Moses Inspects the Tabernacle^(A)

³² So all the work on the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was completed. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses.^{(B) 33} Then they brought the tabernacle^(C) to Moses: the tent and all its furnishings, its clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases; ³⁴ the covering of ram skins dyed red and the covering of another durable leather^[a] and the shielding curtain; ³⁵ the ark of the covenant law^(D) with its poles and the atonement cover; ³⁶ the table^(E) with all its articles and the bread of the Presence;^{(F) 37} the pure gold lampstand^(G) with its row of lamps and all its accessories,^(H) and the olive oil^(I) for the light; ³⁸ the gold altar,^(J) the anointing oil,^(K) the fragrant incense,^(L) and the curtain^(M) for the entrance to the tent; ³⁹ the bronze altar^(N) with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the basin^(O) with its stand; ⁴⁰ the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard;^(P) the ropes and tent pegs for the courtyard; all the furnishings for the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; ⁴¹ and the woven garments^(Q) worn for ministering in the sanctuary, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when serving as priests.

⁴² The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses.^{(R) 43} Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded.^(S) So Moses blessed^(T) them.

Setting Up the Tabernacle

40 Then the Lord said to Moses: ² “Set up^(U) the tabernacle, the tent of meeting,^(V) on the first day of the first month.^{(W) 3} Place the ark^(X) of the covenant law in it and shield the ark with the curtain. ⁴ Bring in the table^(Y) and set out what belongs on it.^(Z) Then bring in the lampstand^(AA) and set up its lamps. ⁵ Place the gold altar^(AB) 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^(AC) of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; ⁷ place the basin^(AD) between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. ⁸ Set up the courtyard^(AE) around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.

⁹ “Take the anointing oil and anoint^(AF) the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings,^(AG) and it will be holy. ¹⁰ Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate^(AH) 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^(AI) and wash them with water.^{(AJ) 13} Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments,^(AK) anoint him and consecrate^(AL) him so he may serve me as priest. ¹⁴ Bring his sons and dress them in tunics.^{(AM) 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.^(AN)” ¹⁶ Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded^(AO) him.

¹⁷ So the tabernacle^(AP) was set up on the first day of the first month^(AQ) in the second year. ¹⁸ When Moses^(AR) set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames,^(AS) inserted the crossbars and set up the posts. ¹⁹ Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering^(AT) over the tent, as the Lord commanded^(AU) him.

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

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

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

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

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

³⁰ He placed the basin^(BM) 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^(BN) their hands and feet. ³² They washed whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar,^(BO) as the Lord commanded^(BP) Moses.

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

The Glory of the Lord

³⁴ Then the cloud^(BS) covered the tent of meeting, and the glory^(BT) 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^(BU) of the Lord filled the tabernacle.^(BV)

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

The Cloud Above the Tabernacle

¹⁵ On the day the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant law,^(A) was set up,^(B) the cloud^(C) covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire.^{(D) 16} That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire.^{(E) 17} Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out;^(F) wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped.^{(G) 18} At the Lord’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained^(H) in camp. ¹⁹ When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord’s order^(I) and did not set out.^{(J) 20} Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the Lord’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. ²¹ Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. ²² Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. ²³ At the Lord’s command they encamped, and at the Lord’s command they set out. They obeyed the Lord’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.