Exodus 40

1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2 On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.

“On the first day of the first month of the new year you must set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting.

3 And thou shalt put in it the ark of the testimony, and cover 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 And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; and thou shalt bring in the lampstand, and light 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 And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door 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 And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.

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

7 And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt 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 And thou shalt set up the court all around, and hang up the hanging at the court gate.

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

9 And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is in it, and shalt hallow it, and all its vessels: 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 And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all its vessels, and sanctify the altar: and it shall be an altar 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 And thou shalt anoint the laver and its foot, and sanctify it.

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

12 And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, 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 thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister to me in the priest’s office.

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 And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats:

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

15 And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister to me in the priest’s office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting 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 Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he.

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

17 And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up.

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

18 And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened its sockets, and set up its boards, and put in its bars, and reared up its pillars.

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 And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it; as the LORD commanded Moses.

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

20 And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staffs on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon 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 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; as the LORD commanded Moses.

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 And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle northward, outside the veil.

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

23 And he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD; as the LORD had commanded Moses.

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

24 And he put the lampstand in the tent of the congregation, opposite the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward.

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

25 And he lighted the lamps before the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.

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

26 And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the veil:

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

27 And he burnt sweet incense on it; as the LORD commanded Moses.

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

28 And he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle.

He hung the curtain at the tabernacle entrance.

29 And he put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the meat offering; as the LORD commanded Moses.

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 And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there, to wash with.

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

31 And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet from it:

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

32 When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near to the altar, they washed; as the LORD 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 he reared up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. 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 a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, 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 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode 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 And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:

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

37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that 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 upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout 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.