1 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2“Speak to Aaron and tell him: ‘When you set up the seven lamps, they are to light the area in front of the lampstand.’”

3 And Aaron did so; he set up the lamps facing toward the front of the lampstand, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

4 This is how the lampstand was constructed: it was made of hammered gold from its base to its blossoms, fashioned according to the pattern the Lord had shown Moses.

5 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 6“Take the Levites from among the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean. 7This is what you must do to cleanse them: Sprinkle them with the water of purification. Have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves.

8 Then have them take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering. 9Bring the Levites before the Tent of Meeting and assemble the whole congregation of Israel. 10You are to present the Levites before the Lord and have the Israelites lay their hands upon them. 11Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the sons of Israel, so that they may perform the service of the Lord. 12And the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and offer to the Lord one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, to make atonement for the Levites.

13 You are to have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons and then present them before the Lord as a wave offering. 14In this way you shall separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites, and the Levites will belong to Me. 15After you have cleansed them and presented them as a wave offering, they may come to serve at the Tent of Meeting.

16 For the Levites have been wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself in place of all who come first from the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel. 17For every firstborn male in Israel is Mine, both man and beast. I set them apart for Myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. 18But I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel. 19And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, to perform the service for the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting and to make atonement on their behalf, so that no plague will come against the Israelites when they approach the sanctuary.”

20 So Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation of Israel did with the Levites everything that the Lord had commanded Moses they should do. 21The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the Lord. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them. 22After that, the Levites came to perform their service at the Tent of Meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. Thus they did with the Levites just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

23 And the Lord said to Moses, 24“This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years of age or older shall enter to perform the service in the work at the Tent of Meeting. 25But at the age of fifty, they must retire from performing the work and no longer serve.

26 After that, they may assist their brothers in fulfilling their duties at the Tent of Meeting, but they themselves are not to do the work. This is how you are to assign responsibilities to the Levites.”

1 In the first month of the second year after Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai: 2“The Israelites are to observe the Passover at its appointed time. 3You are to observe it at the appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month, in accordance with its statutes and ordinances.”

4 So Moses told the Israelites to observe the Passover, 5and they did so in the Wilderness of Sinai, at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

6 But there were some men who were unclean due to a dead body, so they could not observe the Passover on that day. And they came before Moses and Aaron that same day 7and said to Moses, “We are unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be excluded from presenting the Lord’s offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time?”

8“Wait here until I find out what the Lord commands concerning you,” Moses replied.

9 Then the Lord said to Moses, 10“Tell the Israelites: ‘When any one of you or your descendants is unclean because of a dead body, or is away on a journey, he may still observe the Passover to the Lord. 11Such people are to observe it at twilight on the fourteenth day of the second month. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs; 12they may not leave any of it until morning or break any of its bones. They must observe the Passover according to all its statutes.

13 But if a man who is ceremonially clean and is not on a journey still fails to observe the Passover, he must be cut off from his people, because he did not present the Lord’s offering at its appointed time. That man will bear the consequences of his sin.

14 If a foreigner dwelling among you wants to observe the Passover to the Lord, he is to do so according to the Passover statute and its ordinances. You are to apply the same statute to both the foreigner and the native of the land.’”

15 On the day that the tabernacle, the Tent of the Testimony, was set up, the cloud covered it and appeared like fire above the tabernacle from evening until morning. 16It remained that way continually; the cloud would cover the tabernacle by day, and at night it would appear like fire. 17Whenever the cloud was lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites would set out, and wherever the cloud settled, there the Israelites would camp. 18At the Lord’s command the Israelites set out, and at the Lord’s command they camped. As long as the cloud remained over the tabernacle, they remained encamped.

19 Even when the cloud lingered over the tabernacle for many days, the Israelites kept the Lord’s charge and did not set out. 20Sometimes the cloud remained over the tabernacle for only a few days, and they would camp at the Lord’s command and set out at the Lord’s command. 21Sometimes the cloud remained only from evening until morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they would set out. Whether it was by day or by night, when the cloud was taken up, they would set out.

22 Whether the cloud lingered for two days, a month, or longer, the Israelites camped and did not set out as long as the cloud remained over the tabernacle; but when it was lifted, they would set out. 23They camped at the Lord’s command, and they set out at the Lord’s command; they carried out the Lord’s charge according to His command through Moses.

14 So when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15Let no one on the housetop go back inside to retrieve anything from his house. 16And let no one in the field return for his cloak.

17 How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! 18Pray that this will not occur in the winter. 19For those will be days of tribulation unseen from the beginning of God’s creation until now, and never to be seen again. 20If the Lord had not cut short those days, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom He has chosen, He has cut them short.

21 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. 22For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive even the elect, if that were possible. 23So be on your guard; I have told you everything in advance.

24 But in those days, after that tribulation:

26 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27And He will send out the angels to gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

28 Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. 29So also, when you see these things happening, know that He is near, right at the door. 30Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened. 31Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

32 No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Be on your guard and stay alert! For you do not know when the appointed time will come.

34 It is like a man going on a journey who left his house, put each servant in charge of his own task, and instructed the doorkeeper to keep watch. 35Therefore keep watch, because you do not know when the master of the house will return — whether in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning. 36Otherwise, he may arrive without notice and find you sleeping. 37And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Keep watch!”