Chapter 10

And the Lord bade Moses

make two trumpets of wrought silver, to give the signal when he would gather the whole people round him, when he would order them to move camp.

Sound both trumpets, he told him, and all must assemble to meet thee at the tabernacle door;

sound but one, and it will bring only the chieftains, that represent the many thousands of Israel.

But if it is a long blast that rises and falls, first of all those on the east will move camp;

when the sound comes again, a second wail of the trumpet, those on the south will fold their tents; and so with the rest, as the wail of the trumpet bids them set out.

When the signal is given for the people to assemble, the blast of the trumpet will be on one note, without any wailing rise and fall.

The trumpets are to be blown by the priests, the men of Aaron’s line; this custom you must keep unaltered, age after age.

When your country goes out to war, to repel hostile attack, the trumpets must give a wailing sound, appealing to the Lord your God to save you from the power of your enemies.

And when you keep feast or holiday, and at the new moon, you will make burnt-sacrifice and welcome-offering to the sound of the trumpet, to claim the divine audience; audience from the Lord your God.

And now, in the second year, on the twentieth day of the second month, the cloud lifted from the tabernacle,

and the sons of Israel marched away, company by company, from the desert of Sinai, till the cloud came to rest again in another desert, that of Pharan.

First, as the Lord’s word to Moses commanded them,

went the companies of Juda, under Nahasson son of Aminadab,

then Issachar under Nathanael son of Suar,

then Zabulon under Eliab son of Helon.

Meanwhile, the tabernacle had been taken down, and the sons of Gerson and Merari set out bringing it with them.

Then came the companies of Ruben under Helisur son of Sedeur,

then Simeon under Salamiel son of Surisaddai,

then Gad under Eliasaph son of Duel.

After these the Caathites marched, with their holy burden;1 the tabernacle going on first, so as to be ready for them when they reached the place where it was set up.

Then came the companies of Ephraim under Elisama son of Ammiud,

then Manasses under Gamaliel son of Phadassur,

then Benjamin under Abidan son of Gedeon.

And in the rear came the companies of Dan under Ahiezer son of Ammisaddai,

the tribe of Aser under Phegiel son of Ochran,

and the tribe of Nephthali under Ahira son of Enan.

Such was the order of march in which Israel’s various companies set out, whenever they moved camp.

And now Moses said to Hobab, son of Raguel the Madianite, his father-in-law, We are on our way to the home the Lord means to give us; come with us, and share our fortunes; the Lord has promised to bless Israel.

I cannot come with thee, he said; I must go back to the land where I was born.

And Moses answered, Do not leave us; thou canst tell us where best to encamp; we look to thee for guidance.

Come with us, and the best of all the Lord gives us shall be thine.

So they travelled three days’ journey from the mountain of the Lord; and all those three days’ journey the ark that bore record of the Lord’s covenant went at their head2 to choose their camping-place.

The divine cloud, too, overshadowed them all day while they marched.

Whenever the ark was lifted from the ground, Moses would say, Bestir thyself, Lord, and rout thy enemies; confront thy ill-wishers and put them to flight.

And when it was put down again, he would say, Restore thy presence, Lord, to the thronging armies of Israel.