The Tabernacle Consecrated
Twelve tribal leaders bring identical dedication gifts for the altar, one leader a day, plus wagons and oxen for the Levites to carry loads. The list is long on purpose: nobody outgives anyone. Then Moses hears his Father's voice speaking from above the ark.
7 1When Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed and dedicated it and all its furnishings, the altar and all its utensils, anointing and dedicating them. 2Then Israel's leaders—heads of their fathers' houses, the tribal leaders in charge of the census—brought an offering. 3They brought their offering before our Father: six covered wagons, twelve oxen—a wagon per two leaders, an ox for each—then presented them before the tabernacle. 4And our Father said to Moses,
5"Take these from them for the tent of meeting's service; give them to the Levites, each according to his service."
6So Moses took the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. 7Two wagons and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service. 8He gave four wagons and eight oxen to Merari's sons, for their service, under Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. 9To the sons of Kohath he gave none, since the holy things' service was theirs—carried on the shoulder.
10On the day the altar was anointed, the leaders brought its dedication offering; the leaders brought their offering before the altar.
11And our Father said to Moses, "Each day one leader is to bring his offering for the altar's dedication."
12Nahshon son of Amminadab, of Judah's tribe, presented his offering on the first day. 13His offering: one silver plate, about three and a quarter pounds, and one silver basin, about one and three-quarter pounds, both filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering. 14One gold dish weighing about four ounces, full of incense; 15one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 16one male goat for a sin offering; 17for the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five year-old male lambs. This was Nahshon son of Amminadab's offering.
18On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, the leader of Issachar, presented an offering. 19His offering: one silver plate weighing about three and a quarter pounds, one silver bowl weighing about one and three-quarter pounds, both filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering. 20One gold dish weighing about four ounces, full of incense; 21one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 22one male goat for a sin offering; 23for the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five year-old male lambs. This was Nethanel son of Zuar's offering.
24On the third day it was Eliab son of Helon, the leader of the sons of Zebulun. 25His offering: one silver plate weighing about three and a quarter pounds, one silver basin weighing about one and three-quarter pounds, both full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 26one gold dish weighing about four ounces, full of incense; 27one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 28one male goat for a sin offering; 29for the peace offering sacrifice: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was Eliab son of Helon's offering.
30On the fourth day it was Elizur son of Shedeur, the leader of the sons of Reuben. 31His offering: one silver plate, about three and a quarter pounds, and one silver basin, about one and three-quarter pounds—both full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering. 32One gold dish weighing about four ounces, full of incense; 33one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 34one male goat for a sin offering; 35and for the peace offering sacrifice: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was Elizur son of Shedeur's offering.
36On the fifth day it was Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, the leader of the sons of Simeon. 37His offering: one silver plate, about three and a quarter pounds, one silver basin, about one and three-quarter pounds, both full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering. 38One gold dish weighing about four ounces, full of incense; 39one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 40one male goat for a sin offering; 41for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five year-old male lambs. This was Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai's offering.
42On the sixth day it was Eliasaph son of Deuel, the leader of the sons of Gad. 43His offering was one silver plate, about three and a quarter pounds, and one silver basin, about one and three-quarter pounds, both filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering. 44One gold dish weighing about four ounces, full of incense; 45one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 46one male goat for a sin offering; 47for the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male yearling lambs. This was Eliasaph son of Deuel's offering.
48On the seventh day it was Elishama son of Ammihud, the leader of the sons of Ephraim. 49His offering: one silver plate, about three and a quarter pounds, and one silver basin, about one and three-quarter pounds, both filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 50one gold dish weighing about four ounces, full of incense; 51one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 52one male goat for a sin offering; 53for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was Elishama son of Ammihud's offering.
54On the eighth day it was Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, the leader of the sons of Manasseh. 55His offering: one silver plate, about three and a quarter pounds, and one silver basin, about one and three-quarter pounds, both full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering. 56One gold dish weighing about four ounces, full of incense; 57one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 58one male goat for a sin offering; 59for the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five year-old male lambs. Offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.
60On the ninth day it was Abidan son of Gideoni, the leader of the sons of Benjamin. 61His offering: one silver plate, about three and a quarter pounds, one silver basin, about one and three-quarter pounds, both full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering. 62One gold dish weighing about four ounces, full of incense; 63one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 64one male goat for a sin offering; 65for the peace-offering sacrifice: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five yearling male lambs. This was Abidan son of Gideoni's offering.
66On the tenth day it was Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, the leader of the sons of Dan. 67His offering: one silver plate weighing about three and a quarter pounds, one silver basin weighing about one and three-quarter pounds, both full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering. 68One gold dish weighing about four ounces, full of incense; 69one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 70one male goat for a sin offering; 71for the peace-offering sacrifice: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male year-old lambs. This was Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai's offering.
72On the eleventh day it was Pagiel son of Ochran, the leader of the sons of Asher. 73He offered a silver plate, about three and a quarter pounds, and a silver basin, about one and three-quarter pounds, both filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 74one gold dish weighing about four ounces, full of incense; 75one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 76one male goat for a sin offering; 77and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. The offering of Pagiel son of Ochran.
78On the twelfth day it was Ahira son of Enan, the leader of the sons of Naphtali. 79His offering: one silver plate, about three and a quarter pounds, and one silver basin, about one and three-quarter pounds, both filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering. 80One gold dish weighing about four ounces, full of incense; 81one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 82one male goat for a sin offering; 83and for the peace-offering sacrifice: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. Ahira son of Enan's offering.
84This was the altar's dedication offering when it was anointed, from Israel's leaders: twelve silver plates, twelve silver basins, twelve gold dishes. 85Each silver plate weighed about three and a quarter pounds, each basin about one and three-quarter pounds; all the silver of the vessels totaled about sixty pounds. 86The twelve gold dishes full of incense weighed about four ounces each; all the gold totaled about three pounds. 87All the cattle for the burnt offering: twelve bulls, twelve rams, twelve year-old male lambs, with their grain offering; and twelve male goats for the sin offering. 88All the cattle for the peace offering sacrifices: twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty male goats, sixty male year-old lambs. This was the altar's dedication offering, after it was anointed.
89When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with our Father, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony, between the two cherubim—so our Father spoke with him. a a v89 After all the offerings, the chapter ends with what they were all for: our Father met Moses there and spoke with him, voice to voice, from the place of mercy.
