Numbers 9:15–11:3
The Cloud Covering the Tabernacle
15 rOn the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And sat evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning. 16 So it was always: the cloud covered it by day1 and the appearance of fire by night. 17 And whenever the cloud tlifted from over the tent, after that the people of Israel set out, and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the people of Israel camped. 18 At the command of the Lord the people of Israel set out, and at the command of the Lord they camped. uAs long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. 19 Even when the cloud continued over the tabernacle many days, the people of Israel vkept the charge of the Lord and did not set out. 20 Sometimes the cloud was a few days over the tabernacle, and according to the command of the Lord they remained in camp; then according to the command of the Lord they set out. 21 And sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning. And when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out, or if it continued for a day and a night, when the cloud lifted they set out. 22 Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel wremained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out. 23 At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out. vThey kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by Moses.
10 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for xsummoning the congregation and for breaking camp. 3 And when yboth are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 4 But if they blow only one, then zthe chiefs, the heads of the tribes of Israel, shall gather themselves to you. 5 When you blow an alarm, athe camps that are on the east side shall set out. 6 And when you blow an alarm the second time, bthe camps that are on the south side shall set out. An alarm is to be blown whenever they are to set out. 7 But when the assembly is to be gathered together, cyou shall blow a long blast, but you shall not dsound an alarm. 8 eAnd the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. The trumpets shall be to you for a perpetual statute throughout your generations. 9 And fwhen you go to war in your land against the adversary who goppresses you, then you shall dsound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be hremembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies. 10 iOn the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and jat the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be ka reminder of you before your God: I am the Lord your God.”
11 In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, lthe cloud lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony, 12 and the people of Israel mset out by stages from the nwilderness of Sinai. And the cloud settled down in the owilderness of Paran. 13 They set out for the first time pat the command of the Lord by Moses. 14 The standard of the camp of the people of Judah set out qfirst by their companies, and over their company was rNahshon the son of Amminadab. 15 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar. 16 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.
17 And when sthe tabernacle was taken down, the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, twho carried the tabernacle, set out. 18 And uthe standard of the camp of Reuben set out by their companies, and over their company was vElizur the son of Shedeur. 19 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Simeon was wShelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 20 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Gad was xEliasaph the son of yDeuel.
21 Then the Kohathites set out, zcarrying the holy things, and athe tabernacle was set up before their arrival. 22 And bthe standard of the camp of the people of Ephraim set out by their companies, and over their company was cElishama the son of Ammihud. 23 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Manasseh was cGamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 24 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Benjamin was dAbidan the son of Gideoni.
25 Then ethe standard of the camp of the people of Dan, acting as the frear guard of all the camps, set out by their companies, and over their company was gAhiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 26 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Asher was hPagiel the son of Ochran. 27 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Naphtali was iAhira the son of Enan. 28 jThis was the order of march of the people of Israel by their companies, when they set out.
29 And Moses said to Hobab the son of kReuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of which the Lord said, l‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will do good to you, for mthe Lord has promised good to Israel.” 30 But he said to him, “I will not go. I will depart to my own land and to my kindred.” 31 And he said, “Please do not leave us, for you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will serve nas eyes for us. 32 And if you do go with us, owhatever good the Lord will do to us, the same will we do to you.”
33 So they set out from pthe mount of the Lord three days’ journey. And the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them three days’ journey, to seek out qa resting place for them. 34 rAnd the cloud of the Lord was over them by day, whenever they set out from the camp.
35 And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, s“Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.” 36 And when it rested, he said, “Return, O Lord, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel.”
11 And tthe people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, uhis anger was kindled, and vthe fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. 2 Then wthe people cried out to Moses, xand Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down. 3 So the name of that place was called yTaberah,1 because the fire of the Lord burned among them.