Making the Clothes of the Religious Leader

39 They used the blue, purple and red cloth for the well-made clothing for those working in the holy place. They made the holy clothing for Aaron, just as the Lord had told Moses.

Making the Linen Vest

² Bezalel made the linen vest of gold and blue, purple and red cloth and fine linen. ³ They beat the gold into plates. Then they cut them into strings to be sewed in with the blue, purple and red cloth and the fine linen, the work of an able workman. ⁴ They made shoulder pieces for the linen vest, joined at its two top ends. ⁵ The well-made belt on it was made of the same gold, and blue, purple and red cloth and fine linen, just as the Lord had told Moses. ⁶ They set the onyx stones into beautiful pieces of gold. The names of Israel’s sons were cut in the stones like the writing on a ring by an able workman. ⁷ They were put on the shoulder pieces of the linen vest, to help them remember the sons of Israel, just as the Lord had told Moses.

Making the Breast-Piece

⁸ Bezalel made the breast-piece, the work of an able workman. It was like the work of the linen vest, of gold, and blue, purple and red cloth and fine linen. ⁹ It was as long as it was wide, with one half laid over the other. It was made as long and as wide as a man’s fingers can spread. ¹⁰ They put four rows of stones on it. The first row was a ruby, a topaz and an emerald. ¹¹ The second row was a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond. ¹² The third row was a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst. ¹³ And the fourth row was a beryl, an onyx and a jasper. They were set in beautiful pieces of gold. ¹⁴ Each of the twelve stones had written on it the name of one of the sons of Israel. Each name spoke of one of the twelve family groups. ¹⁵ They made chains for the breast-piece, like ropes of pure gold. ¹⁶ And they made two gold rings and put them on the two ends of the breast-piece. ¹⁷ They joined the two gold chains to the two rings at the ends of the breast-piece. ¹⁸ They joined the other two ends of the two chains to the beautiful gold pieces that hold the two stones at the shoulders, joining them in the front. ¹⁹ They made two gold rings to put on the two ends of the breast-piece, on the inside next to the linen vest. ²⁰ Then they made two gold rings and put them on the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the linen vest in front, near where they join. They were above the belt of the linen vest. ²¹ They tied the rings of the breast-piece to the rings of the linen vest with a blue rope. So the breast-piece could not come loose from the linen vest, just as the Lord had told Moses.

Making Other Pieces of Clothes

²² Then he made the long piece of clothing all of blue. ²³ There was an opening at its top in the center. Around the opening it was sewed like the opening on heavy battle-clothes, so it could not be torn. ²⁴ They made pomegranates of blue, purple and red cloth and fine linen, to put all around the bottom of this clothing. ²⁵ They made bells of pure gold. And they put the bells between the pomegranates all around the bottom of the clothing. ²⁶ They put a bell and then a pomegranate all around the bottom of this clothing. It was for the work of the Lord, and was just as the Lord had told Moses.

²⁷ They made the long coats of fine linen for Aaron and his sons. ²⁸ They made the beautiful head coverings of fine linen and the clothing that covered the flesh from the belt to the legs. ²⁹ And they made the wide belt of fine linen and blue, purple and red cloth which was the work of an able workman, just as the Lord had told Moses. ³⁰ They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold. And they cut in it like the writings on a ring: “Holy to the Lord.” ³¹ They joined it to the front of the head covering with a blue rope, just as the Lord had told Moses.

The Work Finished

³² So all the work of the holy tent, the meeting tent, was finished. The sons of Israel did all that the Lord had told Moses. ³³ They brought the meeting tent to Moses, the tent and all its objects, its hooks, all kinds of pieces of wood, pillars and bases. ³⁴ They brought the covering of rams’ skins made red, the covering of badgers’ skins, and the curtain to hang in front of the most holy place. ³⁵ They brought the special box of the agreement, its long pieces of wood for carrying it and its mercy-seat, ³⁶ the table and all its objects, the bread to be put before the Lord, ³⁷ the pure gold lamp-stand with its lamps, all its objects and the oil for the light. ³⁸ They brought the gold altar, the oil for holy use, the sweet-smelling perfume, and the curtain for the door of the meeting tent. ³⁹ They brought the brass altar, its brass net, its long pieces of wood for carrying it and all its objects, the washing pot and its stand, ⁴⁰ the curtains for the open space, its pillars and bases, the curtain for the gate of the open space, its ropes and nails, and all the tools for the work of the meeting tent. ⁴¹ They brought the clothing for the work in the holy place, the holy clothing for Aaron the religious leader, and the clothing of his sons for their work as religious leaders. ⁴² So the people of Israel did all the work just as the Lord had told Moses. ⁴³ Moses looked at all the work and saw they had done it just as the Lord had said. So Moses gave thanks and prayed that good would come to them.

