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Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:
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'Make yourself two trumpets; make them of beaten silver, so that you can use them for summoning the community, and for sounding the order to break camp.
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Whenever they are sounded, the whole community must gather round you, at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
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But if only one trumpet is sounded, then only the leaders, the heads of Israel's thousands, must gather round you.
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'When the trumpet blast is accompanied by a battle cry, the encampments pitched to the east will set out.
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At the second blast accompanied by a battle cry, the encampments pitched to the south will set out. For breaking camp, the trumpet blast will be accompanied by a battle cry,
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but for assembling the community the trumpets will be sounded without battle cry.
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The Aaronite priests will sound the trumpets; this is a perpetual decree for you and your descendants.
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'When in your country you go to war against an enemy who is oppressing you, you will sound trumpets with a battle cry, and Yahweh your God will remember you, and you will be delivered from your enemies.
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At your festivals, solemnities and new-moon feasts, you will sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and communion sacrifices, so that they recall you to the remembrance of your God. I am Yahweh your God.'
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In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud rose from where the Dwelling of the Testimony was,
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and the Israelites set out, in marching order, from the desert of Sinai. The cloud came to rest in the desert of Paran.
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These were the men who set out in the vanguard, at Yahweh's order through Moses:
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first went the standard of the camp of the Judahites and their units, with Nahshon son of Amminadab commanding that contingent;
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Nethanel son of Zuar commanding the tribal contingent of the Issacharites;
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and Eliab son of Helon commanding the tribal contingent of the Zebulunites.
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The Dwelling was then dismantled and the Gershonites and Merarites set out, carrying the Dwelling.
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Then came the standard of the camp of the Reubenites and their units, with Elizur son of Shedeur commanding that contingent;
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Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai commanding the tribal contingent of the Simeonites;
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and Eliasaph son of Reuel commanding the tribal contingent of the Gadites.
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Then came the Kohathites carrying the sanctuary (the Dwelling was erected before they arrived).
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Then came the standard of the camp of the Ephraimites and their units, with Elishama son of Ammihud commanding that contingent;
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Gamaliel son of Pedahzur commanding the tribal contingent of the Manassehites;
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and Abidan son of Gideoni commanding the tribal contingent of the Benjaminites.
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Last of all, the rearguard of all the camps, came the standard of the camp of the Danites and their units, with Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai commanding that contingent;
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Pagiel son of Ochran commanding the tribal contingent of the Asherites;
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and Ahira son of Enan commanding the tribal contingent of the Naphtalites.
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Such was the order of march for the Israelites, unit by unit. So they set out.
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Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, his father-in-law, 'We are setting out for the country of which Yahweh has said: I shall give it to you. Come with us, and we will treat you well, for Yahweh has promised good things for Israel.'
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'I will not come with you,' he replied, 'but shall go to my own country and kin.'
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'Do not leave us,' Moses said, 'for you know where we can camp in the desert, and so you will be our eyes.
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If you come with us, we shall share with you whatever blessings Yahweh gives us.'
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They set out from Yahweh's mountain and travelled for three days, while the ark of the covenant of Yahweh preceded them on the three-day journey, searching out a place for them to halt.
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In the daytime, Yahweh's cloud was over them, once they had broken camp.
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Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say: Rise, Yahweh, may your enemies be scattered and those who hate you flee at your approach!
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And when it halted, he would say: Come back, Yahweh, to the countless thousands of Israel!
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