Exodus 40:17–38

¹⁷The tabernacle was set up in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month. ^uv18Moses set up the tabernacle: he laid its bases, positioned its planks, inserted its crossbars, and set up its posts. ¹⁹Then 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.

²⁰Moses took the testimony ^wand placed it in the ark, and attached the poles to the ark. He set the mercy seat on top of the ark. ²¹He brought the ark into the tabernacle, put up the veil for the screen, and screened off the ark of the testimony, just as the Lord had commanded him.

²²Moses placed the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil. ²³He arranged the bread on it before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him. ²⁴He also put the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle ²⁵and set up the lamps before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him.

²⁶Moses also installed the gold altar in the tent of meeting, in front of the veil, ²⁷and burned fragrant incense on it, just as the Lord had commanded him. ²⁸He put up the screen at the entrance to the tabernacle. ²⁹Then 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.

³⁰He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing. ³¹Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and feet from it. ³²They washed whenever they came to the tent of meeting and approached the altar, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

³³Next 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. ^x

The Lord’s Glory

³⁴The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ^y35Moses was unable to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud rested on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

³⁶The Israelites set out whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle throughout all the stages of their journey. ^z37If the cloud was not taken up, they did not set out until the day it was taken up. ^a38For the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and there was a fire inside the cloud by night, visible to the entire house of Israel throughout all the stages of their journey.