The Altar of Burnt Offering

27:1–8pp—Ex 38:1–7

27 “Build an altarq of acacia wood, three cubitsa high; it is to be square, five cubits long and five cubits wide.b 2 Make a hornr at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece, and overlay the altar with bronze. 3 Make all its utensils of bronze—its pots to remove the ashes, and its shovels, sprinkling bowls,s meat forks and firepans.t 4 Make a grating for it, a bronze network, and make a bronze ring at each of the four corners of the network. 5 Put it under the ledge of the altar so that it is halfway up the altar. 6 Make poles of acacia wood for the altar and overlay them with bronze.u 7 The poles are to be inserted into the rings so they will be on two sides of the altar when it is carried.v 8 Make the altar hollow, out of boards. It is to be made just as you were shownw on the mountain.

The Courtyard

27:9–19pp—Ex 38:9–20

9 “Make a courtyardx for the tabernacle. The south side shall be a hundred cubitsc long and is to have curtains of finely twisted linen, 10 with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts. 11 The north side shall also be a hundred cubits long and is to have curtains, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts.

12 “The west end of the courtyard shall be fifty cubitsd wide and have curtains, with ten posts and ten bases. 13 On the east end, toward the sunrise, the courtyard shall also be fifty cubits wide. 14 Curtains fifteen cubitse long are to be on one side of the entrance, with three posts and three bases, 15 and curtains fifteen cubits long are to be on the other side, with three posts and three bases.

16 “For the entrance to the courtyard, provide a curtainy twenty cubitsf long, of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen—the work of an embroidererz—with four posts and four bases. 17 All the posts around the courtyard are to have silver bands and hooks, and bronze bases. 18 The courtyard shall be a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide,g with curtains of finely twisted linen five cubitsh high, and with bronze bases. 19 All the other articles used in the service of the tabernacle, whatever their function, including all the tent pegs for it and those for the courtyard, are to be of bronze.

Oil for the Lampstand

27:20–21pp—Lev 24:1–3

20 “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oila of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning. 21 In the tent of meeting,b outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law,c Aaron and his sons are to keep the lampsd burning before the Lord from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinancee among the Israelites for the generations to come.

The Priestly Garments

28 “Have Aaronf your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu,g Eleazar and Ithamar,h so they may serve me as priests.i 2 Make sacred garmentsj for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor.k 3 Tell all the skilled workersl to whom I have given wisdomm in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest. 4 These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece,n an ephod,o a robe,p a woven tunic,q a turbanr and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests. 5 Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.s

The Ephod

28:6–14pp—Ex 39:2–7

6 “Make the ephodt of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen—the work of skilled hands. 7 It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to two of its corners, so it can be fastened. 8 Its skillfully woven waistbandu is to be like it—of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen.

9 “Take two onyx stones and engravev on them the names of the sons of Israel 10 in the order of their birth—six names on one stone and the remaining six on the other. 11 Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings 12 and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear the names on his shouldersw as a memorialx before the Lord. 13 Make gold filigree settings 14 and two braided chains of pure gold, like a rope, and attach the chains to the settings.

The Breastpiece

28:15–28pp—Ex 39:8–21

15 “Fashion a breastpiecey for making decisions—the work of skilled hands. Make it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. 16 It is to be square—a spana long and a span wide—and folded double. 17 Then mount four rows of precious stonesz on it. The first row shall be carnelian, chrysolitea and beryl; 18 the second row shall be turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald; 19 the third row shall be jacinth, agate and amethyst; 20 the fourth row shall be topaz, onyx and jasper.b Mount them in gold filigree settings. 21 There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel,b each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.c

22 “For the breastpiece make braided chains of pure gold, like a rope. 23 Make two gold rings for it and fasten them to two corners of the breastpiece. 24 Fasten the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece, 25 and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. 26 Make two gold rings and attach them to the other two corners of the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod. 27 Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod. 28 The rings of the breastpiece are to be tied to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband, so that the breastpiece will not swing out from the ephod.

29 “Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place,d he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord. 30 Also put the Urim and the Thummime in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.

Other Priestly Garments

28:31–43pp—Ex 39:22–31

31 “Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, 32 with an opening for the head in its center. There shall be a woven edge like a collarc around this opening, so that it will not tear. 33 Make pomegranatesf of blue, purple and scarlet yarn around the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. 34 The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe. 35 Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he comes out, so that he will not die.

