Setting Up the Tabernacle

1And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

2On the first day of the first month shall you set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.

3And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the veil.

4And you shall bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; and you shall bring in the lampstand, and light its lamps.

5And you shall set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door to the tabernacle.

6And you shall set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.

7And you shall set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shall put water in it.

8And you shall set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate.

9And you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is in it, and shall hallow it, and all its utensils: and it shall be holy.

10And you shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all its utensils, and sanctify the altar: and it shall be an altar most holy.

11And you shall anoint the laver and its base, and sanctify it.

12And you shall bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and wash them with water.

13And you shall put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

14And you shall bring his sons, and clothe them with coats:

15And you shall anoint them, as you did anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.

16Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he.

17And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised up.

18And Moses raised up the tabernacle, and fastened its sockets, and set up its boards, and put in its bars, and raised up its pillars.

19And he spread out the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent over it; as the LORD commanded Moses.

20And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the poles on the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark:

21And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony; as the LORD commanded Moses.

22And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil.

23And he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD; as the LORD had commanded Moses.

24And he put the lampstand in the tent of the congregation, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle.

25And he lighted the lamps before the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.

26And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the veil:

27And he burnt sweet-smelling incense on it; as the LORD commanded Moses.

28And he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle.

29And he put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the grain offering; as the LORD commanded Moses.

30And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there, for washing.

31And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet there:

32When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; as the LORD commanded Moses.

33And he raised up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.

The Glory of the LORD

34Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

35And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

36And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:

37But if the cloud was not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.

38For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.