Thematic Bible: In the tabernacle. Called the ark


Thematic Bible



The people left Sinai, the holy mountain. They traveled three days. Jehovah's Ark of the Covenant always went ahead of them to find a place for them to camp.

But they headed into the mountains anyway. The Ark of the Jehovah's promise and Moses stayed in the camp.

And Joshua ripped his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the Ark of Jehovah until evening. He threw dust on his head. The elders of Israel did the same. Joshua said: Alas, Sovereign Lord Jehovah, why did you bring this people across the Jordan. Was it to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would to God we had been content to dwell on the other side of the Jordan! O Jehovah, what shall I say, when Israel turned their backs before its enemies! read more.
For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear about it, and will surround us and cut our name off from the earth. What will you do for your great name? Jehovah said to Joshua: You get up! Why are you on your face? Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things and put them in their own possessions. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies. They ran from their enemies, because they were accursed. I will not be with you any more until you destroy the devoted things you have among you. Get up and sanctify the people. Say: 'Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: There is an accursed thing in the midst of you, O Israel: You cannot stand before you enemies until you take away the devoted thing from among you. In the morning assemble by tribe. The tribe Jehovah picks will come forward family by family and man by man. He that has take the devoted things shall be burned in the fire, along with all that he owns. He has transgressed the covenant of Jehovah. He has committed a disgraceful thing in Israel.'

The Ark of the Covenant was there at Bethel in those days. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, was in charge of it. The people asked Jehovah: Should we go to battle against our brothers the Benjaminites again, or should we cease? Jehovah answered: Fight. Tomorrow I will give you victory over them.

The army of Israel retreated to their camp. The leaders of Israel asked: Why has Jehovah used the Philistines to defeat us today? Let us get the Ark of Jehovah's Covenant from Shiloh so that he may be with us and save us from our enemies. They sent men to Shiloh to bring back the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah of Hosts who is enthroned over the angels. Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas came along with God's ark.

Then they were frightened and said: A god has come into their camp. They also said: Oh no! Nothing like this has ever happened before.

Let us bring the Ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of it during the reign of Saul.

David appointed some Levites to serve in front of Jehovah's Ark by offering prayers, thanks, and praise to Jehovah the God of Israel.

David left Asaph and his relatives to serve continually in front of the Ark of Jehovah's Covenant, as the daily work required.

Now arise, and come to your resting place, Jehovah our God, you and the ark of your power. Clothe your priests, Jehovah God, with salvation. Let your godly ones rejoice in what is good.


It had a golden incense burner. The Ark of the Covenant was completely covered with gold. It contained the golden pot that had the manna, and the rod of Aaron that had sprouted, and the tables of the covenant.

The people left Sinai, the holy mountain. They traveled three days. Jehovah's Ark of the Covenant always went ahead of them to find a place for them to camp.

Take this Book of the Law, and put it next to the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah your God, where it will be a witness against you.

You will answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah. When it passed over Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones will be for a memorial to the children of Israel for as long as they live.

The army of Israel retreated to their camp. The leaders of Israel asked: Why has Jehovah used the Philistines to defeat us today? Let us get the Ark of Jehovah's Covenant from Shiloh so that he may be with us and save us from our enemies.

Zadok the priest was there. He had Levites there carrying the sacred Ark of God. They set it down and did not pick it up again until all the people left the city. The priest Abiathar was there too.

Thus David, the leaders of Israel, and the army's commanders joyfully went to get the Ark of Jehovah's Covenant from Obed Edom's house.

David settled in his palace. He said to Nathan the prophet: Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah is under a tent.

In those days you will be fertile, and your population will increase in the land, says Jehovah. Men will no longer talk about the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah. It will no longer come to mind. They will not remember it, miss it, or make another one.


Then Saul said to Ahijah: Bring the Ark of God here. At that time it was with the Israelites.

The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer blew trumpets in front of God's Ark. Obed Edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

At once Jehovah God became angry with Uzzah. He killed him because of his irreverence. Uzzah died there beside the Ark of the Covenant.