36 “Make a plateg of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: holy to the Lord.h 37 Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban. 38 It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and he will bear the guilti involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be on Aaron’s forehead continually so that they will be acceptablej to the Lord.

39 “Weave the tunick of fine linen and make the turbanl of fine linen. The sash is to be the work of an embroiderer. 40 Make tunics, sashes and caps for Aaron’s sonsm to give them dignity and honor.n 41 After you put these clotheso on your brother Aaron and his sons, anointp and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.q

42 “Make linen undergarmentsr as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh. 43 Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the tent of meetings or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place,t so that they will not incur guilt and die.u

“This is to be a lasting ordinancev for Aaron and his descendants.

Consecration of the Priests

29:1–37pp—Lev 8:1–36

29 “This is what you are to do to consecratew them, so they may serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without defect.x 2 And from the finest wheat flour make round loaves without yeast, thick loaves without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves without yeast and brushed with olive oil.y 3 Put them in a basket and present them along with the bull and the two rams.z 4 Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water.a 5 Take the garmentsb and dress Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself and the breastpiece. Fasten the ephod on him by its skillfully woven waistband.c 6 Put the turband on his head and attach the sacred embleme to the turban. 7 Take the anointing oilf and anoint him by pouring it on his head. 8 Bring his sons and dress them in tunicsg 9 and fasten caps on them. Then tie sashes on Aaron and his sons.a h The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance.i

“Then you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.

10 “Bring the bull to the front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.j 11 Slaughter it in the Lord’s presencek at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 12 Take some of the bull’s blood and put it on the hornsl of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar.m 13 Then take all the fatn on the internal organs,o the long lobe of the liver, and both kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar. 14 But burn the bull’s flesh and its hide and its intestinesp outside the camp.q It is a sin offering.b

15 “Take one of the rams,r and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.s 16 Slaughter it and take the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar. 17 Cut the ram into pieces and washt the internal organs and the legs, putting them with the head and the other pieces. 18 Then burn the entire ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma,u a food offering presented to the Lord.

19 “Take the other ram,v and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.w 20 Slaughter it, take some of its blood and put it on the lobes of the right ears of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet.x Then splash blood against the sides of the altar.y 21 And take some bloodz from the altar and some of the anointing oila and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Then he and his sons and their garments will be consecrated.b

22 “Take from this ram the fat,c the fat tail, the fat on the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, both kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh. (This is the ram for the ordination.) 23 From the basket of bread made without yeast, which is before the Lord, take one round loaf, one thick loaf with olive oil mixed in, and one thin loaf. 24 Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and have them wave them before the Lord as a wave offering.d 25 Then take them from their hands and burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering for a pleasing aroma to the Lord, a food offering presented to the Lord.e 26 After you take the breast of the ram for Aaron’s ordination, wave it before the Lord as a wave offering, and it will be your share.f

27 “Consecrate those parts of the ordination ram that belong to Aaron and his sons:g the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. 28 This is always to be the perpetual share from the Israelites for Aaron and his sons. It is the contribution the Israelites are to make to the Lord from their fellowship offerings.h

29 “Aaron’s sacred garmentsi will belong to his descendants so that they can be anointed and ordained in them.j 30 The sonk who succeeds him as priest and comes to the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place is to wear them seven days.

31 “Take the raml for the ordination and cook the meat in a sacred place.m 32 At the entrance to the tent of meeting, Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the breadn that is in the basket. 33 They are to eat these offerings by which atonement was made for their ordination and consecration. But no one else may eato them, because they are sacred. 34 And if any of the meat of the ordination ram or any bread is left over till morning,p burn it up. It must not be eaten, because it is sacred.

35 “Do for Aaron and his sons everything I have commanded you, taking seven days to ordain them. 36 Sacrifice a bull each dayq as a sin offering to make atonementr. Purify the altar by making atonement for it, and anoint it to consecrates it. 37 For seven days make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will be most holy, and whatever touches it will be holy.t

38 “This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day:u two lambs a year old. 39 Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight.v 40 With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephahc of the finest flour mixed with a quarter of a hind of oilw from pressed olives, and a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering.x 41 Sacrifice the other lamb at twilighty with the same grain offeringz and its drink offering as in the morning—a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord.

