Israel¡¯s armies
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said:
2 ¡°The Israelites are to camp, every man by his own banner, under the flag
of his tribe. They are to camp all around the Holy Tent of the Testimony,
but at some distance from it.
3 Those who are to camp on the east side, towards the sunrise: the camp of
Judah around his banner, in battle arrangement. Leader of the sons of Judah:
Nahshon son of Amminadab.
4 His command: 74,600 men.
5 Encamped next to him:
The tribe of Issachar. Leader of the sons of Issachar: Nethanel son of Zuar.
6 His command: 54,400 men.
7 The tribe of Zebulun. Leader of the sons of Zebulun: Eliab son of Helon.
8 His command: 57,400.
9 The assembled strength of the camp of Judah numbers in all 186,400. These
are to be first in marching.
10 On the south side, the banner of the camp of Reuben, in battle formation.
Leader of the sons of Reuben: Elizur son of Shedeur.
11 His command: 46,500 men.
12 Beside him shall camp: the tribe of Simeon. Leader of the sons of Simeon:
Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
13 His comand: 59,300 men.
14 The tribe of Gad. Leader of the sons of Gad: Eliasaph son of Reuel.
15 His command: 45,650 men.
16 The assembled strength of the camp of Reuben numbers in all 151,450. They
are to be second in order of marching.
17 Next the Tent of Meeting will move, since the camp of the Levites is
located in the middle of the other camps. The order of marching is to be the
same order as in camping, every man under his own banner.
18 On the west side, the banner of the camp of Ephraim, in battle formation.
Leader of the sons of Ephraim: Elishama son of Ammihud.
19 His command: 40,500 men.
20 Next to him: the tribe of Manasseh. Leader of the tribe of Manasseh:
Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.
21 His command: 32,200 men.
22 The tribe of Benjamin. Leader of the sons of Benjamin: Abidan son of
Gideoni.
23 His command: 35,400 men.
24 The assembled strength of the camp of Ephraim numbers in all 108,100.
They are to be third in order of marching.
25 On the north side, the banner of the camp of Dan, in battle formation.
Leader of the sons of Dan: Ahiezer son of Ammi shaddai.
26 His command: 62,700 men.
27 Beside him shall camp
28 the tribe of Asher. Leader of the sons of Asher: Pagiel son of Ochran.
His command: 41,500 men.
29 The tribe of Naphtali. Leader of the sons of Naphtali: Ahira son of Enan.
30 His command: 53,400 men.
31 The assembled strength of the camp of Dan numbers in all 157,600. They
are to be last in order of marching.¡±
32 Such was the total count of the sons of Israel when the census was made
according to tribes. The full count of the entire camp, grouped under the
various commands, was 603,550.
33 The Levites, as Yahweh had commanded Moses, were not included in this
census of the sons of Israel.
34 The sons of Israel did exactly as Yah weh had commanded Moses. This was
how they camped, grouped by banners. This was how they broke camp, each in
his own clan, every man with his own family.