1    2   The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said, ‘The Israelites shall encamp each under his own standard by the emblems of his father's family; they shall pitch their tents round the Tent of the Presence, facing it.

3   ‘In front of it, on the east, the division of Judah shall be stationed under the standard of its camp by tribal hosts. The chief of Judah shall be Nahshon son of Amminadab. 4   His host, with its members as detailed, numbers seventy-four thousand six hundred men. 5   Next to Judah the tribe of Issachar shall be stationed. Its chief shall be Nethaneel son of Zuar; 6   his host, with its members as detailed, numbers fifty-four thousand four hundred. 7   Then the tribe of Zebulun: its chief shall be Eliab son of Helon; 8   his host, with its members as detailed, numbers fifty-seven thousand four hundred. 9   The number listed in the camp of Judah, by hosts, is one hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred. They shall be the first to march.

10   ‘To the south the division of Reuben shall be stationed under the standard of its camp by tribal hosts. The chief of Reuben shall be Elizur son of Shedeur; 11   his host, with its members as detailed, numbers forty-six thousand five hundred. 12   Next to him the tribe of Simeon shall be stationed. 13   Its chief shall be Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai; his host, with its members as detailed, numbers fifty-nine thousand three hundred. 14   Then the tribe of Gad: its chief shall be Eliasaph son of Reuel; 15   his host, with its members as detailed, numbers forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty. 16   The number listed in the camp of

Israel in the wilderness of Sinai Reuben, by hosts, is one hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty. They shall be the second to march.

17   ‘When the Tent of the Presence moves, the camp of the Levites shall keep its station in the centre of the other camps; they shall all move in the order of their encamping, each man in his proper place under his standard.

18   ‘To the west the division of Ephraim shall be stationed under the standard of its camp by tribal hosts. The chief of Ephraim shall be Elishama son of Ammihud; 19   his host, with its members as detailed, numbers forty thousand five hundred. 20   Next to him the tribe of Manasseh shall be stationed. Its chief shall be Gamaliel son of Pedahzur; his host, 21   with its members as detailed, numbers thirty-two thousand two hundred. 22   Then the tribe of Benjamin: its chief shall be Abidan son of Gideoni; 23   his host, with its members as detailed, numbers thirty-five thousand four hundred. 24   The number listed in the camp of Ephraim, by hosts, is one hundred and eight thousand one hundred. They shall be the third to march.

25   ‘To the north the division of Dan shall be stationed under the standard of its camp by tribal hosts. The chief of Dan shall be Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai; 26   his host, with its members as detailed, numbers sixty-two thousand seven hundred. 27   Next to him the tribe of Asher shall be stationed. 28   Its chief shall be Pagiel son of Ocran; his host, with its members as detailed, numbers forty-one thousand five hundred. 29   Then the tribe of Naphtali: 30   its chief shall be Ahira son of Enan; his host, with its members as detailed, numbers fifty-three thousand four hundred. 31   The number listed in the camp of Dan is a hundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They shall march, under their standards, last.’

32   These were the Israelites listed by their fathers' families. The total number in the camp, recorded by tribal hosts, was six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.

33   The Levites were not included in the detailed lists with their fellow-Israelites, for so the Lord had commanded Moses. 34   The Israelites did exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses, pitching and breaking camp standard by standard, each man according to his family in his father's line.

Previous section

Next section