The Fourth Book of Moses: Numbers

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 10 -

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

Make thee two trumpets of beaten silver, wherewith thou mayest call together the multitude when the camp is to be removed.

And when thou shalt sound the trumpets, all the multitude shall gather unto thee to the door of the tabernacle of the covenant.

If thou sound but once, the princes and the heads of the multitude of Israel shall come to thee.

But if the sound of the trumpets be longer, and with interruptions, they that are on the east side, shall first go forward.

And at the second sounding and like noise of the trumpet, they who lie on the south side shall take up their tents. And after this manner shall the rest do, when the trumpets shall sound for a march.

But when the people is to be gathered together, the sound of the trumpets shall be plain, and they shall not make a broken sound.

And the sons of Aaron the priest shall sound the trumpets: and this shall be an ordinance for ever in your generations.

If you go forth to war out of your land against the enemies that fight against you, you shall sound aloud with the trumpets, and there shall be a remembrance of you before the Lord your God, that you may be delivered out of the hands of your enemies.

If at any time you shall have a banquet, and on your festival days, and on the first days of your months, you shall sound the trumpets over the holocausts, and the sacrifices of peace offerings, that they may be to you for a remembrance of your God. I am the Lord your God.

From Sinai to Paran

The second year, in the second month, the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle of the covenant.

And the children of Israel marched by their troops from the desert of Sinai, and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Pharan.

And the first went forward according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

The sons of Juda by their troops: whose prince was Nahasson the son of Aminadab.

In the tribe of the sons of Issachar, the prince was Nathanael the son of Suar.

In the tribe of Zabulon, the prince was Eliab the son of Helon.

And the tabernacle was taken down, and the sons of Gerson and Merari set forward, bearing it.

And the sons of Ruben also marched, by their troops and ranks, whose prince was Helisur the son of Sedeur.

And in the tribe of Simeon, the prince was Salamiel the son of Surisaddai.

And in the tribe of Cad, the prince was Eliasaph the son of Duel.

Then the Caathites also marched carrying the sanctuary. So long was the tabernacle carried, till they same to the place of setting it up.

The sons of Ephraim also moved their camp by their troops, in whose army the prince was Elisama the son of Ammiud.

And in the tribe of the sons of Manasses, the prince was Gamaliel the son of Phadassur.

And in the tribe of Benjamin, the prince was Abidan the son of Gedeon.

The last of all the camp marched the sons of Dan by their troops, in whose army the prince was Ahiezer the son of Ammisaddai.

And in the tribe of the sons of Aser, the prince was Phegiel the son of Ochran.

And in the tribe of the sons of Nephtali, the prince was Ahira the son of Enan.

This was the order of the camps, and marches of the children of Israel by their troops, when they set forward.

And Moses said to Hobab the son of Raguel the Madianite, his kinsman: We are going towards the place which the Lord will give us: come with us, that we may do thee good: for the Lord hath promised good things to Israel.

But he answered him: I will not go with thee, but I will return to my country, wherein I was born.

And he said: Do not leave us: for thou knowest in what places we should encamp in the wilderness, and thou shalt be our guide.

And if thou comest with us, we will give thee what is the best of the riches which the Lord shall deliver to us.

So they marched from the mount of the Lord three days’ journey, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them, for three days providing a place for the camp.

The cloud also of the Lord was over them by day when they marched.

And when the ark was lifted up, Moses said: Arise, O Lord, and let thy enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee, flee from before thy face.

And when it was set down, he said: Return, O Lord, to the multitude of the host of Israel.

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Make two trumpets of silver. You shall make them of beaten work. You shall use them for the calling of the congregation and for the journeying of the camps.

When they blow them, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

If they blow just one, then the princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves to you.

When you blow an alarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall go forward.

When you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that lie on the south side shall go forward. They shall blow an alarm for their journeys.

But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm.

“The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. This shall be to you for a statute forever throughout your generations.

When you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets. Then you will be remembered before the LORD your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.

“Also in the day of your gladness, and in your set feasts, and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be to you for a memorial before your God. I am the LORD your God.”

From Sinai to Paran

In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle of the covenant.

The children of Israel went forward on their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud stayed in the wilderness of Paran.

They first went forward according to the commandment of the LORD by Moses.

First, the standard of the camp of the children of Judah went forward according to their armies. Nahshon the son of Amminadab was over his army.

Nethanel the son of Zuar was over the army of the tribe of the children of Issachar.

Eliab the son of Helon was over the army of the tribe of the children of Zebulun.

The tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tabernacle, went forward.

The standard of the camp of Reuben went forward according to their armies. Elizur the son of Shedeur was over his army.

Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai was over the army of the tribe of the children of Simeon.

Eliasaph the son of Deuel was over the army of the tribe of the children of Gad.

The Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary. The others set up the tabernacle before they arrived.

The standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies. Elishama the son of Ammihud was over his army.

Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur was over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh.

Abidan the son of Gideoni was over the army of the tribe of the children of Benjamin.

The standard of the camp of the children of Dan, which was the rear guard of all the camps, set forward according to their armies. Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai was over his army.

Pagiel the son of Ochran was over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher.

Ahira the son of Enan was over the army of the tribe of the children of Naphtali.

Thus were the travels of the children of Israel according to their armies; and they went forward.

Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are journeying to the place of which the LORD said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well; for the LORD has spoken good concerning Israel.”

He said to him, “I will not go; but I will depart to my own land, and to my relatives.”

Moses said, “Don’t leave us, please; because you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.

It shall be, if you go with us—yes, it shall be—that whatever good the LORD does to us, we will do the same to you.”

They set forward from the Mount of the LORD three days’ journey. The ark of the LORD’s covenant went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them.

The cloud of the LORD was over them by day, when they set forward from the camp.

When the ark went forward, Moses said, “Rise up, LORD, and let your enemies be scattered! Let those who hate you flee before you!”

When it rested, he said, “Return, LORD, to the ten thousands of the thousands of Israel.”