42 “For the generations to comea this burnt offering is to be made regularlyb at the entrance to the tent of meeting,c before the Lord. There I will meet you and speak to you;d 43 there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory.e

44 “So I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests.f 45 Then I will dwellg among the Israelites and be their God.h 46 They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypti so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.j

The Altar of Incense

30:1–5pp—Ex 37:25–28

30 “Make an altark of acacia wood for burning incense.l 2 It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits higha—its hornsm of one piece with it. 3 Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.n 4 Make two gold ringso for the altar below the molding—two on each of the opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it. 5 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.p 6 Put the altar in front of the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law—before the atonement coverq that is over the tablets of the covenant law—where I will meet with you.

7 “Aaron must burn fragrant incenser on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. 8 He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come.s 9 Do not offer on this altar any other incenset or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. 10 Once a yearu Aaron shall make atonementv on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offeringb w for the generations to come.x It is most holy to the Lord.”

Atonement Money

11 Then the Lord said to Moses, 12 “When you take a censusy of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransomz for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plaguea will come on them when you number them. 13 Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel,c according to the sanctuary shekel,b which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord. 14 All who cross over, those twenty years old or more,c are to give an offering to the Lord. 15 The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give lessd when you make the offering to the Lord to atone for your lives. 16 Receive the atonemente money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting.f It will be a memorialg for the Israelites before the Lord, making atonement for your lives.”

Basin for Washing

17 Then the Lord said to Moses, 18 “Make a bronze basin,h with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 19 Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feeti with waterj from it. 20 Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die.k Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the Lord, 21 they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinancel for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”m

Anointing Oil

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, 23 “Take the following fine spices:n 500 shekelsd of liquid myrrh,o half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon,p 250 shekelse of fragrant calamus,q 24 500 shekelsr of cassias—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hinf of olive oil. 25 Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer.t It will be the sacred anointing oil.u 26 Then use it to anointv the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law, 27 the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, 28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. 29 You shall consecrate themw so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.x

30 “Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecratey them so they may serve me as priests.z 31 Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oila for the generations to come.b 32 Do not pour it on anyone else’s body and do not make any other oil using the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred.c 33 Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut offd from their people.’ ”

Incense

34 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take fragrant spicese—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, 35 and make a fragrant blend of incense,f the work of a perfumer.g It is to be salted and pure and sacred. 36 Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, where I will meeth with you. It shall be most holyi to you. 37 Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holyj to the Lord. 38 Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut offk from their people.”

Bezalel and Oholiab

31:2–6pp—Ex 35:30–35

31 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalell son of Uri, the son of Hur,m of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledgen and with all kinds of skillso—4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. 6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiabp son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan,q to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workersr to make everything I have commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting,s the ark of the covenant lawt with the atonement coveru on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent—8 the tablev and its articles, the pure gold lampstandw and all its accessories, the altar of incense,x 9 the altar of burnt offeringy and all its utensils, the basinz with its stand—10 and also the woven garmentsa, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, 11 and the anointing oilb and fragrant incensec for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commandedd you.”

The Sabbath

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, 13 “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths.e This will be a signf between me and you for the generations to come,g so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.h

14 “ ‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death;i those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people. 15 For six days workj is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest,k holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death. 16 The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath,l celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. 17 It will be a signm between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.n’ ”o

18 When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai,p he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stoneq inscribed by the finger of God.r

The Golden Calf

32 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain,s they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us godsa who will go beforet us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”u

2 Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earringsv that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idolw cast in the shape of a calf,x fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods,b y Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”z

5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festivala to the Lord.” 6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings.b Afterward they sat down to eat and drinkc and got up to indulge in revelry.d

7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt,e have become corrupt.f 8 They have been quick to turn awayg from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idolh cast in the shape of a calf.i They have bowed down to it and sacrificedj to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’k

9 “I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-neckedl people. 10 Now leave me alonem so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroyn them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”o

11 But Moses sought the favorp of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?q 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’?r Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disasters on your people. 13 Remembert your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self:u ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the starsv in the sky and I will give your descendants all this landw I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’ ” 14 Then the Lord relentedx and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

15 Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant lawy in his hands.z They were inscribeda on both sides, front and back. 16 The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.b

17 When Joshuac heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “There is the sound of war in the camp.”

18 Moses replied:

“It is not the sound of victory,

it is not the sound of defeat;

it is the sound of singing that I hear.”

