Exodus 40
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Tabernacle Erected and Its Equipment Installed
40 The Lord spoke to Moses, 2 “On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.(A) 3 You shall put in it the ark of the covenant, and you shall screen the ark with the curtain.(B) 4 You shall bring in the table and arrange its setting, and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 You shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the covenant and set up the screen for the entrance of the tabernacle. 6 You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting 7 and place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. 8 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 shall become holy.(C) 10 You shall also anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils and consecrate the altar, so that the altar shall be most holy.(D) 11 You shall also anoint the basin with its stand and consecrate it. 12 Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water(E) 13 and put on Aaron the sacred vestments, and you shall anoint him and consecrate him, so that he may serve me as priest.(F) 14 You shall bring his sons also and put tunics on them 15 and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests; their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout all their generations.”(G)
16 Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him. 17 In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was set up. 18 Moses set up the tabernacle; he laid its bases and set up its frames and put in its poles and raised up its pillars, 19 and he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it as the Lord had commanded Moses. 20 He took the covenant and put it into the ark and put the poles on the ark and set the cover above the ark,(H) 21 and he brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the curtain for screening and screened the ark of the covenant as the Lord had commanded Moses.(I) 22 He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the curtain,(J) 23 and set the bread in order on it before the Lord as the Lord had commanded Moses.(K) 24 He put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle, 25 and set up the lamps before the Lord as the Lord had commanded Moses.(L) 26 He put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the curtain(M) 27 and offered fragrant incense on it as the Lord had commanded Moses. 28 He also put in place the screen for the entrance of the tabernacle.(N) 29 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. 30 He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing,(O) 31 with which Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. 32 When they went into the tent of meeting and when they approached the altar, they washed as the Lord had commanded Moses.(P) 33 He set up the court around the tabernacle and the altar and put up the screen at the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.
The Cloud and the Glory
34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.(Q) 35 Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 Whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out on each stage of their journey,(R) 37 but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud[a] by night, before the eyes of all the house of Israel at each stage of their journey.(S)
Footnotes
- 40.38 Heb it
Exodus 40
Evangelical Heritage Version
Dedication of the Dwelling
40 The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, 2 “On the first day of the first month you are to raise up the Dwelling, the Tent of Meeting. 3 Put the Ark of the Testimony in it, and screen the ark with the veil. 4 Bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be on it. Bring in the lampstand, and light its lamps. 5 Set the golden[a] altar for incense in front of the Ark of the Testimony, and put the screen in the doorway to the tent. 6 Set the altar for burnt offerings in front of the entrance of the Dwelling, the Tent of Meeting. 7 Set the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8 Set up the courtyard around it, and hang up the screen of the gate of the courtyard. 9 Take the anointing oil, and anoint the tent and everything that is in it. You shall make it and all its furniture holy, and it will be holy. 10 Anoint the altar for burnt offerings with all its utensils. Consecrate the altar, and the altar will be most holy. 11 Anoint the large basin and its pedestal, and consecrate it.
12 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and wash them with water. 13 Put the holy garments on Aaron, and anoint him and consecrate him, so that he may minister to me in the priest’s office. 14 Bring his sons and put tunics on them. 15 Anoint them, as you anointed their father, so that they may minister to me in the priest’s office. Their anointing will give them a permanent priesthood throughout their generations.” 16 Moses did so. He did everything exactly as the Lord had commanded him.
17 And so in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, the Dwelling was raised. 18 Moses raised the Dwelling. He laid out its socket bases, set up its boards, inserted its crossbars, and raised its posts. 19 He spread the tent over the Dwelling and put the cover for the tent above it,[b] just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
20 He took the Testimony and put it into the ark. He set the poles in place on the ark and placed the atonement seat on top of the ark. 21 He brought the ark into the tent. He set up the special veil to screen the Ark of the Testimony, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
22 He put the table in the Tent of Meeting, on the north side of the tent, outside of the veil. 23 He set the bread in order on the table in the presence of the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
24 He put the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the tent. 25 He lit the lamps before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
26 He put the golden altar in the Tent of Meeting in front of the veil. 27 He burned incense of fragrant spices on it, just as the Lord commanded Moses. 28 He put up the screen for the entryway to the tent. 29 He set the altar of burnt offering at the door of the Dwelling, the Tent of Meeting, and offered the burnt offering and the grain offering on it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
30 He set the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it, with which to wash. 31 Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons washed their hands and their feet there. 32 When they went into the Tent of Meeting and when they came near the altar, they washed, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
33 He erected the courtyard around the tent and the altar and set up the screen of the gate of the courtyard. So Moses completed the work.
34 Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Glory of the Lord filled the tent. 35 Moses was not able to enter the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud stayed over it, and the Glory of the Lord filled the tent. 36 Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tent, the people of Israel would move forward. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they would not travel until the day when it was taken up. 38 For in the sight of the whole house of Israel, the cloud of the Lord was above the tent by day, and there was fire in the cloud by night, throughout all their journeys.
Footnotes
- Exodus 40:5 The altar is called golden rather than gold because it was plated with gold rather than made of gold.
- Exodus 40:19 Here Dwelling refers to the structure as a whole. The tent refers to the first layer of the four coverings, and the cover is the second layer.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.