The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “On the first day of the first
month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. And
you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall screen
the ark with the veil. And you shall bring in the table and arrange
it, and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. And
you shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the
testimony, and set up the screen for the door of the tabernacle.
You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the
tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and place the basin between the
tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. And you shall
set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of
the court.
“Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle
and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so
that it may become holy. You shall also anoint the altar of burnt
offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, so that
the altar may become most holy. You shall also anoint the basin and
its stand, and consecrate it. Then you shall bring Aaron and his
sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them
with water and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint
him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest. You shall
bring his sons also and put coats on them, and anoint them, as you
anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their
anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout
their generations.”
This Moses did; according to all that the LORD commanded him, so
he did. In the first month in the second year, on the first day of
the month, the tabernacle was erected. Moses erected the
tabernacle. He laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in
its poles, and raised up its pillars. And he spread the tent over
the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the
LORD had commanded Moses. He took the testimony and put it into the
ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on
the ark. And 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 had commanded Moses. He put the table in the tent of meeting,
on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil, and arranged
the bread on it before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
He put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on
the south side of the tabernacle, and set up the lamps before the
LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses. He put the golden altar in
the tent of meeting before the veil, and burned fragrant incense on
it, as the LORD had commanded Moses. He put in place the screen for
the door of the tabernacle. And he set the altar of burnt offering
at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and
offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the
LORD had commanded Moses. He set the basin between the tent of
meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing, with which
Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet.
When they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached
the altar, they washed, as the LORD commanded Moses. And he erected
the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the
screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.
Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the
LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the
tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of
the LORD filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys,
whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the
people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up,
then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For
the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in
it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all
their journeys.
