Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

¹⁶ Moses did everything exactly as the Lord had commanded him. ¹⁷ In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the dwelling was set up. ¹⁸ Moses set up the dwelling. He laid out its bases. He set up its boards, inserted its bars, and raised up its posts. ¹⁹ He spread the tent out over the dwelling, and he put the covering of the tent over it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²⁰ He took the covenant document and placed it inside the chest. He put the poles on the chest, and he set the cover on top of the chest. ²¹ He brought the chest into the dwelling. He set up the veil as a screen to hide from view the chest containing the covenant, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²² He placed the table in the meeting tent, on the north side of the dwelling, outside the veil. ²³ He set the bread in its proper place on the table in the Lord’s presence, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²⁴ He put the lampstand in the meeting tent, opposite the table on the south side of the dwelling. ²⁵ He set up the lamps in the Lord’s presence, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²⁶ He put the gold altar in the meeting tent in front of the veil. ²⁷ He burned sweet-smelling incense on it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²⁸ He also set up the screen at the entrance to the dwelling. ²⁹ He placed the altar for entirely burned offerings at the entrance to the meeting tent dwelling. He offered the entirely burned offering and the grain offering on it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ³⁰ He put the washbasin between the meeting tent and the altar, and put water in it for washing. ³¹ Moses, Aaron, and his sons used it to wash their hands and their feet. ³² Whenever they went into the meeting tent and whenever they approached the altar, they washed themselves, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ³³ He set up the courtyard around the dwelling and the altar, and he hung up the screen at the courtyard’s gate.

God’s presence fills the dwelling!

When Moses had finished all the work, ³⁴ the cloud covered the meeting tent and the Lord’s glorious presence filled the dwelling. ³⁵ Moses couldn’t enter the meeting tent because the cloud had settled on it, and the Lord’s glorious presence filled the dwelling. ³⁶ Whenever the cloud rose from the dwelling, the Israelites would set out on their journeys. ³⁷ But if the cloud didn’t rise, then they didn’t set out until the day it rose. ³⁸ The Lord’s cloud stayed over the dwelling during the day, with lightning in it at night, clearly visible to the whole household of Israel at every stage of their journey.

³⁵ The next morning the legal authorities sent the police to the jailer with the order “Release those people.”

³⁶ So the jailer reported this to Paul, informing him, “The authorities sent word that you both are to be released. You can leave now. Go in peace.”

³⁷ Paul told the police, “Even though we are Roman citizens, they beat us publicly without first finding us guilty of a crime, and they threw us into prison. And now they want to send us away secretly? No way! They themselves will have to come and escort us out.” ³⁸ The police reported this to the legal authorities, who were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. ³⁹ They came and consoled Paul and Silas, escorting them out of prison and begging them to leave the city.

⁴⁰ Paul and Silas left the prison and made their way to Lydia’s house where they encouraged the brothers and sisters. Then they left Philippi.