Numbers 10

1 The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, 2 “Make yourself two silver trumpets. Make them of hammered work, and they are to serve you for calling the gathering together and for setting the camps moving. 3 When you sound them, the whole gathering is to come together to you at the door of the tent of witness. 4 And if they sound only one, the leaders — the heads of Israel — are to come to you. 5 And when you sound a blast, the camps pitched on the east are to move out. 6 And when you sound a second blast, the camps on the south are to move out; and when you sound a third blast, the camps on the west are to move out; and when you sound a fourth blast, those camped on the north are to move out. They are to sound a blast whenever a camp sets out. 7 But when you bring the gathering together, you are to sound the trumpets without the blast. [a] 8 And the priests, the sons of Aaron, are the ones to sound the trumpets. This is to be a lasting practice for you through your generations. 9 And if you go out to war in your own land against enemies who stand against you, then you are to sound the trumpets; and you will be remembered before the Lord, and you will be rescued from your enemies. 10 And on your days of gladness, and at your feasts, and at your new moons, you are to sound the trumpets over your whole burnt offerings and over your sacrifices of well-being; and they will be a reminder for you before your God. I am the Lord your God.”

11 And in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud went up from the tent of witness. 12 And the children of Israel set out with their baggage from the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud settled in the wilderness of Paran. 13 And the first rank set out at the word of the Lord, by the hand of Moses. 14 First to move was the division of the camp of the sons of Judah with their army, and over their army was Nahshon son of Amminadab; 15 and over the army of the tribe of the sons of Issachar was Nethanel son of Zuar; 16 and over the army of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun was Eliab son of Helon. 17 And the tent was taken down, and the sons of Gershon set out, and the sons of Merari, who carry the tent. 18 And the division of the camp of Reuben set out with their army, and over their army was Elizur son of Shedeur; 19 and over the army of the tribe of the sons of Simeon was Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai; 20 and over the army of the tribe of the sons of Gad was Eliasaph son of Reuel. 21 And the sons of Kohath set out carrying the holy things, and the others set up the tent before they arrived. 22 And the division of the camp of Ephraim set out with their armies, and over their armies was Elishama son of Ammihud; 23 and over the armies of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh was Gamaliel son of Pedahzur; 24 and over the armies of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin was Abidan son of Gideoni. 25 And the division of the camp of the sons of Dan set out last of all the camps, with their armies, and over their armies was Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai; 26 and over the armies of the tribe of the sons of Asher was Pagiel son of Ochran; 27 and over the armies of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali was Ahira son of Enan. 28 These are the armies of the children of Israel, and this is how they set out with their armies.

29 And Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, 29 “We are setting out for the place the Lord spoke of when he said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will do you good, for the Lord has spoken good about Israel.” [b] 30 And he said to him, 30 “I will not go. I will go to my own land and to my own kindred.” 31 And Moses said, 31 “Do not leave us, because you have been with us in the wilderness, and you will be an elder among us. [c] 32 And if you do come with us, then whatever good the Lord does for us, we will do the same good for you.”

33 And they set out from the mountain of the Lord a three days' journey, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went ahead of them a three days' journey to look out a resting place for them. 34 And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, [d]

35 And when it came to rest he said, [e]

36 And the cloud overshadowed them by day as they set out from the camp.