Numbers 10
The full text of Numbers 10 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Hebrew. Free to read.
1 The LORD spoke to Moses. He said:
2 "Make two trumpets of hammered silver, and use them for summoning the community and for having the camps set out.
3 When both are sounded, the whole community is to assemble before you at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
4 If only one is sounded, the leaders—the heads of the clans of Israel—are to assemble before you.
5 When you sound a blast, the tribes camping on the east are to set out.
6 At the sounding of a second blast, the tribes camping on the south are to set out. The blast is the signal for setting out.
7 To gather the assembly, sound the trumpets, but not with the same blast.
8 "Aaron's sons, the priests, are to sound the trumpets. This is to be a lasting ordinance for you and the generations to come.
9 When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the LORD your God and rescued from your enemies.
10 Also at your times of rejoicing—your appointed festivals and New Moon feasts—you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. They will be a reminder for you before your God. I am the LORD your God."
11 On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle of the covenant law.
12 Then the Israelites set out from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran.
13 They set out, this first time, at the LORD's command through Moses.
14 The divisions of the camp of Judah went first, under their standard. Nahshon son of Amminadab was over their division.
15 Nethanel son of Zuar was over the division of the tribe of Issachar,
16 and Eliab son of Helon was over the division of the tribe of Zebulun.
17 Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and Merarites, who carried it, set out.
18 The divisions of the camp of Reuben went next, under their standard. Elizur son of Shedeur was over their division.
19 Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was over the division of the tribe of Simeon,
20 and Eliasaph son of Deuel was over the division of the tribe of Gad.
21 Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy things. The tabernacle was to be set up before they arrived.
22 The divisions of the camp of Ephraim went next, under their standard. Elishama son of Ammihud was over their division.
23 Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the division of the tribe of Manasseh,
24 and Abidan son of Gideoni was over the division of the tribe of Benjamin.
25 Finally, as the rear guard for all the divisions, the divisions of the camp of Dan set out under their standard. Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai was over their division.
26 Pagiel son of Ocran was over the division of the tribe of Asher,
27 and Ahira son of Enan was over the division of the tribe of Naphtali.
28 This was the order of march for the Israelite divisions as they set out.
29 Now Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, "We are setting out for the place about which the LORD said, 'I will give it to you.' Come with us and we will treat you well, for the LORD has promised good things to Israel."
30 He answered, "No, I will not go; I am going back to my own land and my own people."
31 But Moses said, "Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.
32 If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the LORD gives us."
33 So they set out from the mountain of the LORD and traveled for three days. The ark of the covenant of the LORD went ahead of them during those three days to find them a place to rest.
34 The cloud of the LORD was over them by day whenever they set out from the camp.
35 Whenever the ark set out, Moses said,
"Rise up, LORD!
May your enemies be scattered;
may those who hate you flee before you."
36 And whenever it came to rest, he said,
"Return, LORD,
to the countless thousands of Israel."
Translation notes (7)
- Numbers 10:2a These trumpets, called chatsotserot in Hebrew, are straight metal signal-trumpets, which are distinct from the ram's-horn shofar. The word "hammered" (miqshah) means they were beaten from a single piece of silver.
- Numbers 10:5a The phrase "A blast" translates the Hebrew word teru'ah, which describes a staccato alarm or fanfare. This is distinct from the sustained tone (taqa') used for assembly in verse 7.
- Numbers 10:9a The phrase "Remembered by the LORD" (ve-nizkartem lifney YHWH in Hebrew) does not mean that God had forgotten. Instead, it is covenant language indicating that God will act on Israel's behalf in response to the signal.
- Numbers 10:29a Reuel is also called Jethro in other passages (Exodus 3:1; 18:1). The Hebrew word choten means a male in-law by marriage. The text is genuinely ambiguous about whether Hobab is Moses' father-in-law or his brother-in-law (with Reuel being the father-in-law), and this ambiguity is preserved here.
- Numbers 10:31a The phrase "Be our eyes" (ve-hayita lanu le-'eynayim in Hebrew) is an idiom meaning to serve as a guide or scout—someone whose local knowledge helps the entire company find its way.
- Numbers 10:35a This ancient ark-cry (verses 35-36) is structured as poetry with parallel lines. In the standard Hebrew text, it is marked off by inverted nun characters before and after, an old scribal sign whose meaning is debated (perhaps indicating a displaced or specially set-apart unit); the verses are kept in their original place here.
- Numbers 10:36a The phrase "The countless thousands of Israel" translates the Hebrew rivevot alfey yisra'el, which literally means "the ten-thousands of the thousands of Israel." This is a poetic way to describe Israel's vast multitude. The verb shuvah can mean either "return" or "restore (rest)"; the cry asks the LORD to settle again among the people.
About this translation
The Trinity Bible Version (TBV) is Trinity Bible's own modern English translation, worked directly from the original Hebrew and honest to the earliest manuscripts. It was completed in 2026 — the most modern English Bible translation — and is exclusive to Trinity Bible. Every chapter, including all of Numbers, is free to read here on the web.
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