Chapter 40

The Tabernacle Erected

1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

2 “aOn the first day of the first month you shall set up the 1tabernacle of the tent of meeting.

3 “aYou shall place the ark of the testimony there, and you shall screen the ark with the veil.

4 “You shall abring in the table and 1barrange what belongs on it; and you shall cbring in the lampstand and 2mount its lamps.

5 “Moreover, you shall aset the gold altar of incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the veil for the doorway to the tabernacle.

6 “You shall set the altar of burnt offering in front of the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.

7 “You shall aset the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water 1in it.

8 “You shall set up the court all around and 1hang up the veil for the gateway of the court.

9 “Then you shall take the anointing oil and aanoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and shall consecrate it and all its 1furnishings; and it shall be holy.

10 “You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, and athe altar shall be most holy.

11 “You shall anoint the laver and its stand, and consecrate it.

12 “Then you shall abring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water.

13 “aYou shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister as a priest to Me.

14 “You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them;

15 and you shall anoint them even as you have anointed their father, that they may minister as priests to Me; and their anointing will 1qualify them for a aperpetual priesthood throughout their generations.”

16 Thus Moses did; according to all that the Lord had commanded him, so he did.

17 Now ain the first month 1of the second year, on the first day of the month, the 2tabernacle was erected.

18 Moses erected the tabernacle and 1laid its 2sockets, and set up its boards, and 1inserted its bars and erected its pillars.

19 He spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent 1on top of it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

20 Then he took athe testimony and put it into the ark, and 1attached the poles to the ark, and put the 2mercy seat 3on top of the ark.

21 He brought the ark into the tabernacle, and aset up a veil for the screen, and screened off the ark of the testimony, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

22 Then he aput the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil.

23 He set the arrangement of abread in order on it before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

24 Then he placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle.

25 He alighted the lamps before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

26 Then he aplaced the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the veil;

27 and he aburned fragrant incense on it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

28 Then he set up the 1veil for the doorway of the tabernacle.

29 He aset the altar of burnt offering before the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and boffered on it the burnt offering and the meal offering, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

30 He placed the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing.

31 aFrom it Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet.

32 When they entered the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

33 He aerected the court all around the 1tabernacle and the altar, and 2hung up the veil for the gateway of the court. Thus Moses finished the work.

The Glory of the Lord

34 aThen the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the bglory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

35 Moses awas not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

36 Throughout all their journeys awhenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out;

37 but aif the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up.

38 For throughout all their journeys, athe cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.