The Tabernacle Erected
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “On the hfirst day of the first month you shall ierect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall jscreen the ark with the veil. 4 And kyou shall bring in the table and arrange it, and lyou shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 mAnd 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. 6 nYou shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, 7 oand place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8 And you shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court.
9 “Then you shall take the panointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it may become holy. 10 You shall also anoint qthe altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, rso that the altar may become most holy. 11 You shall also anoint the basin and its stand, and consecrate it. 12 sThen you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water 13 and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest. 14 You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them, 15 tand anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall admit them to a uperpetual priesthood throughout their generations.”
16 This Moses did; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did. 17 In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, vthe tabernacle was erected. 18 Moses erected the tabernacle. He laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars. 19 And he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 20 He wtook the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on the ark. 21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle and xset up the veil of the screen, and screened ythe ark of the testimony, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 22 zHe put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil, 23 and arranged the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 24 aHe put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle, 25 band set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 26 cHe put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil, 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 28 dHe put in place the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 29 eAnd 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 fgrain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 30 gHe set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing, 31 with which Moses and hAaron and his sons iwashed their hands and their feet. 32 When they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, as the Lord commanded Moses. 33 jAnd he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So kMoses finished the work.
The Glory of the Lord
34 Then lthe cloud covered the tent of meeting, and mthe glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 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. 36 Throughout all their journeys, nwhenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. 37 But oif the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. 38 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.
Book Four
From Everlasting to Everlasting
A sPrayer of Moses, the tman of God.
1 Lord, you have been our udwelling place1
in all generations.
2 vBefore the wmountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
xfrom everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3 You return man to dust
and say, y“Return, zO children of man!”2
4 For aa thousand years in your sight
are but as byesterday when it is past,
or as ca watch in the night.
5 You dsweep them away as with a flood; they are like ea dream,
like fgrass that is renewed in the morning:
6 in ithe morning it flourishes and is renewed;
7 For we are brought to an end by your anger;
by your wrath we are dismayed.
8 You have lset our iniquities before you,
our msecret sins in the light of your presence.
9 For all our days pass away under your wrath;
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
10 The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span3 is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who considers the power of your anger,
and your wrath according to the fear of you?
12 nSo teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13 oReturn, O Lord! pHow long?
Have qpity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the smorning with your steadfast love,
that we may trejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have uafflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your vwork be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
17 Let the xfavor4 of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish ythe work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!
