1Then the Lord said to Moses:2‘Set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the first month.3Place the ark of the covenant law in it and shield the ark with the curtain.4Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps.5Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the covenant law and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.6‘Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting;7place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it.8Set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.9‘Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy.10Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it will be most holy.11Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them.12‘Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water.13Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so that he may serve me as priest.14Bring his sons and dress them in tunics.15Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations.’16Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him.17So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year.18When Moses set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames, inserted the crossbars and set up the posts.19Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, as the Lord commanded him.20He took the tablets of the covenant law and placed them in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it.21Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the ark of the covenant law, as the Lord commanded him.22Moses placed the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain23and set out the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him.24He placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle25and set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him.26Moses placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the curtain27and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord commanded him.28Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.29He set the altar of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings, as the Lord commanded him.30He placed the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing,31and Moses 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, as the Lord commanded Moses.33Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.
The glory of the Lord
34Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.35Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.36In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out;37but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out – until the day it lifted.38So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites 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.