Moses Sets Up the Holy Tent
1Then the Lord said to Moses, 2“Set up the holy tent, the tent of meeting. Set it up on the first day of the first month. 3Place in it the ark where the tablets of the covenant law are kept. Hide the ark with the curtain. 4Bring in the table for the holy bread. Arrange the loaves of bread on it. Then bring in the lampstand. Set up its lamps. 5Place the gold altar for burning incense in front of the ark where the tablets of the covenant law are kept. Put up the curtain at the entrance to the holy tent.
6“Place the altar for burnt offerings in front of the entrance to the holy tent, the tent of meeting. 7Place the large bowl between the tent of meeting and the altar. Put water in the bowl. 8Set up the courtyard around the holy tent. Put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.
9“Get the anointing oil. Anoint the holy tent and everything in it. Set apart the holy tent and everything that belongs to it. Then it will be holy. 10Anoint the altar for burnt offerings and all its tools. Set apart the altar. Then it will be a very holy place. 11Anoint the large bowl and its stand. Set them apart.
12“Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting. Wash them with water. 13Dress Aaron in the sacred clothes. Anoint him and set him apart. Then he will be able to serve me as priest. 14Bring his sons and dress them in their inner robes. 15Anoint them just as you anointed their father. Then they will be able to serve me as priests. They will be anointed to do the work of priests. That work will last for all time to come.” 16Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him.
17So the holy tent was set up. It was the first day of the first month in the second year. 18Moses set up the holy tent. He put the bases in place. He put the frames in them. He put in the crossbars. He set up the posts. 19He spread the holy tent over the frames. Then he put the coverings over the tent. Moses did it as the Lord had commanded him.
20He got the tablets of the covenant law. He placed them in the ark. He put the poles through its rings. And he put the cover on it. The cover was the place where sin is paid for. 21Moses brought the ark into the holy tent. He hung the curtain to hide the ark where the tablets of the covenant law are kept. Moses did it as the Lord had commanded him.
22Moses placed the table for the holy bread in the tent of meeting. It was on the north side of the holy tent outside the curtain. 23He arranged the loaves of bread on it in the sight of the Lord. Moses did it as the Lord had commanded him.
24Moses placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting. It stood across from the table on the south side of the holy tent. 25He set up the lamps in front of the Lord. Moses did it as the Lord had commanded him.
26Moses placed the gold altar for burning incense in the tent of meeting. He placed it in front of the curtain. 27He burned sweet-smelling incense on it. Moses did it as the Lord had commanded him.
28Then Moses put up the curtain at the entrance to the holy tent. 29He set the altar for burnt offerings near the entrance to the holy tent, the tent of meeting. He sacrificed burnt offerings and grain offerings on it. Moses did it as the Lord had commanded him.
30Moses placed the large bowl between the tent of meeting and the altar. He put water in the bowl for washing. 31Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and feet. 32They washed whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar. They did it as the Lord had commanded Moses.
33Then Moses set up the courtyard around the holy tent and altar. He put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses completed the work.
The Glory of the Lord
34Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting. The glory of the Lord filled the holy tent. 35Moses couldn’t enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it. The glory of the Lord filled the holy tent.
36The Israelites continued their travels. Whenever the cloud lifted from above the holy tent, they started out. 37But if the cloud didn’t lift, they did not start out. They stayed until the day it lifted. 38So the cloud of the Lord was above the holy tent during the day. Fire was in the cloud at night. All the Israelites could see the cloud during all their travels.
Setting Up the Tabernacle
1Then the Lord said to Moses: 2“Set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the first month. 3Place the ark of the covenant law in it and shield the ark with the curtain. 4Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the covenant law and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.
6“Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; 7place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. 8Set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.
9“Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. 10Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it will be most holy. 11Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them.
12“Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 13Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest. 14Bring his sons and dress them in tunics. 15Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations.” 16Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him.
17So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. 18When Moses set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames, inserted the crossbars and set up the posts. 19Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, as the Lord commanded him.
20He took the tablets of the covenant law and placed them in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it. 21Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the ark of the covenant law, as the Lord commanded him.
22Moses placed the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain 23and set out the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him.
24He placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle 25and set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him.
26Moses placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the curtain 27and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord commanded him.
28Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. 29He set the altar of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings, as the Lord commanded him.
30He placed the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing, 31and Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and feet. 32They washed whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar, as the Lord commanded Moses.
33Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.
The Glory of the Lord
34Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
36In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. 38So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels.
