33 The Lord said to Moses, “Get going, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt. Go up to the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I told them, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.’ ² And I will send an angel before you to drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. ³ Go up to this land that flows with milk and honey. But I will not travel among you, for you are a stubborn and rebellious people. If I did, I would surely destroy you along the way.”

⁴ When the people heard these stern words, they went into mourning and stopped wearing their jewelry and fine clothes. ⁵ For the Lord had told Moses to tell them, “You are a stubborn and rebellious people. If I were to travel with you for even a moment, I would destroy you. Remove your jewelry and fine clothes while I decide what to do with you.” ⁶ So from the time they left Mount Sinai,^[a] the Israelites wore no more jewelry or fine clothes.

⁷ It was Moses’ practice to take the Tent of Meeting^[b] and set it up some distance from the camp. Everyone who wanted to make a request of the Lord would go to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp.

⁸ Whenever Moses went out to the Tent of Meeting, all the people would get up and stand in the entrances of their own tents. They would all watch Moses until he disappeared inside. ⁹ As he went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and hover at its entrance while the Lord spoke with Moses. ¹⁰ When the people saw the cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, they would stand and bow down in front of their own tents. ¹¹ Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Afterward Moses would return to the camp, but the young man who assisted him, Joshua son of Nun, would remain behind in the Tent of Meeting.

Moses Sees the Lord’s Glory

¹² One day Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Take these people up to the Promised Land.’ But you haven’t told me whom you will send with me. You have told me, ‘I know you by name, and I look favorably on you.’ ¹³ If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.”

¹⁴ The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”

¹⁵ Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place. ¹⁶ How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.”

¹⁷ The Lord replied to Moses, “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.”

¹⁸ Moses responded, “Then show me your glorious presence.”

¹⁹ The Lord replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh,^[c] before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. ²⁰ But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” ²¹ The Lord continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock. ²² As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. ²³ Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.”

The Tabernacle Completed

40 Then the Lord said to Moses, ² “Set up the Tabernacle^[a] on the first day of the new year.^{[b] 3} Place the Ark of the Covenant^[c] inside, and install the inner curtain to enclose the Ark within the Most Holy Place. ⁴ Then bring in the table, and arrange the utensils on it. And bring in the lampstand, and set up the lamps.

⁵ “Place the gold incense altar in front of the Ark of the Covenant. Then hang the curtain at the entrance of the Tabernacle. ⁶ Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the Tabernacle entrance. ⁷ Set the washbasin between the Tabernacle^[d] and the altar, and fill it with water. ⁸ Then set up the courtyard around the outside of the tent, and hang the curtain for the courtyard entrance.

⁹ “Take the anointing oil and anoint the Tabernacle and all its furnishings to consecrate them and make them holy. ¹⁰ Anoint the altar of burnt offering and its utensils to consecrate them. Then the altar will become absolutely holy. ¹¹ Next anoint the washbasin and its stand to consecrate them.

¹² “Present Aaron and his sons at the entrance of the Tabernacle, and wash them with water. ¹³ Dress Aaron with the sacred garments and anoint him, consecrating him to serve me as a priest. ¹⁴ Then present his sons and dress them in their tunics. ¹⁵ Anoint them as you did their father, so they may also serve me as priests. With their anointing, Aaron’s descendants are set apart for the priesthood forever, from generation to generation.”

¹⁶ Moses proceeded to do everything just as the Lord had commanded him. ¹⁷ So the Tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month of the second year. ¹⁸ Moses erected the Tabernacle by setting down its bases, inserting the frames, attaching the crossbars, and setting up the posts. ¹⁹ Then he spread the coverings over the Tabernacle framework and put on the protective layers, just as the Lord had commanded him.

²⁰ He took the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant and placed them^[e] inside the Ark. Then he attached the carrying poles to the Ark, and he set the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—on top of it. ²¹ Then he brought the Ark of the Covenant into the Tabernacle and hung the inner curtain to shield it from view, just as the Lord had commanded him.

²² Next Moses placed the table in the Tabernacle, along the north side of the Holy Place, just outside the inner curtain. ²³ And he arranged the Bread of the Presence on the table before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him.

²⁴ He set the lampstand in the Tabernacle across from the table on the south side of the Holy Place. ²⁵ Then he lit the lamps in the Lord’s presence, just as the Lord had commanded him. ²⁶ He also placed the gold incense altar in the Tabernacle, in the Holy Place in front of the inner curtain. ²⁷ On it he burned the fragrant incense, just as the Lord had commanded him.

²⁸ He hung the curtain at the entrance of the Tabernacle, ²⁹ and he placed the altar of burnt offering near the Tabernacle entrance. On it he offered a burnt offering and a grain offering, just as the Lord had commanded him.

³⁰ Next Moses placed the washbasin between the Tabernacle and the altar. He filled it with water so the priests could wash themselves. ³¹ Moses and Aaron and Aaron’s sons used water from it to wash their hands and feet. ³² Whenever they approached the altar and entered the Tabernacle, they washed themselves, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

³³ Then he hung the curtains forming the courtyard around the Tabernacle and the altar. And he set up the curtain at the entrance of the courtyard. So at last Moses finished the work.

The Lord’s Glory Fills the Tabernacle

³⁴ Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. ³⁵ Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.

³⁶ Now whenever the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out on their journey, following it. ³⁷ But if the cloud did not rise, they remained where they were until it lifted. ³⁸ The cloud of the Lord hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys.