Knox Bible

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And the Lord bade Moses

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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.

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

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

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

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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

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

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then Issachar under Nathanael son of Suar,

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then Zabulon under Eliab son of Helon.

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

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

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then Simeon under Salamiel son of Surisaddai,

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then Gad under Eliasaph son of Duel.

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

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

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then Manasses under Gamaliel son of Phadassur,

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then Benjamin under Abidan son of Gedeon.

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

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the tribe of Aser under Phegiel son of Ochran,

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and the tribe of Nephthali under Ahira son of Enan.

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

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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.

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

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

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

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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 head✻ to choose their camping-place.

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

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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.

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