Exodus 40
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 40
Setting Up the Tabernacle. 1 Then the Lord said to Moses: 2 (A)On the first day of the first month[a] you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.(B) 3 Put the ark of the covenant in it, and screen off the ark with the veil.(C) 4 Bring in the table and set it. Then bring in the menorah and set up the lamps on it. 5 Put the golden altar of incense in front of the ark of the covenant, and hang the curtain at the entrance of the tabernacle. 6 Put the altar for burnt offerings in front of the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 7 Place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8 Set up the court round about, and put the curtain at the gate of the court.
9 (D)Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it, consecrating it and all its furnishings, so that it will be sacred. 10 Anoint the altar for burnt offerings and all its utensils, consecrating it, so that it will be most sacred. 11 Likewise, anoint the basin with its stand, and thus consecrate it.
12 (E)Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and there wash them with water. 13 Clothe Aaron with the sacred vestments and anoint him, thus consecrating him as my priest. 14 Bring forward his sons also, and clothe them with the tunics. 15 As you have anointed their father, anoint them also as my priests. Thus, by being anointed, shall they receive a perpetual priesthood throughout all future generations.
16 Moses did just as the Lord had commanded him. 17 On the first day of the first month of the second year the tabernacle was set up. 18 It was Moses who set up the tabernacle. He placed its pedestals, set up its frames, put in its bars, and set up its columns. 19 He spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering on top of the tent, as the Lord had commanded him. 20 (F)He took the covenant and put it in the ark; he placed poles alongside the ark and set the cover upon it. 21 He brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the curtain veil, thus screening off the ark of the covenant, as the Lord had commanded him. 22 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 him.(G) 24 He placed the menorah in the tent of meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle, 25 and he set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded him. 26 He placed the golden altar in the tent of meeting, in front of the veil, 27 and on it he burned fragrant incense, as the Lord had commanded him. 28 He hung the curtain at the entrance of the tabernacle. 29 He put the altar for burnt offerings in front of the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and sacrificed burnt offerings and grain offerings on it, as the Lord had commanded him. 30 (H)He placed the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing. 31 Moses and Aaron and his sons used to wash their hands and feet there, 32 for they washed themselves whenever they went into the tent of meeting or approached the altar, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 33 Finally, he set up the court around the tabernacle and the altar and hung the curtain at the gate of the court.
Thus Moses finished all the work.
God’s Presence in the Tabernacle. 34 (I)Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting, because the cloud settled down upon it and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 Whenever the cloud rose from the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out on their journey. 37 But if the cloud did not lift, they would not go forward; only when it lifted did they go forward. 38 The cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire in the cloud at night, in the sight of the whole house of Israel in all the stages of their journey.
Exodus 40
Easy-to-Read Version
Moses Sets 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, that is, the Meeting Tent. 3 Put the Box of the Agreement in the Holy Tent. Cover the Box with the curtain. 4 Then bring in the table. Put the things on the table that should be there. Then put the lampstand in the Tent. Put the lamps on the lampstand in the right places. 5 Put the golden altar for offering incense in the Tent in front of the Box of the Agreement. Then put the curtain at the entrance to the Holy Tent.
6 “Put the altar for burning offerings in front of the entrance of the Holy Tent, that is, the Meeting Tent. 7 Put the bowl between the Meeting Tent and the altar. Put water in the bowl. 8 Set up the wall of curtains around the courtyard. Then put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.
9 “Use the anointing oil and anoint the Holy Tent and everything in it. When you put the oil on these things, you will make them holy. 10 Anoint the altar for burning offerings. Anoint everything on the altar. You will make the altar holy. It will be very holy. 11 Then anoint the bowl and the base under it to make these things holy.
12 “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Meeting Tent. Wash them with water. 13 Then put the special clothes on Aaron. Anoint him with the oil and make him holy. Then he can serve me as a priest. 14 Then put the clothes on his sons. 15 Anoint the sons in the same way you anointed their father. Then they can also serve me as priests. When you anoint them, they will become priests. That family will continue to be priests for all time to come.” 16 Moses obeyed the Lord. He did everything that the Lord commanded him.
17 So the Holy Tent was set up at the right time. It was the first day of the first month during the second year from the time they left Egypt. 18 Moses set up the Holy Tent just as the Lord had said. He put the bases down first. Then he put the frames on the bases. Then he put the braces on and set up the posts. 19 After that Moses put the outer tent over the Holy Tent. Then he put the covering over the outer tent. He did these things just as the Lord had commanded.
20 Moses took the Agreement and put it in the Holy Box. He put the poles on the Box and put the mercy-cover on it. 21 Then Moses put the Holy Box into the Holy Tent. He hung the curtain in the right place to protect it. In this way he protected the Box of the Agreement behind the curtain just as the Lord had commanded him. 22 Then Moses put the table in the Meeting Tent on the north side of the Holy Tent. He put it in the Holy Place, in front of the curtain. 23 Then he put the bread on the table before the Lord. He did this just as the Lord had commanded him. 24 Then Moses put the lampstand in the Meeting Tent on the south side of the Tent, across from the table. 25 Then Moses put the lamps on the lampstand before the Lord. He did this just as the Lord had commanded him.
26 Then Moses put the golden altar in the Meeting Tent, in front of the curtain. 27 Then he burned sweet-smelling incense on the altar. He did this as the Lord had commanded him. 28 Then Moses put the curtain at the entrance to the Holy Tent.
29 Moses put the altar for burning offerings at the entrance to the Holy Tent, that is, the Meeting Tent. Then Moses offered a burnt offering on that altar. He also offered grain offerings to the Lord. He did these things just as the Lord had commanded him.
30 Then Moses put the bowl between the Meeting Tent and the altar. He put water in the bowl for washing. 31 Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons used this bowl to wash their hands and feet. 32 They washed themselves every time they entered the Meeting Tent. They also washed themselves every time they went near the altar. They did these things just as the Lord commanded Moses.
33 Then Moses set up the curtains around the courtyard of the Holy Tent. He put the altar in the courtyard. Then he put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. So he finished all the work.
The Glory of the Lord
34 Then the cloud covered the Meeting Tent and the Glory of the Lord filled the Holy Tent. 35 Moses could not go into the Meeting Tent because the cloud had settled on it, and the Glory of the Lord had filled the Holy Tent.
36 When the cloud rose from the Holy Tent, the Israelites would begin to travel. 37 But when the cloud stayed on the Holy Tent, the people did not try to move. 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 at night there was a fire in the cloud. So all the Israelites could see the cloud while they traveled.
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