Bible in 90 Days

The Consecration of the Priests

29 “This is what you are to do to them in order to consecrate them to serve me as priests: Take a young bull, two rams without blemish, ² unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread^[a] with oil, which you are to make from fine wheat flour. ³ You are to put them^[b] in one basket and bring them in the basket along with the bull and the two rams. ⁴ You are to bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, and wash them with water. ⁵ Take the garments and clothe Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breast piece, and then gird him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod. ⁶ Then put the turban on his head, and place the holy crown on the turban. ⁷ You are to take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him. ⁸ Then you are to bring his sons and clothe them with tunics. ⁹ You are to gird Aaron and his sons with sashes and tie headdresses on them. The priesthood is to belong to them by perpetual ordinance, and you are to ordain^[c] Aaron and his sons.

¹⁰ “You are to bring the bull in front of the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on the head of the bull. ¹¹ Then you are to slaughter the bull in the Lord’s presence at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting. ¹² Take some of the blood of the bull, put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest^[d] of the blood at the base of the altar. ¹³ You are to take all the fat that covers the entrails, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them and send them up in smoke on the altar. ¹⁴ You are to burn the flesh of the bull, its hide, and its refuse with fire outside the camp. It is a sin offering.

¹⁵ “You are to take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on its^[e] head. ¹⁶ Then you are to slaughter the ram, take its blood, and scatter it around the altar. ¹⁷ You are to cut the ram into pieces,^[f] wash its entrails and legs, put them on the altar along^[g] with the pieces^[h] and its head, ¹⁸ and send up the whole ram in smoke on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord; it’s a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord.

¹⁹ “You are to take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on the head of the ram. ²⁰ You are to slaughter the ram, take some of its blood, and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, the lobe of his sons’ right ears, the thumbs of their right hands, and the big toes of their right feet. Then you are to scatter the rest of the blood around the altar. ²¹ You are to take some of the blood which is on the altar, along with some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and their^[i] garments. He is to be consecrated with his garments, along with his sons and their garments.

²² “You are to take the fat from the ram, the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, the right thigh (for it’s a ram of ordination), ²³ and one loaf of bread, one cake of bread mixed with oil, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is in the Lord’s presence. ²⁴ You are to put all of these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons, and present them as a wave offering in the Lord’s presence. ²⁵ Then you are to take them from their hands and send them up in smoke on the altar on top of the burnt offering for a soothing aroma in the Lord’s presence. It is an offering by fire to the Lord.

²⁶ “You are to take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s ordination, and present it as a wave offering in the Lord’s presence, and it is to be your portion. ²⁷ You are to consecrate the portion of the ram of ordination that belongs to Aaron and his sons:^[j] the breast of the wave offering that was waved and the thigh of the presented offering that was presented.^{[k] 28} These offerings^[l] from the Israelis are to be a perpetual ordinance for Aaron and his sons. They are presented offerings, and they are to be presented offerings from the Israelis out of their peace offerings. They are presented offerings to the Lord.

²⁹ “The holy garments of Aaron are to be for his sons after him^[m] so that they may be anointed in them and ordained in them. ³⁰ Aaron’s son, who is priest in his place, is to wear them for seven days when he comes into the Tent of Meeting to minister in the Holy Place.

³¹ “You are to take the ram of ordination and boil its flesh in a Holy Place. ³² Then Aaron and his sons are to eat the flesh of the ram along with the bread that is in the basket at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting. ³³ They are to eat these things by which atonement was made at their ordination to consecrate them, but an unqualified person^[n] is not to eat because these things are holy. ³⁴ If any of the flesh of the ordination ram^[o] or any of the bread is left until morning, you are to burn what is left with fire. Because it’s holy, what remains is not to be eaten. ³⁵ You are to do this for Aaron and his sons, just as I’ve commanded you. You are to ordain them for seven days, ³⁶ and every day you are to offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement. Offer the sin offering on the altar when you make atonement for it and anoint the altar to consecrate it. ³⁷ You are to make atonement for the altar for seven days and consecrate it. It will be most holy, and whatever touches it will be holy.”

The Altar for Burnt Offering^(A)

³⁸ “This is what you are to offer on the altar continually: two one year old lambs each day. ³⁹ “You are to offer one lamb in the morning and the other^[p] at twilight, ⁴⁰ and there is to be a tenth measure of choice flour mixed with one fourth of a hin^[q] of oil extracted by hand,^[r] and one fourth of a hin^[s] of wine as a drink offering for one lamb. ⁴¹ You are to offer the other lamb at twilight with the same grain offering and drink offering as in the morning. You are to offer it as a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord. ⁴² It is to be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the doorway to the Tent of Meeting in the Lord’s presence, where I’ll meet with you to speak to you there. ⁴³ I’ll meet there with the Israelis, and it is to be consecrated by my glory. ⁴⁴ I’ll consecrate the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and I’ll consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve as my priests. ⁴⁵ I’ll live among the Israelis, and I’ll be their God. ⁴⁶ They are to know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I may live among them. I am the Lord your God.”

The Altar of Incense

30 “You are to make an altar for burning incense. You are to make it of acacia wood. ² It is to be a square, one cubit^[t] long and one cubit^[u] wide, and it is to be two cubits^[v] high, with its horns of one piece with it. ³ You are to overlay it with pure gold, its top, its sides all around, and its horns, and you are to make a molding of gold all around it.

