Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A song of David.

¹⁶ Moses obeyed the Lord. He did everything that the Lord commanded him.

¹⁷ So the Holy Tent was set up at the right time. It was the first day of the first month during the second year from the time they left Egypt. ¹⁸ Moses set up the Holy Tent just as the Lord had said. He put the bases down first. Then he put the frames on the bases. Then he put the braces on and set up the posts. ¹⁹ After that Moses put the outer tent over the Holy Tent. Then he put the covering over the outer tent. He did these things just as the Lord had commanded.

²⁰ Moses took the Agreement and put it in the Holy Box. He put the poles on the Box and put the mercy-cover on it. ²¹ Then Moses put the Holy Box into the Holy Tent. He hung the curtain in the right place to protect it. In this way he protected the Box of the Agreement behind the curtain just as the Lord had commanded him. ²² Then Moses put the table in the Meeting Tent on the north side of the Holy Tent. He put it in the Holy Place, in front of the curtain. ²³ Then he put the bread on the table before the Lord. He did this just as the Lord had commanded him. ²⁴ Then Moses put the lampstand in the Meeting Tent on the south side of the Tent, across from the table. ²⁵ Then Moses put the lamps on the lampstand before the Lord. He did this just as the Lord had commanded him.

²⁶ Then Moses put the golden altar in the Meeting Tent, in front of the curtain. ²⁷ Then he burned sweet-smelling incense on the altar. He did this as the Lord had commanded him. ²⁸ Then Moses put the curtain at the entrance to the Holy Tent.

²⁹ Moses put the altar for burning offerings at the entrance to the Holy Tent, that is, the Meeting Tent. Then Moses offered a burnt offering on that altar. He also offered grain offerings to the Lord. He did these things just as the Lord had commanded him.

³⁰ Then Moses put the bowl between the Meeting Tent and the altar. He put water in the bowl for washing. ³¹ Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons used this bowl to wash their hands and feet. ³² They washed themselves every time they entered the Meeting Tent. They also washed themselves every time they went near the altar. They did these things just as the Lord commanded Moses.

³³ Then Moses set up the curtains around the courtyard of the Holy Tent. He put the altar in the courtyard. Then he put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. So he finished all the work.

The Glory of the Lord

³⁴ Then the cloud covered the Meeting Tent and the Glory of the Lord filled the Holy Tent. ³⁵ Moses could not go into the Meeting Tent because the cloud had settled on it, and the Glory of the Lord had filled the Holy Tent.

³⁶ When the cloud rose from the Holy Tent, the Israelites would begin to travel. ³⁷ But when the cloud stayed on the Holy Tent, the people did not try to move. They stayed in that place until the cloud rose. ³⁸ So the cloud of the Lord was over the Holy Tent during the day, and at night there was a fire in the cloud. So all the Israelites could see the cloud while they traveled.

³⁵ The next morning the Roman officials sent some soldiers to tell the jailer, “Let these men go free.”

³⁶ The jailer said to Paul, “The officials have sent these soldiers to let you go free. You can leave now. Go in peace.”

³⁷ But Paul said to the soldiers, “Those officials did not prove that we did anything wrong, but they beat us in public and put us in jail. And we are Roman citizens.^[a] Now they want us to go away quietly. No, they must come here themselves and lead us out!”

³⁸ The soldiers told the officials what Paul said. When they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were afraid. ³⁹ So they came and told them they were sorry. They led them out of the jail and asked them to leave the city. ⁴⁰ But when Paul and Silas came out of the jail, they went to Lydia’s house. They saw some of the believers there and encouraged them. Then they left.