1Then the LORD said to Moses,2‘Set up the holy tent, the tent of meeting. Set it up on the first day of the first month.3Place in it the ark where the tablets of the covenant law are kept. Hide the ark with the curtain.4Bring in the table for the holy bread. Arrange the loaves of bread on it. Then bring in the lampstand. Set up its lamps.5Place the gold altar for burning incense in front of the ark where the tablets of the covenant law are kept. Put up the curtain at the entrance to the holy tent.6‘Place the altar for burnt offerings in front of the entrance to the holy tent, the tent of meeting.7Place the large bowl between the tent of meeting and the altar. Put water in the bowl.8Set up the courtyard around the holy tent. Put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.9‘Get the anointing oil. Anoint the holy tent and everything in it. Set apart the holy tent and everything that belongs to it. Then it will be holy.10Anoint the altar for burnt offerings and all its tools. Set apart the altar. Then it will be a very holy place.11Anoint the large bowl and its stand. Set them apart.12‘Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting. Wash them with water.13Dress Aaron in the sacred clothes. Anoint him and set him apart. Then he will be able to serve me as priest.14Bring his sons and dress them in their inner robes.15Anoint them just as you anointed their father. Then they will be able to serve me as priests. They will be anointed to do the work of priests. That work will last for all time to come.’16Moses did everything just as the LORD had commanded him.17So the holy tent was set up. It was the first day of the first month in the second year.18Moses set up the holy tent. He put the bases in place. He put the frames in them. He put in the crossbars. He set up the posts.19He spread the holy tent over the frames. Then he put the coverings over the tent. Moses did it as the LORD had commanded him.20He got the tablets of the covenant law. He placed them in the ark. He put the poles through its rings. And he put the cover on it. The cover was the place where sin is paid for.21Moses brought the ark into the holy tent. He hung the curtain to hide the ark where the tablets of the covenant law are kept. Moses did it as the LORD had commanded him.22Moses placed the table for the holy bread in the tent of meeting. It was on the north side of the holy tent outside the curtain.23He arranged the loaves of bread on it in the sight of the LORD. Moses did it as the LORD had commanded him.24Moses placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting. It stood opposite the table on the south side of the holy tent.25He set up the lamps in front of the LORD. Moses did it as the LORD had commanded him.26Moses placed the gold altar for burning incense in the tent of meeting. He placed it in front of the curtain.27He burned sweet-smelling incense on it. Moses did it as the LORD had commanded him.28Then Moses put up the curtain at the entrance to the holy tent.29He set the altar for burnt offerings near the entrance to the holy tent, the tent of meeting. He sacrificed burnt offerings and grain offerings on it. Moses did it as the LORD had commanded him.30Moses placed the large bowl between the tent of meeting and the altar. He put water in the bowl for washing.31Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and feet.32They washed whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar. They did it as the LORD had commanded Moses.33Then Moses set up the courtyard around the holy tent and altar. He put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses completed the work.
The glory of the Lord
34Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting. The glory of the LORD filled the holy tent.35Moses couldn’t enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it. The glory of the LORD filled the holy tent.36The Israelites continued their travels. Whenever the cloud lifted from above the holy tent, they started out.37But if the cloud didn’t lift, they did not start out. They stayed until the day it lifted.38So the cloud of the LORD was above the holy tent during the day. Fire was in the cloud at night. All the Israelites could see the cloud during all their travels.
Exodus 40
English Standard Version
The Tabernacle Erected
1The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,2“On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. (Ex 12:2; Ex 13:4; Ex 26:30; Ex 40:17)3And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. (Ex 35:12; Ex 40:21)4And you shall bring in the table and arrange it, and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. (Ex 26:35; Ex 40:22; Ex 40:24)5And you shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. (Ex 39:38; Ex 40:26)6You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, (Ex 40:29)7and place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. (Ex 30:18; Ex 40:30)8And you shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court.9“Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it may become holy. (Ex 30:26)10You shall also anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, so that the altar may become most holy. (Ex 29:37; Ex 30:28)11You shall also anoint the basin and its stand, and consecrate it.12Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water (Le 8:1)13and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest.14You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them,15and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.” (Ex 28:41; Ex 29:7; Nu 25:13)16This Moses did; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did.17In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected. (Ex 40:2; Nu 7:1)18Moses erected the tabernacle. He laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars.19And he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the Lord had commanded Moses.20He took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on the ark. (Ex 16:34; Ex 25:16)21And he brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony, as the Lord had commanded Moses. (Ex 35:12; Ex 40:3; Ex 40:20)22He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil, (Ex 26:35; Ex 40:4)23and arranged the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.24He put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle, (Ex 26:35)25and set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. (Ex 25:37; Ex 40:4)26He put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil, (Ex 30:6; Ex 40:5)27and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses.28He put in place the screen for the door of the tabernacle. (Ex 26:36; Ex 40:5)29And he set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses. (Ex 29:41; Ex 30:9; Ex 40:6)30He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing, (Ex 40:7)31with which Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. (Ex 30:19; Ex 30:21)32When they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, as the Lord commanded Moses.33And he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work. (Ex 27:9; Ex 27:16; Ex 40:8; Heb 3:2; Heb 3:5)
The Glory of the Lord
34Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. (Ex 13:21; Ex 29:43; Le 16:2; Nu 9:15; 1Ki 8:10; 2Ch 5:13; 2Ch 7:2; Isa 6:4; Hag 2:7; Hag 2:9; Re 15:8)35And 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.36Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. (Nu 9:17; Nu 10:11; Ne 9:19)37But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. (Nu 9:19)38For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.