1 And the Lord said to Moses,

2 Make two silver horns of hammered work, to be used for getting the people together and to give the sign for the moving of the tents.

3 When they are sounded, all the people are to come together to you at the door of the Tent of meeting.

4 If only one of them is sounded, then the chiefs, the heads of the thousands of Israel, are to come to you.

5 When a loud note is sounded, the tents placed on the east side are to go forward.

6 At the sound of a second loud note, the tents on the south side are to go forward: the loud note will be the sign to go forward.

7 But when all the people are to come together, the horn is to be sounded but not loudly.

8 The horns are to be sounded by the sons of Aaron, the priests; this is to be a law for you for ever, from generation to generation.

9 And if you go to war in your land against any who do you wrong, then let the loud note of the horn be sounded; and the Lord your God will keep you in mind and give you salvation from those who are against you.

10 And on days of joy and on your regular feasts and on the first day of every month, let the horns be sounded over your burned offerings and your peace-offerings; and they will put the Lord in mind of you: I am the Lord your God.

11 Now in the second year, on the twentieth day of the second month, the cloud was taken up from over the Tent of witness.

12 And the children of Israel went on their journey out of the waste land of Sinai; and the cloud came to rest in the waste land of Paran.

13 They went forward for the first time on their journey as the Lord had given orders by the hand of Moses.

14 First the flag of the children of Judah went forward with their armies: and at the head of his army was Nahshon, the son of Amminadab.

15 And at the head of the army of the children of Issachar was Nethanel, the son of Zuar.

16 And at the head of the army of the children of Zebulun was Eliab, the son of Helon.

17 Then the House was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who were responsible for moving the House, went forward.

18 Then the flag of the children of Reuben went forward with their armies: and at the head of his army was Elizur, the son of Shedeur.

19 And at the head of the army of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai.

20 At the head of the army of the children of Gad was Eliasaph, the son of Reuel.

21 Then the Kohathites went forward with the holy place; the others put up the House ready for their coming.

22 Then the flag of the children of Ephraim went forward with their armies: and at the head of his army was Elishama, the son of Ammihud.

23 At the head of the army of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur.

24 At the head of the army of the children of Benjamin was Abidan, the son of Gideoni.

25 And the flag of the children of Dan, whose tents were moved last of all, went forward with their armies: and at the head of his army was Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai.

26 At the head of the army of the children of Asher was Pagiel, the son of Ochran.

27 And at the head of the army of the children of Naphtali was Ahira, the son of Enan.

28 This was the order in which the children of Israel were journeying by armies; so they went forward.

29 Then Moses said to Hobab, the son of his father-in-law Reuel the Midianite, We are journeying to that place of which the Lord has said, I will give it to you: so come with us, and it will be for your profit: for the Lord has good things in store for Israel.

30 But he said, I will not go with you, I will go back to the land of my birth and to my relations.

31 And he said, Do not go from us; for you will be eyes for us, guiding us to the right places in the waste land to put up our tents.

32 And if you come with us, we will give you a part in whatever good the Lord does for us.

33 So they went forward three days' journey from the mountain of the Lord; and the ark of the Lord's agreement went three days' journey before them, looking for a resting-place for them;

34 And by day the cloud of the Lord went over them, when they went forward from the place where they had put up their tents.

35 And when the ark went forward Moses said, Come up, O Lord, and let the armies of those who are against you be broken, and let your haters go in flight before you.

36 And when it came to rest, he said, Take rest, O Lord, and give a blessing to the families of Israel.

1 Então o Senhor disse a Moisés:

2 Faz duas trombetas de prata batida, para com elas convocares o povo para uma reunião, ou para levantarem o acampamento. Quando ambas as trombetas tocarem ao mesmo tempo, o povo ficará a saber que deverá juntar-se à entrada do tabernáculo. Se for uma só a tocar, então é porque são só convocados os chefes das tribos para virem ter contigo.

5 Serão também precisos toques diferentes para distinguir entre a convocação de toda a assembleia do povo e o sinal de levantar o acampamento e continuar a marcha. Então, quando se tratar do sinal de prosseguir a deslocação, as tribos que estão a oriente do tabernáculo serão as primeiras a partir; ao segundo sinal, ir-se-ão as que estão ao sul. Só aos sacerdotes é permitido tocar as trombetas. É uma ordem permanente, a ser seguida por toda as gerações vindouras.

9 Quando chegarem à terra prometida e tiverem de combater, Deus vos ouvirá e vos salvará dos vossos inimigos quando tocarem em sinal de alarme, com estas duas trombetas. Usem-nas pois, igualmente em tempos de alegria como por exemplo nas vossas festividades anuais, assim como no início de cada mês, para se alegrarem com os vossos holocaustos e sacrifícios de paz, como memorial para o povo de Israel da aliança que Deus fez convosco. Eu sou Jeová, o vosso Deus.

11 A nuvem ergueu-se então sobre o tabernáculo no dia 20 do segundo mês do segundo ano após a saída de Israel do Egipto; e foi assim que os Israelitas deixaram o deserto do Sinai, seguindo a nuvem até ela se deter sobre o deserto de Parã. Esta foi então a sua primeira deslocação após terem recebido as instruções que o Senhor deu a Moisés respeitantes às viagens que teriam de realizar.

14 À cabeça da coluna ia a tribo de Judá, agrupada atrás do seu pendão, e conduzida por Nassom, o filho de Aminadabe. Logo a seguir vinha a tribo de Issacar, chefiada por Netanel, filho de Zuar, e após eles, a tribo de Zebulão, com Eliabe (filho de Helom) à frente.

17 O tabernáculo fora pois desarmado; e os homens dos grupos de Gerson e de Merari, da tribo de Levi, vinham logo a seguir na linha de marcha, transportando o tabernáculo aos ombros.

18 Vinha a seguir a bandeira do campo de Rúben, com Elizur, filho de Sedeur, conduzindo o povo. E depois era a tribo de Simeão, trazendo à cabeça Selumiel, filho de Zurisadai; e após eles, a tribo de Gad, com Eliasafe, filho de Deuel.

21 Seguiam-se-lhes os coatitas, carregando com os objectos que lhes competiam, do interior do santuário. Quando estes chegavam ao novo local, já os outros tinham montado a estrutura do tabernáculo.

22 A seguir, na ordem da coluna, vinha a tribo de Efraim, sob a sua bandeira, conduzindo por Elisama, filho de Amiude; e depois a tribo de Manassés, com Gamaliel (filho de Pedazur) à frente, e a tribo de Benjamim, levados por Abidã, filho de Gideoni. A coluna fechava com as seguinte três tribos, ordenadas assim: Dan sob a chefia de Alezer, filho de Amisadai; Aser, com Pagiel, filho de Ocrã, como chefe; e Naftali, conduzidos por Airá, filho de Enã.

28 Esta era a ordem pela qual se deslocavam as tribos.

29 Um dia Moisés disse para o seu cunhado Hobabe, filho de Reuel, midianita, sogro de Moisés: Estamos, enfim, a caminhar para a terra prometida! Vem connosco e te faremos bem. Olha que o Senhor fez promessas maravilhosas a Israel!

30 Mas ele respondeu-lhe: Não, eu tenho de regressar à minha terra e à minha família.

31 Fica connosco, insistiu Moisés, porque, sendo que conheces bem todos os caminhos do deserto, seria uma grande ajuda para nós. Já sabes, se vieres, partilharás connosco de todas as boas coisas que o Senhor nos der e nos fizer.

33 E assim viajaram durante três dias, após terem deixado o monte do Senhor, levando a arca à cabeça da coluna, para lhes mostrar o local onde deviam parar.

34 Era de dia quando iniciaram a marcha, com a nuvem deslocando-se à frente deles.

35 E quando a arca partia, Moisés dizia: Levanta-te, Senhor, e dispersa os teus inimigos! Que fujam diante de ti!

36 Assim também, quando a arca tornava a ser posta no chão, dizia: Volta, Senhor, para os milhares de Israel!