Beginning
The Light for the Dwelling
8 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Speak to Aaron and tell him, ‘When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps are to give light in front of the lampstand.’”
3 So that is what Aaron did. He set up the lamps to light the area in front of the lampstand, just as the Lord commanded Moses. 4 This was how the lampstand was made: It was a work of hammered gold. From its base to its blossoms, it was one hammered piece. So the lampstand was made according to the pattern that the Lord had shown Moses.
The Purification of the Levites
5 The Lord told Moses 6 to take the Levites from among the Israelites and to do the following to make them ceremonially clean:
7 This is what you are to do to them to make them ceremonially clean: Sprinkle the water of purification[a] on them. Have them shave their entire body with a razor, wash their clothes, and purify themselves. 8 Then they are to take a young bull from the herd with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil. You are to take another young bull from the herd for a sin offering. 9 You are to present the Levites in front of the Tent of Meeting. You are to assemble the entire Israelite community. 10 You are to present the Levites before the Lord. The Israelites will place their hands on the Levites. 11 Then Aaron will offer the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering on behalf of the Israelites. They are to do the work of the Lord.
12 The Levites are to place their hands on the heads of the young bulls. You then will offer the one young bull as a sin offering and the other young bull as a whole burnt offering to the Lord to make atonement for the Levites. 13 You will have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons, and you will offer them as a wave offering to the Lord. 14 In this way you are to set apart the Levites from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.
15 After you have purified them and offered them as a wave offering, the Levites will go to work at the Tent of Meeting, 16 because only they are given to me as servants from among the Israelites. In place of every firstborn from the womb, the firstborn of every Israelite, I have taken the Levites for myself. 17 For all the firstborn among the Israelites are mine, both human and animal. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set the firstborn of the Israelites apart for myself. 18 But I have taken the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites. 19 From among the Israelites I have given only the Levites to Aaron and his sons to do the work of the people of Israel at the Tent of Meeting and to make atonement for the people of Israel so that there will not be any plague among the Israelites when the Israelites approach the sanctuary.
20 Moses, Aaron, and the entire community of the people of Israel did for the Levites just as they had been told. The Israelites did for them everything that the Lord commanded Moses in regard to the Levites. 21 The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothing. Aaron offered them as a wave offering before the Lord and made atonement for them to purify them. 22 After that, the Levites went to do their work at the Tent of Meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. Just as the Lord had commanded Moses about the Levites, that is exactly what they did for them.
23 The Lord spoke to Moses: 24 “This applies to the Levites: From twenty-five years of age and up, they are to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting. 25 But when they are fifty years old, they are to retire from the service and no longer work. 26 They may assist their brothers at the Tent of Meeting in performing their duties, but they are not to do the work. This is exactly what you are to do in regard to the Levites and their duties.”
Regulations for Observing the Passover
9 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, during the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt. He said, 2 “The people of Israel are to observe the Passover at its appointed time. 3 On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight,[b] you will observe it at its appointed time. You will observe it according to all its regulations and all its ordinances.”
4 Moses told the Israelites to observe the Passover. 5 They observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, at twilight, in the Wilderness of Sinai. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
6 There were some men, however, who were unclean because of contact with a dead body. So they were not able to observe the Passover on that day. They went before Moses and Aaron on that same day. 7 These men said to him, “We are unclean because of a dead body. Why should we be kept from presenting the offering of the Lord at its appointed time among the people of Israel?”
8 So Moses said to them, “Wait and let me hear what the Lord commands concerning you.”
9 The Lord spoke to Moses 10 and told him to tell the Israelites this:
If any one of you or your descendants is unclean because of contact with a dead body or is on a distant journey, he may still observe the Passover to the Lord. 11 Such people are to observe it during the second month, on the fourteenth day, at twilight. They are to eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They must not leave any of it until morning. They are not to break a single one of its bones. They are to observe the Passover according to every regulation for it.
13 But anyone who is clean and is not on a journey yet fails to observe the Passover will be cut off from his people. He will bear his sin because he did not present the offering of the Lord at its appointed time.
14 If an alien dwells among you and desires to observe the Passover to the Lord, he is to do so according to the regulation for the Passover and its ordinance. You are to have one regulation, the same for the alien and for the native of the land.
