The Tabernacle Erected

40 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,  2 “On the hfirst day of the first month you shall ierect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.  3 And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall jscreen the ark with the veil.  4 And kyou shall bring in the table and arrange it, and lyou shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps.  5 mAnd you shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the screen for the door of the tabernacle.  6 nYou shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting,  7 oand place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it.  8 And you shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court.

 9 “Then you shall take the panointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it may become holy.  10 You shall also anoint qthe altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, rso that the altar may become most holy.  11 You shall also anoint the basin and its stand, and consecrate it.  12 sThen you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water  13 and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest.  14 You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them,  15 tand anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall admit them to a uperpetual priesthood throughout their generations.”

 16 This Moses did; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did.  17 In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, vthe tabernacle was erected.  18 Moses erected the tabernacle. He laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars.  19 And he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the Lord had commanded Moses.  20 He wtook the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on the ark.  21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle and xset up the veil of the screen, and screened ythe ark of the testimony, as the Lord had commanded Moses.  22 zHe put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil,  23 and arranged the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.  24 aHe put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle,  25 band set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.  26 cHe put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil,  27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses.  28 dHe put in place the screen for the door of the tabernacle.  29 eAnd he set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the fgrain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses.  30 gHe set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing,  31 with which Moses and hAaron and his sons iwashed their hands and their feet.  32 When they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, as the Lord commanded Moses.  33 jAnd he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So kMoses finished the work.

 The Glory of the Lord

34 Then lthe cloud covered the tent of meeting, and mthe glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.  35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.  36 Throughout all their journeys, nwhenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out.  37 But oif the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up.  38 For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

 Leviticus

Introduction

Leviticus begins with the people of Israel at the foot of Mount Sinai. The glory of the Lord had just filled the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34–38) and God now tells Moses to instruct the Levitical priests and the people of Israel concerning sacrifices, worship, the priesthood, ceremonial cleanness, the Day of Atonement, feasts and holy days, and the Year of Jubilee. The central message is that God is holy and he requires his people to be holy. The book also shows that God graciously provides atonement for sin through the shedding of blood. Traditionally, Jews and Christians recognize Moses as the author, writing sometime after the giving of the Law.

  Laws for Burnt Offerings

1 aThe Lord called Moses and spoke to him bfrom the tent of meeting, saying,  2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, cWhen any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock.

 3 “If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer da male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord.  4 eHe shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be faccepted for him gto make atonement for him.  5 Then he shall kill the bull before the Lord, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood hand throw the blood against the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.  6 Then he shall flay the burnt offering and cut it into pieces,  7 and the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and iarrange wood on the fire.  8 And Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head, and the fat, on the wood that is on the fire on the altar;  9 but its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as ja burnt offering, a food offering1 with a kpleasing aroma to the Lord.

 10 “If his gift for a burnt offering is from the flock, from the sheep or goats, he shall bring a male without blemish,  11 land he shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the Lord, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar.  12 And he shall cut it into pieces, with its head and its fat, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood that is on the fire on the altar,  13 but the entrails and the legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it and burn it on the altar; it is ja burnt offering, a food offering with ka pleasing aroma to the Lord.

 14 “If his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering of mturtledoves or pigeons.  15 And the priest shall bring it to the altar and wring off its head and burn it on the altar. Its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar.  16 He shall remove its crop with its contents2 and cast it nbeside the altar on the east side, in the place for ashes.  17 He shall tear it open by its wings, but oshall not sever it completely. And the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

  Laws for Grain Offerings

2 “When anyone brings a pgrain offering as an offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour. qHe shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it  2 and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. And he shall take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense, and the priest shall burn this as its rmemorial portion on the altar, a food soffering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.  3 But the trest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; uit is a most holy part of the Lord’s food offerings.

 4 “When you bring a grain offering baked in the oven as an offering, it shall be vunleavened loaves of fine flour mixed with oil or unleavened wafers smeared with oil.  5 And if your offering is a grain offering wbaked on a griddle, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mixed with oil.  6 You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering.  7 And if your offering is a grain offering cooked in a pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.  8 And you shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the Lord, and when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar.  9 And the priest shall take from the grain offering its memorial portion and burn this on the altar, a food xoffering with a ypleasing aroma to the Lord.  10 But the zrest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; zit is a most holy part of the Lord’s food offerings.

 11 “No grain offering that you bring to the Lord shall be made with aleaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey as a food offering to the Lord.  12 bAs an offering of firstfruits you may bring them to the Lord, but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing aroma.  13 You cshall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the dsalt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; ewith all your offerings you shall offer salt.

 14 “If you offer a grain offering of firstfruits to the Lord, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits fresh fears, roasted with fire, crushed new grain.  15 And gyou shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it; it is a grain offering.  16 And the priest shall burn as its hmemorial portion some of the crushed grain and some of the oil with all of its frankincense; it is a food offering to the Lord.