1
With the blue, purple, and red wool they made the magnificent garments which the priests were to wear when they served in the Holy Place. They made the priestly garments for Aaron, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
2
They made the ephod of fine linen; blue, purple, and red wool; and gold thread.
3
They hammered out sheets of gold and cut them into thin strips to be worked into the fine linen and into the blue, purple, and red wool.
4
They made two shoulder straps for the ephod and attached them to its sides, so that it could be fastened.
5
The finely woven belt, made of the same materials, was attached to the ephod so as to form one piece with it, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
6
They prepared the carnelians and mounted them in gold settings; they were skillfully engraved with the names of the twelve sons of Jacob.
7
They put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod to represent the twelve tribes of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
8
They made the breastpiece of the same materials as the ephod and with similar embroidery.
9
It was square and folded double, 9 inches long and 9 inches wide.
10
They mounted four rows of precious stones on it: in the first row they mounted a ruby, a topaz, and a garnet;
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in the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond;
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in the third row, a turquoise, an agate, and an amethyst;
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and in the fourth row, a beryl, a carnelian, and a jasper. These were mounted in gold settings.
14
Each of the twelve stones had engraved on it the name of one of the sons of Jacob, in order to represent the twelve tribes of Israel.
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For the breastpiece they made chains of pure gold, twisted like cords.
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They made two gold settings and two gold rings and attached the two rings to the upper corners of the breastpiece.
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They fastened the two gold cords to the two rings
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and fastened the other two ends of the cords to the two settings and in this way attached them in front to the shoulder straps of the ephod.
19
They made two rings of gold and attached them to the lower corners of the breastpiece, on the inside edge next to the ephod.
20
They made two more gold rings and attached them to the lower part of the front of the two shoulder straps of the ephod, near the seam and above the finely woven belt.
21
Just as the LORD had commanded Moses, they tied the rings of the breastpiece to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that the breastpiece rested above the belt and did not come loose.
22
The robe that goes under the ephod was made entirely of blue wool.
23
The hole for the head was reinforced with a woven binding to keep it from tearing.
24
All around its lower hem they put pomegranates of fine linen and of blue, purple, and red wool, alternating with bells of pure gold, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
27
They made the shirts for Aaron and his sons,
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and the turban, the caps, the linen shorts,
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and the sash of fine linen and of blue, purple, and red wool, decorated with embroidery, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
30
They made the ornament, the sacred sign of dedication, out of pure gold, and they engraved on it "Dedicated to the LORD."
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They tied it to the front of the turban with a blue cord, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
32
All the work on the Tent of the LORD's presence was finally completed. The Israelites made everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
33
They brought to Moses the Tent and all its equipment, its hooks, its frames, its crossbars, its posts, and its bases;
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the covering of rams' skin dyed red; the covering of fine leather; the curtain;
35
the Covenant Box containing the stone tablets, its poles, and its lid;
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the table and all its equipment, and the bread offered to God;
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the lampstand of pure gold, its lamps, all its equipment, and the oil for the lamps;
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the gold altar; the anointing oil; the sweet-smelling incense; the curtain for the entrance of the Tent;
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the bronze altar with its bronze grating, its poles, and all its equipment; the washbasin and its base;
40
the curtains for the enclosure and its posts and bases; the curtain for the entrance of the enclosure and its ropes; the Tent pegs; all the equipment to be used in the Tent;
41
and the magnificent garments the priests were to wear in the Holy Place---the sacred clothes for Aaron the priest and for his sons.
42
The Israelites had done all the work just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
43
Moses examined everything and saw that they had made it all just as the LORD had commanded. So Moses blessed them.
1
The LORD said to Moses,
2
"On the first day of the first month set up the Tent of the LORD's presence.
3
Place in it the Covenant Box containing the Ten Commandments and put the curtain in front of it.
4
Bring in the table and place the equipment on it. Also bring in the lampstand and set up the lamps on it.
5
Put the gold altar for burning incense in front of the Covenant Box and hang the curtain at the entrance of the Tent.
6
Put in front of the Tent the altar for burning offerings.
7
Put the washbasin between the Tent and the altar and fill it with water.
8
Put up the surrounding enclosure and hang the curtain at its entrance.
9
"Then dedicate the Tent and all its equipment by anointing it with the sacred oil, and it will be holy.
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Next, dedicate the altar and all its equipment by anointing it, and it will be completely holy.
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Also dedicate the washbasin and its base in the same way.
12
"Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent, and have them take a ritual bath.
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Dress Aaron in the priestly garments, anoint him, and in this way consecrate him, so that he can serve me as priest.
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Bring his sons and put the shirts on them.