⁴ “You are to make two gold rings for it under its molding. You are to make them on its two opposite sides, and they are to be holders for poles by which to carry it. ⁵ You are to make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. ⁶ You are to put the altar^[w] in front of the curtain that is over the Ark of the Testimony, in front of the Mercy Seat^[x] that is over the Testimony where I’ll meet with you. ⁷ Aaron is to offer fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he trims the lamps he is to offer it, ⁸ and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he is to offer it as a continual incense offering in the Lord’s presence throughout your generations. ⁹ You are not to offer strange incense, a burnt offering, or a grain offering on it, nor are you to pour out a libation on it. ¹⁰ Each year Aaron is to make atonement on its horns with the blood of the sin offering of atonement. He is to make atonement on it each year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.”

Offerings for the Tent

¹¹ The Lord told Moses, ¹² “When you take a census of the Israelis to register them, each is to give a ransom for himself^[y] to the Lord when they’re registered so there won’t be a plague among them when they’re registered. ¹³ This is what everyone who is registered^[z] is to give: half a shekel^[aa] according to the shekel^[ab] of the sanctuary (the shekel^[ac] weighs 20 gerahs), half a shekel^[ad] as a contribution to the Lord. ¹⁴ All who are registered, 20 years of age and older, are to give a contribution to the Lord. ¹⁵ The rich person is not to give more,^[ae] nor is the poor person to give less^[af] than the half shekel,^[ag] when you give a contribution to the Lord to make atonement for yourselves.^{[ah] 16} You are to take the atonement money from the Israelis and give it for the service of the Tent of Meeting, and it is to be a memorial for the Israelis in the Lord’s presence to make atonement for yourselves.”^[ai]

The Bronze Basin

¹⁷ The Lord told Moses, ¹⁸ “You are to make a bronze basin with a bronze base for washing. You are to pace it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, put water in it,^{[aj] 19} and Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and their feet from it. ²⁰ When they enter the Tent of Meeting or when they approach the altar to minister to make an offering by fire to the Lord, they are to wash with water so they don’t die. ²¹ They are to wash their hands and their feet so that they don’t die, and it is to be for them a perpetual ordinance for Aaron^[ak] and his seed from generation to generation.”

The Anointing Oil

²² The Lord told Moses, ²³ “You are to take for yourself the finest spices: 500 shekels^[al]by weight of liquid myrrh, half as much fragrant cinnamon (250 shekels), 250 shekels of fragrant reeds, ²⁴ 500 shekels of cassia—all according to the shekel of the sanctuary—and a hin^[am] of olive oil. ²⁵ You are to make them into a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture made by a perfumer. It is to be a holy anointing oil. ²⁶ You are to use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the Ark of the Testimony, ²⁷ the table and all its utensils, the lamp stand and its utensils, the altar of incense, ²⁸ the altar for burnt offerings and all its utensils, and the basin and its base. ²⁹ You are to consecrate them and they are to be most holy. Whatever touches them is to be holy. ³⁰ You are to anoint Aaron and his sons, and you are to consecrate them to serve as my priests. ³¹ You are to address the Israelis and tell them, ‘This is to be holy anointing oil for me from generation to generation. ³² It is not to be poured out on a person’s body,^[an] nor are you to make anything like it with similar formulations. It is holy, and it is to be holy to you. ³³ Anyone who mixes anything like it or who puts any of it on an unqualified person^[ao] is to be cut off from his people.’”

The Incense

³⁴ The Lord told Moses, “Take for yourself spices: stacte, onycha, galbanum, and spices with pure frankincense, all in equal amounts. ³⁵ You are to make it into a fragrant incense, expertly^[ap] blended,^[aq] pure, and holy. ³⁶ You are to grind some of it fine, and put some before the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting where I will meet with you. It is to be most holy to you. ³⁷ You are not to make the incense that you make in this formulation for your own use. It is to be holy to the Lord for you. ³⁸ Anyone who makes anything like it to use it as perfume is to be cut off from his people.”

Craftsmen for the Tent

31 The Lord told Moses, ² “Look, I’ve called^[ar] Uri’s son Bezalel, grandson of Hur from Judah’s tribe ³ and I’ve filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and all kinds of craftsmanship ⁴ to create plans^[as] for work in gold, silver, and bronze, ⁵ and for cutting stones to set them, for carving wood, and for doing all kinds of craftsmanship. ⁶ Along with him I’m appointing Ahisamach’s son Oholiab from the tribe of Dan, and I’ve given wisdom^[at] to all who are skilled^[au] so they can make everything that I’ve commanded you, ⁷ including the Tent of Meeting, the Ark of the Testimony, the Mercy Seat^[av] that is on it, all the furnishings of the tent— ⁸ the table and its furnishings, the lamp stand of pure gold,^[aw] all its furnishings, the altar of incense, ⁹ the altar for burnt offerings, its furnishings, the basin, its base, ¹⁰ the woven garments, the holy garments of Aaron the priest, the garments of his sons as they serve as priests, ¹¹ the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them in accordance with everything that I commanded you.”

¹² The Lord told Moses, ¹³ “You are to tell the Israelis: ‘You are to certainly observe my Sabbaths because it’s a sign between me and you from generation to generation, so you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. ¹⁴ You are to observe the Sabbath, because it’s holy for you. Whoever profanes it is certainly to die; indeed, whoever does work on it is to be cut off from among his people. ¹⁵ Work may be done for six days, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does work on the Sabbath is certainly to die. ¹⁶ The Israelis are to keep the Sabbath to make the Sabbath observance a perpetual covenant from generation to generation. ¹⁷ It is a sign forever between me and the Israelis, because the Lord made the heavens and the earth in six days, but on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”

¹⁸ When he finished speaking with Moses^[ax] on Mount Sinai, he gave him^[ay] the two Tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone written by the finger of God.

Aaron Makes the Golden Calf

32 When the people saw that Moses took a long time to come down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and told him, “Come here and make us a god^[az] who will go before us, because, as for this fellow Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.”

