Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Voice of the Lord in the Storm.

A Psalm of David.

¹⁶ Thus Moses did; in accordance with all that the Lord commanded him, so he did.

¹⁷ Now it happened on the first day of the first month (Abib) in the second year [after the exodus from Egypt], that the tabernacle was erected. ¹⁸ Moses erected the tabernacle, laid its sockets, set up its boards, put in its bars and erected its support poles. ¹⁹ He spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, just as the Lord had commanded him. ²⁰ He took the Testimony [the stones inscribed with the Ten Commandments] and put it into the ark [of the covenant], and placed the poles [through the rings] on the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark. ²¹ Moses brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up a veil (partition) for the screen (curtain), and screened off the ark of the Testimony, just as the Lord had commanded him. ²² Then he put the table in the Tent of Meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil. ²³ He set the bread [of the Presence] in order on it before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him.^{(A) 24} Then he put the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle. ²⁵ Moses mounted and lighted the lamps [on the lampstand] before the Lord, just as the Lord commanded him. ²⁶ He put the golden altar [of incense] in the Tent of Meeting in front of the veil; ²⁷ he burned fragrant incense [as a symbol of prayer] on it, just as the Lord commanded him.^{(B) 28} Then he set up the screen (curtain) at the doorway of the tabernacle. ²⁹ He set the altar of burnt offering before the doorway of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, just as the Lord commanded him. ³⁰ He placed the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar [of burnt offering], and put water in it for washing. ³¹ Then from it Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. ³² When they entered the Tent of Meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, just as the Lord commanded Moses. ³³ And he erected the courtyard all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung the screen (curtain) at the gateway of the courtyard. So Moses finished the work.

The Glory of the Lord

³⁴ Then the cloud [the Shekinah, God’s visible, dwelling presence] covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory and brilliance of the Lord filled the tabernacle.^{(C) 35} Moses was not able to enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud remained on it, and the glory and brilliance of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ³⁶ In all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out; ³⁷ but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey on until the day when it was taken up. ³⁸ For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.

³⁵ Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their officers, saying, “Release those men.” ³⁶ And the jailer repeated the words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent word to release you; so come out now and go in peace.” ³⁷ But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us in public without a trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now they are sending us out secretly? No! Let them come here themselves and bring us out!” ³⁸ The officers reported this message to the chief magistrates, and ^[a]when they heard that the prisoners were Romans, they were frightened; ³⁹ so they came [to the prison] and appealed to them [with apologies], and when they brought them out, they kept begging them to leave the city. ⁴⁰ So they left the prison and went to Lydia’s house; and when they had seen the brothers and sisters, they encouraged and comforted them, and left.