Numbers 10
World English Bible
10 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Make two trumpets of silver. You shall make them of beaten work. You shall use them for the calling of the congregation and for the journeying of the camps. 3 When they blow them, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 4 If they blow just one, then the princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves to you. 5 When you blow an alarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall go forward. 6 When you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that lie on the south side shall go forward. They shall blow an alarm for their journeys. 7 But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm.
8 “The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. This shall be to you for a statute forever throughout your generations. 9 When you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets. Then you will be remembered before Yahweh your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.
10 “Also in the day of your gladness, and in your set feasts, and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be to you for a memorial before your God. I am Yahweh your God.”
11 In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle of the covenant. 12 The children of Israel went forward on their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud stayed in the wilderness of Paran. 13 They first went forward according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses.
14 First, the standard of the camp of the children of Judah went forward according to their armies. Nahshon the son of Amminadab was over his army. 15 Nethanel the son of Zuar was over the army of the tribe of the children of Issachar. 16 Eliab the son of Helon was over the army of the tribe of the children of Zebulun. 17 The tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tabernacle, went forward. 18 The standard of the camp of Reuben went forward according to their armies. Elizur the son of Shedeur was over his army. 19 Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai was over the army of the tribe of the children of Simeon. 20 Eliasaph the son of Deuel was over the army of the tribe of the children of Gad.
21 The Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary. The others set up the tabernacle before they arrived.
22 The standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies. Elishama the son of Ammihud was over his army. 23 Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur was over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh. 24 Abidan the son of Gideoni was over the army of the tribe of the children of Benjamin.
25 The standard of the camp of the children of Dan, which was the rear guard of all the camps, set forward according to their armies. Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai was over his army. 26 Pagiel the son of Ochran was over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher. 27 Ahira the son of Enan was over the army of the tribe of the children of Naphtali. 28 Thus were the travels of the children of Israel according to their armies; and they went forward.
29 Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are journeying to the place of which Yahweh said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well; for Yahweh has spoken good concerning Israel.”
30 He said to him, “I will not go; but I will depart to my own land, and to my relatives.”
31 Moses said, “Don’t leave us, please; because you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes. 32 It shall be, if you go with us—yes, it shall be—that whatever good Yahweh does to us, we will do the same to you.”
33 They set forward from the Mount of Yahweh three days’ journey. The ark of Yahweh’s covenant went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them. 34 The cloud of Yahweh was over them by day, when they set forward from the camp. 35 When the ark went forward, Moses said, “Rise up, Yahweh, and let your enemies be scattered! Let those who hate you flee before you!” 36 When it rested, he said, “Return, Yahweh, to the ten thousands of the thousands of Israel.”
Numbers 10
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 10
The Silver Trumpets. 1 The Lord said to Moses: 2 Make two trumpets of silver, making them of hammered silver, for you to use in summoning the community and in breaking camp. 3 When both are blown, the whole community shall gather round you at the entrance of the tent of meeting; 4 but when one of them is blown, only the tribal leaders, the heads of the clans of Israel, shall gather round you. 5 When you sound the signal, those encamped on the east side shall break camp; 6 when you sound a second signal, those encamped on the south side shall break camp; when you sound a third signal, those encamped on the west side shall break camp; when you sound a fourth signal, those encamped on the north side shall break camp. Thus shall the signal be sounded for them to break camp. 7 But in calling forth an assembly you are to blow a blast, without sounding the signal.
8 The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; this is prescribed forever for you and your descendants. 9 (A)When in your own land you go to war against an enemy that is attacking you, you shall sound the alarm on the trumpets, and you shall be remembered before the Lord, your God, and be saved from your foes. 10 And when you rejoice[a] on your festivals, and your new-moon feasts, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and your communion sacrifices,(B) so that this serves as a reminder of you before your God. I, the Lord, am your God.
II. Departure, Rebellion, and Wandering in the Wilderness for Forty Years
Departure from Sinai. 11 In the second year, on the twentieth day of the second month, the cloud rose from the tabernacle of the covenant, 12 and the Israelites moved on from the wilderness of Sinai by stages, until the cloud came to rest in the wilderness of Paran.
13 The first time that they broke camp at the direction of the Lord through Moses, 14 (C)the divisional camp of the Judahites, arranged in companies, was the first to set out. Over its whole company was Nahshon, son of Amminadab, 15 with Nethanel, son of Zuar, over the company of the tribe of Issacharites, 16 and Eliab, son of Helon, over the company of the tribe of Zebulunites. 17 Then, after the tabernacle was dismantled, the Gershonites and Merarites who carried the tabernacle set out. 18 The divisional camp of the Reubenites, arranged in companies, was the next to set out. Over its whole company was Elizur, son of Shedeur, 19 with Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai, over the company of the tribe of Simeonites, 20 and Eliasaph, son of Reuel, over the company of the tribe of Gadites. 21 The Kohathites, who carried the sacred objects, then set out. Before their arrival the tabernacle would be erected. 22 The divisional camp of the Ephraimites set out next, arranged in companies. Over its whole company was Elishama, son of Ammihud, 23 with Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur, over the company of the tribe of Manassites, 24 and Abidan, son of Gideoni, over the company of the tribe of Benjaminites. 25 Finally, as rear guard for all the camps, the divisional camp of the Danites set out, arranged in companies. Over its whole company was Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai, 26 with Pagiel, son of Ochran, over the company of the tribe of Asherites, 27 and Ahira, son of Enan, over the company of the tribe of Naphtalites. 28 This was the order of march for the Israelites, company by company, when they set out.
Hobab as Guide. 29 Moses said to Hobab,[b] son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place concerning which the Lord has said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will be generous toward you, for the Lord has promised prosperity to Israel.” 30 But he answered, “No, I will not come. I am going instead to the land of my birth.” 31 Moses said, “Please, do not leave us; you know where we can camp in the wilderness, and you can serve as our guide. 32 If you come with us, we will share with you the prosperity the Lord will bestow on us.”
Into the Wilderness. 33 (D)From the mountain of the Lord[c] they made a journey of three days, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them for the three-day journey to seek out a resting place for them. 34 And the cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they set out from camp.
35 Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say,
“Arise, O Lord, may your enemies be scattered,
and may those who hate you flee before you.”
36 And when it came to rest, he would say,
“Bring back, O Lord, the myriads of Israel’s troops!”
Footnotes
- 10:10 When you rejoice: cf. Dt 16:14. Festivals: the great annual feasts of the Passover, Pentecost and Booths described in Lv 23; Nm 28–29.
- 10:29–32 Hobab: one of three names for the father-in-law of Moses (see Ex 2:18; 4:18; 18:6; Jgs 4:11). Here perhaps Hobab’s initial refusal indicates he wished to be coaxed before granting the favor. From Jgs 1:16 it seems probable that he did accede to Moses’ request. However, Ex 18:27 suggests Moses’ father-in-law returned to his own land. Indeed, to the extent Nm 10:29–32 appears to repeat Ex 18:27, it may indicate a resumption of the narrative of Israel’s march through the wilderness after the “digression” formed by the Israelite sojourn at Sinai, Ex 19:1–Nm 10:28.
- 10:33 The mountain of the Lord: Sinai (Horeb), elsewhere always called “the mountain of God.”
by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.