Exodus 40

1 Then the LORD said to Moses,

Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

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 of the new year you must set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting.

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

You must place the ark of the testimony in it, and you must shield the ark with the curtain.

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

You must bring in the table and set in order the things that belong on it. Then you must bring in the lampstand and set up the lamps.

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.

You must put the golden incense altar before the ark of the testimony, and you must 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.

You must put the altar for burnt offerings in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting.

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

You must put the large basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and you must put water in it.

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

You must set up the courtyard around it, and you must hang up the curtain at the courtyard 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.

You must take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything that is in it. You must set it apart and all its furnishings to me; then it will be holy.

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

You must anoint the altar for burnt offerings and all its utensils. You must set apart the altar to me and it will become very holy to me.

11 Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them.

You must anoint the bronze basin and its base and set it apart to me.

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

You are to bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and you must wash them 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.

You are to clothe Aaron with the garments that are set apart to me, anoint him and set him apart so that he may serve as my priest.

14 Bring his sons forward and clothe them with tunics.

You are to bring his sons and clothe them with coats.

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.”

You must anoint them as you anointed their father so that they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will make for them a permanent priesthood throughout their people's generations.”

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

This is what Moses did; he followed all that Yahweh had commanded him. He did all these things.

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

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, he laid its bases, positioned its frames, inserted its crossbars, and set up its posts.

Moses set up the tabernacle, put its bases in place, set up its frames, attached its bars, and set up its pillars and posts.

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

He spread the covering over the tabernacle and put tent over it, as Yahweh had commanded him.

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.

He took the covenant decrees and put them into the ark. He also placed the poles on the ark and put the atonement lid on it.

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.

He brought the ark into the tabernacle. He set up the curtain for it to shield the ark of the testimony, as Yahweh had commanded him.

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

He put the table into the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the curtain.

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

He placed the bread in order on the table before Yahweh, as Yahweh had commanded him.

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

He put the lampstand into the tent of meeting, across from the table, on the south side of the tabernacle.

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

He lit the lamps before Yahweh, as Yahweh had commanded him.

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

He put the golden incense altar into the tent of meeting in front of the curtain.

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

He burned fragrant incense on it, as Yahweh had commanded him.

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

He hung the curtain at the tabernacle entrance.

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.

He put the altar for the burnt offering at the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting. He offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as Yahweh had commanded him.

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

He placed the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and he put water in it for washing.

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

Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and their feet from the basin

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

whenever they would go into the tent of meeting and whenever they would go up to the altar. They washed themselves, as Yahweh 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.

Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and the altar. He set up the curtain at the courtyard entrance. In this way, Moses finished the work.

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

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and Yahweh's glory filled the tabernacle.

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.

Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and because Yahweh's glory filled the tabernacle.

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

Whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out on their journey.

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

But if the cloud did not rise up from the tabernacle, then the people would not travel. They would stay until the day that it was lifted up.

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.

For Yahweh's cloud was over the tabernacle by day, and his fire was over it by night, in plain view of all the people of Israel throughout their journey.