Setting Up the Tabernacle

40 Then the Lord said to Moses: “Set up(A) the tabernacle, the tent of meeting,(B) on the first day of the first month.(C) Place the ark(D) of the covenant law in it and shield the ark with the curtain. Bring in the table(E) and set out what belongs on it.(F) Then bring in the lampstand(G) and set up its lamps. Place the gold altar(H) of incense in front of the ark of the covenant law and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.

“Place the altar(I) of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; place the basin(J) between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. Set up the courtyard(K) around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.

“Take the anointing oil and anoint(L) the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings,(M) and it will be holy. 10 Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate(N) the altar, and it will be most holy. 11 Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them.

12 “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting(O) and wash them with water.(P) 13 Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments,(Q) anoint him and consecrate(R) him so he may serve me as priest. 14 Bring his sons and dress them in tunics.(S) 15 Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations.(T) 16 Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded(U) him.

17 So the tabernacle(V) was set up on the first day of the first month(W) in the second year. 18 When Moses(X) set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames,(Y) inserted the crossbars and set up the posts. 19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering(Z) over the tent, as the Lord commanded(AA) him.

20 He took the tablets of the covenant law(AB) and placed them in the ark,(AC) attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover(AD) over it. 21 Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain(AE) and shielded the ark of the covenant law, as the Lord commanded(AF) him.

22 Moses placed the table(AG) in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain 23 and set out the bread(AH) on it before the Lord, as the Lord commanded(AI) him.

24 He placed the lampstand(AJ) in the tent of meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle 25 and set up the lamps(AK) before the Lord, as the Lord commanded(AL) him.

26 Moses placed the gold altar(AM) in the tent of meeting in front of the curtain 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord commanded(AN) him.

28 Then he put up the curtain(AO) at the entrance to the tabernacle. 29 He set the altar(AP) of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings,(AQ) as the Lord commanded(AR) him.

30 He placed the basin(AS) between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing, 31 and Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash(AT) their hands and feet. 32 They washed whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar,(AU) as the Lord commanded(AV) Moses.

33 Then Moses set up the courtyard(AW) around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain(AX) at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.

The Glory of the Lord

34 Then the cloud(AY) covered the tent of meeting, and the glory(AZ) of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory(BA) of the Lord filled the tabernacle.(BB)

36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out;(BC) 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloud(BD) of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels.

40 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,

On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the Mishkan Ohel Mo’ed.

And thou shalt place therein the Aron HaEdut, and thou shalt cover so as to screen the Aron with the Parochet.

And thou shalt bring in the Shulchan, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; and thou shalt bring in the Menorah, and kindle the Nerot thereof.

And thou shalt place the Mizbe’ach Hazahav L’Ketoret before the Aron HaEdut, and set up the Masach HaPetach LaMishkan.

And thou shalt set the Mizbe’ach HaOlah before the Petach Mishkan Ohel Mo’ed.

And thou shalt set the Kiyor between the Ohel Mo’ed and the Mizbe’ach, and shalt place mayim therein.

And thou shalt set up the khatzer (court) all around, and hang up the Masach Sha’ar Hakhatzer.

And thou shalt take the Shemen HaMishchah, and anoint the Mishkan, and all that is therein, and shalt set it apart as kodesh, and all the utensils thereof; and it shall be kodesh.

10 And thou shalt anoint the Mizbe’ach HaOlah, and all its utensils, and set apart as kodesh the Mizbe’ach: and it shall be Mizbe’ach kodesh kodashim.

11 And thou shalt anoint the Kiyor and its Stand, and set it apart as kodesh.

12 And thou shalt bring near Aharon and his banim unto the Petach Ohel Mo’ed, and immerse them with mayim.

13 And thou shalt dress Aharon with the Bigdei Hakodesh, and anoint him, and set him apart as kodesh; that he may minister unto Me in the kohen’s office.

14 And thou shalt bring near his banim, and dress them with kuttanot:

15 And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their av, that they may minister unto Me in the kohen’s office: for their anointing shall surely be for them a kehunat olam throughout their dorot.

16 Thus did Moshe; according to all that Hashem commanded him, so did he.

17 And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the Mishkan was erected.

18 And Moshe erected the Mishkan, and fastened its sockets, and set up the kerashim thereof, and put in the crossbars thereof, and set up its ammudim.

19 And he spread the Ohel over the Mishkan, and put the Mikhseh of the Ohel on it from above; as Hashem commanded Moshe.

20 And he took and placed HaEdut (The Testimony, i.e., the Stone Tablets of the Ten Commandments) into HaAron, and set the carrying poles on the Aron, and put the Kapporet upon the Aron from above;

21 And he brought the Aron into the Mishkan, and set up the Parochet HaMasach, and shielded with a covering over the Aron HaEdut; as Hashem commanded Moshe.

22 And he put the Shulchan in the Ohel Mo’ed, upon the north side of the Mishkan, outside the Parochet.

23 And he set the Lechem in order upon it before Hashem; as Hashem had commanded Moshe.

24 And he put the Menorah in the Ohel Mo’ed, opposite the Shulchan, on the south side of the Mishkan.

25 And he set up the nerot (lamps) before Hashem; as Hashem commanded Moshe.

26 And he put the Mizbe’ach Hazahav in the Ohel Mo’ed before the Parochet;

27 And he burned ketoret spices thereon; as Hashem commanded Moshe.

28 And he set up the Masach HaPetach LaMishkan (Curtain of the Entrance of the Tabernacle).

29 And he put the Mizbe’ach HaOlah at the Petach Mishkan Ohel Mo’ed, and offered upon it the olah (burnt offering) and the minchah; as Hashem commanded Moshe.

30 And he set the Kiyor between the Ohel Mo’ed and the Mizbe’ach, and put mayim there, to wash withal.

31 And Moshe and Aharon and his banim washed their hands and their feet thereat;

32 When they went into the Ohel Mo’ed, and when they came near unto the Mizbe’ach, they washed; as Hashem commanded Moshe.

33 And he erected the khatzer (courtyard) all around the Mishkan and the Mizbe’ach, and set up the Masach Sha’ar HaKhatzer. So Moshe finished the work.

34 Then the Anan covered the Ohel Mo’ed, and the Kavod Hashem filled the Mishkan.

35 And Moshe was not able to enter into the Ohel Mo’ed, because the [Shekinah] cloud abode thereon, and the Kavod Hashem filled the Mishkan.

36 And when the Anan was taken up from over the Mishkan, the Bnei Yisroel went onward in all their journeys;

37 But if the Anan were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.

38 For the Anan Hashem was upon the Mishkan by day, and Eish was on it by night, in the sight of all the Bais Yisroel, throughout all their journeys. T.N. The Theme of gracious, unmerited Deliverance and Salvation for an Am Kesheh Oref (Obstinate Stiffnecked People) has been presented in the Second Book of Moses.

The Tabernacle Erected

40 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “On the (A)first day of the first month you shall (B)erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall (C)screen the ark with the veil. And (D)you shall bring in the table and arrange it, and (E)you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. (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. (G)You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, (H)and place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. And you shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court.

“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.