The Wilderness Years

Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites set out, transporting it.

Then the divisions of the camp of Reuben set out under their standard, with Elizur son of Shedeur in command.

Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was over the division of the tribe of Simeon,

and Eliasaph son of Deuel was over the division of the tribe of Gad.

Then the Kohathites set out, transporting the holy objects; the tabernacle was to be set up before their arrival.

Next, the divisions of the camp of Ephraim set out under their standard, with Elishama son of Ammihud in command.

Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the division of the tribe of Manasseh,

and Abidan son of Gideoni was over the division of the tribe of Benjamin.

Finally, the divisions of the camp of Dan set out under their standard, serving as the rear guard for all units, with Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai in command.

Pagiel son of Ocran was over the division of the tribe of Asher,

and Ahira son of Enan was over the division of the tribe of Naphtali.

This was the order of march for the Israelite divisions as they set out.

Then Moses said to Hobab, the son of Moses’ father-in-law Reuel the Midianite, “We are setting out for the place of 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.”

“I will not go,” Hobab replied. “Instead, I am going back to my own land and my own people.”

“Please do not leave us,” Moses said, “since you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can serve as our eyes.

If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the LORD gives us.”

So they set out on a three-day journey from the mountain of the LORD, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD traveling ahead of them for those three days to seek a resting place for them.

And the cloud of the LORD was over them by day when they set out from the camp.

Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say, “Rise up, O LORD! May Your enemies be scattered; may those who hate You flee before You.”

And when it came to rest, he would say: “Return, O LORD, to the countless thousands of Israel.”

Soon the people began to complain about their hardship in the hearing of the LORD, and when He heard them, His anger was kindled, and fire from the LORD blazed among them and consumed the outskirts of the camp.

And the people cried out to Moses, and he prayed to the LORD, and the fire died down.

So that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the LORD had burned among them.

Meanwhile, the rabble among them had a strong craving for other food, and again the Israelites wept and said, “Who will feed us meat?

We remember the fish we ate freely in Egypt, along with the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic.