ Then the Lord said, “If Aaron and his sons ask me to bless the Israelites, I will give them my blessing.”

The Leaders Bring Gifts to the Sacred Tent

7 When Moses had finished setting up the sacred tent, he dedicated it to the Lord, together with its furnishings, the altar, and its equipment. ² Then the twelve tribal leaders of Israel, the same men who had been in charge of counting the people,^[n] came to the tent ³ with gifts for the Lord. They brought six strong carts and twelve oxen—one ox from each leader and a cart from every two.

⁴ The Lord said to Moses, ⁵ “Accept these gifts, so the Levites can use them here at the sacred tent for carrying the sacred things.”

⁶ Then Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites, ^7-8 who were under the leadership of Ithamar son of Aaron. Moses gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites for their work, and four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites for their work. ⁹ But Moses did not give any to the Kohathites, because they were in charge of the sacred objects that had to be carried on their shoulders.

¹⁰ On the day the altar was dedicated, the twelve leaders brought offerings for its dedication. ¹¹ The Lord said to Moses, “Each day one leader is to give his offering for the dedication.”

^12-83 So each leader brought the following gifts:

a silver bowl that weighed one and a half kilograms and a silver sprinkling bowl weighing almost a kilogram, both of them filled with flour and olive oil as grain sacrifices and weighed according to the official standards;

a small gold dish filled with incense;

a young bull, a full-grown ram, and a year-old ram as sacrifices to please the Lord;^[o]

a goat^[p] as a sacrifice for sin;

and two bulls, five full-grown rams, five goats, and five rams a year old as sacrifices to ask the Lord's blessing.^[q]

The tribal leaders brought their gifts and offerings in the following order:

^84-88 And so when the altar was dedicated to the Lord, these twelve leaders brought the following gifts:

12 silver bowls and 12 silver sprinkling bowls, weighing a total of almost 28 kilograms, according to the official standards;

12 gold dishes filled with incense and weighing over a kilogram;

12 bulls, 12 full-grown rams, and 12 rams a year old as sacrifices to please the Lord, along with the proper grain sacrifices;

12 goats as sacrifices for sin;

and 24 bulls, 60 full-grown rams, 60 goats, and 60 rams a year old as sacrifices to ask the Lord's blessing.

⁸⁹ Whenever Moses needed to talk with the Lord, he went into the sacred tent, where he heard the Lord's voice coming from between the two winged creatures above the lid of the sacred chest.

Aaron Puts the Gold Lamps in Place

8 ^(G) The Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell Aaron to put the seven lamps on the lampstand so they shine toward the front.”

³ Aaron obeyed and placed the lamps as he was told. ⁴ The lampstand was made of hammered gold from its base to the decorative flowers on top, exactly like the pattern the Lord had described to Moses.

Instructions for Ordaining the Levites

⁵ The Lord said to Moses:

⁶ The Levites must be acceptable to me before they begin working at the sacred tent. So separate them from the rest of the Israelites ⁷ and sprinkle them with the water that washes away their sins. Then have them shave their entire bodies and wash their clothes.

⁸ They are to bring a bull and its proper grain sacrifice of flour mixed with olive oil. And they must bring a second bull as a sacrifice for sin.

⁹ Then you, Moses, will call together all the people of Israel and send the Levites to my sacred tent, ¹⁰ where the people will place their hands on them. ¹¹ Aaron will present the Levites to me as a gift from the people, so that the Levites will do my work.

¹² After this, the Levites are to place their hands on the heads of the bulls. Sacrifice one of the bulls for the forgiveness of sin, and the other to make sure that I am pleased. Then the Levites will be acceptable to me. ¹³ They will stand at my altar in front of Aaron and his sons, who will dedicate the Levites to me.