Putting Up the Meeting Tent and Setting It Apart

40 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Set up the holy tent, the meeting tent, on the first day of the first month. ³ Put the special box of the Law there. And hang the curtain in front of it. ⁴ Bring in the table and set its objects on it. Bring in the lamp-stand and light its lamps. ⁵ Set the gold altar of special perfume in front of the box of the Law. Hang the curtain for the door of the meeting tent. ⁶ Set the altar of burnt gifts in front of the door of the holy tent, the meeting tent. ⁷ Set the washing pot between the meeting tent and the altar and put water in it. ⁸ Hang the curtains all around the open space and hang the curtain at the gate of the open space. ⁹ Then take the oil and pour it upon the meeting tent and all that is in it. Set it apart with all its objects, and it will be holy. ¹⁰ Pour the oil upon the altar of burnt gifts and all its objects. Set the altar apart, and it will be most holy. ¹¹ Pour the oil upon the washing pot and its stand, to set it apart.

¹² “Then bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the meeting tent. And wash them with water. ¹³ Put the holy clothing on Aaron. Then pour oil upon him and set him apart to work for Me as a religious leader. ¹⁴ Bring his sons and put long coats on them. ¹⁵ Then pour oil upon them as you have done to their father, so they may serve Me as religious leaders. Pouring oil upon them will make them ready to be religious leaders, they and all their children-to-come.”

¹⁶ Moses did all that the Lord told him to do. ¹⁷ On the first day of the first month of the second year, the meeting tent was set up. ¹⁸ Moses set up the meeting tent, laid the bases, set up its pieces of wood, put in its cross-pieces and set up its pillars. ¹⁹ He spread the covering over the meeting tent. And he put the top covering over it, just as the Lord had told Moses. ²⁰ Then he took the Law and put it into the special box. He put the long pieces of wood on the special box of the agreement. And he put the mercy-seat on top of the special box. ²¹ He brought the special box into the meeting tent and hung the curtain. He put the curtain in front of the special box of the agreement, just as the Lord had told Moses. ²² Then he put the table in the meeting tent, on the north side of the tent, outside the curtain. ²³ He set the bread in its place on the table before the Lord, just as the Lord had told Moses. ²⁴ Then he put the lamp-stand in the meeting tent, away from the table, on the south side of the tent. ²⁵ He set up the lamps before the Lord, just as the Lord had told Moses. ²⁶ He put the gold altar in the tent of meeting, in front of the curtain. ²⁷ And he burned sweet-smelling perfume on it, just as the Lord had told Moses. ²⁸ Then he hung the curtain at the door of the meeting tent. ²⁹ He set the altar of burnt gifts in front of the door of the meeting tent. And he gave the burnt gift and the grain gift on it, just as the Lord had told Moses. ³⁰ He put the washing pot between the tent of meeting and the altar, with water in it for washing. ³¹ Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and feet there. ³² They washed when they came into the tent of meeting and when they came near the altar, just as the Lord had told Moses. ³³ He made the open space all around the meeting tent and the altar. And he hung the curtain for the gate of the open space. So Moses finished the work.

The Cloud over the Meeting Tent

³⁴ Then the cloud covered the meeting tent. The shining-greatness of the Lord filled the holy tent.

³⁵ Moses was not able to go into the meeting tent because the cloud had rested upon it and the shining-greatness of the Lord filled the holy tent. ³⁶ When the cloud was lifted from the meeting tent, the people of Israel would go on their way through all their traveling days. ³⁷ But when the cloud was not lifted, they did not move on until the day when it was lifted. ³⁸ For the cloud of the Lord rested on the meeting tent during the day. And fire was in the cloud during the night. It was seen by all the people of Israel as they traveled.