Setting Up the Tabernacle

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

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

The Glory of Yahweh

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