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Numbers – Chapter 10

Books of The Bible / Numbers

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:

2 ‘Make yourself two trumpets; make them of beaten silver, so that you can use them for summoning the community, and for sounding the order to break camp.

3 Whenever they are sounded, the whole community must gather round you, at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

4 But if only one trumpet is sounded, then only the leaders, the heads of Israel’s thousands, must gather round you.

5 ‘When the trumpet blast is accompanied by a battle cry, the encampments pitched to the east will set out.

6 At the second blast accompanied by a battle cry, the encampments pitched to the south will set out. For breaking camp, the trumpet blast will be accompanied by a battle cry,

7 but for assembling the community the trumpets will be sounded without battle cry.

8 The Aaronite priests will sound the trumpets; this is a perpetual decree for you and your descendants.

9 ‘When in your country you go to war against an enemy who is oppressing you, you will sound trumpets with a battle cry, and Yahweh your God will remember you, and you will be delivered from your enemies.

10 At your festivals, solemnities and new-moon feasts, you will sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and communion sacrifices, so that they recall you to the remembrance of 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 rose from where the Dwelling of the Testimony was,

12 and the Israelites set out, in marching order, from the desert of Sinai. The cloud came to rest in the desert of Paran.

13 These were the men who set out in the vanguard, at Yahweh’s order through Moses:

14 first went the standard of the camp of the Judahites and their units, with Nahshon son of Amminadab commanding that contingent;

15 Nethanel son of Zuar commanding the tribal contingent of the Issacharites;

16 and Eliab son of Helon commanding the tribal contingent of the Zebulunites.

17 The Dwelling was then dismantled and the Gershonites and Merarites set out, carrying the Dwelling.

18 Then came the standard of the camp of the Reubenites and their units, with Elizur son of Shedeur commanding that contingent;

19 Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai commanding the tribal contingent of the Simeonites;

20 and Eliasaph son of Reuel commanding the tribal contingent of the Gadites.

21 Then came the Kohathites carrying the sanctuary (the Dwelling was erected before they arrived).

22 Then came the standard of the camp of the Ephraimites and their units, with Elishama son of Ammihud commanding that contingent;

23 Gamaliel son of Pedahzur commanding the tribal contingent of the Manassehites;

24 and Abidan son of Gideoni commanding the tribal contingent of the Benjaminites.

25 Last of all, the rearguard of all the camps, came the standard of the camp of the Danites and their units, with Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai commanding that contingent;

26 Pagiel son of Ochran commanding the tribal contingent of the Asherites;

27 and Ahira son of Enan commanding the tribal contingent of the Naphtalites.

28 Such was the order of march for the Israelites, unit by unit. So they set out.

29 Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, his father-in-law, ‘We are setting out for the country of which Yahweh has said: I shall give it to you. Come with us, and we will treat you well, for Yahweh has promised good things for Israel.’

30 ‘I will not come with you,’ he replied, ‘but shall go to my own country and kin.’

31 ‘Do not leave us,’ Moses said, ‘for you know where we can camp in the desert, and so you will be our eyes.

32 If you come with us, we shall share with you whatever blessings Yahweh gives us.’

33 They set out from Yahweh’s mountain and travelled for three days, while the ark of the covenant of Yahweh preceded them on the three-day journey, searching out a place for them to halt.

34 In the daytime, Yahweh’s cloud was over them, once they had broken camp.

35 Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say: Rise, Yahweh, may your enemies be scattered and those who hate you flee at your approach!

36 And when it halted, he would say: Come back, Yahweh, to the countless thousands of Israel!

Chapters From The Book of Numbers