Making the Priestly Garments

39 They made specially woven^[a] garments for ministry in the sanctuary, and the holy garments for Aaron from the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.^(A)

Making the Ephod

² Bezalel^(B) made the ephod of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen. ³ They hammered out thin sheets of gold, and he^[b] cut threads from them to interweave with the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and the fine linen in a skillful design. ⁴ They made shoulder pieces for attaching it; it was joined together at its two edges. ⁵ The artistically woven waistband that was on the ephod was of one piece with the ephod, according to the same workmanship of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁶ Then they mounted the onyx stones surrounded with gold filigree settings, engraved with the names of Israel’s sons as a gem cutter engraves a seal. ⁷ He fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the Israelites, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Making the Breastpiece

⁸ He^(C) also made the embroidered^[c] breastpiece with the same workmanship as the ephod of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen. ⁹ They made the breastpiece square and folded double, nine inches long and nine inches wide.^{[d] 10} They mounted four rows of gemstones^[e] on it.

They were surrounded with gold filigree in their settings.

¹⁴ The twelve stones corresponded to the names of Israel’s sons. Each stone was engraved like a seal with one of the names of the twelve tribes.

¹⁵ They made braided chains of pure gold cord for the breastpiece. ¹⁶ They also fashioned two gold filigree settings and two gold rings and attached the two rings to its two corners. ¹⁷ Then they attached the two gold cords to the two gold rings on the corners of the breastpiece. ¹⁸ They attached the other ends of the two cords to the two filigree settings, and in this way they attached them to the ephod’s shoulder pieces in front. ¹⁹ They made two other gold rings and put them at the two other corners of the breastpiece on the edge that is next to the inner border of the ephod. ²⁰ They made two more gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the ephod’s two shoulder pieces on its front, close to its seam,^[j] above the ephod’s woven waistband. ²¹ Then they tied the breastpiece from its rings to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue yarn, so that the breastpiece was above the ephod’s waistband and did not come loose from the ephod. They did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Making the Robe

²² They^(D) made the woven robe of the ephod entirely of blue yarn. ²³ There was an opening in the center of the robe like that of body armor^[k] with a collar around the opening so that it would not tear. ²⁴ They made pomegranates of finely spun blue, purple, and scarlet yarn^[l] on the lower hem of the robe. ²⁵ They made bells of pure gold and attached the bells between the pomegranates, all around the hem of the robe between the pomegranates, ²⁶ a bell and a pomegranate alternating all around the lower hem of the robe^[m] to be worn for ministry. They made it just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Other Priestly Garments

²⁷ They made the tunics of fine woven linen for Aaron and his sons. ²⁸ They made the turban and the ornate headbands^[n] of fine linen, the linen undergarments of finely spun linen,^{(E) 29} and the sash of finely spun linen expertly embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. They did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Making the Holy Diadem

³⁰ They made a medallion, the holy diadem, out of pure gold and wrote on it an inscription like the engraving on a seal:^(F) Holy to the Lord. ³¹ They attached a cord of blue yarn to it in order to mount it on the turban, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Moses’s Inspection of the Tabernacle

³² So all the work for the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was finished. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses.^{(G) 33} They brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent with all its furnishings, its clasps, its supports, its crossbars, and its pillars and bases; ³⁴ the covering of ram skins dyed red and the covering of fine leather;^[o] the curtain for the screen; ³⁵ the ark of the testimony with its poles and the mercy seat; ³⁶ the table, all its utensils, and the Bread of the Presence; ³⁷ the pure gold lampstand, with its lamps arranged and all its utensils, as well as the oil for the light; ³⁸ the gold altar; the anointing oil; the fragrant incense; the screen for the entrance to the tent; ³⁹ the bronze altar with its bronze grate, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin with its stand; ⁴⁰ the hangings of the courtyard, its posts and bases, the screen for the gate of the courtyard, its ropes and tent pegs, and all the furnishings for the service of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; ⁴¹ and the specially woven^[p] garments for ministering in the sanctuary, the holy garments for the priest Aaron and the garments for his sons to serve as priests. ⁴² The Israelites had done all the work according to everything the Lord had commanded Moses.^{(H) 43} Moses inspected all the work they had accomplished. They had done just as the Lord commanded. Then Moses blessed them.^(I)

Setting Up the Tabernacle

40 The Lord spoke to Moses: ² “You are to set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the first month.^{[q](J) 3} Put the ark^(K) of the testimony there and screen off the ark with the curtain. ⁴ Then bring in the table and lay out its arrangement; also bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. ⁵ Place the gold altar for incense in front of the ark of the testimony. Put up the screen for the entrance to the tabernacle. ⁶ Position the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting. ⁷ Place the basin^(L) between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. ⁸ Assemble the surrounding courtyard and hang the screen for the gate of the courtyard.

⁹ “Take the anointing oil and anoint^(M) the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it along with all its furnishings so that it will be holy. ¹⁰ Anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar so that it will be especially holy. ¹¹ Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate it.

¹² “Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water.^{(N) 13} Clothe Aaron with the holy garments,^(O) anoint him, and consecrate him, so that he can serve me as a priest. ¹⁴ Have his sons come forward and clothe them in tunics. ¹⁵ Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may also serve me as priests. Their anointing will serve to inaugurate a permanent priesthood for them throughout their generations.”^(P)

¹⁶ Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him. ¹⁷ The tabernacle was set up in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month.^{[r](Q) 18} Moses set up the tabernacle: He laid its bases, positioned its supports, inserted its crossbars, and set up its pillars. ¹⁹ Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

²⁰ Moses took the testimony^(R) and placed it in the ark, and attached the poles to the ark. He set the mercy seat on top of the ark. ²¹ He brought the ark into the tabernacle, put up the curtain for the screen, and screened off the ark of the testimony, just as the Lord had commanded him.

