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,^{(A) 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.^{(B) 22} He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the curtain,^{(C) 23} and set the bread in order on it before the Lord as the Lord had commanded Moses.^{(D) 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.^{(E) 26} He put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the curtain^{(F) 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.^{(G) 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,^{(H) 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.^{(I) 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.^{(J) 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,^{(K) 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.^(L)

A Man Born Blind Receives Sight

9 As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” ³ Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.^{(A) 4} We^[a] must work the works of him who sent me^[b] while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.^{(B) 5} As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”^{(C) 6} When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes,^{(D) 7} saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see.^{(E) 8} The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹ Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am he.” ¹⁰ But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” ¹¹ He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.” ¹² They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

¹³ They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. ¹⁴ Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.^{(F) 15} Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” ¹⁶ Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they were divided.^{(G) 17} So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.”^(H)

¹⁸ The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight ¹⁹ and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” ²⁰ His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind, ²¹ but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” ²² His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus^[c] to be the Messiah^[d] would be put out of the synagogue.^{(I) 23} Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

²⁴ So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.”^{(J) 25} He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” ²⁶ They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” ²⁷ He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” ²⁸ Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.^{(K) 29} We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.”^{(L) 30} The man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. ³¹ We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will.^{(M) 32} Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” ³⁴ They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out.

Spiritual Blindness

³⁵ Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”^{[e](N) 36} He answered, “And who is he, sir?^[f] Tell me, so that I may believe in him.”^{(O) 37} Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.”^{(P) 38} He said, “Lord,^[g] I believe.” And he worshiped him. ³⁹ Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see may see and those who do see may become blind.”^{(Q) 40} Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?”^{(R) 41} Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.^(S)

Instructions concerning Sacrifices

^8 [a]The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ⁹ “Command Aaron and his sons: This is the rule of the burnt offering. The burnt offering itself shall remain on the hearth upon the altar all night until the morning, while the fire on the altar shall be kept burning. ¹⁰ The priest shall put on his linen vestments after putting on his linen undergarments next to his body, and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and place them beside the altar.^{(A) 11} Then he shall take off his vestments and put on other garments and carry the ashes out to a clean place outside the camp. ¹² The fire on the altar shall be kept burning; it shall not go out. Every morning the priest shall add wood to it, lay out the burnt offering on it, and turn into smoke the fat pieces of the offerings of well-being. ¹³ A perpetual fire shall be kept burning on the altar; it shall not go out.

¹⁴ “This is the rule of the grain offering: The sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord, in front of the altar.^{(B) 15} They shall take from it a handful of the choice flour and oil of the grain offering, with all the frankincense that is on the offering, and they shall turn its memorial portion into smoke on the altar as a pleasing odor to the Lord. ¹⁶ Aaron and his sons shall eat what is left of it; it shall be eaten as unleavened cakes in a holy place; in the court of the tent of meeting they shall eat it.^{(C) 17} It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as their portion of my offerings by fire;^[b] it is most holy, like the purification offering and the guilt offering.^{(D) 18} Every male among the descendants of Aaron shall eat of it, as their perpetual due throughout your generations, from the Lord’s offerings by fire;^[c] anything that touches them shall become holy.”^(E)

¹⁹ The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁰ “This is the offering that Aaron and his sons shall offer to the Lord on the day when he is anointed: one-tenth of an ephah of choice flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening.^{(F) 21} It shall be made with oil on a griddle; you shall bring it well soaked, as a grain offering of baked^[d] pieces, and you shall present it as a pleasing odor to the Lord.^{(G) 22} And so the priest, anointed from among Aaron’s descendants as a successor, shall prepare it; it is the Lord’s—a perpetual due—to be turned entirely into smoke. ²³ Every grain offering of a priest shall be wholly burned; it shall not be eaten.”

²⁴ The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁵ “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying: This is the rule of the purification offering. The purification offering shall be slaughtered before the Lord at the spot where the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is most holy.^{(H) 26} The priest who offers it as a purification offering shall eat of it; it shall be eaten in a holy place, in the court of the tent of meeting.^{(I) 27} Whatever touches its flesh shall become holy, and when any of its blood is spattered on a garment, you shall wash the bespattered part in a holy place.^{(J) 28} A clay vessel in which it was boiled shall be broken, but if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, that shall be scoured and rinsed in water.^{(K) 29} Every male among the priests shall eat of it; it is most holy.^{(L) 30} But no purification offering shall be eaten from which any blood is brought into the tent of meeting for atonement in the holy place; it shall be burned with fire.^(M)

Duties toward Believers

5 Do not speak harshly to an older man,^[a] but speak to him as to a father, to younger men as brothers,^{(A) 2} to older women as mothers, to younger women as sisters—with absolute purity.

³ Honor widows who are really widows. ⁴ If a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn their religious duty to their own family and make some repayment to their parents, for this is pleasing in God’s sight.^{(B) 5} The real widow, left alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day,^{(C) 6} but the widow^[b] who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.^{(D) 7} Give these commands as well, so that they may be above reproach.^{(E) 8} And whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.^(F)

⁹ Let a widow be put on the list if she is not less than sixty years old and has been married only once;^{[c] 10} she must be well attested for her good works, as one who has brought up children, shown hospitality, washed the saints’ feet, helped the afflicted, and devoted herself to doing good in every way.^{(G) 11} But refuse to put younger widows on the list, for when their sensual desires alienate them from Christ, they want to marry, ¹² and so they incur condemnation for having violated their first pledge. ¹³ Besides that, they learn to be idle, gadding about from house to house, and they are not merely idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not say.^{(H) 14} So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, and manage their households, so as to give the adversary no occasion to revile us.^{(I) 15} For some have already turned away to follow Satan. ¹⁶ If any believing woman^[d] has relatives who are widows, let her assist them; let the church not be burdened, so that it can assist those who are real widows.

¹⁷ Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor,^[e] especially those who labor in preaching and teaching,^{(J) 18} for the scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain” and “The laborer deserves to be paid.”^{(K) 19} Never accept any accusation against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. ²⁰ As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest also may stand in fear.^{(L) 21} In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels, I warn you to keep these instructions without prejudice, doing nothing on the basis of partiality.^{(M) 22} Do not ordain^[f] anyone hastily, and do not participate in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.^(N)

²³ No longer drink only water, but take a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.

²⁴ The sins of some people are conspicuous and precede them to judgment, while the sins of others follow them there. ²⁵ So also good works are conspicuous, and even when they are not, they cannot remain hidden.