² Aaron told them, “Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters and bring them to me.”

³ All the people tore off the gold rings that were in their ears and brought them to him. ⁴ He took them from them^[ba] and, using a tool, fashioned them into a molten calf.^[bb] The people^[bc] said, “This, Israel, is your god who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”

⁵ When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of it, and then he proclaimed, “Tomorrow is to be a festival to the Lord.” ⁶ They got up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. Then the people sat down to eat and drink, and then they got up to play.^[bd]

Moses Intercedes for Israel

⁷ The Lord told Moses, “Go down immediately,^[be] because your people whom you led out of Egypt have behaved corruptly. ⁸ They have been quick to turn aside from the way I commanded them, and they have made for themselves a molten calf. They have bowed down to it in worship, they have offered sacrifices to it, and they have said, ‘This, Israel, is your god who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”

⁹ Then the Lord told Moses, “I’ve seen these people and indeed they’re obstinate.^{[bf] 10} Now let me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may consume them, but I’ll make a great nation of you.”

¹¹ But Moses implored the Lord his God: “Lord, why are you angry with your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a show of force?^{[bg] 12} Why should the Egyptians say, ‘He brought them out with an evil intention to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your anger and change your mind about the calamity against your people. ¹³ Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants to whom you swore by yourself as you told them, ‘I’ll increase the number of your descendants like the stars of the heavens, I’ll give your descendants all of this land about which I have spoken, and they are to possess^[bh] it forever.’”

¹⁴ So the Lord changed his mind about the calamity he had said he would bring on his people.

Moses Destroys the Golden Calf and the Tablets of the Law

¹⁵ Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two Tablets of the Testimony in his hand, tablets which were written on both sides. They were written on one side and the other. ¹⁶ The tablets were the work of God and the writing was God’s writing, inscribed on the tablets. ¹⁷ When Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted, he told Moses, “The sound of war is coming from^[bi] the camp.”

¹⁸ Moses^[bj] said,

¹⁹ As Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, he became angry. He threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the base of the mountain. ²⁰ He took the calf that they had made, burned it with fire, and ground it into powder. He scattered it on the water and made the Israelis drink it. ²¹ Then Moses asked Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you brought such great sin upon them?”

²² Aaron said, “Sir,^[bk] don’t be angry. You know the people—that they’re intent on evil. ²³ They told me, ‘Make a god for us who will go before us because, as for this fellow Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.’ ²⁴ So I told them, ‘Whoever has gold ornaments, tear them off.’ When they gave it to me, I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”

The Descendants of Levi Punish the Guilty Israelis

²⁵ When Moses saw that the people were out of control—since Aaron had let them get out of control, something that incited ridicule from their enemies^[bl]— ²⁶ he stood in the gate of the camp and called out: “Whoever is for the Lord come over^[bm] to me,” and all the sons of Levi gathered around him. ²⁷ He told them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘Every man put his sword on his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and each of you kill his brother and friend and neighbor.’”

²⁸ The descendants of Levi did just as Moses told them,^[bn] and about 3,000 people died that day. ²⁹ Moses said, “You have been ordained^[bo] to serve the Lord^[bp] today, and you have brought a blessing on yourselves today because every man opposed his son or brother.”^[bq]

Moses Again Intercedes for the People

³⁰ The next day Moses told the people, “You committed a great sin, and now I’ll go up to the Lord, and perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”

³¹ Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Please, Lord, this people committed a great sin by making a god of gold for themselves. ³² Now, if you will, forgive their sin—but if not, blot me out of your book which you have written.”

³³ The Lord told Moses, “Whoever sins against me, I’ll blot him out of my book. ³⁴ Now, go, and lead the people where I told you, and now my angel will go before you, but on the day when I do punish, I’ll punish them for their sin.” ³⁵ Then the Lord sent a plague on the people because they made the calf (the one Aaron made).

The Lord Instructs Israel to Leave

33 The Lord told Moses, “Go up^[br] from here, you and the people whom you brought out of Egypt, to the land about which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob saying, ‘I’ll give it to your descendants.’^{[bs] 2} I’ll send an angel in front of you and I’ll drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. ³ Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey, but I won’t go up among you, because you are an obstinate^[bt] people, and otherwise I might consume you along the way.”

⁴ When the people heard this troubling word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. ⁵ The Lord had told Moses, “Say to the Israelis, ‘You are an obstinate people,^[bu] and if for one moment I went up among you, I would put an end to you. Now take off your ornaments so I may decide^[bv] what to do with you.’” ⁶ So the Israelis did not wear^[bw] their ornaments from Mount Horeb onward.

God’s Presence at the Tent of Meeting

⁷ Moses used to take the tent and set it up outside the camp at a distance from the camp, and he called it the Tent of Meeting. When anyone sought the Lord, he would go out to the Tent of Meeting which was outside the camp. ⁸ When Moses would go out to the tent, all the people would get up, and each would stand in the doorway of his tent, watching Moses until he entered the tent. ⁹ When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stand at the doorway of the tent while God^[bx] spoke with Moses. ¹⁰ When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the doorway of the tent, all of them^[by] would get up and prostrate themselves in worship, each one at the doorway of his tent. ¹¹ The Lord would speak to Moses face to face just as a man speaks with his friend. When Moses^[bz] returned to the camp, Nun’s son Joshua, his young servant, would not leave the tent.

The Promise of God’s Presence on the Journey

¹² Moses told the Lord, “Look, you have told me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you haven’t let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name,’ and also, ‘You have found favor in my sight.’ ¹³ Now, if I’ve found favor in your sight, please show me your ways so I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. And remember,^[ca] this nation is your people.”

