Exodus 39:32–40:38

The Holy Tent is Completed

³²So all of the work on the holy tent, the Tent of Meeting, was completed. The people of Israel did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

³³Then they brought the holy tent to Moses along with everything that belonged to it. Here are the things they brought.

hooks

frames

crossbars

posts

bases

³⁴the covering of ram skins that were dyed red

the covering of the hides of sea cows

the curtain that screens the ark

³⁵the ark where the tablets of the covenant are kept

the poles and cover for the ark

³⁶the table for the holy bread with all of its articles

the holy bread

³⁷the pure gold lampstand with its row of lamps and everything that is used with it

the olive oil that gives light

³⁸the gold altar for burning incense

the anointing oil

the sweet-smelling incense

the curtain for the entrance to the tent

³⁹the bronze altar for burnt offerings with its bronze grate

its poles and all of its tools

the large bowl with its stand

⁴⁰the curtains of the courtyard with their posts and bases

the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard

the ropes and tent stakes for the courtyard

⁴¹the sacred clothes for the priest Aaron

the clothes for his sons when they serve as priests

⁴²The people of Israel had done all of the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ⁴³Moses looked over the work carefully. He saw that the workers had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses gave them his blessing.

Moses Sets Up the Holy Tent

40Then the Lord said to Moses, ²“Set up the holy tent, the Tent of Meeting. Set it up on the first day of the first month.

³“Place in it the ark where the tablets of the covenant are kept. Screen the ark with the curtain. ⁴Bring in the table for the holy bread. Arrange the loaves of bread on it. Then bring in the lampstand. Set up its lamps. ⁵Place the gold altar for burning incense in front of the ark where the tablets of the covenant are kept. Put up the curtain at the entrance to the holy tent.

⁶“Place the altar for burnt offerings in front of the entrance to the holy tent, the Tent of Meeting. ⁷Place the large bowl between the Tent of Meeting and the altar. Put water in the bowl.

⁸“Set up the courtyard around the holy tent. Put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.

⁹“Get the anointing oil. Anoint the holy tent and everything that is in it. Set apart the holy tent and everything that belongs to it. Then it will be holy. ¹⁰Anoint the altar for burnt offerings and all of its tools. Set the altar apart. Then it will be a very holy place. ¹¹Anoint the large bowl and its stand. Set them apart.

¹²“Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Wash them with water. ¹³Dress Aaron in the sacred clothes. Anoint him and set him apart. Then he will be able to serve me as priest.

¹⁴“Bring his sons and dress them in their inner robes. ¹⁵Anoint them just as you anointed their father. Then they will be able to serve me as priests. They will be anointed to do the work of priests. That work will last for all time to come.”

¹⁶Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him.

¹⁷So the holy tent was set up. It was the first day of the first month in the second year. ¹⁸Moses set up the holy tent. He put the bases in place. He put the frames in them. He put in the crossbars. He set up the posts. ¹⁹He spread the holy tent over the frames. Then he put the coverings over the tent. Moses did it as the Lord had commanded him.

²⁰He got the tablets of the covenant. He placed them in the ark. He put the poles through its rings. And he put the cover on it. The cover was the place where sin is paid for. ²¹Moses brought the ark into the holy tent. He hung the curtain to screen the ark where the tablets of the covenant are kept. Moses did it as the Lord had commanded him.

²²He placed the table for the holy bread in the Tent of Meeting. It was on the north side of the holy tent outside the curtain. ²³He arranged the loaves of bread on it in the sight of the Lord. Moses did it as the Lord had commanded him.

²⁴He placed the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting. It stood across from the table on the south side of the holy tent. ²⁵He set up the lamps in the sight of the Lord. Moses did it as the Lord had commanded him.

²⁶He placed the gold altar for burning incense in the Tent of Meeting. He placed it in front of the curtain. ²⁷He burned sweet-smelling incense on it. Moses did it as the Lord had commanded him.

²⁸Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the holy tent.

²⁹He set the altar for burnt offerings near the entrance to the holy tent, the Tent of Meeting. He sacrificed burnt offerings and grain offerings on it. Moses did it as the Lord had commanded him.

³⁰He placed the large bowl between the Tent of Meeting and the altar. He put water in the bowl for washing. ³¹Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and feet. ³²They washed when they entered the Tent of Meeting or approached the altar. They did it as the Lord had commanded Moses.

³³Then Moses set up the courtyard around the holy tent and altar. He put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses completed the work.

The Glory of the Lord

³⁴Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting. The glory of the Lord filled the holy tent. ³⁵Moses couldn’t enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled on it. The glory of the Lord filled the holy tent.

³⁶The people of Israel continued their travels. When the cloud lifted from above the holy tent, they started out. ³⁷But if the cloud didn’t lift, they did not start out. They stayed until the day it lifted.

³⁸So the cloud of the Lord was above the holy tent during the day. Fire was in the cloud at night. The whole community of Israel could see the cloud during all of their travels.