Num 10 | EE | STEP | The LORD said to Moses,

Numbers 10

The silver trumpets

1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 ‘Make two trumpets from one piece of silver. Use a hammer to make them in the right shape. Make a noise with them to tell the people that they must come together. Also, use the trumpets to tell the people that they must move the camp. 3 When the people hear the sound from both trumpets, all the people must meet you. They must meet you at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 4 But you may want only the leaders of Israel’s tribes to meet you. If you want that, a priest should make the sound from only one trumpet. 5 But when the sound is one short sound, the tribes at the east of the camp must start to travel. 6 When they hear the next short sound, the tribes on the south of the camp must start to travel. Short sounds on the trumpet will tell the people that they must start to travel. 7 But when you want everyone to meet together, make a different sound with the trumpet.

8 The priests, the sons of Aaron must use the trumpets to make a noise. This is a rule for you and for all your descendants. 9 Use the trumpets to tell everyone when an enemy is attacking you in your own country. Make a sound on the trumpets to tell the people that they must fight the enemy. Then the LORD your God will hear and he will save you from your enemies. 10 You must make sounds with the trumpets on your happy days, too. And you must make sounds with the trumpets at your regular festivals and on the first days of your months. And you must make sounds with the trumpets over your burnt-offerings, and over your friendship-offerings. God will hear and he will remember you. I am the LORD your God.’

The Israelites leave the Desert called Sinai

11 In the second year, in the second month, on the 20th day of the month, the cloud went up. It went up from over God’s Tent of Meeting. 12 Then the Israelites started to travel on their journey away from the desert called Sinai. Then the cloud stopped in the desert called Paran. 13 So they started to travel from Sinai at that time. That was because the LORD used Moses to speak to them. And he told them that they should move. ^{▼▼10:13 The Israelites had been in the Sinai desert for nearly one year.}

14 The flag of the camp of the descendants of Judah, with all their armies, started to travel first. And Nahshon the son of Amminadab was over all their armies. 15 Over the army of the tribe of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar. 16 And over the army of the tribe of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon. 17 Then the Levites packed God’s Tent. And the descendants of Gershon and the descendants of Merari, who were carrying God’s Tent, started to travel.

18 Next the flag of the camp of Reuben, and all their armies started to travel. And Elizur the son of Shedeur was over all their armies. 19 And Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai was over the army of the tribe of Simeon. 20 And Eliasaph the son of Deuel was over the army of the tribe of Gad. 21 Then the descendants of Kohath started to travel. They were carrying the holy things. And the Levites put God’s Tent up before they arrived.

22 Next the flag of the camp of the tribe of Ephraim, and all their armies, started to travel. Elishama the son of Ammihud was over all their armies. 23 And Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur was over the army of the tribe of Manasseh. 24 And Abidan the son of Gideoni was over the army of the tribe of Benjamin.

25 Then the flag of the camp of the tribe of Dan and all their armies started to travel last. They could keep the Israelites safe if an enemy attacked them from behind them. Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai was over all their armies. 26 And Pagiel the son of Ochran was over the army of the tribe of Asher. 27 And Ahira the son of Enan was over the army of the tribe of Naphtali. 28 The Israelites marched out like that every time that they started to travel.

29 Moses spoke to Hobab. Hobab was the brother of Moses’ wife. Hobab’s father was Reuel who came from Midian. Moses said, ‘We are leaving here now. We are going to another place. And the LORD has said, “I will give that place to you.” The LORD has promised good things about Israel’s people. So come with us and we will do good things for you.’

30 But Hobab said to him, ‘I will not come, but I will go to my own country and to my relatives.’

31 Then Moses said, ‘But you know where we should camp in the desert. So please do not leave us. You can be like our eyes as we travel. 32 And if you go with us, we will do good things for you. We will do for you all the good things that the LORD does for us.’

33 So the Israelites left the LORD‘s mountain. They travelled for three days. The Levites carried the LORD‘s Covenant Box in front of them. That was so that the LORD could show them where to camp. The Covenant Box arrived at the place three days before the other Israelites arrived there. 34 And the LORD‘s cloud was over them during the day, when they started to travel from the camp.

35 Each time that the Covenant Box started to travel Moses said, ‘Rise LORD! Cause your enemies to go in every direction! Cause those who hate you to run away!’ 36 And when it stopped moving, he said, ‘Return LORD, to the 10,000 thousands of Israel’s people.’