19 When Moses approached the camp and saw the calfd and the dancing,e his anger burnedf and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to piecesg at the foot of the mountain. 20 And he took the calf the people had made and burnedh it in the fire; then he ground it to powder,i scattered it on the waterj and made the Israelites drink it.

21 He said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?”

22 “Do not be angry,k my lord,” Aaron answered. “You know how prone these people are to evil.l 23 They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.’m 24 So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”n

25 Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstocko to their enemies. 26 So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him.

27 Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’ ”p 28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. 29 Then Moses said, “You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.”

30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin.q But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonementr for your sin.”

31 So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed!s They have made themselves gods of gold.t 32 But now, please forgive their sinu—but if not, then blot mev out of the bookw you have written.”

33 The Lord replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot outx of my book. 34 Now go, leady the people to the placez I spoke of, and my angela will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish,b I will punish them for their sin.”

35 And the Lord struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calfc Aaron had made.

33 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oathd to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’e 2 I will send an angelf before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.g 3 Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey.h But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-neckedi people and I might destroyj you on the way.”

4 When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mournk and no one put on any ornaments. 5 For the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people.l If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroym you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.’ ” 6 So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.n

The Tent of Meeting

7 Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.”o Anyone inquiringp of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8 And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents,q watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloudr would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spokes with Moses. 10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent.t 11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face,u as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshuav son of Nun did not leave the tent.

Moses and the Glory of the Lord

12 Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’w but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by namex and you have found favory with me.’ 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your waysz so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”a

14 The Lord replied, “My Presenceb will go with you, and I will give you rest.”c

15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presenced does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us?e What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”f

17 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked,g because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”h

18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”i

19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to passj in front of you, and I will proclaim my name,k the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.l 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may seem me and live.”

21 Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rockn and cover you with my hando until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

The New Stone Tablets

34 The Lord said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones,p and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets,q which you broke.r 2 Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai.s Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. 3 No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain;t not even the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain.”

4 So Moses chiseledu out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the Lord had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands.v 5 Then the Lord came down in the cloudw and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord.x 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionatey and gracious God, slow to anger,z abounding in lovea and faithfulness,b 7 maintaining love to thousands,c and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.d Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished;e he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”f

8 Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. 9 “Lord,” he said, “if I have found favorg in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us.h Although this is a stiff-neckedi people, forgive our wickedness and our sin,j and take us as your inheritance.”k

10 Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenantl with you. Before all your people I will do wondersm never before done in any nation in all the world.n The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you. 11 Obey what I commando you today. I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.p 12 Be careful not to make a treatyq with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snarer among you. 13 Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles.a s 14 Do not worship any other god,t for the Lord, whose nameu is Jealous, is a jealous God.v

15 “Be careful not to make a treatyw with those who live in the land; for when they prostitutex themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices.y 16 And when you choose some of their daughters as wivesz for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods,a they will lead your sons to do the same.

17 “Do not make any idols.b

18 “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread.c For seven days eat bread made without yeast,d as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv,e for in that month you came out of Egypt.

19 “The first offspringf of every womb belongs to me, including all the firstborn males of your livestock, whether from herd or flock. 20 Redeem the firstborn donkey with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck.g Redeem all your firstborn sons.h

“No one is to appear before me empty-handed.i

21 “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest;j even during the plowing season and harvestk you must rest.

22 “Celebrate the Festival of Weeks with the firstfruitsl of the wheat harvest, and the Festival of Ingatheringm at the turn of the year.b 23 Three timesn a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord, the God of Israel. 24 I will drive out nationso before you and enlarge your territory,p and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the Lord your God.

25 “Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast,q and do not let any of the sacrifice from the Passover Festival remain until morning.r

26 “Bring the best of the firstfruitss of your soil to the house of the Lord your God.

“Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”t

27 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Writeu down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenantv with you and with Israel.” 28 Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nightsw without eating bread or drinking water.x And he wrote on the tabletsy the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.z

The Radiant Face of Moses

29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinaia with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands,b he was not aware that his face was radiantc because he had spoken with the Lord. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the communityd came back to him, and he spoke to them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commandse the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai.

33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veilf over his face. 34 But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 they saw that his face was radiant.g Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.