The Cloud and the Dwelling
15 On the day that the Dwelling was set up, the cloud covered the Dwelling, that is, the Tent of the Testimony. The cloud over the Dwelling looked like fire from evening until morning. 16 It was always like this: The cloud would cover the Dwelling, and at night it looked like fire. 17 Whenever the cloud above the tent lifted up, the Israelites would set out. Wherever the cloud settled down, the Israelites would camp at that spot. 18 At the command of the Lord, the Israelites set out, and at the command of the Lord they set up camp. For the entire time that the cloud settled over the Dwelling, they would keep their camp at that place. 19 When the cloud stayed over the Dwelling for many days, the Israelites would keep the Lord’s order and would not set out. 20 Sometimes the cloud would be over the Dwelling for only a few days. Then according to the command of the Lord the Israelites would remain camped at that place. Then at the command of the Lord they would set out again. 21 Sometimes the cloud was over the Dwelling only from evening until morning. So when the cloud lifted up in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, when the cloud lifted up, they set out. 22 Whether it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud stayed settled over the Dwelling, the Israelites remained camped at that place and did not set out. But when it lifted up, they set out. 23 At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out. They kept the Lord’s order, following the command of the Lord given through Moses.
The Silver Trumpets
10 The Lord told Moses 2 to make two trumpets of hammered silver and to use them in this way:
You will use them to summon the community and to have the camp set out.
3 When they blow both trumpets, the entire community will gather to you at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 4 If they blow just one trumpet, then the tribal chiefs, the heads of the Israelite clans, will gather to you.
5 When you blow the signal on the trumpets, the camps that are on the east side will set out. 6 When you blow the signal a second time, the camps that are on the south side will set out. This will be the signal to set out.
7 When the community is to gather, you will blow the trumpets, but you will not sound the signal for setting out.
8 Aaron’s sons, the priests, will blow the trumpets. This will be a permanent regulation for you and for your descendants. 9 When you go out into battle in your own land against an adversary who attacks you, you will sound the signal with the trumpets. Then you will be remembered before the Lord your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.
10 Also at the times when you rejoice, at your appointed festivals and at the New Moon, you will blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your fellowship offerings. They will serve as a memorial for you before your God. I am the Lord your God.
The Israelites Leave Sinai
11 On the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, the cloud lifted up above the Dwelling of the Testimony. 12 The Israelites set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sinai. The cloud settled in the Wilderness of Paran. 13 For the first time, they set out according to the command of the Lord through Moses.
14 First, the standard for the camp of Judah’s descendants set out according to their military units. Nahshon son of Amminadab was over Judah’s unit. 15 Nethanel son of Zuar was over the unit for the tribe of Issachar’s descendants. 16 Eliab son of Helon was over the unit for the tribe of Zebulun’s descendants.
17 The Dwelling was then taken down. The sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set out, carrying the Dwelling.
18 The standard for the camp of Reuben set out according to their military units. Elizur son of Shedeur was over Reuben’s unit. 19 Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was over the unit for the tribe of Simeon’s descendants. 20 Eliasaph son of Deuel was over the unit for the tribe of Gad’s descendants.
21 The Kohathites then set out, carrying the holy things. The others would set up the Dwelling before they arrived.
22 The standard for the camp of Ephraim’s descendants set out according to their military units. Elishama son of Ammihud was over Ephraim’s unit. 23 Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the unit for the tribe of Manasseh’s descendants. 24 Abidan son of Gideoni was over the unit for the tribe of Benjamin’s descendants.
25 The standard for the camp of Dan’s descendants, serving as the rear guard for the entire camp, set out according to their military units. Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai was over Dan’s unit. 26 Pagiel son of Ochran was over the unit for the tribe of Asher’s descendants. 27 Ahira son of Enan was over the unit for the tribe of Naphtali’s descendants.
28 This was the marching order for the Israelites, according to their military units. This is how they set out.
29 Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out to the place about which the Lord promised, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good concerning Israel.”
30 Hobab said to him, “I will not go, but I will go to my own land and to my own relatives.”
31 Moses said, “Please do not leave us, because you know where we should camp in the wilderness. You can be our eyes. 32 If you will go with us, whatever good the Lord does for us, we will do for you.”
33 They set out from the mountain of the Lord on a three-day journey. The Ark of the Lord’s Covenant set out before them for that three-day journey to find a resting place for them. 34 The cloud of the Lord was over them by day, when they set out from the camp.
35 Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say, “Rise up, O Lord, and may your enemies be scattered! May those who hate you flee before you!” 36 When it came to rest, he would say, “Return, O Lord, to the countless thousands of Israel!”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.