Common English Bible CEB
The Message Bible MSG
1 The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron:
1
God spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said,
2 The Israelites will camp each under the banner with the symbol of their household. They will camp around the meeting tent some distance from it.
2
"The People of Israel are to set up camp circling the Tent of Meeting and facing it. Each company is to camp under its distinctive tribal flag."
3 On the east side toward the sunrise will be the banner of Judah's camp with its military units. The chief of the people of Judah is Nahshon, Amminadab's son.
3
To the east toward the sunrise are the companies of the camp of Judah under its flag, led by Nahshon son of Amminadab.
4 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 74,600.
4
His troops number 74,600.
5 Those camping on one side of him are the tribe of Issachar. The chief of the people of Issachar is Nethanel, Zuar's son.
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The tribe of Issachar will camp next to them, led by Nethanel son of Zuar.
6 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 54,400.
6
His troops number 54,400.
7 On the other side, the tribe of Zebulun: the chief of the people of Zebulun is Eliab, Helon's son.
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And the tribe of Zebulun is next to them, led by Eliab son of Helon.
8 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 57,400.
8
His troops number 57,400.
9 All those enlisted in Judah's camp with their military units are 186,400. They will march first.
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The total number of men assigned to Judah, troop by troop, is 186,400. They will lead the march.
10 On the south side will be the banner of Reuben's camp with its military units. The chief of the people of Reuben is Elizur, Shedeur's son.
10
To the south are the companies of the camp of Reuben under its flag, led by Elizur son of Shedeur.
11 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 46,500.
11
His troops number 46,500.
12 Those camping on one side of him are the tribe of Simeon. The chief of the people of Simeon is Shelumiel, Zurishaddai's son.
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The tribe of Simeon will camp next to them, led by Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
13 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 59,300.
13
His troops number 59,300.
14 On the other side, the tribe of Gad: the chief of the people of Gad is Eliasaph, Reuel's son.
14
And the tribe of Gad is next to them, led by Eliasaph son of Deuel.
15 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 45,650.
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His troops number 45,650.
16 All those enlisted in Reuben's camp with their military units are 151,450. They will march second.
16
The total number of men assigned to Reuben, troop by troop, is 151,450. They are second in the order of the march.
17 The meeting tent and the Levites' camp will march in the center of the camps. They will march in the same order as they camp: each in position under his banner.
17
The Tent of Meeting with the camp of the Levites takes its place in the middle of the march. Each tribe will march in the same order in which they camped, each under its own flag.
18 On the west will be the banner of Ephraim's camp with its military units. The chief of the people of Ephraim is Elishama, Ammihud's son.
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To the west are the companies of the camp of Ephraim under its flag, led by Elishama son of Ammihud.
19 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 40,500.
19
His troops number 40,500.
20 On one side of him is the tribe of Manasseh. The chief of the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel, Pedahzur's son.
20
The tribe of Manasseh will set up camp next to them, led by Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.
21 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 32,200.
21
His troops number 32,200.
22 On the other side, the tribe of Benjamin: the chief of the people of Benjamin is Abidan, Gideoni's son.
22
And next to him is the camp of Benjamin, led by Abidan son of Gideoni.
23 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 35,400.
23
His troops number 35,400.
24 All those enlisted in Ephraim's camp with their military units are 108,100. They will march third.
24
The total number of men assigned to the camp of Ephraim, troop by troop, is 108,100. They are third in the order of the march.
25 On the north will be the banner of Dan's camp with its military units. The chief of the people of Dan is Ahiezer, Ammishaddai's son.
25
To the north are the companies of the camp of Dan under its flag, led by Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
26 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 62,700.
26
His troops number 62,700.
27 Those camping on one side of him are the tribe of Asher. The chief of the people of Asher is Pagiel, Ochran's son.
27
The tribe of Asher will camp next to them, led by Pagiel son of Ocran.
28 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 41,500.
28
His troops number 41,500.
29 On the other side, the tribe of Naphtali: the chief of the people of Naphtali is Ahira, Enan's son.
29
And next to them is the tribe of Naphtali, led by Ahira son of Enan.
30 His military unit and those enlisted in it are 53,400.
30
His troops number 53,400.
31 All those enlisted in the camp of Dan are 157,600. They will march last under their banners.
31
The total number of men assigned to the camp of Dan number 157,600. They will set out, under their flags, last in the line of the march.
32 These are the enlisted Israelites by their households. The total enlisted in the camps with their military units is 603,550.
32
These are the People of Israel, counted according to their ancestral families. The total number in the camps, counted troop by troop, comes to 603,550.
33 But the Levites weren't enlisted among the Israelites, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
33
Following God's command to Moses, the Levites were not counted in with the rest of Israel.
34 The Israelites did everything exactly as the LORD had commanded Moses: they camped under their banners and they marched by their clans and by their households.
34
The People of Israel did everything the way God commanded Moses: They camped under their respective flags; they marched by tribe with their ancestral families.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.