Exodus 40

1Yahweh said to Moses,

2“On the first day of the first month, set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting.

3Place the ark of the testimony in it, and screen off the ark with the curtain.

4Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps.

5Place the gold altar for incense in front of the ark of the testimony, and put up the screen at the entrance to the tabernacle.

6Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting.

7Place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it.

8Set up the courtyard all around it, and put up the screen at the gate of the courtyard.

9Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it. Consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy.

10Anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils. Consecrate the altar, and the altar will be most holy.

11Anoint the basin and its stand, and consecrate it.

12Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water.

13Dress Aaron in the holy garments, anoint him, and consecrate him, so that he may serve me as priest.

14Bring his sons forward and dress them in tunics.

15Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will make them a priesthood that lasts forever, throughout their generations.”

16Moses did everything just as Yahweh had commanded him; that is what he did.

17So on the first day of the first month in the second year, the tabernacle was set up.

18Moses set up the tabernacle. He laid its bases, set up its frames, put in its crossbars, and raised its posts.

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

20He took the testimony and put it into the ark. He attached the poles to the ark and put the mercy seat on top of the ark.

21He brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the screening curtain, and so screened off the ark of the testimony, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

22He put the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the curtain,

23and set out the bread on it in order before Yahweh, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

24He placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle,

25and set up the lamps before Yahweh, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

26He placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the curtain,

27and he burned fragrant incense on it, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

28He put up the screen at the entrance to the tabernacle.

29He placed the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

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

31Moses and Aaron and his sons would wash their hands and their feet with water from it.

32Whenever they went into the tent of meeting and whenever they approached the altar, they would wash, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

33He set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and the altar and put up the screen at the gate of the courtyard. So Moses finished the work.

34Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of Yahweh filled the tabernacle.

35Moses could not go into the tent of meeting, because the cloud had settled on it and the glory of Yahweh filled the tabernacle.

36Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out.

37But if the cloud did not lift, they would not set out until the day it lifted.

38For the cloud of Yahweh was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of the whole house of Israel throughout all their journeys.