¹⁴ He said, “My presence will go with you, and I’ll give you rest.” ¹⁵ Then Moses^[cb] told the Lord,^[cc] “If your presence does not go with us,^[cd] don’t bring us up from here. ¹⁶ Otherwise,^[ce] how shall it be known that your people and I have received favor from you, unless you go with us and that we, your people and I, are distinguished from all the people on the surface of the earth?”

Moses Sees God’s Glory

¹⁷ The Lord told Moses, “I’ll do the very^[cf] thing that you have said, because you have found favor in my sight and I know you by name.”

¹⁸ Then Moses^[cg] said, “Please show me your glory.”

¹⁹ God^[ch] said, “I’ll cause all my goodness to pass before you, and I’ll proclaim the name ‘the Lord’ before you. I’ll be gracious to whom I’ll be gracious, and I’ll show compassion on whom I’ll show compassion. ²⁰ But,” he said, “You cannot see my face, because a man cannot see me and live.”

²¹ The Lord said, “Look, there is a place near^[ci] me where you can stand on the rock; ²² and as my glory passes by, I’ll put you in a crevice in the rock, and cover you with my hand until I’ve passed by. ²³ Then I’ll remove my hand so you may see my back, but my face must not be seen.”

The Tablets of the Law Replaced

34 The Lord told Moses, “Cut out for yourself two stone tablets like the first ones, and I’ll write on the tablets the words which were on the first tablets that you broke. ² Be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning on Mount Sinai, where you are to present yourself to me there on the top of the mountain. ³ No one is to come up with you, nor is anyone to be seen anywhere on the mountain. Also, the sheep and cattle are not to graze in front of that mountain.”

⁴ So Moses^[cj] carved out two stone tablets like the first ones, got up early in the morning, and climbed Mount Sinai, just as the Lord had commanded him. He took with him the two stone tablets. ⁵ The Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed the name of the Lord.^{[ck] 6} The Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed,

⁸ Moses quickly bowed to the ground and prostrated himself in worship. ⁹ He said, “If I’ve found favor in your sight, Lord, please, Lord, walk among us. Certainly this is an obstinate people, but pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your own inheritance.”

The Covenant Promises Repeated

¹⁰ Then the Lord said, “I’m now going to make a covenant. I’ll do miraculous deeds in full view of your people that haven’t been done^[cm] in all the earth or in any nation. All the people among whom you live will see the work of the Lord, because it’s an awesome thing that I’ll do with you. ¹¹ Obey^[cn] what I am commanding you today and I’ll drive out from before you the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

¹² “Be very careful not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you are going, so they won’t be a snare among you. ¹³ Rather, you are to tear down their altars, you are to smash their sacred pillars, and you are to cut down their sacred poles^[co]— ¹⁴ indeed, you are not to bow down in worship to any other god, because the Lord’s name is Jealous—he’s a jealous God— ¹⁵ Otherwise, you may make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and when they prostitute themselves with their gods and offer sacrifices to their gods, someone may invite you and then you may eat some of their sacrifices.

¹⁶ “You are not to take any of their daughters for your sons. Otherwise, when their daughters prostitute themselves with their gods, they may cause your sons to prostitute themselves with their gods.

¹⁷ “You are not to make molten gods for yourselves.

¹⁸ “You are to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days, at the appointed time in the month Abib, you are to eat unleavened bread as I commanded you, for in the month Abib you came out of Egypt.

¹⁹ “Everything firstborn^[cp] belongs to me: all the males of your herds, the firstborn of both cattle and sheep. ²⁰ You are to redeem the firstborn of a donkey with a sheep, and if you don’t redeem it, you are to break its neck. You are to redeem every firstborn of your sons, and no one is to appear before me empty-handed.

²¹ “For six days you are to work, but on the seventh day you are to rest; even during plowing time and harvest you are to rest.

²² “You are to observe the Festival of Weeks, the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Festival of Tabernacles^[cq] at the turn of the year. ²³ Three times during the year all your males are to appear in the presence of the Lord God of Israel, ²⁴ since I’m going to drive out nations before you, and enlarge your borders, and no one will covet your land, when you go up to appear in the presence of the Lord your God three times a year.

²⁵ “You are not to offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, nor are you to allow the sacrifice of the Festival of Passover to remain until morning.

²⁶ “You are to bring the best^[cr] of the first fruits of the ground to the house of the Lord your God.

“You are not to boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”

²⁷ Then the Lord told Moses, “Write down these words, because I’m making a covenant with you and with Israel according to these words.”

²⁸ While Moses^[cs] was there with the Lord for 40 days and 40 nights, he did not eat or drink.^[ct] He wrote the Ten Commandments, the words of the covenant, on the tablets.

Moses’ Face Shines

²⁹ When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, he had the two tablets in his hand,^[cu] and he did not know that the skin of his face was ablaze with light because he had been speaking with God.^{[cv] 30} Aaron and all the Israelis saw Moses and immediately noticed that the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. ³¹ When Moses called to them, Aaron and the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and he spoke to them. ³² Afterwards all the Israelis came near and he gave them everything the Lord told him on Mount Sinai as commandments. ³³ When Moses finished speaking with them he put a veil over his face, ³⁴ and then whenever Moses would come in the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he would remove the veil until he left the Lord’s presence.^[cw] When he went out, he would tell the Israelis what he had been commanded. ³⁵ The Israelis would see the face of Moses and that the skin of his face shone; then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with God.^[cx]

The Israelis Collect Material for the Tent

35 Moses assembled the entire congregation of the Israelis and told them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do:^{[cy] 2} For six days work is to be done, but on the seventh day you are to have a holy day, a Sabbath of complete rest in dedication to the Lord. Anyone who does work on that day is to be executed. ³ You are not to light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath.”

