They set up the Sacred Tent

1Then Yahweh said to Moses/me,

2“On the first day of the first month next year, tell the people to set up the Sacred Tent.

3Put inside it the sacred chest that contains the stone slabs on which are engraved the Ten Commandments, and hang the curtain in front of it.

4Bring the table into the Sacred Tent, and place on it all the things that are to be used with it. Bring in the lampstand and fasten the lamps to it.

5Put the gold altar for burning incense in front of the sacred chest, and set up the curtain at the entrance of the Sacred Tent.

6Put the altar for burning sacrifices in front of the Sacred Tent.

7Put the washbasin between the Sacred Tent and the altar, and fill it with water.

8Hang the curtains that will surround the courtyard, and hang the curtain at its entrance.

9Then take the oil for anointing, and anoint the Sacred Tent and everything that is in it, to ◄set it apart/dedicate it► to me. Then it will be holy/sacred.

10Also anoint the altar for offering sacrifices that will be completely burned, and all the things that will be used with it, and set it apart. Then it also will be holy/sacred.

11Also anoint the washbasin and its base, to set it apart.

12Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Sacred Tent, and wash them ritually with water.

13Then put on Aaron his sacred clothes to ◄set him apart/dedicate him►, in order that he can serve me as a priest.

14Also bring his sons there. Put their sacred tunics/gowns on them

15and anoint them just as you anointed their father, in order that they also may serve me by working as priests. By anointing them and their descendants, you will cause them and their descendants to be priests throughout all coming generations.”

16Moses/I did all these things exactly as Yahweh had commanded him/me.

17On the first day of the first month of the next year (OR, second year after they/we left Egypt), the people set up the Sacred Tent.

18Following Moses’/my instructions, they set up the Sacred Tent and its bases, set up the frames, attached the crossbars, and put up the posts for the curtains.

19Then they spread out the coverings over the Sacred Tent, exactly as Yahweh had commanded.

20Then he/I took the two stone slabs on which the commandments were written and put them in the sacred chest. He/I put the carrying poles in the rings on the chest and put the lid on top of the chest.

21Then he/I took the chest into the Very Holy Place inside the Sacred Tent and hung the curtain. In that way, he/I prevented the people who were outside from seeing the chest. He/I did all this exactly as Yahweh had commanded him/me.

22He/I set the table inside the Sacred Tent, on the north side, outside the curtain.

23He/I placed on the table the bread that was offered to Yahweh, exactly as Yahweh had commanded.

24He/I set the lampstand inside the Sacred Tent, on the south side, opposite the table.

25Then he/I fastened the lamps to the lampstand in Yahweh’s presence, exactly as Yahweh had commanded.

26He/I set the golden altar for burning incense inside the Sacred Tent, in front of the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Very Holy Place,

27and he/I burned some sweet-smelling incense on it, exactly as Yahweh had commanded him/me.

28He/I hung the curtain at the entrance to the Sacred Tent.

29At the entrance to the Sacred Tent, he/I set the altar for offering sacrifices that were to be burned completely. Then he/I offered on it the meat that was to be burned completely and the grain offering, exactly as Yahweh had commanded him/me.

30He/I set the washbasin between the Sacred Tent and the bronze altar, and he/I filled the washbasin with water.

31Every time Moses/I and Aaron and his sons went into the Sacred Tent or went to the altar, they/we washed their/our hands and feet ritually, exactly as Yahweh had commanded Moses/me.

33Following Moses’/my instructions, they hung the curtains that surrounded the courtyard and the altar, and they hung the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. So Moses/I finished that work.

Yahweh’s brilliant light filled the Sacred Tent

34Then the tall bright cloud covered the Sacred Tent, and Yahweh’s ◄glory/brilliant light► filled the Sacred Tent.

35Because that light was very bright, Moses/I was not able to enter the Sacred Tent.

36From that day, whenever the Israeli people wanted to move to another place, they went only when the bright cloud rose from above the Sacred Tent.

37If the cloud did not rise, they stayed where they were and did not go on until the cloud rose.

38Wherever they traveled, the bright cloud that indicated Yahweh’s presence was above the Sacred Tent during the day, and a bright fire was inside the cloud at night, with the result that all the Israeli people [MTY] could see it at any time.