Numbers 10 (New American Standard)

The Silver Trumpets

1 The LORD spoke further to Moses, saying, 2 "Make yourself two trumpets of silver, of hammered work you shall make them; and you shall use them for ¹summoning the congregation and for having the camps set out. 3 "²When both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 4 "Yet if only one is blown, then the ³leaders, the heads of the ^adivisions of Israel, shall assemble before you. 5 "But when you blow an alarm, the camps that are pitched ⁴on the east side shall set out. 6 "When you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that are pitched on ⁵the south side shall set out; an alarm is to be blown for them to set out. 7 "When convening the assembly, however, you shall blow without ⁶sounding an alarm. 8 "⁷The priestly sons of Aaron, moreover, shall blow the trumpets ; and ^bthis shall be for you a perpetual statute throughout your generations. 9 "When you go to war in your land against the adversary who ⁸attacks you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be ⁹remembered before the LORD your God, and be saved from your enemies. 10 "Also in the day of your gladness and in your appointed ^cfeasts, and on the first days of your months, ¹⁰you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings ; and they shall be as a reminder of you before your God. I am the LORD your God."

The Tribes Leave Sinai

11 Now in ¹¹the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month, the cloud was lifted from over the ^dtabernacle of the testimony ; 12 and the sons of Israel set out on ¹²their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai. Then the cloud settled down in the ¹³wilderness of Paran. 13 ¹⁴So they moved out for the first time according to the ^ecommandment of the LORD through Moses. 14 The standard of the camp of the sons of Judah, according to their armies, ¹⁵set out first, with Nahshon the son of Amminadab, over its army, 15 and Nethanel the son of Zuar, over the tribal army of the sons of Issachar ; 16 and Eliab the son of Helon over the tribal army of the sons of Zebulun. 17 ¹⁶Then the tabernacle was taken down ; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who were carrying the tabernacle, set out. 18 Next ¹⁷the standard of the camp of Reuben, according to their armies, set out with Elizur the son of Shedeur, over its army, 19 and Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai over the tribal army of the sons of Simeon, 20 and Eliasaph the son of Deuel was over the tribal army of the sons of Gad. 21 ¹⁸Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy objects; and ¹⁹the tabernacle was set up before their arrival. 22 ²⁰Next the standard of the camp of the sons of Ephraim, according to their armies, was set out, with Elishama the son of Ammihud over its army, 23 and Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur over the tribal army of the sons of Manasseh ; 24 and Abidan the son of Gideoni over the tribal army of the sons of Benjamin. 25 ²¹Then the standard of the camp of the sons of Dan, according to their armies, which formed the ²²rear guard for all the camps, set out, with Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai over its army, 26 and Pagiel the son of Ochran over the tribal army of the sons of Asher ; 27 and Ahira the son of Enan over the tribal army of the sons of Naphtali. 28 ^fThis was the order of march of the sons of Israel by their armies as they set out. 29 Then Moses said to ²³Hobab the son of ²⁴Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, "We are setting out to the place of which the LORD said, '²⁵I will give it to you'; ²⁶come with us and we will do you good, for the LORD ²⁷has ^gpromised good concerning Israel." 30 But he said to him, "²⁸I will not come, but rather will go to my own land and relatives." 31 Then he said, "Please do not leave us, inasmuch as you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you ²⁹will be as eyes for us. 32 "So it will be, if you go with us, that ^h30whatever good the LORD ⁱdoes for us, ³¹we will ^jdo for you." 33 ³²Thus they set out from the mount of the LORD three days' journey, with ³³the ark of the covenant of the LORD journeying in front of them for the ^kthree days, to seek out ³⁴a resting place for them. 34 ³⁵The cloud of the LORD was over them by day when they set out from the camp. 35 Then it came about when the ark set out that Moses said, "³⁶Rise up, O LORD ! And let Your enemies be scattered, And let those ³⁷who hate You flee ^lbefore You." 36 When it came to rest, he said, "³⁸Return, O LORD, To the myriad ³⁹thousands of Israel."