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The Silver Trumpets

¹ The LORD spoke further to Moses, saying,² "Make two trumpets of silver; you shall make them of hammered work. You shall use them to ^(C1)summon the congregation and to have the camps move out.³ "^(C1)When both are blown, all the congregation that is, all adult males shall gather before you at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle).⁴ "However, if a single trumpet is blown, then the ^(C1)leaders, heads of the tribes of Israel, shall gather themselves to you.⁵ "When you blow an alarm, the camps ^(C1)on the east side of the tabernacle shall set out.⁶ "When you blow an alarm the second time, then the camps on ^(C1)the south side of the tabernacle shall set out. They shall blow an alarm whenever they are to move out on their journeys.⁷ "When the assembly is to be gathered, you shall blow the trumpets in short, sharp tones, but without ^(C1)sounding an alarm.⁸ "^(C1)The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and the trumpets shall be for you a perpetual statute throughout your generations.⁹ "When you go to war in your land against the enemy that ^(C1)attacks you, then sound an alarm with the trumpets, so that you may be ^(C2)remembered before the LORD your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies.¹⁰ "Also in the day of rejoicing, and in your appointed feasts, and at the beginnings of your months, ^(C1)you shall sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifice 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 On the twentieth day of the second month in ^(C1)the second year since leaving Egypt, the cloud of the Lord's presence was lifted from over the tabernacle of the Testimony,¹² and the Israelites set out on ^(C1)their journey from the Wilderness of Sinai, and the cloud of the LORD'S guiding presence settled down in the ^(C2)Wilderness of Paran.^13 (C1)So they moved out for the first time in accordance with the command of the LORD through Moses.^14 (C1)The ^(F1)standard of the camp of the sons of Judah, according to their armies, moved out first, Nahshon the son of Amminadab was commander over its army,¹⁵ and Nethanel the son of Zuar was commander over the tribal army of the sons of Issachar;¹⁶ and Eliab the son of Helon was commander over the tribal army of the sons of Zebulun.

^17 (C1)Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who were carrying the tabernacle, moved out.^18 (C1)Next the ^(F1)standard of the camp of the sons of Reuben, according to their armies, moved out, with Elizur the son of Shedeur commander over its army,¹⁹ and Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai was commander over the tribal army of the sons of Simeon,²⁰ and Eliasaph the son of Deuel was commander over the tribal army of the sons of Gad.

^21 (C1)Then the Kohathites moved out, carrying the holy things, and ^(C2)the tabernacle was set up before they arrived.²² Next ^(C1)the ^(F1)standard of the camp of the sons of Ephraim moved out, according to their armies, with Elishama the son of Ammihud commander over its army,²³ and Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur was commander over the tribal army of the sons of Manasseh,²⁴ and Abidan the son of Gideoni was commander over the tribal army of the sons of Benjamin.

^25 (C1)Then the ^(F1)standard of the camp of the sons of Dan, according to their armies, which formed the ^(C2)rear guard for all the camps, moved out, with Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai commander over its army,²⁶ and Pagiel the son of Ochran was commander over the tribal army of the sons of Asher,²⁷ and Ahira the son of Enan was commander over the tribal army of the sons of Naphtali.²⁸ This was the order of march of the sons of Israel by their armies as they moved out.

²⁹ Then Moses said to ^(C1)Hobab the son of ^(C2)Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, "We are going to the place of which the LORD said, '^(C3)I will give it to you.' ^(C4)Come with us, and we will be good to you, for the LORD ^(C5)has promised good things concerning Israel."³⁰ But Hobab Moses' brother-in-law said to him, "^(C1)I will not go; I will return to my own land and to my family."³¹ Then Moses said, "^(F1)Please do not leave us, for you know how we are to camp in the wilderness, and you ^(C1)will serve as eyes for us as we make our trek through the desert.³² "So if you will go with us, it shall be that ^(F1)(C1)whatever good the LORD does for us, ^(C2)we will do the same for you."

^33 (C1)So they set out from the mountain of the LORD (Sinai) three days' journey; and ^(C2)the ark of the covenant of the LORD went in front of them during the three days' journey to seek out ^(C3)a resting place for them.^34 (C1)The cloud of the LORD was over them by day when they set out from the camp.

³⁵ Whenever the ark set out, Moses said,

"^(C1)Rise up, O LORD!
Let Your enemies be scattered;
And let those ^(C2)who hate You flee before You." ^(VR1)