Sabbath Regulations

35 Moses assembled the whole Israelite community and said to them, “These are the things the Lord has commandedh you to do: 2 For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a day of sabbathi rest to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it is to be put to death.j 3 Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day.k”

Materials for the Tabernacle

35:4–9pp—Ex 25:1–7
35:10–19pp—Ex 39:32–41

4 Moses said to the whole Israelite community, “This is what the Lord has commanded: 5 From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering of gold, silver and bronze; 6 blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; 7 ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leathera; acacia wood; 8 olive oill for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; 9 and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.

10 “All who are skilled among you are to come and make everything the Lord has commanded:m 11 the tabernaclen with its tent and its covering, clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases; 12 the arko with its poles and the atonement cover and the curtainp that shields it; 13 the tableq with its poles and all its articles and the bread of the Presence; 14 the lampstandr that is for light with its accessories, lamps and oil for the light; 15 the altars of incense with its poles, the anointing oilt and the fragrant incense;u the curtain for the doorway at the entrance to the tabernacle;v 16 the altarw of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the bronze basinx with its stand; 17 the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard;y 18 the tent pegsz for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, and their ropes; 19 the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary—both the sacred garmentsa for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests.”

20 Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses’ presence, 21 and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments. 22 All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the Lord. 23 Everyone who had blue, purple or scarlet yarnb or fine linen, or goat hair, ram skins dyed red or the other durable leather brought them. 24 Those presenting an offering of silver or bronze brought it as an offering to the Lord, and everyone who had acacia wood for any part of the work brought it. 25 Every skilled womanc spun with her hands and brought what she had spun—blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen. 26 And all the women who were willing and had the skill spun the goat hair. 27 The leadersd brought onyx stones and other gemse to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. 28 They also brought spices and olive oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense.f 29 All the Israelite men and women who were willingg brought to the Lord freewill offeringsh for all the work the Lord through Moses had commanded them to do.

Bezalel and Oholiab

35:30–35pp—Ex 31:2–6

30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skillsi—32 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 33 to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. 34 And he has given both him and Oholiabj son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teachk others. 35 He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of workl as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.

36 So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled personm to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuaryn are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded.”

2 Then Moses summoned Bezalelo and Oholiabp and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability and who was willingq to come and do the work. 3 They received from Moses all the offeringsr the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. 4 So all the skilled workers who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left what they were doing 5 and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enoughs for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done.”

6 Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, 7 because what they already had was moret than enough to do all the work.

The Tabernacle

36:8–38pp—Ex 26:1–37

8 All those who were skilled among the workers made the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim woven into them by expert hands. 9 All the curtains were the same size—twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide.a 10 They joined five of the curtains together and did the same with the other five. 11 Then they made loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in one set, and the same was done with the end curtain in the other set. 12 They also made fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the other set, with the loops opposite each other. 13 Then they made fifty gold clasps and used them to fasten the two sets of curtains together so that the tabernacle was a unit.u

14 They made curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle—eleven altogether. 15 All eleven curtains were the same size—thirty cubits long and four cubits wide.b 16 They joined five of the curtains into one set and the other six into another set. 17 Then they made fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in one set and also along the edge of the end curtain in the other set. 18 They made fifty bronze clasps to fasten the tent together as a unit.v 19 Then they made for the tent a covering of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of the other durable leather.c

20 They made upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle. 21 Each frame was ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide,d 22 with two projections set parallel to each other. They made all the frames of the tabernacle in this way. 23 They made twenty frames for the south side of the tabernacle 24 and made forty silver bases to go under them—two bases for each frame, one under each projection. 25 For the other side, the north side of the tabernacle, they made twenty frames 26 and forty silver bases—two under each frame. 27 They made six frames for the far end, that is, the west end of the tabernacle, 28 and two frames were made for the corners of the tabernacle at the far end. 29 At these two corners the frames were double from the bottom all the way to the top and fitted into a single ring; both were made alike. 30 So there were eight frames and sixteen silver bases—two under each frame.

31 They also made crossbars of acacia wood: five for the frames on one side of the tabernacle, 32 five for those on the other side, and five for the frames on the west, at the far end of the tabernacle. 33 They made the center crossbar so that it extended from end to end at the middle of the frames. 34 They overlaid the frames with gold and made gold rings to hold the crossbars. They also overlaid the crossbars with gold.

