Read the Bible

The Tabernacle Erected

¹ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,² "^(C1)On the first day of the first month you shall set up the ^(F1)tabernacle of the tent of meeting.³ "^(C1)You shall place the ark of the testimony there, and you shall screen the ark with the veil.⁴ "You shall ^(C1)bring in the table and ^(F1)(C2)arrange what belongs on it; and you shall ^(C3)bring in the lampstand and ^(F2)mount its lamps.⁵ "Moreover, you shall ^(C1)set the gold altar of incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the veil for the doorway to the tabernacle.⁶ "You shall set the altar of burnt offering in front of the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.⁷ "You shall ^(C1)set the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water ^(F1)in it.⁸ "You shall set up the court all around and ^(F1)hang up the veil for the gateway of the court.⁹ "Then you shall take the anointing oil and ^(C1)anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and shall consecrate it and all its ^(F1)furnishings; and it shall be holy.¹⁰ "You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, and ^(C1)the altar shall be most holy.¹¹ "You shall anoint the laver and its stand, and consecrate it.¹² "Then you shall ^(C1)bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water.¹³ "^(C1)You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister as a priest to Me.¹⁴ "You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them;¹⁵ and you shall anoint them even as you have anointed their father, that they may minister as priests to Me; and their anointing will ^(F1)qualify them for a ^(C1)perpetual priesthood throughout their generations."¹⁶ Thus Moses did; according to all that the LORD had commanded him, so he did.

¹⁷ Now ^(C1)in the first month ^(F1)of the second year, on the first day of the month, the ^(F2)tabernacle was erected.¹⁸ Moses erected the tabernacle and ^(F1)laid its ^(F2)sockets, and set up its boards, and ^(F1)inserted its bars and erected its pillars.¹⁹ He spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent ^(F1)on top of it, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.²⁰ Then he took ^(C1)the testimony and put it into the ark, and ^(F1)attached the poles to the ark, and put the ^(F2)mercy seat ^(F3)on top of the ark.²¹ He brought the ark into the tabernacle, and ^(C1)set up a veil for the screen, and screened off the ark of the testimony, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.²² Then he ^(C1)put the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil.²³ He set the arrangement of ^(C1)bread in order on it before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.²⁴ Then he placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle.²⁵ He ^(C1)lighted the lamps before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.²⁶ Then he ^(C1)placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the veil;²⁷ and he ^(C1)burned fragrant incense on it, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.²⁸ Then he set up the ^(F1)veil for the doorway of the tabernacle.²⁹ He ^(C1)set the altar of burnt offering before the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and ^(C2)offered on it the burnt offering and the meal offering, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.³⁰ He placed the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing.^31 (C1)From it Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet.³² When they entered the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.³³ He ^(C1)erected the court all around the ^(F1)tabernacle and the altar, and ^(F2)hung up the veil for the gateway of the court. Thus Moses finished the work.

The Glory of the LORD

^34 (C1)Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the ^(C2)glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.³⁵ Moses ^(C1)was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.³⁶ Throughout all their journeys ^(C1)whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out;³⁷ but ^(C1)if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up.³⁸ For throughout all their journeys, ^(C1)the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.