⁴ Then Moses told the entire congregation of the Israelis, “This is what the Lord has commanded, ⁵ ‘Take from among yourselves an offering for the Lord. Everyone whose heart is willing is to bring as an offering for the Lord: gold, silver, and bronze; ⁶ blue, purple, and scarlet material;^[cz] fine linen and goat hair; ⁷ ram skins dyed red,^[da] dolphin^[db] skins, acacia wood, ⁸ oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for aromatic incense, ⁹ onyx stones, and stones for setting in the ephod and the breast piece.

¹⁰ “‘Let everyone who is skilled^[dc] among you come and make everything that the Lord has commanded: ¹¹ the tent, its tent, its covering, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets, ¹² the ark, its poles, the Mercy Seat, the curtain,^{[dd] 13} the table, its poles, all its furnishings, and the bread of the presence, ¹⁴ the lamp stand for light, its furnishings, its lamps, and oil for the light, ¹⁵ the altar of incense, its poles, the anointing oil, the aromatic incense, and the screen for the doorway at the entrance to the tent, ¹⁶ the altar for burnt offerings, the bronze lattice for it, its poles, and all its furnishings, the basin and its base, ¹⁷ the hangings for the court, its pillars, its sockets,^[de] the screen for the gate of the court, ¹⁸ the pegs for the tent, the pegs for the court, and their cords, ¹⁹ the woven garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments of Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons for serving as priests.’”

²⁰ Then the entire congregation of the Israelis withdrew from Moses’ presence, ²¹ and every person whose heart moved him and all whose spirits prompted them, brought an offering to the Lord for constructing^[df] the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments. ²² Both the men and women came—all whose hearts prompted them—and brought brooches, earrings, rings, pendants, and all kinds of gold jewelry. Every person presented a wave offering of gold to the Lord.

²³ Everyone who had blue, purple, and scarlet material, fine linen, goat hair, ram skins dyed red,^[dg] and dolphin^[dh] skins brought them. ²⁴ Everyone who could give an offering of silver and bronze brought it as a contribution for the Lord. Also all who had acacia wood for any use in the work^[di] brought it.

²⁵ Every skilled^[dj] woman spun with her hands, and brought what she had spun: blue, purple, and scarlet material, and fine linen. ²⁶ All the women who were skilled artisans^[dk] spun the goat hair.

²⁷ The leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set in the ephod and the breast piece, ²⁸ spices and oil for the light and for the anointing oil and the aromatic incense. ²⁹ Each Israeli man and woman whose heart was prompted brought something^[dl] as a freewill offering to the Lord for all the work that the Lord had commanded them to do through^[dm] Moses.

Craftsmen for Building the Tent

³⁰ Moses told the Israelis, “Look, the Lord has called^[dn] Uri’s son Bezalel, grandson of Hur, from the tribe of Judah, ³¹ and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, and with knowledge of all kinds of work, ³² to make artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, ³³ to cut stones for setting, to carve wood, and to engage in all kinds of artistic work. ³⁴ And he has given both him and Ahisamach’s son Oholiab from the tribe of Dan the ability to teach. ³⁵ He has equipped them^[do] to do all kinds of work done by an engraver, designer, embroider in blue, purple and scarlet material and in fine linen, or as a weaver. They were able to do^[dp] all kinds of work and were skilled designers. 36 ¹ Bezalel and Oholiab and all the skilled craftsmen to whom the Lord gave wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work in constructing^[dq] the sanctuary are to do everything that the Lord has commanded.”

Contributions for Building the Tent

² Then Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the skilled^[dr] people to whom the Lord had given ability,^[ds] including everyone whose hearts stirred them to come forward to do the work. ³ They received from Moses all the offerings that the Israelis had brought for doing the work of constructing^[dt] the sanctuary, and the people^[du] continued to bring freewill offerings every morning. ⁴ All the craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left the work they were doing ⁵ and told Moses, “The people are bringing much more than enough for the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.” ⁶ Then Moses issued an order, and the message was taken throughout the camp, “Men and women, don’t bring any more offerings for the sanctuary.” The people were restrained from bringing any more,^{[dv] 7} since the material was more than sufficient for doing all the work.

⁸ All the skilled craftsmen among the workers made the tent with ten curtains of fine woven^[dw] linen, blue, purple, and scarlet material.^[dx] He^[dy] made them with cherubim skillfully worked into them. ⁹ The length of each curtain was 28 cubits,^[dz] and the width of each curtain two cubits.^[ea] All the curtains had the same measurements.^{[eb] 10} He joined five of the curtains together, and the other five curtains he joined together. ¹¹ He made loops of blue material^[ec] along the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set, and likewise, he made loops along the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set. ¹² He made 50 loops in the one curtain, and he made 50 loops along the edge of the curtain that is in the second set, with the loops opposite each other. ¹³ Then he made 50 gold clasps, and joined the curtains to each other with the clasps so the tent was one piece.

¹⁴ He made curtains of goat hair for a tent over the tent; he made 11 curtains. ¹⁵ The length of each curtain was 30 cubits,^[ed] and the width of each curtain was two cubits;^[ee] the measurements of each of the eleven curtains was the same.^{[ef] 16} He joined five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. ¹⁷ He made 50 loops along the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set, and 50 loops along the edge of the curtain of the other set. ¹⁸ He made 50 bronze clasps to join the tent together so it would be one piece. ¹⁹ Then he made a cover for the tent of ram skins dyed red^[eg] and a covering of dolphin^[eh] skins above that.