15
Then anoint them, just as you anointed their father, so that they can serve me as priests. This anointing will make them priests for all time to come."
16
Moses did everything just as the LORD had commanded.
17
So on the first day of the first month of the second year after they left Egypt, the Tent of the LORD's presence was set up.
18
Moses put down its bases, set up its frames, attached its crossbars, and put up its posts.
19
He spread out the covering over the Tent and put the outer covering over it, just as the LORD had commanded.
20
Then he took the two stone tablets and put them in the Covenant Box. He put the poles in the rings of the Box and put the lid on it.
21
Then he put the Box in the Tent and hung up the curtain. In this way he screened off the Covenant Box, just as the LORD had commanded.
22
He put the table in the Tent, on the north side outside the curtain,
23
and placed on it the bread offered to the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded.
24
He put the lampstand in the Tent, on the south side, opposite the table,
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and there in the LORD's presence he lit the lamps, just as the LORD had commanded.
26
He put the gold altar in the Tent, in front of the curtain,
27
and burned the sweet-smelling incense, just as the LORD had commanded.
28
He hung the curtain at the entrance of the Tent,
29
and there in front of the curtain he placed the altar for burning offerings. On it he sacrificed the burnt offering and the grain offering, just as the LORD had commanded.
30
He put the washbasin between the Tent and the altar and filled it with water.
31
Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and their feet there
32
whenever they went into the Tent or to the altar, just as the LORD had commanded.
33
Moses set up the enclosure around the Tent and the altar and hung the curtain at the entrance of the enclosure. So he finished all the work.
34
Then the cloud covered the Tent and the dazzling light of the LORD's presence filled it.
35
Because of this, Moses could not go into the Tent.
36
The Israelites moved their camp to another place only when the cloud lifted from the Tent.
37
As long as the cloud stayed there, they did not move their camp.
38
During all their wanderings they could see the cloud of the LORD's presence over the Tent during the day and a fire burning above it during the night.
1
About this time King Herod began to persecute some members of the church.
2
He had James, the brother of John, put to death by the sword.
3
When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he went ahead and had Peter arrested. (This happened during the time of the Festival of Unleavened Bread.)
4
After his arrest Peter was put in jail, where he was handed over to be guarded by four groups of four soldiers each. Herod planned to put him on trial in public after Passover.
5
So Peter was kept in jail, but the people of the church were praying earnestly to God for him.
6
The night before Herod was going to bring him out to the people, Peter was sleeping between two guards. He was tied with two chains, and there were guards on duty at the prison gate.
7
Suddenly an angel of the Lord stood there, and a light shone in the cell. The angel shook Peter by the shoulder, woke him up, and said, "Hurry! Get up!" At once the chains fell off Peter's hands.
8
Then the angel said, "Tighten your belt and put on your sandals." Peter did so, and the angel said, "Put your cloak around you and come with me."
9
Peter followed him out of the prison, not knowing, however, if what the angel was doing was real; he thought he was seeing a vision.
10
They passed by the first guard station and then the second, and came at last to the iron gate that opens into the city. The gate opened for them by itself, and they went out. They walked down a street, and suddenly the angel left Peter.
11
Then Peter realized what had happened to him, and said, "Now I know that it is really true! The Lord sent his angel to rescue me from Herod's power and from everything the Jewish people expected to happen."
12
Aware of his situation, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.
13
Peter knocked at the outside door, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer it.
14
She recognized Peter's voice and was so happy that she ran back in without opening the door, and announced that Peter was standing outside.
15
"You are crazy!" they told her. But she insisted that it was true. So they answered, "It is his angel."
16
Meanwhile Peter kept on knocking. At last they opened the door, and when they saw him, they were amazed.
17
He motioned with his hand for them to be quiet, and he explained to them how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Tell this to James and the rest of the believers," he said; then he left and went somewhere else.
18
When morning came, there was a tremendous confusion among the guards---what had happened to Peter?
19
Herod gave orders to search for him, but they could not find him. So he had the guards questioned and ordered them put to death. After this, Herod left Judea and spent some time in Caesarea.
20
Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, so they went in a group to see him. First they convinced Blastus, the man in charge of the palace, that he should help them. Then they went to Herod and asked him for peace, because their country got its food supplies from the king's country.
21
On a chosen day Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to the people.
22
"It isn't a man speaking, but a god!" they shouted.
23
At once the angel of the Lord struck Herod down, because he did not give honor to God. He was eaten by worms and died.
24
Meanwhile the word of God continued to spread and grow.
25
Barnabas and Saul finished their mission and returned from Jerusalem, taking John Mark with them.
