Exodus 40
New Century Version
Setting Up the Holy Tent
40 Then the Lord said to Moses: 2 “On the first day of the first month, set up the Holy Tent, which is the Meeting Tent. 3 Put the Ark of the Agreement in it and hang the curtain in front of the Ark. 4 Bring in the table and arrange everything on the table that should be there. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 Put the gold altar for burning incense in front of the Ark of the Agreement, and put the curtain at the entrance to the Holy Tent.
6 “Put the altar of burnt offerings in front of the entrance of the Holy Tent, the Meeting Tent. 7 Put the bowl between the Meeting Tent and the altar, and put water in it. 8 Set up the courtyard around the Holy Tent, and put the curtain at the entry to the courtyard.
9 “Use the special olive oil and pour it on the Holy Tent and everything in it, in order to give the Tent and all that is in it for service to the Lord. They will be holy. 10 Pour the special oil on the altar for burnt offerings and on all its tools. Give the altar for service to God, and it will be very holy. 11 Then pour the special olive oil on the bowl and the base under it so that they will be given for service to God.
12 “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Meeting Tent, and wash them with water. 13 Then put the holy clothes on Aaron. Pour the special oil on him, and give him for service to God so that he may serve me as a priest. 14 Bring Aaron’s sons and put the inner robes on them. 15 Pour the special oil on them in the same way that you appointed their father as priest so that they may also serve me as priests. Pouring oil on them will make them a family of priests, they and their descendants from now on.” 16 Moses did everything that the Lord commanded him.
17 So the Holy Tent was set up on the first day of the first month during the second year after they left Egypt. 18 When Moses set up the Holy Tent, he put the bases in place, and he put the frames on the bases. Next he put the crossbars through the rings of the frames and set up the posts. 19 After that, Moses spread the cloth over the Holy Tent and put the covering over it, just as the Lord commanded.
20 Moses put the stone tablets that had the Agreement written on them into the Ark. He put the poles through the rings of the Ark and put the lid on it. 21 Next he brought the Ark into the Tent and hung the curtain to cover the Ark, just as the Lord commanded him.
22 Moses put the table in the Meeting Tent on the north side of the Holy Tent in front of the curtain. 23 Then he put the bread on the table before the Lord, just as the Lord commanded him. 24 Moses put the lampstand in the Meeting Tent on the south side of the Holy Tent across from the table. 25 Then he put the lamps on the lampstand before the Lord, just as the Lord commanded him.
26 Moses put the gold altar for burning incense in the Meeting Tent in front of the curtain. 27 Then he burned sweet-smelling incense on it, just as the Lord commanded him. 28 Then he hung the curtain at the entrance to the Holy Tent.
29 He put the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance to the Holy Tent, the Meeting Tent, and offered a whole burnt offering and grain offerings on it, just as the Lord commanded him. 30 Moses put the bowl between the Meeting Tent and the altar for burnt offerings, and he put water in it for washing. 31 Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons used this water to wash their hands and feet. 32 They washed themselves every time they entered the Meeting Tent and every time they went near the altar for burnt offerings, just as the Lord commanded Moses.
33 Then Moses set up the courtyard around the Holy Tent and the altar, and he put up the curtain at the entry to the courtyard. So Moses finished the work.
The Cloud over the Holy Tent
34 Then the cloud covered the Meeting Tent, and the glory of the Lord filled the Holy Tent. 35 Moses could not enter the Meeting Tent, because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Holy Tent.
36 When the cloud rose from the Holy Tent, the Israelites would begin to travel, 37 but as long as the cloud stayed on the Holy Tent, they did not travel. They stayed in that place until the cloud rose. 38 So the cloud of the Lord was over the Holy Tent during the day, and there was a fire in the cloud at night. So all the Israelites could see the cloud while they traveled.
Exodus 40
English Standard Version
The Tabernacle Erected
40 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “On the (A)first day of the first month you shall (B)erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall (C)screen the ark with the veil. 4 And (D)you shall bring in the table and arrange it, and (E)you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 (F)And 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. 6 (G)You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, 7 (H)and place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8 And 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 (I)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. 10 You shall also anoint (J)the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, (K)so that the altar may become most holy. 11 You shall also anoint the basin and its stand, and consecrate it. 12 (L)Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water 13 and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest. 14 You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them, 15 (M)and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall admit them to a (N)perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.”
16 This Moses did; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did. 17 In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, (O)the tabernacle was erected. 18 Moses erected 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 (P)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. 21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle and (Q)set up the veil of the screen, and screened (R)the ark of the testimony, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 22 (S)He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil, 23 and arranged the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 24 (T)He put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle, 25 (U)and set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 26 (V)He put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil, 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 28 (W)He put in place the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 29 (X)And 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 (Y)grain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 30 (Z)He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing, 31 with which Moses and (AA)Aaron and his sons (AB)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 commanded Moses. 33 (AC)And he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So (AD)Moses finished the work.
The Glory of the Lord
34 Then (AE)the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and (AF)the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And 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. 36 Throughout all their journeys, (AG)whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. 37 But (AH)if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. 38 For 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.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