35 They made the curtainw of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim woven into it by a skilled worker. 36 They made four posts of acacia wood for it and overlaid them with gold. They made gold hooks for them and cast their four silver bases. 37 For the entrance to the tent they made a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen—the work of an embroiderer;x 38 and they made five posts with hooks for them. They overlaid the tops of the posts and their bands with gold and made their five bases of bronze.

The Ark

37:1–9pp—Ex 25:10–20

37 Bezalely made the arkz of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.a 2 He overlaid it with pure gold,a both inside and out, and made a gold molding around it. 3 He cast four gold rings for it and fastened them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. 4 Then he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 5 And he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it.

6 He made the atonement coverb of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 7 Then he made two cherubimc out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. 8 He made one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; at the two ends he made them of one piece with the cover. 9 The cherubim had their wings spread upward, overshadowingd the cover with them. The cherubim faced each other, looking toward the cover.e

The Table

37:10–16pp—Ex 25:23–29

10 Theyb made the tablef of acacia wood—two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high.c 11 Then they overlaid it with pure goldg and made a gold molding around it. 12 They also made around it a rim a handbreadthd wide and put a gold molding on the rim. 13 They cast four gold rings for the table and fastened them to the four corners, where the four legs were. 14 The ringsh were put close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. 15 The poles for carrying the table were made of acacia wood and were overlaid with gold. 16 And they made from pure gold the articles for the table—its plates and dishes and bowls and its pitchers for the pouring out of drink offerings.

The Lampstand

37:17–24pp—Ex 25:31–39

17 They made the lampstandi of pure gold. They hammered out its base and shaft, and made its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them. 18 Six branches extended from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other. 19 Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on one branch, three on the next branch and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. 20 And on the lampstand were four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. 21 One bud was under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair—six branches in all. 22 The buds and the branches were all of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold.j

23 They made its seven lamps,k as well as its wick trimmers and trays, of pure gold. 24 They made the lampstand and all its accessories from one talente of pure gold.

The Altar of Incense

37:25–28pp—Ex 30:1–5

25 They made the altar of incensel out of acacia wood. It was square, a cubit long and a cubit wide and two cubits highf—its hornsm of one piece with it. 26 They overlaid the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and made a gold molding around it. 27 They made two gold ringsn below the molding—two on each of the opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it. 28 They made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.o

29 They also made the sacred anointing oilp and the pure, fragrant incenseq—the work of a perfumer.

The Altar of Burnt Offering

38:1–7pp—Ex 27:1–8

38 Theya built the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, three cubitsb high; it was square, five cubits long and five cubits wide.c 2 They made a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar were of one piece, and they overlaid the altar with bronze.r 3 They made all its utensilss of bronze—its pots, shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and firepans. 4 They made a grating for the altar, a bronze network, to be under its ledge, halfway up the altar. 5 They cast bronze rings to hold the poles for the four corners of the bronze grating. 6 They made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. 7 They inserted the poles into the rings so they would be on the sides of the altar for carrying it. They made it hollow, out of boards.

The Basin for Washing

8 They made the bronze basint and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the womenu who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

The Courtyard

38:9–20pp—Ex 27:9–19

9 Next they made the courtyard. The south side was a hundred cubitsd long and had curtains of finely twisted linen, 10 with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, and with silver hooks and bands on the posts. 11 The north side was also a hundred cubits long and had twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, with silver hooks and bands on the posts.

12 The west end was fifty cubitse wide and had curtains, with ten posts and ten bases, with silver hooks and bands on the posts. 13 The east end, toward the sunrise, was also fifty cubits wide. 14 Curtains fifteen cubitsf long were on one side of the entrance, with three posts and three bases, 15 and curtains fifteen cubits long were on the other side of the entrance to the courtyard, with three posts and three bases. 16 All the curtains around the courtyard were of finely twisted linen. 17 The bases for the posts were bronze. The hooks and bands on the posts were silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver; so all the posts of the courtyard had silver bands.

18 The curtain for the entrance to the courtyard was made of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen—the work of an embroiderer. It was twenty cubitsg long and, like the curtains of the courtyard, five cubitsh high, 19 with four posts and four bronze bases. Their hooks and bands were silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver. 20 All the tent pegsv of the tabernacle and of the surrounding courtyard were bronze.