The lamp of God went out in the Temple of Jehovah. Samuel was lying down where the Ark of God was.

The Ark of the Covenant was captured. Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

The messenger answered: Israel ran away from the Philistines. It was a great slaughter and a terrible defeat for us! Besides that, your sons Hophni and Phinehas were killed, and God's Ark of the Covenant was captured!

Israel's glory is gone because the Ark of God has been captured: she said.

They answered: If you return the Ark of the Covenant of the God of Israel, you must send with it a gift (guilt offering) to him to pay for your sin. The Ark must not go back without a gift. In this way you will be healed. You will find out why he continues to punish you.

The king said to the prophet Nathan: I live in a house built of cedar. Yet the Ark of God is kept in a tent!

The king said to Zadok: Take the Ark of the Covenant back to the city. If Jehovah is pleased with me he will let me come back to see it and the place where it stays.

David was afraid of God that day and asked: How can I ever bring the Ark of God to me?

David constructed buildings for himself in the City of David. Then he prepared a place for God's Ark and pitched a tent for it. David insisted that only the Levites carry God's Ark because Jehovah had chosen them to carry his Ark and to serve him from generation to generation.

The Levites carried God's Ark on their shoulders. They used poles as Moses had commanded according to Jehovah's instructions.

The men carrying the ark set it inside the tent David had put up for it. They presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in God's presence.


Take this Book of the Law, and put it next to the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah your God, where it will be a witness against you.

I will give you the Ten Commandments written on two flat tablets. Put them inside the chest.

After you put into the ark the words of my covenant that I will give you, place the throne of mercy on top.

He took the words of God's promise (covenant) and put them in the ark. He put the poles on the ark and placed the throne of mercy on top of the ark.

Then I came down from the mountain and put the tablets in the Ark I had made. They are there just as Jehovah commanded me.

There was nothing inside the Ark of the Covenant except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed there at Mount Sinai, when Jehovah made a covenant with the people of Israel as they were coming from Egypt.

There was nothing in the Ark except the two tablets Moses placed there at Horeb, where Jehovah made a covenant with the Israelites after they left Egypt.


Absalom was offering sacrifices. He sent for Ahithophel, David's adviser, to come from his home in Giloh. Meanwhile, the conspiracy grew stronger. The number of people siding with Absalom kept getting larger.

All the people crossed over. Then the priests, in the presence of the people, carried the Ark of Jehovah across.

When the Philistines heard the noise, they asked: What is all this shouting in the Hebrew camp? The Philistines found out that Jehovah's ark was brought into the camp.

After the Ark of Jehovah had been in Philistia for seven months,

Then David was afraid of Jehovah and said: How can I take the Ark of the Covenant with me now?

The king told Ziba: In that case everything that belonged to Mephibosheth now belongs to you. I sincerely thank you, said Ziba, I hope to remain in your good graces, Your Majesty.


The lamp of God went out in the Temple of Jehovah. Samuel was lying down where the Ark of God was.

The king said to the prophet Nathan: I live in a house built of cedar. Yet the Ark of God is kept in a tent!

Hang up the veil under the clasps. Bring in the Ark of the Covenant there within the veil. The veil shall serve for you as a partition between the holy place and the holy of holies.

Then he brought the ark into the tent and hung the canopy over it to mark off where the ark was. Moses followed Jehovah's instructions.

A tabernacle was set up. The first room was called the Holy Place. It contained the lamp stand and table and the consecrated bread. Beyond the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place. It had a golden incense burner. The Ark of the Covenant was completely covered with gold. It contained the golden pot that had the manna, and the rod of Aaron that had sprouted, and the tables of the covenant.


The Levites carried God's Ark on their shoulders. They used poles as Moses had commanded according to Jehovah's instructions.

The leader of the Kohathite families and households was Elizaphan, son of Uzziel. They were in charge of the Ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the utensils used in the holy place, and the screen. They took care of all these things.

This is the work the Kohathites will do in the tent of meeting: They will take care of the most holy things.

