²⁹ For the tabernacle of the Lord that Moses had made in the wilderness and the altar of burnt offering were at that time in the high place at Gibeon,^(A)

³⁹ And he left the priest Zadok and his kindred the priests before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place that was at Gibeon,^(A)

³ Then Solomon and the whole assembly with him went to the high place that was at Gibeon, for God’s tent of meeting, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness, was there.^(A)

¹³ So Solomon came from^[a] the high place at Gibeon, from the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over Israel.

⁴ The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the principal high place; Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.^{(A) 5} At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I should give you.”^{(B) 6} And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you, and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne today.^{(C) 7} And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.^{(D) 8} And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted.^{(E) 9} Give your servant, therefore, an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil, for who can govern this great people of yours?”^(F)

¹⁰ It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. ¹¹ God said to him, “Because you have asked this and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or for the life of your enemies but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right,^{(G) 12} I now do according to your word. Indeed, I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you, and no one like you shall arise after you.^{(H) 13} I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you.^{(I) 14} If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life.”^(J)

¹⁵ Then Solomon awoke; it had been a dream. He came to Jerusalem, where he stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. He offered up burnt offerings and offerings of well-being and provided a feast for all his servants.^(K)

The Tabernacle Erected and Its Equipment Installed

40 The Lord spoke to Moses, ² “On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.^{(A) 3} You shall put in it the ark of the covenant, and you shall screen the ark with the curtain.^{(B) 4} You shall bring in the table and arrange its setting, and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. ⁵ You shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the covenant and set up the screen for the entrance of the tabernacle. ⁶ You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting ⁷ and place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. ⁸ 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 anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it shall become holy.^{(C) 10} You shall also anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils and consecrate the altar, so that the altar shall be most holy.^{(D) 11} You shall also anoint the basin with its stand and consecrate it. ¹² Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water^{(E) 13} and put on Aaron the sacred vestments, and you shall anoint him and consecrate him, so that he may serve me as priest.^{(F) 14} You shall bring his sons also and put tunics on them ¹⁵ and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests; their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout all their generations.”^(G)

¹⁶ Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him. ¹⁷ In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was set up. ¹⁸ Moses set up 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 took the covenant and put it into the ark and put the poles on the ark and set the cover above the ark,^{(H) 21} and he brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the curtain for screening and screened the ark of the covenant as the Lord had commanded Moses.^{(I) 22} He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the curtain,^{(J) 23} and set the bread in order on it before the Lord as the Lord had commanded Moses.^{(K) 24} He put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle, ²⁵ and set up the lamps before the Lord as the Lord had commanded Moses.^{(L) 26} He put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the curtain^{(M) 27} and offered fragrant incense on it as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²⁸ He also put in place the screen for the entrance of the tabernacle.^{(N) 29} 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. ³⁰ He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing,^{(O) 31} with which Moses and Aaron and his sons washed 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 had commanded Moses.^{(P) 33} He set up the court around the tabernacle and the altar and put up the screen at the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.

The Cloud and the Glory

³⁴ Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.^{(Q) 35} Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ³⁶ Whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out on each stage of their journey,^{(R) 37} but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day that it was taken up. ³⁸ For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud^[a] by night, before the eyes of all the house of Israel at each stage of their journey.^(S)