Exodus 40

The Tabernacle Erected

1Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2“1On the first day of the first month you shall set up the 2tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 33You shall place the ark of the testimony there, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. 4You shall 4bring in the table and 56arrange what belongs on it; and you shall 7bring in the lampstand and 8mount its lamps. 5Moreover, you shall 9set the gold altar of incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the veil for the doorway to the tabernacle. 6You shall set the altar of burnt offering in front of the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 7You shall 10set the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water 11in it. 8You shall set up the court all around and 12hang up the veil for the gateway of the court. 9Then you shall take the anointing oil and 13anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and shall consecrate it and all its 14furnishings; and it shall be holy. 10You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, and 15the altar shall be most holy. 11You shall anoint the laver and its stand, and consecrate it. 12Then you shall 16bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 1317You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister as a priest to Me. 14You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them; 15and you shall anoint them even as you have anointed their father, that they may minister as priests to Me; and their anointing will 18qualify them for a 19perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.” 16Thus Moses did; according to all that the Lord had commanded him, so he did.

17Now 20in the first month 21of the second year, on the first day of the month, the 22tabernacle was erected. 18Moses erected the tabernacle and 23laid its 24sockets, and set up its boards, and 25inserted its bars and erected its pillars. 19He spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent 26on top of it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 20Then he took 27the testimony and put it into the ark, and 28attached the poles to the ark, and put the 29mercy seat 30on top of the ark. 21He brought the ark into the tabernacle, and 31set up a veil for the screen, and screened off the ark of the testimony, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 22Then he 32put the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil. 23He set the arrangement of 33bread in order on it before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 24Then he placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle. 25He 34lighted the lamps before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 26Then he 35placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the veil; 27and he 36burned fragrant incense on it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 28Then he set up the 37veil for the doorway of the tabernacle. 29He 38set the altar of burnt offering before the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and 39offered on it the burnt offering and the meal offering, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 30He placed the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing. 3140From it Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. 32When they entered the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 33He 41erected the court all around the 42tabernacle and the altar, and 43hung up the veil for the gateway of the court. Thus Moses finished the work.

The Glory of the Lord

3444Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the 45glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35Moses 46was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36Throughout all their journeys 47whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out; 37but 48if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up. 38For throughout all their journeys, 49the 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.