¹⁴ This ceremony will show that the Levites are different from the other Israelites and belong to me in a special way. ¹⁵ After they have been made acceptable and have been dedicated, they will be allowed to work at my sacred tent. ¹⁶ They are mine and will take the place of the first-born Israelite sons. ^17 (H) When I killed the oldest sons of the Egyptians, I decided that the first-born sons in each Israelite family would be mine, as well as every first-born male from their flocks and herds. ¹⁸ But now I have chosen these Levites as substitutes for the first-born sons, ¹⁹ and I have given them as gifts to Aaron and his sons to serve at the sacred tent. I will hold them responsible for what happens to anyone who gets too close to the sacred tent.^[r]

The Levites Are Dedicated to the Lord

²⁰ Moses, Aaron, and the other Israelites made sure that the Levites did everything the Lord had commanded. ²¹ The Levites sprinkled themselves with the water of forgiveness and washed their clothes. Then Aaron brought them to the altar and offered sacrifices to forgive their sins and make them acceptable to the Lord. ²² After this, the Levites worked at the sacred tent as assistants to Aaron and his sons, just as the Lord had commanded.

²³ The Lord also told Moses, ^24-25 “Levites who are between the ages of 25 and 50 must work at my sacred tent. But once they turn 50, they must retire. ²⁶ They may help the other Levites in their duties, but they must no longer be responsible for any work themselves. Remember this when you assign their duties.”

Regulations for Celebrating Passover

9 ^(I) During the first month of Israel's second year in the Sinai Desert,^[s] the Lord had told Moses ² to say to the people, “Celebrate Passover ³ in the evening of the fourteenth day of this month^[t] and do it by following all the regulations.” ^4-5 Moses told the people what the Lord had said, and they celebrated Passover there in the desert in the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month.

⁶ Some people in Israel's camp had touched a dead body and had become unfit to worship the Lord, and they could not celebrate Passover. But they asked Moses and Aaron, ⁷ “Even though we have touched a dead body, why can't we celebrate Passover and offer sacrifices to the Lord at the same time as everyone else?”

⁸ Moses said, “Wait here while I go into the sacred tent and find out what the Lord says about this.”

⁹ The Lord then told Moses ¹⁰ to say to the community of Israel:

If any of you or your descendants touch a dead body and become unfit to worship me, or if you are away on a long journey, you may still celebrate Passover. ¹¹ But it must be done in the second month,^[u] in the evening of the fourteenth day. Eat the Passover lamb with thin bread and bitter herbs, ^12 (J) and don't leave any of it until morning or break any of the animal's bones. Be sure to follow these regulations.

¹³ But if any of you are fit to worship me, and yet refuse to celebrate Passover when you are not away on a journey, you will no longer belong to my people. You will be punished because you did not offer sacrifices to me at the proper time.

¹⁴ Anyone, including foreigners who live among you, can celebrate Passover, if they follow all the regulations.

The Cloud over the Sacred Tent

(Exodus 40.34-38)

^15-16 As soon as the sacred tent was set up,^[v] a thick cloud appeared and covered it. The cloud was there each day, and during the night, a fire could be seen in it. ^17-19 The Lord used this cloud to tell the Israelites when to move their camp and where to set it up again. As long as the cloud covered the tent, the Israelites did not break camp. But when the cloud moved, they followed it, and wherever it stopped, they camped and stayed there, ^20-22 whether it was only one night, a few days, a month, or even a year. As long as the cloud remained over the tent, the Israelites stayed where they were. But when the cloud moved, so did the Israelites. ²³ They obeyed the Lord's commands and went wherever he directed Moses.

The Silver Trumpets

10 The Lord told Moses:

² Have 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. ³ If both trumpets are blown, everyone is to meet with you at the entrance to the sacred tent. ⁴ But if just one is blown, only the twelve tribal leaders need to come together.

^5-6 Give 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. ⁷ But when you want everyone to come together, sound a different signal on the trumpet. ⁸ The priests of Aaron's family will be the ones to blow the trumpets, and this law will never change.

⁹ Whenever 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. ¹⁰ During 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.