²⁰ Then he made upright boards of acacia wood for the tent. ²¹ Each^[ei] board was ten cubits^[ej] long, and one and a half cubits^[ek] wide. ²² Each board had two pegs, joined to one another, and he did this for all the boards of the tent. ²³ He made the boards for the tent: 20 boards for the south side.^{[el] 24} He made 40 silver sockets under the 20 boards: two sockets under one board for its two pegs and two sockets^[em] under the next^[en] board for its two pegs. ²⁵ For the second side of the tent to the north he made 20 boards,^{[eo] 26} and 40 silver sockets for them, two sockets under one board and two sockets under the next^[ep] board. ²⁷ For the rear of the tent on the west he made six boards, ²⁸ and he made two boards for the rear corners of the tent. ²⁹ They were joined together^[eq] at the bottom and they were connected^[er] on top, by one ring. He did this for the two of them, and they were the two corners. ³⁰ There were eight boards with their sixteen silver sockets, two sockets under each board.

³¹ Then he made bars of acacia wood, five for the boards on one side of the tent, ³² five bars for the boards on the second side of the tent, and five bars for the boards on the back side of the tent to the west. ³³ He made the middle bar in the center of the boards pass through from end to end. ³⁴ He overlaid the boards with gold, and made gold rings for them as holders for the bars, and he overlaid the bars with gold.

³⁵ He made a curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet material, and fine woven linen. He made it with cherubim skillfully worked into it. ³⁶ He made four pillars of acacia for it and overlaid them with gold, along with their gold hooks, and he cast four silver sockets for them. ³⁷ For the doorway of the tent, he made a screen of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine woven linen, the work of an embroiderer, ³⁸ and five pillars of acacia along with their hooks. He overlaid their tops and their bands^[es] with gold. Their five sockets were made of bronze.

The Ark of the Covenant

37 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood two and a half cubits^[et] long, one and a half cubits^[eu] wide, and one and a half cubits^[ev] high. ² He overlaid it with pure gold, inside and outside, and made a gold molding around it. ³ He cast four rings for it on its four feet, two rings on one side of it and two rings on its other side. ⁴ He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. ⁵ He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry^[ew] it.

⁶ He made a Mercy Seat of pure gold two and a half cubits^[ex] long and one and a half cubits^[ey] wide. ⁷ He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work at the two ends of the Mercy Seat. ⁸ One cherub was at one end and one cherub at the other end. He made the cherubim at the two ends of the Mercy Seat and of one piece with it. ⁹ The cherubim had their wings spread upward, covering the Mercy Seat with their wings and facing each other. The faces of the cherubim were turned toward the Mercy Seat.

The Table of Showbread

¹⁰ Then he made a table of acacia wood two cubits^[ez] long, one cubit^[fa] wide, and one and a half cubits^[fb] high. ¹¹ He overlaid it with pure gold and put a gold molding around it. ¹² He made a rim one handbreadth^[fc] wide around it, and made a gold molding around the rim. ¹³ He cast four gold rings for it and put the rings on the four corners where its four feet were. ¹⁴ The rings were close to the rim as holders for the poles to carry the table. ¹⁵ He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold to carry the table. ¹⁶ He made the utensils which were on the table, its plates, dishes, bowls, and jars out of which libations are poured. He made them of pure gold.

The Lamp Stand

¹⁷ He made the lamp stand of pure gold. He made the lamp stand, its base, and stem of hammered work and its cups, calyxes, and flowers were of one piece with it. ¹⁸ Six branches extended from its sides, three branches of the lamp stand from one side of it, and three branches of the lamp stand from its other side. ¹⁹ Three cups shaped like almond blossoms with calyxes and flowers were on one branch and three cups shaped like almond blossoms with calyxes and flowers were on the other branch, and so on for the six branches extending from the lamp stand. ²⁰ On the lamp stand itself there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms each with their calyxes and flowers. ²¹ A calyx was under the two branches that extended out of the stem;^[fd] a calyx was under the next pair of^[fe] branches that extended out of the stem;^[ff] and a calyx was under the last pair of^[fg] branches that extended out of the stem,^[fh] and so on for the six branches extending from the lamp stand. ²² Their calyxes and their branches were of one piece with it, all of it was of one piece of hammered work of pure gold. ²³ He made its seven lamps, its tongs, and its trays from pure gold. ²⁴ He made it and all of its furnishings from a talent^[fi] of pure gold.

The Altar for Incense

²⁵ He made the altar for burning incense of acacia wood, a square, one cubit^[fj] long, one cubit^[fk] wide, and two cubits^[fl] high, with its horns of one piece with it. ²⁶ He overlaid it with pure gold—its top, its sides all around, and its horns—and he made a gold molding around it. ²⁷ He made two gold rings for it under its molding, on its two opposite sides, as holders for poles by which to carry it. ²⁸ He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. ²⁹ And he made the holy anointing oil and the pure aromatic incense, the work of a perfumer.

The Altar for Burnt Offerings

38 Then he made the altar for burnt offerings of acacia wood. It was a square, five cubits^[fm] long and five cubits^[fn] wide, and it was three cubits^[fo] high. ² He made horns^[fp] on its four corners. Its horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze. ³ He made all the utensils for the altar—the pans, the shovels, the bowls, the forks, and the fire-pans—and he made all its utensils of bronze. ⁴ He made a lattice, a netting of bronze, for the altar. It was under its ledge, extending halfway up. ⁵ He cast four rings on the four ends of the bronze lattice as holders for the poles. ⁶ He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. ⁷ And he put the poles through rings on the sides of the altar to carry it.^[fq] He made it hollow, out of boards.