The Materials Used

21 These are the amounts of the materials used for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the covenant law,w which were recorded at Moses’ command by the Levites under the direction of Ithamarx son of Aaron, the priest. 22 (Bezalely son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything the Lord commanded Moses; 23 with him was Oholiabz son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan—an engraver and designer, and an embroiderer in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen.) 24 The total amount of the gold from the wave offering used for all the work on the sanctuarya was 29 talents and 730 shekels,i according to the sanctuary shekel.b

25 The silver obtained from those of the community who were counted in the censusc was 100 talentsj and 1,775 shekels,k according to the sanctuary shekel—26 one beka per person,d that is, half a shekel,l according to the sanctuary shekel,e from everyone who had crossed over to those counted, twenty years old or more,f a total of 603,550 men.g 27 The 100 talents of silver were used to cast the basesh for the sanctuary and for the curtain—100 bases from the 100 talents, one talent for each base. 28 They used the 1,775 shekels to make the hooks for the posts, to overlay the tops of the posts, and to make their bands.

29 The bronze from the wave offering was 70 talents and 2,400 shekels.m 30 They used it to make the bases for the entrance to the tent of meeting, the bronze altar with its bronze grating and all its utensils, 31 the bases for the surrounding courtyard and those for its entrance and all the tent pegs for the tabernacle and those for the surrounding courtyard.

The Priestly Garments

39 From the blue, purple and scarlet yarni they made woven garments for ministering in the sanctuary.j They also made sacred garmentsk for Aaron, as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Ephod

39:2–7pp—Ex 28:6–14

2 Theya made the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. 3 They hammered out thin sheets of gold and cut strands to be worked into the blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen—the work of skilled hands. 4 They made shoulder pieces for the ephod, which were attached to two of its corners, so it could be fastened. 5 Its skillfully woven waistband was like it—of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen, as the Lord commanded Moses.

6 They mounted the onyx stones in gold filigree settings and engraved them like a seal with the names of the sons of Israel. 7 Then they fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memoriall stones for the sons of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Breastpiece

39:8–21pp—Ex 28:15–28

8 They fashioned the breastpiecem—the work of a skilled craftsman. They made it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. 9 It was square—a spanb long and a span wide—and folded double. 10 Then they mounted four rows of precious stones on it. The first row was carnelian, chrysolite and beryl; 11 the second row was turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald; 12 the third row was jacinth, agate and amethyst; 13 the fourth row was topaz, onyx and jasper.c They were mounted in gold filigree settings. 14 There were twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.n

15 For the breastpiece they made braided chains of pure gold, like a rope. 16 They made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings, and fastened the rings to two of the corners of the breastpiece. 17 They fastened the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece, 18 and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. 19 They made two gold rings and attached them to the other two corners of the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod. 20 Then they made two more gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod. 21 They tied the rings of the breastpiece to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband so that the breastpiece would not swing out from the ephod—as the Lord commanded Moses.

Other Priestly Garments

39:22–31pp—Ex 28:31–43

22 They made the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth—the work of a weaver—23 with an opening in the center of the robe like the opening of a collar,d and a band around this opening, so that it would not tear. 24 They made pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen around the hem of the robe. 25 And they made bells of pure gold and attached them around the hem between the pomegranates. 26 The bells and pomegranates alternated around the hem of the robe to be worn for ministering, as the Lord commanded Moses.

27 For Aaron and his sons, they made tunics of fine lineno—the work of a weaver—28 and the turbanp of fine linen, the linen caps and the undergarments of finely twisted linen. 29 The sash was made of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn—the work of an embroiderer—as the Lord commanded Moses.

30 They made the plate, the sacred emblem, out of pure gold and engraved on it, like an inscription on a seal: holy to the Lord.q 31 Then they fastened a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban,r as the Lord commanded Moses.

Moses Inspects the Tabernacle

39:32–41pp—Ex 35:10–19

32 So all the work on the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was completed. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses.s 33 Then they brought the tabernaclet 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 leathere and the shielding curtain; 35 the ark of the covenant lawu with its poles and the atonement cover; 36 the tablev with all its articles and the bread of the Presence;w 37 the pure gold lampstandx with its row of lamps and all its accessories,y and the olive oilz for the light; 38 the gold altar,a the anointing oil,b the fragrant incense,c and the curtaind for the entrance to the tent; 39 the bronze altare with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the basinf with its stand; 40 the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard;g the ropes and tent pegs for the courtyard; all the furnishings for the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; 41 and the woven garmentsh 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.i 43 Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded.j So Moses blessedk them.

