Daily Bread

Setting Up the Tabernacle

40 Then the Lord said to Moses: ² “Set up^(A) the tabernacle, the tent of meeting,^(B) on the first day of the first month.^{(C) 3} Place the ark^(D) of the covenant law in it and shield the ark with the curtain. ⁴ Bring in the table^(E) and set out what belongs on it.^(F) Then bring in the lampstand^(G) and set up its lamps. ⁵ Place the gold altar^(H) 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^(I) of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; ⁷ place the basin^(J) between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. ⁸ Set up the courtyard^(K) around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.

⁹ “Take the anointing oil and anoint^(L) the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings,^(M) and it will be holy. ¹⁰ Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate^(N) the altar, and it will be most holy. ¹¹ Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them.

¹² “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting^(O) and wash them with water.^{(P) 13} Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments,^(Q) anoint him and consecrate^(R) him so he may serve me as priest. ¹⁴ Bring his sons and dress them in tunics.^{(S) 15} Anoint 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.^(T)” ¹⁶ Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded^(U) him.

¹⁷ So the tabernacle^(V) was set up on the first day of the first month^(W) in the second year. ¹⁸ When Moses^(X) set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames,^(Y) inserted the crossbars and set up the posts. ¹⁹ Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering^(Z) over the tent, as the Lord commanded^(AA) him.

²⁰ He took the tablets of the covenant law^(AB) and placed them in the ark,^(AC) attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover^(AD) over it. ²¹ Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain^(AE) and shielded the ark of the covenant law, as the Lord commanded^(AF) him.

²² Moses placed the table^(AG) in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain ²³ and set out the bread^(AH) on it before the Lord, as the Lord commanded^(AI) him.

²⁴ He placed the lampstand^(AJ) in the tent of meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle ²⁵ and set up the lamps^(AK) before the Lord, as the Lord commanded^(AL) him.

²⁶ Moses placed the gold altar^(AM) in the tent of meeting in front of the curtain ²⁷ and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord commanded^(AN) him.

²⁸ Then he put up the curtain^(AO) at the entrance to the tabernacle. ²⁹ He set the altar^(AP) of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings,^(AQ) as the Lord commanded^(AR) him.

³⁰ He placed the basin^(AS) between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing, ³¹ and Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash^(AT) their hands and feet. ³² They washed whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar,^(AU) as the Lord commanded^(AV) Moses.

³³ Then Moses set up the courtyard^(AW) around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain^(AX) at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.

The Glory of the Lord

³⁴ Then the cloud^(AY) covered the tent of meeting, and the glory^(AZ) of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ³⁵ Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory^(BA) of the Lord filled the tabernacle.^(BB)

³⁶ In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out;^{(BC) 37} but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. ³⁸ So the cloud^(BD) 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.