Exodus 40 | English Standard Version

English Standard Version

The Tabernacle Erected

1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. (Ex 12:2; Ex 13:4; Ex 26:30; Ex 40:17)

Ex 12:2Ex 13:4Ex 26:30Ex 40:17

3 And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. (Ex 35:12; Ex 40:21) 4 And you shall bring in the table and arrange it, and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. (Ex 26:35; Ex 40:22; Ex 40:24) 5 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. (Ex 39:38; Ex 40:26) 6 You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, (Ex 40:29) 7 and place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. (Ex 30:18; Ex 40:30) 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 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. (Ex 30:26) 10 You shall also anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, so that the altar may become most holy. (Ex 29:37; Ex 30:28) 11 You shall also anoint the basin and its stand, and consecrate it. 12 Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water (Le 8:1) 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 and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.” (Ex 28:41; Ex 29:7; Nu 25:13) 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, the tabernacle was erected. (Ex 40:2; Nu 7:1) 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 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. (Ex 16:34; Ex 25:16) 21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony, as the Lord had commanded Moses. (Ex 35:12; Ex 40:3; Ex 40:20) 22 He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil, (Ex 26:35; Ex 40:4) 23 and arranged the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 24 He put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle, (Ex 26:35) 25 and set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. (Ex 25:37; Ex 40:4) 26 He put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil, (Ex 30:6; Ex 40:5) 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 28 He put in place the screen for the door of the tabernacle. (Ex 26:36; Ex 40:5) 29 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 grain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses. (Ex 29:41; Ex 30:9; Ex 40:6) 30 He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing, (Ex 40:7) 31 with which Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. (Ex 30:19; Ex 30:21) 32 When they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, as the Lord commanded Moses. 33 And he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work. (Ex 27:9; Ex 27:16; Ex 40:8; Heb 3:2; Heb 3:5)

Ex 27:9Ex 27:16Ex 40:8Heb 3:2Heb 3:5

The Glory of the Lord

34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. (Ex 13:21; Ex 29:43; Le 16:2; Nu 9:15; 1Ki 8:10; 2Ch 5:13; 2Ch 7:2; Isa 6:4; Hag 2:7; Hag 2:9; Re 15:8)

Ex 13:21Ex 29:43Le 16:2Nu 9:151Ki 8:102Ch 5:132Ch 7:2Isa 6:4Hag 2:7Hag 2:9Re 15:8

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, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. (Nu 9:17; Nu 10:11; Ne 9:19) 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. (Nu 9:19) 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.

New International Version

Setting up the tabernacle

1 Then the Lord said to Moses: 2 ‘Set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the first month. 3 Place the ark of the covenant law in it and shield the ark with the curtain. 4 Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the covenant law and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. 6 ‘Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, 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 courtyard around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. 9 ‘Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. 10 Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate 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 and wash them with water. 13 Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so that he may serve me as priest. 14 Bring his sons and dress them in tunics. 15 Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations.’ 16 Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him. 17 So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. 18 When Moses set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames, inserted the crossbars and set up the posts. 19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, as the Lord commanded him. 20 He took the tablets of the covenant law and placed them in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it. 21 Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the ark of the covenant law, as the Lord commanded him. 22 Moses placed the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain 23 and set out the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him. 24 He placed 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, as the Lord commanded him. 26 Moses placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the curtain 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord commanded him. 28 Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. 29 He set the altar of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings, as the Lord commanded him. 30 He placed the basin 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 their hands and feet. 32 They washed whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar, as the Lord commanded Moses. 33 Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.

The glory of the Lord

34 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 had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out – until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloud 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.