The Bronze Basin

⁸ He made the bronze basin and its bronze base from^[fr] mirrors contributed by the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

The Court of the Tent

⁹ Then he made the court. On the south^[fs] side the hangings for the court were made of fine woven linen, 100 cubits^[ft] long.^{[fu] 10} He made their 20 pillars^[fv] and their 20 sockets of bronze, while the hooks of the pillars and their bands^[fw] were made of silver. ¹¹ The north side was 100 cubits^[fx] long,^[fy] and its^[fz] 20 pillars^[ga] and 20 sockets were made of bronze, and the hooks of the pillars and their bands^[gb] were made of silver. ¹² For the west side there were hangings 50 cubits^[gc] long with their ten pillars and ten sockets. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were made of silver. ¹³ The east side^[gd] was 50 cubits^[ge] long.^{[gf] 14} The hangings for one section^[gg] were fifteen cubits^[gh] long, with their three pillars and three sockets, ¹⁵ and also for the second section. On either side of the gate of the court were hangings of fifteen cubits^[gi] long with their three pillars and three sockets. ¹⁶ All the hangings around the court were made of fine woven linen. ¹⁷ The sockets for the pillars were made of bronze and the hooks of the pillars and their bands^[gj] were made of silver. Their tops were overlaid with silver, and all the pillars of the court were banded with silver. ¹⁸ The screen of the gate of the court was the work of an embroiderer of blue, purple, and scarlet material, and fine woven linen. The length was 20 cubits^[gk] and it was five cubits^[gl] high along its width, corresponding to the hangings of the court. ¹⁹ Their four pillars and their four sockets were made of bronze, and their hooks were made of silver. Their tops were overlaid with silver and their bands were made of silver. ²⁰ All the pegs for the tent and for all around the court were made of bronze.

The Record of Materials

²¹ Here is a summary of materials for the Tent of Meeting that was compiled at Moses’ direction, the work of the descendants of Levi under the direction of Aaron the priest’s son Ithamar. ²² Now Uri’s son Bezalel, grandson of Hur from the tribe of Judah, made everything that the Lord had ordered Moses to build.^{[gm] 23} With him was Ahisamach’s son Oholiab from the tribe of Dan, an engraver, designer, and embroiderer in blue, purple, and scarlet material, and of fine linen.

²⁴ All the gold that was used in the work, in all the work on the sanctuary, including^[gn] the gold from the wave offering, totaled^[go] 29 talents,^[gp] 730 shekels,^[gq] according to the standard used in^[gr] the sanctuary. ²⁵ The silver from those of the congregation who were recorded^[gs] totaled^[gt] 100 talents^[gu] and 1,775 shekels, according to the standard used in^[gv] the sanctuary; ²⁶ a beka a head (a beka is half a shekel, according to the standard used in^[gw] the sanctuary) for everyone who went through the registration^[gx] process^[gy] from 20 years old and older. The total numbered 603,550 bekas.

²⁷ One hundred talents^[gz] of silver were used to cast the sockets for the sanctuary and the sockets for the curtain, 100 sockets for 100 talents,^[ha] a talent^[hb] per socket. ²⁸ And with 1,775 talents^[hc] he made hooks for the pillars, overlaid their tops, and made bands for them.

²⁹ The bronze from the wave offering totaled^[hd] 70 talents^[he] and 2,400 shekels. ³⁰ With it he made the sockets for the doorway to the Tent of Meeting, the bronze altar, the bronze lattice for it, all the furnishings^[hf] for the altar, ³¹ the sockets for all around the court, the sockets for the gate to the court, all the pegs for the sanctuary, and all the pegs for all around the court.

The Priestly Garments

39 From the blue, purple, and scarlet material they made finely woven garments for ministering in the Holy Place, and they made the holy garments for Aaron, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Ephod

² He made the ephod out of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine woven linen. ³ They hammered out gold sheets and cut off threads to work into the blue, purple, and scarlet material and into the fine linen, a work of skillful design. ⁴ They made connecting shoulder pieces for the ephod^[hg] and attached them to its two edges. ⁵ The skillfully woven band that was on it was made like it, of one piece with it: of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine woven linen, just as the Lord commanded Moses. ⁶ They prepared the onyx stones, engraved with the names of the sons of Israel like the engraving on a signet,^[hh] and mounted them in settings of gold filigree. ⁷ He put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Breast Piece

⁸ He made a breast piece, skillfully worked, like the work of the ephod: of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine woven linen. ⁹ They made the breast piece square when folded double: one span^[hi] in length and one span^[hj] in width when folded double. ¹⁰ They mounted on it four rows of stones. The first row was a row of carnelian, topaz, and emerald; ¹¹ the second row ruby,^[hk] sapphire, and crystal; ¹² the third row jacinth, agate, and amethyst; ¹³ and the fourth row beryl, onyx, and jasper. They were set in gold filigree when they were mounted. ¹⁴ The stones corresponded to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve stones^[hl] corresponding to their names, with the engraving of a signet,^[hm] each with the name of one of the twelve tribes.

¹⁵ They made chains of pure gold twisted like cords for the breast piece. ¹⁶ They made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings, and they put the two rings on the two edges of the breast piece. ¹⁷ They put the two gold cords on the two gold rings at the edges of the breast piece, ¹⁸ and they attached the other two ends of the two cords to the filigree settings, and then attached them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod in front. ¹⁹ They made two gold rings and attached them to the two edges of the breast piece, on the side of it which is toward the inner side of the ephod. ²⁰ They made two gold rings and attached them in front, on the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, close to the place where it’s joined, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. ²¹ They tied the breast piece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord so it would rest on the skillfully woven band of the ephod and so the breast piece would not come loose from the ephod.

