Exodus 40

Living Bible

40 The Lord now said to Moses, ² “Put together the Tabernacle on the first day of the first month. ³ In it place the Ark containing the Ten Commandments; and install the veil to enclose the Ark within the Holy of Holies. ⁴ Then bring in the table and place the utensils on it, and bring in the lampstand and light the lamps.

⁵ “Place the gold altar for the incense in front of the Ark. Set up the drapes at the entrance of the Tabernacle, ⁶ and place the altar for burnt offerings in front of the entrance. ⁷ Set the washbasin between the Tabernacle-tent and the altar, and fill it with water. ⁸ Then make the courtyard around the outside of the tent, and hang the curtain-door at the entrance to the courtyard.

⁹ “Take the anointing oil and sprinkle it here and there upon the Tabernacle and everything in it, upon all of its utensils and parts, and all the furniture, to hallow it; and it shall become holy. ¹⁰ Sprinkle the anointing oil upon the altar of burnt offering and its utensils, sanctifying it; for the altar shall then become most holy. ¹¹ Then anoint the washbasin and its pedestal, sanctifying it.

¹² “Now bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tabernacle and wash them with water; ¹³ and clothe Aaron with the holy garments and anoint him, sanctifying him to minister to me as a priest. ¹⁴ Then bring his sons and put their robes upon them, ¹⁵ and anoint them as you did their father, that they may minister to me as priests; their anointing shall be permanent from generation to generation: all their children and children’s children shall forever be my priests.”

¹⁶ So Moses proceeded to do all as the Lord had commanded him. ¹⁷ On the first day of the first month, in the second year, the Tabernacle was put together. ¹⁸ Moses erected it by setting its frames into their bases and attaching the bars. ¹⁹ Then he spread the coverings over the framework and put on the top layers, just as the Lord had commanded him.

²⁰ Inside the Ark he placed the stones with the Ten Commandments engraved on them, and attached the carrying poles to the Ark and installed the gold lid, the place of mercy. ²¹ Then he brought the Ark into the Tabernacle and set up the curtain to screen it, just as the Lord had commanded.

²² Next he placed the table at the north side of the room outside the curtain ²³ and set the Bread of the Presence upon the table before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded.

²⁴ And he placed the lampstand next to the table, on the south side of the Tabernacle. ²⁵ Then he lighted the lamps before the Lord, following all the instructions, ²⁶ and placed the gold altar in the Tabernacle next to the curtain, ²⁷ and burned upon it the incense made from sweet spices, just as the Lord had commanded.

²⁸ He attached the curtain at the entrance of the Tabernacle, ²⁹ and placed the outside altar for the burnt offerings near the entrance, and offered upon it a burnt offering and a meal offering, just as the Lord had commanded him.

³⁰ Next he placed the washbasin between the tent and the altar and filled it with water so that the priests could use it for washing. ³¹ Moses and Aaron and Aaron’s sons washed their hands and feet there. ³² Whenever they walked past the altar to enter the Tabernacle, they stopped and washed, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

³³ Then he erected the enclosure surrounding the tent and the altar, and set up the curtain-door at the entrance of the enclosure. So at last Moses finished the work.

³⁴ Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle and the glory of the Lord filled it. ³⁵ Moses was not able to enter because the cloud was standing there, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. ³⁶ Whenever the cloud lifted and moved, the people of Israel journeyed onward, following it. ³⁷ But if the cloud stayed, they stayed until it moved. ³⁸ The cloud rested upon the Tabernacle during the daytime, and at night there was fire in the cloud so that all the people of Israel could see it.

This continued throughout all their journeys.