“How long must I see the enemy’s battle flags and hear the military signals of their bugles?” ¹ 

You have given your loyal followers ¹  a rallying flag, so that they might seek safety from the bow. ²  (Selah)

¹ On a bare hill raise a signal flag, shout to them, wave your hand, so they might enter the gates of the princes!

All you who live in the world, who reside on the earth, you will see a signal flag raised on the mountains; you will hear a trumpet being blown.

Come through! Come through the gates! Prepare the way for the people! Build it! Build the roadway! Remove the stones! Lift a signal flag for the nations!

The standard ¹  of the camp of the Judahites set out first according to their companies, and over his company was Nahshon son of Amminadab.

The standard of the camp of Reuben set out according to their companies; over his company was Elizur son of Shedeur.

And the standard of the camp of the Ephraimites set out according to their companies; over his company was Elishama son of Ammihud.

Can the papyrus plant grow tall ¹  where there is no marsh? Can reeds flourish ²  without water?

One thousand will scurry at the battle cry of one enemy soldier; ¹  at the battle cry of five enemy soldiers you will all run away, ²  until the remaining few are as isolated ³  as a flagpole on a mountaintop or a signal flag on a hill.”

He lifts a signal flag for a distant nation, ¹  he whistles for it to come from the far regions of the earth. Look, they ²  come quickly and swiftly.

He will lift a signal flag for the nations; he will gather Israel’s dispersed people ¹  and assemble Judah’s scattered people from the four corners of the earth.

They will surrender their stronghold ¹  because of fear; ²  their officers will be afraid of the Lord’s battle flag.” ³  This is what the Lord says – the one whose fire is in Zion, whose firepot is in Jerusalem. ⁴ 

This is what the sovereign Lord says: “Look I will raise my hand to the nations; I will raise my signal flag to the peoples. They will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders.

For your loyal love extends beyond the sky, ¹  and your faithfulness reaches the clouds.

“The Israelites will camp according to their divisions, each man in his camp, and each man by his standard.

“Every one ¹  of the Israelites must camp ²  under his standard with the emblems of his family; ³  they must camp at some distance ⁴  around the tent of meeting. ⁵ 

“Now those who will be camping ¹  on the east, toward the sunrise, ²  are the divisions ³  of the camp of Judah under their standard. The leader of the people of Judah is ⁴  Nahshon son of Amminadab.

“On the south will be the divisions of the camp of Reuben under their standard. ¹  The leader of the people of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur.

“Then the tent of meeting with the camp of the Levites will travel in the middle of the camps. They will travel in the same order as they camped, each in his own place ¹  under his standard.