When Aaron and his sons finished covering the holy things and the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites will come to carry all the holy articles. They must never touch the holy things, or they will die. The Kohathites will carry all the things from the tent of meeting.

Jehovah then set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the Ark of the covenant of Jehovah. They were to stand before Jehovah to serve and pronounce blessings in his name until this day.

David insisted that only the Levites carry God's Ark because Jehovah had chosen them to carry his Ark and to serve him from generation to generation.


The Ark of the Covenant was there at Bethel in those days. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, was in charge of it. The people asked Jehovah: Should we go to battle against our brothers the Benjaminites again, or should we cease? Jehovah answered: Fight. Tomorrow I will give you victory over them.

The army of Israel retreated to their camp. The leaders of Israel asked: Why has Jehovah used the Philistines to defeat us today? Let us get the Ark of Jehovah's Covenant from Shiloh so that he may be with us and save us from our enemies. They sent men to Shiloh to bring back the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah of Hosts who is enthroned over the angels. Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas came along with God's ark.

The whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh. They set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. The land was subdued before them.


The men carrying the ark set it inside the tent David had put up for it. They presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in God's presence.

King David was told: Jehovah has blessed Obed Edom's home and everything he owns because of the Ark of God. Then David joyfully went to get the Ark of God from Obed Edom's house and bring it to the City of David. When those who carried the Ark of Jehovah walked six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. Wearing a linen ephod, David danced in Jehovah's presence with all his might. read more.
He and the entire nation of Israel brought the Ark of Jehovah with shouts of joy and the sounding of rams' horns. When the Ark of Jehovah came to the City of David, Saul's daughter Michal looked out of a window and saw King David leaping and dancing in Jehovah's presence. She despised him in her heart. The men carrying the Ark set it in its place inside the tent David put up for it. David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in Jehovah's presence.

These are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of Jehovah after the ark came to rest there.


Then the priests carried the Ark of the Covenant into the Temple and put it in the Most Holy Place, beneath the cherubim (angel). Their outstretched wings covered the box and the poles it was carried by. The ends of the poles could be seen by anyone standing directly in front of the Most Holy Place, but from nowhere else. read more.
There was nothing inside the Ark of the Covenant except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed there at Mount Sinai, when Jehovah made a covenant with the people of Israel as they were coming from Egypt.

Then Solomon assembled the respected leaders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes, and the leaders of the Israelite families. They came to Jerusalem to take the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah from the City of David, which is Zion. The men of Israel gathered around the king at the Festival of Booths in the seventh month. When all the leaders of Israel had arrived, the Levites picked up the ark. read more.
They brought the Ark, the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy utensils in it to the Temple. The priests and the Levites carried them while King Solomon and the whole assembly from Israel were offering countless sheep and cattle sacrifices in front of the Ark. The priests brought Jehovah's Ark of the Covenant to its place in the inner room of the Temple, the most holy place, under the wings of the cherubim (angels). The cherubim (angels) outstretched wings were over the place where the Ark rested so that the cherubim became a covering above the Ark and its poles. The poles were so long that their ends could be seen in the holy place by anyone standing in front of the inner room. However they could not be seen outside. They are still there today.

He told the Levites, who instructed all Israel and performed ceremonies to make themselves holy to Jehovah: Put the Holy Ark in the Temple that Solomon, son of David and king of Israel, built. It should not be carried on your shoulders any longer. Serve Jehovah your God and his people Israel.


Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said to them: Take up the Ark of the Covenant. Seven priests should carry seven trumpets of rams' horns before the Ark of Jehovah. He said to the people: Pass on, and circle the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the Ark of Jehovah. As soon as Joshua spoke to the people the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed before Jehovah. They blew the trumpets and the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah followed them. read more.
The armed men marched ahead of the priests that blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the Ark. All the time the priests kept blowing the trumpets. Joshua commanded the people, saying: You will not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither will any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout. Then you will shout. So the Ark of Jehovah went around the city one time. They came to the camp, and stayed in the camp. Joshua rose early in the morning. The priests picked up the Ark of Jehovah. Seven priests carrying seven trumpets of rams' horns before the Ark of Jehovah went on continually, and blew with the trumpets. The armed men went before them. The rear guard followed the Ark of Jehovah. The priests were blowing the trumpet. And the second day they went around the city once, and returned to the camp. They did this for six days. They rose early at dawn on the seventh day. They circled the city in the same manner. Only on that day they went around the city seven times. On the seventh time when the priest blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people: Shout for Jehovah has given you the city. The city and everything in it will be destroyed. It belongs to Jehovah. Only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in her house will live. Because she hid the messengers we sent. You people must stay away from anything devoted to destruction. You should not take things from the city. You will cause trouble for the camp of Israel is you take of the accursed things. All the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated to Jehovah. They must come into the treasury of Jehovah. So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. When the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, the wall fell down flat. The people went into the city, every man straight ahead. They captured the city.

The army of Israel retreated to their camp. The leaders of Israel asked: Why has Jehovah used the Philistines to defeat us today? Let us get the Ark of Jehovah's Covenant from Shiloh so that he may be with us and save us from our enemies. They sent men to Shiloh to bring back the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah of Hosts who is enthroned over the angels. Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas came along with God's ark. When Jehovah's Ark came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook. read more.
When the Philistines heard the noise, they asked: What is all this shouting in the Hebrew camp? The Philistines found out that Jehovah's ark was brought into the camp. Then they were frightened and said: A god has come into their camp. They also said: Oh no! Nothing like this has ever happened before. We are in trouble now! Who will deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with plagues in the desert wilderness. Be strong, Philistines, and conduct your selves like men (with courage). Or else you will serve the Hebrews as they served you. Act like men and fight. The Philistines fought and defeated Israel. Every Israelite soldier fled to his tent. It was a major defeat in which thirty thousand Israelite foot soldiers died. The Ark of the Covenant was captured. Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died. A man from the tribe of Benjamin ran all the way from the battlefield to Shiloh and arrived there the same day. To show his grief he had torn his clothes and put dirt on his head. Eli was very worried about the Ark of the Covenant. He sat besides the road staring. When the man spread the news throughout the town everyone cried out in fear. Eli heard the noise and asked: What is all this noise about? The man hurried to Eli to tell him the news. Eli was now ninety-eight years old and almost completely blind. The man said: I have escaped from the battle and ran all the way here today. Eli asked him: What happened, my son? The messenger answered: Israel ran away from the Philistines. It was a great slaughter and a terrible defeat for us! Besides that, your sons Hophni and Phinehas were killed, and God's Ark of the Covenant was captured! When the man mentioned the Ark of God Eli fell backward from his seat beside the gate. He was so old and fat that the fall broke his neck and he died. He was a leader in Israel for forty years. Eli's daughter-in-law the wife of Phinehas was pregnant. It was almost time for her baby to be born. When she heard that God's Ark of the Covenant was captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she suddenly went into labor and gave birth. She too was dying. The women helping her said: Do not be afraid. You have given birth to a son. But she did not answer or pay attention. She called the boy Ichabod (No Glory), saying: Israel's glory is gone, because the Ark of God had been captured and because her father-in-law and her husband died. Israel's glory is gone because the Ark of God has been captured: she said.


He allowed his power to be taken captive and handed his glory over to an oppressor.

The Philistines fought and defeated Israel. Every Israelite soldier fled to his tent. It was a major defeat in which thirty thousand Israelite foot soldiers died. The Ark of the Covenant was captured. Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.


It had a golden incense burner. The Ark of the Covenant was completely covered with gold. It contained the golden pot that had the manna, and the rod of Aaron that had sprouted, and the tables of the covenant.

Moses said to Aaron: Take a jar, and put two quarts of manna in it. Place it before Jehovah, to be kept throughout your generations. Aaron placed it before the Testimony, to be kept just as Jehovah commanded Moses.


The people of Kiriath Jearim got the Ark and took it to Abinadab's house on a hill in their town. His son Eleazar took care of it. It stayed there for twenty years. During this this long period of time everyone in Israel was very sad and begged Jehovah for help.

