Exodus 40

1 Then the LORD said to Moses,

Then Yahweh said to Moses/me,

2 “On the first day of the first month you are to set up the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting.

“On the first day of the first month next year, [tell the people to] set up the Sacred Tent.

3 Put the ark of the Testimony in it and screen off the ark with the veil.

Put inside it the sacred chest [that contains the stone slabs on which are engraved] the Ten Commandments, and hang the curtain in front of it.

4 Then bring in the table and set out its arrangement; bring in the lampstand as well, and set up its lamps.

Bring the table into the Sacred Tent, and place on it all the things that are to be used with it. Bring in the lampstand and fasten the lamps to it.

5 Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the Testimony, and hang the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.

Put the gold altar for [burning] incense in front of the sacred chest, and set up the curtain at the entrance of the Sacred Tent.

6 Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting.

Put the altar for burning sacrifices in front of the Sacred Tent.

7 And place the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it.

Put the washbasin between the Sacred Tent and the altar, and fill it with water.

8 Set up the surrounding courtyard and hang the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard.

Hang the curtains that will surround the courtyard, and hang the curtain at its entrance.

9 Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it along with all its furnishings, and it shall be holy.

Then take the oil for anointing, and anoint the Sacred Tent and everything that is in it, to (set it apart/dedicate it) to me. Then it will be holy/sacred.

10 Anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it shall be most holy.

Also anoint the altar for offering sacrifices that will be completely burned, and all the things that will be used with it, and set it apart. Then it also will be holy/sacred.

11 Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them.

Also anoint the washbasin and its base, to set it apart.

12 Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water.

Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Sacred Tent, and wash them [ritually] with water.

13 And you are to clothe Aaron with the holy garments, anoint him, and consecrate him, so that he may serve Me as a priest.

Then put on Aaron his sacred clothes to (set him apart/dedicate him), in order that he can serve me as a priest.

14 Bring his sons forward and clothe them with tunics.

Also bring his sons there. Put their sacred tunics/gowns on them

15 Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may also serve Me as priests. Their anointing will qualify them for a permanent priesthood throughout their generations.”

and anoint them just as you anointed their father, in order that they also may serve me by working as priests. By anointing them [and their descendants], you will cause them and their descendants to be priests throughout all coming generations.”

16 Moses did everything just as the LORD had commanded him.

Moses/I did all these things exactly as Yahweh had commanded him/me.

17 So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month of the second year.

On the first day of the first month of the next year (OR, second year [after they/we left Egypt]), the people set up the Sacred Tent.

18 When Moses set up the tabernacle, he laid its bases, positioned its frames, inserted its crossbars, and set up its posts.

Following Moses’/my instructions, they set up the Sacred Tent and its bases, set up the frames, attached the crossbars, and put up the posts [for the curtains].

19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, just as the LORD had commanded him.

Then they spread out the coverings over the Sacred Tent, exactly as Yahweh had commanded.

20 Moses took the Testimony and placed it in the ark, attaching the poles to the ark; and he set the mercy seat atop the ark.

Then he/I took the two stone slabs [on which the commandments were written] and put them in the sacred chest. He/I put the carrying poles [in the rings] on the chest and put the lid on top of the chest.

21 Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle, put up the veil for the screen, and shielded off the ark of the Testimony, just as the LORD had commanded him.

Then he/I took the chest into [the Very Holy Place inside] the Sacred Tent and hung the curtain. In that way, he/I prevented the people who were outside from seeing the chest. He/I did all this exactly as Yahweh had commanded him/me.

22 Moses placed the table in the Tent of Meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil.

He/I set the table inside the Sacred Tent, on the north side, outside the curtain.

23 He arranged the bread on it before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded him.

He/I placed on the table the bread that was offered to Yahweh, exactly as Yahweh had commanded.

24 He also placed the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle

He/I set the lampstand inside the Sacred Tent, on the south side, opposite the table.

25 and set up the lamps before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded him.

Then he/I fastened the lamps to the lampstand in Yahweh’s presence, exactly as Yahweh had commanded.

26 Moses placed the gold altar in the Tent of Meeting, in front of the veil,

He/I set the golden altar for burning incense inside the Sacred Tent, in front of the curtain [that separated the Holy Place from the Very Holy Place],

27 and he burned fragrant incense on it, just as the LORD had commanded him.

and he/I burned some sweet-smelling incense on it, exactly as Yahweh had commanded him/me.

28 Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.

He/I hung the curtain at the entrance to the Sacred Tent.

29 He placed the altar of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, just as the LORD had commanded him.

At the entrance to the Sacred Tent, he/I set the altar for offering sacrifices that were to be burned completely. Then he/I offered on it the meat that was to be burned completely and the grain offering, exactly as Yahweh had commanded him/me.

30 He placed the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing;

He/I set the washbasin between the Sacred Tent and the [bronze] altar, and he/I filled the washbasin with water.

31 and from it Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and feet.

Every time Moses/I and Aaron and his sons went into the Sacred Tent or went to the altar, they/we washed their/our hands and feet [ritually], exactly as Yahweh had commanded Moses/me.

32 They washed whenever they entered the Tent of Meeting or approached the altar, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

33 And Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and the altar, and he hung the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard. So Moses finished the work.

Following Moses’/my instructions, they hung the curtains that surrounded the courtyard and the altar, and they hung the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. So Moses/I finished that work.

34 Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

Then the [tall bright] cloud covered the Sacred Tent, and Yahweh’s (glory/brilliant light) filled the Sacred Tent.

35 Moses was unable to enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

Because that light was very bright, Moses/I was not able to enter the Sacred Tent.

36 Whenever the cloud was lifted from above the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out through all the stages of their journey.

From that day, whenever the Israeli people wanted to move to another place, they went only when the bright cloud rose from above the Sacred Tent.

37 If the cloud was not lifted, they would not set out until the day it was taken up.

If the cloud did not rise, they stayed where they were and did not go on until the cloud rose.

38 For 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 house of Israel through all their journeys.

Wherever they traveled, the bright cloud that [indicated] Yahweh’s [presence] was above the Sacred Tent during the day, and a [bright] fire was inside the cloud at night, with the result that all the Israeli people [MTY] could see it [at any time].