Exodus 40:1-33
Christian Standard Bible
Setting Up the Tabernacle
40 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “You are to set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the first month.[a](A) 3 Put the ark(B) of the testimony there and screen off the ark with the curtain. 4 Then bring in the table and lay out its arrangement; also bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 Place the gold altar for incense in front of the ark of the testimony. Put up the screen for the entrance to the tabernacle. 6 Position the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting. 7 Place the basin(C) between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8 Assemble the surrounding courtyard and hang the screen for the gate of the courtyard.
9 “Take the anointing oil and anoint(D) the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it along with all its furnishings so that it will be holy. 10 Anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar so that it will be especially holy. 11 Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate it.
12 “Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water.(E) 13 Clothe Aaron with the holy garments,(F) anoint him, and consecrate him, so that he can serve me as a priest. 14 Have his sons come forward and clothe them in tunics. 15 Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may also serve me as priests. Their anointing will serve to inaugurate a permanent priesthood for them throughout their generations.”(G)
16 Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him. 17 The tabernacle was set up in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month.[b](H) 18 Moses set up the tabernacle: He laid its bases, positioned its supports, inserted its crossbars, and set up its pillars. 19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
20 Moses took the testimony(I) and placed it in the ark, and attached the poles to the ark. He set the mercy seat on top of the ark. 21 He brought the ark into the tabernacle, put up the curtain for the screen, and screened off the ark of the testimony, just as the Lord had commanded him.
22 Moses placed the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the curtain. 23 He arranged the bread on it before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him. 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, just as the Lord had commanded him.
26 Moses installed the gold altar in the tent of meeting, in front of the curtain, 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, just as the Lord had commanded him. 28 He put up the screen at the entrance to the tabernacle. 29 He placed the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered the burnt offering and the grain offering on it, just as the Lord had commanded him.
30 He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing. 31 Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and feet from it. 32 They washed whenever they came to the tent of meeting and approached the altar, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
33 Next Moses set up the surrounding courtyard for the tabernacle and the altar and hung a screen for the gate of the courtyard. So Moses finished the work.(J)
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Exodus 40:1-33
Common English Bible
Moses sets up the dwelling
40 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 Set up the meeting tent dwelling on the first day of the first month.[a] 3 Place the chest containing the covenant inside the dwelling. Hide the chest from view with the veil. 4 Bring in the table and arrange its items. Bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 Place the gold altar for burning incense in front of the chest containing the covenant. Set up the screen at the dwelling’s entrance. 6 Put the altar for entirely burned offerings in front of the entrance to the meeting tent dwelling. 7 Put the washbasin between the meeting tent and the altar and put water in it. 8 Set up the courtyard all around. Hang up the screen at the courtyard gate. 9 Then take the anointing oil and anoint the dwelling and everything in it. Make holy the dwelling and all its equipment, and it will be holy. 10 Anoint the altar for entirely burned offerings and all its equipment. Make the altar holy, and the altar will be most holy. 11 Anoint the washbasin with its stand and make it holy.
12 Then bring Aaron and his sons to the meeting tent’s entrance and wash them with water. 13 Dress Aaron in the holy clothes. Anoint him and make him holy so that he may serve me as priest. 14 Then bring his sons and dress them in tunics. 15 Anoint them like you anointed their father so that they may serve me as priests. Their anointing is to the priesthood for all time in every generation.
16 Moses did everything exactly as the Lord had commanded him. 17 In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the dwelling was set up. 18 Moses set up the dwelling. He laid out its bases. He set up its boards, inserted its bars, and raised up its posts. 19 He spread the tent out over the dwelling, and he put the covering of the tent over it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 20 He took the covenant document and placed it inside the chest. He put the poles on the chest, and he set the cover on top of the chest. 21 He brought the chest into the dwelling. He set up the veil as a screen to hide from view the chest containing the covenant, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 22 He placed the table in the meeting tent, on the north side of the dwelling, outside the veil. 23 He set the bread in its proper place on the table in the Lord’s presence, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 24 He put the lampstand in the meeting tent, opposite the table on the south side of the dwelling. 25 He set up the lamps in the Lord’s presence, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 26 He put the gold altar in the meeting tent in front of the veil. 27 He burned sweet-smelling incense on it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 28 He also set up the screen at the entrance to the dwelling. 29 He placed the altar for entirely burned offerings at the entrance to the meeting tent dwelling. He offered the entirely burned offering and the grain offering on it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 30 He put the washbasin between the meeting tent and the altar, and put water in it for washing. 31 Moses, Aaron, and his sons used it to wash their hands and their feet. 32 Whenever they went into the meeting tent and whenever they approached the altar, they washed themselves, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 33 He set up the courtyard around the dwelling and the altar, and he hung up the screen at the courtyard’s gate.
God’s presence fills the dwelling!
When Moses had finished all the work,
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- Exodus 40:2 March–April, Abib
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