Ahio walked in front.


Bezalel made the ark out of acacia wood forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. He covered it with pure gold inside and out and put a gold molding around it. He cast four gold rings for its four feet, two rings on each side. read more.
The carrying poles he made with acacia wood. He covered them with gold. Then he put them through the rings that were on each side of the Ark.

I made an Ark out of acacia wood and cut out two tablets of stone like the first ones. Then I took the two tablets in my hands and went up on the mountain.


Make a Box out of acacia wood, forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. Cover it with pure gold inside and out and put a gold border all around it. Make four carrying rings of gold for it and attach them to its four legs, with two rings on each side. read more.
Make two poles of acacia wood. Cover them with gold. Put them through the rings. Poles can be used to carry the chest. Do not ever remove the poles from the rings.

the Covenant Box, its poles, its lid, and the curtain to screen it off;


It had a golden incense burner. The Ark of the Covenant was completely covered with gold. It contained the golden pot that had the manna, and the rod of Aaron that had sprouted, and the tables of the covenant.

Jehovah said to Moses: Put Aaron's staff in front of the testimony. Keep it there as a sign to warn any other rebels. Then you will stop their complaints about me, and they will not die.


He told the Levites, who instructed all Israel and performed ceremonies to make themselves holy to Jehovah: Put the Holy Ark in the Temple that Solomon, son of David and king of Israel, built. It should not be carried on your shoulders any longer. Serve Jehovah your God and his people Israel.

Then Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the city of David to the house he had built for her. He said: My wife must not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy where the Ark of Jehovah's Covenant has entered.


Zadok the priest was there. He had Levites there carrying the sacred Ark of God. They set it down and did not pick it up again until all the people left the city. The priest Abiathar was there too. The king said to Zadok: Take the Ark of the Covenant back to the city. If Jehovah is pleased with me he will let me come back to see it and the place where it stays. Let him do to me what he wishes if he is not pleased with me. read more.
He also said to Zadok: You are a seer, are you? Take your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar's son Jonathan and go back to the city in peace. I will wait at the river crossings in the wilderness until you send news. Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of the Covenant back into Jerusalem and stayed there.


He must place the incense on the fire in Jehovah's presence. The cloud of incense will cover the throne of mercy. This is over the words of God's promise, so that he will not die. He will take some of the bull's blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the east side of the throne of mercy. Then he will sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times in front of the throne of mercy. Aaron will slaughter the goat for the people's offering for sin. He will take the blood inside, go up to the canopy, and sprinkle it on the throne of mercy and in front of it, as he did with the bull's blood.


Joshua spoke to the priests: Take up the Ark of the Covenant, and pass over before the people. So they took the Ark of the Covenant and went before the people.

When the people set out from their camp to cross the Jordan, and the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant before the people and


Then David was afraid of Jehovah and said: How can I take the Ark of the Covenant with me now? So he decided not to take it with him to Jerusalem. Instead, he turned off the road and took it to the house of Obed Edom, a native of the city of Gath. The Ark of Jehovah stayed at the home of Obed Edom from Gath for three months. Jehovah blessed Obed Edom and his whole family.


When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons will go in and take down the canopy that hangs over the Ark containing the words of God's Covenant. First they will cover the Ark with the canopy. Over this they will put a covering of fine leather. On top of that they will spread a cloth made entirely of violet material. Then they will put the poles in place.


Now arise, and come to your resting place, Jehovah our God, you and the ark of your power. Clothe your priests, Jehovah God, with salvation. Let your godly ones rejoice in what is good.


This is for dedicating the tent and chest,




In those days you will be fertile, and your population will increase in the land, says Jehovah. Men will no longer talk about the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah. It will no longer come to mind. They will not remember it, miss it, or make another one.


Place the altar in front of the canopy that hangs over the ark containing the words of my covenant I will meet with you there in front of the throne of mercy that is on the ark.


Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said to them: Take up the Ark of the Covenant. Seven priests should carry seven trumpets of rams' horns before the Ark of Jehovah.