Setting Up the Tabernacle

40 Then the Lord said to Moses: 2 “Set upl the tabernacle, the tent of meeting,m on the first day of the first month.n 3 Place the arko of the covenant law in it and shield the ark with the curtain. 4 Bring in the tablep and set out what belongs on it.q Then bring in the lampstandr and set up its lamps. 5 Place the gold altars of incense in front of the ark of the covenant law and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.

6 “Place the altart of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; 7 place the basinu between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. 8 Set up the courtyardv around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.

9 “Take the anointing oil and anointw the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings,x and it will be holy. 10 Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecratey 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 meetingz and wash them with water.a 13 Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments,b anoint him and consecratec him so he may serve me as priest. 14 Bring his sons and dress them in tunics.d 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.e” 16 Moses did everything just as the Lord commandedf him.

17 So the tabernacleg was set up on the first day of the first monthh in the second year. 18 When Mosesi set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames,j inserted the crossbars and set up the posts. 19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the coveringk over the tent, as the Lord commandedl him.

20 He took the tablets of the covenant lawm and placed them in the ark,n attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement covero over it. 21 Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtainp and shielded the ark of the covenant law, as the Lord commandedq him.

22 Moses placed the tabler in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain 23 and set out the breads on it before the Lord, as the Lord commandedt him.

24 He placed the lampstandu in the tent of meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle 25 and set up the lampsv before the Lord, as the Lord commandedw him.

26 Moses placed the gold altarx in the tent of meeting in front of the curtain 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord commandedy him.

28 Then he put up the curtainz at the entrance to the tabernacle. 29 He set the altara of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings,b as the Lord commandedc him.

30 He placed the basind 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 washe their hands and feet. 32 They washed whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar,f as the Lord commandedg Moses.

33 Then Moses set up the courtyardh around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtaini at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.

The Glory of the Lord

34 Then the cloudj covered the tent of meeting, and the gloryk of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the gloryl of the Lord filled the tabernacle.m

36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out;n 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloudo 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.

Leviticus

God wanted his people to live holy lives and be set apart from other nations. So he gave the Israelites laws and instructions regarding holiness in life and worship. Moses recorded these laws on stone tablets for the people of God as a permanent reminder for them to be faithful.

The Burnt Offering

1 The Lord called to Mosesa and spoke to him from the tent of meeting.b He said, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When anyone among you brings an offering to the Lord,c bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.d

3 “ ‘If the offering is a burnt offeringe from the herd,f you are to offer a male without defect.g You must present it at the entrance to the tenth of meeting so that it will be acceptablei to the Lord. 4 You are to lay your hand on the headj of the burnt offering,k and it will be acceptedl on your behalf to make atonementm for you. 5 You are to slaughtern the young bullo before the Lord, and then Aaron’s sonsp the priests shall bring the blood and splash it against the sides of the altarq at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 6 You are to skinr the burnt offering and cut it into pieces.s 7 The sons of Aaron the priest are to put fire on the altar and arrange woodt on the fire. 8 Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, including the head and the fat,u on the woodv that is burning on the altar. 9 You are to wash the internal organs and the legs with water,w and the priest is to burn all of itx on the altar.y It is a burnt offering,z a food offering,a an aroma pleasing to the Lord.b

10 “ ‘If the offering is a burnt offering from the flock, from either the sheepc or the goats,d you are to offer a male without defect. 11 You are to slaughter it at the north side of the altare before the Lord, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall splash its blood against the sides of the altar.f 12 You are to cut it into pieces, and the priest shall arrange them, including the head and the fat,g on the wood that is burning on the altar. 13 You are to wash the internal organs and the legs with water,h and the priest is to bring all of them and burn themi on the altar.j It is a burnt offering,k a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.

14 “ ‘If the offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds, you are to offer a dove or a young pigeon.l 15 The priest shall bring it to the altar, wring off the headm and burn it on the altar; its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar.n 16 He is to remove the crop and the feathersa and throw them down east of the altar where the asheso are. 17 He shall tear it open by the wings, not dividing it completely,p and then the priest shall burn it on the woodq that is burning on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.