Exodus 40

Instructions for Setting Up the Tent

1 Then the Lord said to Moses,2 “Set up the tent (the tent of meeting) on the first day of the first month of the year.3 Place the ark containing the words of my promise inside it, and hang the canopy over the ark.4 Bring in the table, and arrange everything on it. Bring in the lamp stand, and set up the lamps.

5 Put the gold altar for incense in front of the ark. Put up the screen at the entrance to the tent.
6 “Put the altar for burnt offerings in front of the entrance to the tent of meeting.7 Put the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it.8 Set up the surrounding courtyard, and put up the screen at the entrance to the courtyard.9 Take the anointing oil, and anoint the tent and everything in it. In this way you will dedicate it and all its furnishings. Then it will be holy.10 Anoint the altar for burnt offerings and all the utensils. In this way you will dedicate the altar, and it will be most holy.

11 Anoint the basin and stand, and they will be dedicated.
12 “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and wash them.13 Then dress Aaron in the holy clothes, and anoint him. In this way you will dedicate him to serve me as priest.14 Have his sons come forward, and dress them in their linen robes.

15 Anoint them to serve me as priests, as you anointed their father. Their anointing will begin a permanent priesthood for them for generations to come.”

Moses Sets Up the Tent

16 Moses did everything as the Lord commanded him.17 So the tent was set up on the first day of the first month of the second year after the Israelites had left Egypt.18 When Moses set up the tent, he put the sockets in place, put up the frames, inserted the crossbars, and set up the posts.

19 He spread the outer tent over the inner tent and put the cover on top. Moses followed the Lord’s instructions.
20 He took the words of God’s promise and put them in the ark. He put the poles on the ark and placed the throne of mercy on top of the ark.

21 Then he brought the ark into the tent and hung the canopy over it to mark off where the ark was. Moses followed the Lord’s instructions.
22 Moses put the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tent outside the canopy.23 He arranged the bread on the table in the Lord’s presence, following the Lord’s instructions.24 He placed the lamp stand in the tent of meeting opposite the table, on the south side of the tent.

25 He set up the lamps in the Lord’s presence, following the Lord’s instructions.
26 Moses put the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the canopy.27 He burned sweet-smelling incense on it, following the Lord’s instructions.

28 Then he put up the screen at the entrance to the tent.
29 He put the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance to the tent (the tent of meeting). He sacrificed burnt offerings and grain offerings on it. Moses followed the Lord’s instructions.30 He put the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing.31 Moses, Aaron, and his sons used this water to wash their hands and feet.

32 They would wash whenever they went into the tent of meeting or whenever they approached the altar. Moses followed the Lord’s instructions.
33 He set up the courtyard around the tent and the altar and put up the screen at the entrance to the courtyard. Finally, Moses finished the work.

The Lord Comes to the Tent

34 Then the column of smoke covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tent.

35 Moses couldn’t go into the tent of meeting, because the smoke settled on it and the glory of the Lord filled the tent.
36 In all their travels, whenever the column of smoke moved from the tent, the Israelites would break camp.37 But if the column didn’t move, they wouldn’t break camp.

38 So the Lord’s column stayed over the tent during the day, and there was fire in the smoke at night. In this way all the Israelites could see the column throughout their travels.

Exodus 40

Setting Up the Sanctuary

1 s Then the Lord spoke to Moses:t2 “On the first day of the first month you are to set upt the tabernacle, the tent of meeting.3 You are to place the ark of the testimony in it and shield the ark with the special curtain.4 You are to bring in the table and set out the things that belong on it;t then you are to bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps.5 You are to putt the gold altar for incense in front of the ark of the testimony and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.6 You are to put the altar for the burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting.7 You are to put the large basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it.t8 You are to set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the gate of the courtyard.9 And taket the anointing oil, and anointt the tabernacle and all that is in it, and sanctifyt it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy.10 Then you are to anoint the altar for the burnt offering witht all its utensils; you are to sanctify the altar, and it will be the most holy altar.

11 You must also anoint the large basin and its pedestal, and you are to sanctify it.s
12 “You are to bringt Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water.13 Then you are to clothe Aaron with the holy garments and anoint him and sanctify him so that he may minister as my priest.14 You are to bringt his sons and clothe them with tunics15 and anoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may minister as my priests; their anointing will make them a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations.”

16 This is what Moses did, according to all the Lord had commanded him – so he did.
17 So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month, in the second year.18 When Moses set up the tabernacle and put its bases in place, he set up its frames, attached its bars, and set up its posts.19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the Lord had commanded Moses.20 He took the testimony and put it in the ark, attached the poles to the ark, and then put the atonement lid on the ark.

21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, hungt the protecting curtain,t and shielded the ark of the testimony from view, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
22 And he put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the curtain.

23 And he set the bread in order on itt before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
24 And he put the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle.

25 Then he set up the lamps before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
26 And he put the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the curtain,

27 and he burned fragrant incense on it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
28 Then he put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.

29 He also put the altar for the burnt offering by the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the meal offering, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
30 Then he put the large basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in itt for washing.31 Moses and Aaron and his sons would wash their hands and their feet from it.

32 Whenever they enteredt the tent of meeting, and whenever they approachedt the altar, they would wash,t just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

33 And he set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and the altar, and put the curtain at the gate of the courtyard. So Moses finished the work.
34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.35 Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.36 But when the cloud was lifted upt from the tabernacle, the Israelites would set outt on all their journeys;37 but if the cloud was not lifted up, then they would not journey further until the day it was lifted up.t

38 For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, but fire would bet on it at night, in plain viewt of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.