²² Moses placed the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the curtain. ²³ He arranged the bread on it before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him. 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, just as the Lord had commanded him.

²⁶ Moses installed the gold altar in the tent of meeting, in front of the curtain, ²⁷ and burned fragrant incense on it, just as the Lord had commanded him. ²⁸ He put up the screen at the entrance to the tabernacle. ²⁹ He placed the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered the burnt offering and the grain offering on it, just as the Lord had commanded him.

³⁰ He set 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 They washed whenever they came to the tent of meeting and approached the altar, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

³³ Next Moses set up the surrounding courtyard for the tabernacle and the altar and hung a screen for the gate of the courtyard. So Moses finished the work.^(S)

The Lord’s Glory

³⁴ The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.^{(T) 35} Moses was unable to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud rested on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

³⁶ The Israelites set out whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle throughout all the stages of their journey.^{(U) 37} If the cloud was not taken up, they did not set out until the day it was taken up.^{(V) 38} For the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and there was a fire inside the cloud by night, visible to the entire house of Israel throughout all the stages of their journey.

The Burnt Offering

1 Then the Lord summoned Moses^(A) and spoke to him from the tent of meeting:^{(B) 2} “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When any of you brings an offering to the Lord from the livestock, you may bring your offering from the herd or the flock.

³ “If his offering is a burnt offering^(C) from the herd, he is to bring an unblemished male.^(D) He will bring it to the entrance to the tent of meeting so that he^[a] may be accepted by the Lord.^{(E) 4} He is to lay his hand on^(F) the head of the burnt offering so it can be accepted^(G) on his behalf to make atonement for him.^{(H) 5} He is to slaughter the bull before the Lord; Aaron’s sons the priests^(I) are to present the blood^(J) and splatter it^(K) on all sides of the altar that is at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁶ Then he is to skin the burnt offering^(L) and cut it into pieces.^{[b] 7} The sons of Aaron the priest will prepare a fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. ⁸ Aaron’s sons the priests are to arrange the pieces, the head, and the fat^(M) on top of the burning wood on the altar. ⁹ The offerer is to wash its entrails^(N) and legs^(O) with water. Then the priest will burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering, a food offering,^(P) a pleasing aroma^(Q) to the Lord.

¹⁰ “But if his offering for a burnt offering is from the flock, from sheep or goats,^(R) he is to present an unblemished male. ¹¹ He will slaughter it on the north side of the altar before the Lord. Aaron’s sons the priests will splatter its blood against the altar on all sides. ¹² He will cut the animal into pieces with its head and its fat, and the priest will arrange them on top of the burning wood on the altar. ¹³ But he is to wash the entrails and legs with water. The priest will then present all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering, a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

¹⁴ “If his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds,^(S) he is to present his offering from the turtledoves^(T) or young pigeons.^{[c](U) 15} Then the priest is to bring it to the altar, and will twist off its head and burn it on the altar; its blood should be drained at the side of the altar. ¹⁶ He will remove its digestive tract,^[d] cutting off the tail feathers, and throw it on the east side of the altar at the place for ashes.^{(V) 17} He will tear it open by its wings without dividing the bird.^(W) Then the priest is to burn it on the altar on top of the burning wood. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

The Grain Offering

2 “When anyone presents a grain offering^(X) as an offering to the Lord, it is to consist of fine flour.^(Y) He is to pour olive oil^(Z) on it, put frankincense on it,^{(AA) 2} and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. The priest will take a handful of fine flour and oil from it, along with all its frankincense, and will burn this memorial portion^(AB) of it on the altar, a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. ³ But the rest of the grain offering will belong to Aaron and his sons; it is the holiest part^(AC) of the food offerings to the Lord.

⁴ “When you present a grain offering baked in an oven, it is to be made of fine flour, either unleavened cakes^(AD) mixed with oil or unleavened wafers^(AE) coated with oil. ⁵ If your offering is a grain offering prepared on a griddle,^(AF) it is to be unleavened bread^(AG) made of fine flour mixed with oil. ⁶ Break it into pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. ⁷ If your offering is a grain offering prepared in a pan,^(AH) it is to be made of fine flour with oil. ⁸ When you bring to the Lord the grain offering made in any of these ways, it is to be presented to the priest, and he will take it to the altar. ⁹ The priest will remove the memorial portion^[e] from the grain offering and burn it on the altar, a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. ¹⁰ But the rest of the grain offering will belong to Aaron and his sons;^(AI) it is the holiest part of the food offerings to the Lord.

¹¹ “No grain offering that you present to the Lord is to be made with yeast, for you are not to burn^[f] any yeast^(AJ) or honey^(AK) as a food offering to the Lord. ¹² You may present them to the Lord as an offering of firstfruits,^(AL) but they are not to be offered on the altar as a pleasing aroma. ¹³ You are to season each of your grain offerings with salt; you must not omit from your grain offering the salt of the covenant^(AM) with your God. You are to present salt with each of your offerings.

¹⁴ “If you present a grain offering of firstfruits to the Lord, you are to present fresh heads of grain, crushed kernels, roasted on the fire, for your grain offering of firstfruits. ¹⁵ You are to put oil and frankincense on it; it is a grain offering. ¹⁶ The priest will then burn some of its crushed kernels and oil with all its frankincense as a food offering to the Lord.