Instructions for setting up the Israeli camp

1Then Yahweh said this to Aaron and Moses/me:

2“When the Israelis set up their tents, they should set them up in areas that surround the Sacred Tent, but not close to it. The people of each tribe must set up their tents in a different area. Each tribe must erect in that area a banner of their own clan and a flag that represents their tribe.

3The people of the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun must set up their tents on the east side of the Sacred Tent, close to their tribal flags. These are the names of the leaders of those tribes and the number of soldiers whom they will lead: Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, will be the leader of the 74,600 men of the tribe of Judah.

5Nethanel, the son of Zuar, will be the leader of the 54,500 men of the tribe of Issachar.

7Eliab, the son of Helon, will be the leader of the 57,400 men of the tribe of Zebulun.

9So there will be 86,400 troops on the east side of the Sacred Tent. Whenever the Israelis move to a new location, those three tribes must go in front of the others.

10The tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad must set up their tents on the south side of the Sacred Tent, close to their tribal flags. These are the names of the leaders of those tribes and the number of men whom they will lead: Elizur, the son of Shedeur, will be the leader of the 46,500 men of the tribe of Reuben.

12Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai, will be the leader of the 59,300 men of the tribe of Simeon.

14Eliasaph, the son of Deuel, will be the leader of the 45,650 men of the tribe of Gad.

16So there will be 151,450 troops on the south side of the Sacred Tent. Those three tribes will follow the first group when the Israelis travel.

17Behind that group will walk the descendants of Levi, who will carry the Sacred Tent. The Israelis will march in the same order that they always set up their tents. Each tribe will carry its own flag.

18The tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin must set up their tents on the west side of the Sacred Tent, close to their tribal flags. These are the names of the leaders of those tribes and number of men whom they will lead: Elishama, the son of Ammihud, will be the leader of the 40,500 men of the tribe of Ephraim.

20Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, will be the leader of the 32,200 men of the tribe of Manasseh.

22Abidan, the son of Gideoni, will be the leader of the 35,400 men of the tribe of Benjamin.

24So there will be 108,100 troops on the west side of the Sacred Tent. Those three tribes will follow the second group, behind the descendants of Levi.

25The tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali must set up their tents on the north side of the Sacred Tent, close to their tribal flags. These are the names of the leaders of those tribes and the number of men whom they will lead: Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai, will be the leader of the 62,700 men of the tribe of Dan.

27Pagiel, the son of Ocran, will be the leader of the 41,500 men of the tribe of Asher.

29Ahira, the son of Enan, will be the leader of the 53,400 men of the tribe of Naphtali.

31So there will be 157,600 troops on the north side of the Sacred Tent. Those three tribes will be last. They must carry their own flags when the Israelis travel.”

32So there were 603,550 Israeli men who were able to fight who were listed according to their families’ ancestors.

33But just as Yahweh had commanded, the names of the descendants of Levi were not included.

34The Israelis did everything that Yahweh had told Moses/me. They set up their tents close to their tribal flags, and when they traveled to a new location, they walked with their own clans and family groups.