1The LORD spoke to Moses. He said,
2"On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle, the tent of the congregation."
3You shall put the ark of the testimony inside it, and cover the ark with the veil.
4You shall bring in the table, and set out on it the things that belong on it. You shall bring in the lampstand, and light its lamps.
5You shall set the gold altar for the incense in front of the ark of the testimony, and put up the curtain at the door of the tabernacle.
6You shall set the altar of the burnt offering in front of the door of the tabernacle, the tent of the congregation.
7You shall set the basin between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water in it.
8You shall set up the court all around, and hang up the curtain at the gate of the court.
9You shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it. You shall make it holy, and all its vessels, and it shall be holy.
10You shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering and all its vessels, and make the altar holy. It shall be a most holy altar.
11You shall anoint the basin and its stand, and make it holy.
12You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.
13You shall put the holy garments on Aaron, and anoint him, and make him holy, so that he may serve me as priest.
14You shall bring his sons and put coats on them.
15"You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, so that they may serve me as priests. Their anointing shall surely give them a priesthood that lasts for ever, through all their generations."
16So Moses did this. He did everything just as the LORD commanded him.
17In the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was set up.
18Moses set up the tabernacle. He fastened its sockets, set up its boards, put in its bars, and raised up its pillars.
19He spread the tent out over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent on top of it, as the LORD commanded Moses.
20He took the testimony and put it into the ark. He set the poles on the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark.
21He brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil that screens it, and covered the ark of the testimony, as the LORD commanded Moses.
22He put the table in the tent of the congregation, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil.
23He set the bread in order on it before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
24He put the lampstand in the tent of the congregation, across from the table, on the south side of the tabernacle.
25He lit the lamps before the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.
26He put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation, in front of the veil.
27He burned sweet incense on it, as the LORD commanded Moses.
28He set up the curtain at the door of the tabernacle.
29He put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the tabernacle, the tent of the congregation, and offered on it the burnt offering and the food offering, as the LORD commanded Moses.
30He set the basin between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water in it for washing.
32When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near the altar, they washed, as the LORD commanded Moses.
33He set up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the curtain of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.
34Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
35Moses could not go into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud rested on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
36Whenever the cloud was lifted up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward on all their journeys.
37But if the cloud was not lifted up, they did not travel until the day it was lifted up.
38For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, where all the house of Israel could see it, through all their journeys.