Setting Up and Dedicating the Tent of the Lord's Presence
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “On the first day of the first month set up the Tent of the Lord's presence. 3 Place in it the Covenant Box containing the Ten Commandments and put the curtain in front of it. 4 Bring in the table and place the equipment on it. Also bring in the lampstand and set up the lamps on it. 5 Put the gold altar for burning incense in front of the Covenant Box and hang the curtain at the entrance of the Tent. 6 Put in front of the Tent the altar for burning offerings. 7 Put the washbasin between the Tent and the altar and fill it with water. 8 Put up the surrounding enclosure and hang the curtain at its entrance.
9 “Then dedicate the Tent and all its equipment by anointing it with the sacred oil, and it will be holy. 10 Next, dedicate the altar and all its equipment by anointing it, and it will be completely holy. 11 Also dedicate the washbasin and its base in the same way.
12 “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent, and have them take a ritual bath. 13 Dress Aaron in the priestly garments, anoint him, and in this way consecrate him, so that he can serve me as priest. 14 Bring his sons and put the shirts on them. 15 Then anoint them, just as you anointed their father, so that they can serve me as priests. This anointing will make them priests for all time to come.”
16 Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded. 17 So on the first day of the first month of the second year after they left Egypt, the Tent of the Lord's presence was set up. 18 Moses put down its bases, set up its frames, attached its crossbars, and put up its posts. 19 He spread out the covering over the Tent and put the outer covering over it, just as the Lord had commanded. 20 Then he took the two stone tablets and put them in the Covenant Box. He put the poles in the rings of the Box and put the lid on it. 21 Then he put the Box in the Tent and hung up the curtain. In this way he screened off the Covenant Box, just as the Lord had commanded.
22 He put the table in the Tent, on the north side outside the curtain, 23 and placed on it the bread offered to the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded. 24 He put the lampstand in the Tent, on the south side, opposite the table, 25 and there in the Lord's presence he lit the lamps, just as the Lord had commanded. 26 He put the gold altar in the Tent, in front of the curtain, 27 and burned the sweet-smelling incense, just as the Lord had commanded. 28 He hung the curtain at the entrance of the Tent, 29 and there in front of the curtain he placed the altar for burning offerings. On it he sacrificed the burnt offering and the grain offering, just as the Lord had commanded. 30 He put the washbasin between the Tent and the altar and filled it with water. 31 Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and their feet there 32 whenever they went into the Tent or to the altar, just as the Lord had commanded. 33 Moses set up the enclosure around the Tent and the altar and hung the curtain at the entrance of the enclosure. So he finished all the work.
The Cloud over the Tent of the Lord's Presence
(Numbers 9.15-23)34 Then the cloud covered the Tent and the dazzling light of the Lord's presence filled it. 35 Because of this, Moses could not go into the Tent. 36 The Israelites moved their camp to another place only when the cloud lifted from the Tent. 37 As long as the cloud stayed there, they did not move their camp. 38 During all their wanderings they could see the cloud of the Lord's presence over the Tent during the day and a fire burning above it during the night.
1 Then the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying, 2 In the first day of the first moneth in the very first of the same moneth shalt thou set vp the Tabernacle, called ye Tabernacle of the Congregation: 3 And thou shalt put therein the Arke of the Testimonie, and couer the Arke with the vaile. 4 Also thou shalt bring in the Table, and set it in order as it doth require: thou shalt also bring in the Candlesticke, and light his lampes, 5 And thou shalt set ye incense Altar of gold before the Arke of the Testimonie, and put the hanging at the doore of the Tabernacle. 6 Moreouer, thou shalt set the burnt offering Altar before the doore of the Tabernacle, called the Tabernacle of the Congregation. 7 And thou shalt set the Lauer betweene the Tabernacle of the Congregation and the Altar, and put water therein. 8 Then thou shalt appoynt the courte round about, and hang vp the hanging at the courte gate. 9 After, thou shalt take the anoynting oyle, and anoynt the Tabernacle, and all that is therein, and halowe it with all the instruments thereof, that it may be holy. 10 And thou shalt anoynt the Altar of the burnt offring, and all his instruments, and shalt sanctifie the Altar, that it may bee an altar most holie. 11 Also thou shalt anoynt the Lauer, and his foote, and shalt sanctifie it. 12 Then thou shalt bring Aaron and his sonnes vnto the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and wash them with water. 13 And thou shalt put vpon Aaron the holy garmentes, and shalt anoynt him, and sanctifie him, that he may minister vnto me in the Priestes office. 14 Thou shalt also bring his sonnes, and clothe them with garments, 15 And shalt anoynt them as thou diddest anoynt their father, that they may minister vnto mee in the Priestes office: for their anoynting shall be a signe, that the Priesthood shall be euerlasting vnto them throughout their generations. 16 So Moses did according to all that ye Lord had commanded him: so did he. 17 Thus was the Tabernacle reared vp the first day of the first moneth in the seconde yeere. 18 Then Moses reared vp the Tabernacle and fastened his sockets, and set vp the boardes thereof, and put in the barres of it, and reared vp his pillars. 19 And he spred the couering ouer the Tabernacle, and put the couering of that couering on hie aboue it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 20 And he tooke and put the Testimonie in the Arke, and put the barres in the ringes of the Arke, and set the Merciseate on hie vpon the Arke. 21 He brought also the Arke into the Tabernacle, and hanged vp the couering vaile, and couered the Arke of the Testimonie, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 22 Furthermore he put the Table in the Tabernacle of the Congregation in the Northside of the Tabernacle, without the vaile, 23 And set the bread in order before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 24 Also he put the Candlesticke in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, ouer against the Table toward ye Southside of the Tabernacle. 25 And he lighted the lampes before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 26 Moreouer he set the golden Altar in the Tabernacle of the Congregation before the vayle, 27 And burnt sweete incense thereon, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 28 Also he hanged vp the vayle at the doore of the Tabernacle. 29 After, he set the burnt offring Altar without the doore of the Tabernacle, called the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and offered the burnt offering and the sacrifice thereon, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 30 Likewise he set the Lauer betweene the Tabernacle of the Congregation and the Altar, and powred water therein to wash with. 31 So Moses and Aaron, and his sonnes washed their handes and their feete thereat. 32 When they went into the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and when they approched to the Altar, they washed, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 33 Finally, he reared vp the court rounde about the Tabernacle and the Altar, and hanged vp the vaile at the court gate: so Moses finished the worke. 34 Then the cloud couered the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and the glorie of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. 35 So Moses could not enter into the Tabernacle of the Congregation, because the cloude abode thereon, and the glorie of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. 36 Nowe when the cloude ascended vp from the Tabernacle, the children of Israel went forward in all their iourneyes. 37 But if the cloude ascended not, then they iourneyed not till the day that it ascended. 38 For the cloude of the Lord was vpon the Tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their iourneyes.