The Robe of the Ephod

²² He made the robe of the ephod of woven work, entirely of blue. ²³ The opening of the robe was in the middle, like the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding around the opening so it would not be torn. ²⁴ On the hem of the robe, they placed pomegranates made of blue, purple, and scarlet material and woven linen. ²⁵ They made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between^[hn] the pomegranates, on the hem of the robe, all around between^[ho] the pomegranates. ²⁶ There was a bell and a pomegranate, then^[hp] a bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe for when the High Priest ministered,^[hq] just as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Other Priestly Garments

²⁷ They made tunics for Aaron and his sons, woven from fine linen, ²⁸ the turban of fine linen, decorated head coverings of fine linen, linen undergarments of fine woven linen, ²⁹ and the sash of fine woven linen, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet material, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ³⁰ They made the medallion^[hr] for the holy crown of pure gold, and they wrote on it an inscription like the engraving on a seal: “Holy to the Lord.” ³¹ They fastened a blue cord to it in order to fasten it on the turban above, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Moses Inspects the Completed Work

³² All the work on the Tent of Meeting was completed, and the Israelis had crafted it according to everything that the Lord had commanded Moses, as they should have.^{[hs] 33} They brought to Moses the tent, all its furnishings, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, ³⁴ the covering of ram skins dyed red,^[ht] the covering of dolphin^[hu] skins, the curtain,^{[hv] 35} the Ark of the Testimony and its poles, the Mercy Seat, ³⁶ the table and all its utensils, the bread of the presence, ³⁷ the lamp stand of pure gold,^[hw] its lamps (with the lamps in order), its furnishings, its oil for lighting, ³⁸ the altar of gold, anointing oil, aromatic incense, the screen for the doorway to the tent, ³⁹ the bronze altar and the bronze lattice for it, its poles, all its furnishings, the basin and its base, ⁴⁰ the hangings for the court, its pillars, its sockets, the screen for the gate of the court, its cords, its pegs, all the furnishings for the service of the tent, for the Tent of Meeting, ⁴¹ the woven garments for Aaron the priest for ministering in the Holy Place, and the garments for his sons for serving as priests. ⁴² The Israelis had done all the work according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses. ⁴³ Moses blessed them when he saw all the work and that they had completed it. They had done it just as the Lord had commanded.

The Lord’s Instructions for Setting up the Tent

40 The Lord spoke to Moses: ² “On the first day of the first month you are to set up the tent of the Tent of Meeting. ³ You are to put the Ark of the Testimony there, and screen off the ark with the curtain. ⁴ You are to bring in the table and properly arrange what goes on it.^[hx] Then you are to bring in the lamp stand and set up its lamps.

⁵ “You are to put the golden altar for incense in front of the Ark of the Testimony and then set up the screen for the doorway to the tent. ⁶ You are to put the altar for burnt offerings in front of the doorway of the tent of the Tent of Meeting. ⁷ You are to put the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it.^{[hy] 8} You are to set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court. ⁹ You are to take the anointing oil and anoint the tent and all that is in it. You are to consecrate it and all its furnishings and it will be holy.

¹⁰ “You are to anoint the altar for burnt offerings and all its utensils. You are to consecrate the altar and the altar will be most holy. ¹¹ You are to anoint the basin and its base and consecrate it. ¹² Then you are to bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, and wash them with water. ¹³ You are to clothe Aaron with the holy garments, you are to anoint him, and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest. ¹⁴ You are to bring his sons and clothe them with tunics. ¹⁵ You are to anoint them just as you anointed their father so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing is to qualify them^[hz] to belong to a perpetual priesthood from generation to generation.”

Moses Obeys God’s Instructions

¹⁶ Moses did everything that the Lord had commanded him, so he did. ¹⁷ And so in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, the tent was set up. ¹⁸ Moses set up the tent. He installed its sockets and set its boards in place. He inserted its bars and set up its pillars. ¹⁹ He spread the tent over the tent and put the covering of the tent on top of it, just as the Lord had commanded him.^{[ia] 20} Then he took the Testimony, put it into the ark, and placed the poles on the ark. He then put the Mercy Seat on top of the ark. ²¹ He brought the ark into the tent, set up the curtain, and screened off the Ark of the Testimony, just as the Lord had commanded him.^{[ib] 22} He put the table in the Tent of Meeting, on the north side of the tent, outside the curtain, ²³ and properly arranged the bread on it in the Lord’s presence, just as the Lord had commanded him.^[ic]

²⁴ Then he put the lamp stand in the Tent of Meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the tent, ²⁵ and set up the lamps in the Lord’s presence, just as the Lord had commanded him.^{[id] 26} He put the golden altar in the Tent of Meeting in front of the curtain ²⁷ and burned aromatic incense on it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

²⁸ He set up the screen for the doorway of the tent. ²⁹ He put the altar for burnt offerings at the doorway of the tent of the Tent of Meeting, and offered the burnt offering and the grain offering on it, just as the Lord had commanded him.^{[ie] 30} He put the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing. ³¹ Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and feet from it. ³² When they entered the Tent of Meeting and approached the altar, they washed, just as the Lord had commanded him.^{[if] 33} He set up the court all around the tent and the altar, and hung up the screen for the gate of the court. And so Moses finished the work.

The Glory of the Lord Fills the Completed Tent

³⁴ The cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tent. ³⁵ Moses was not able to enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tent. ³⁶ Whenever the cloud was lifted up from the tent, the Israelis would set out on their journey, ³⁷ but if the cloud was not lifted up, they would not set out until^[ig] it was lifted up, ³⁸ since the cloud of the Lord was over the tent by day, and the fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel in all their journeys.