40:11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses:2 40:2 “On the first day of the first month you are to set up3 the tabernacle, the tent of meeting. 40:3 And you are to place the ark of the testimony in it, and you are to shield the ark with the veil. 40:4 And you are to bring in the table and set out the things that belong on it;4 then you are to bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 40:5 And you are to put5 the gold altar for incense in front of the ark of the testimony, and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. 40:6 And you are to put the altar for the burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting. 40:7 And you are to put the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar; and you are to put water in it.6 40:8 And you are to set up the courtyard around it, and you are to put the curtain at the gate of the courtyard. 40:9 And take7 the anointing oil, and anoint8 the tabernacle and all that is in it, and sanctify9 it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. 40:10 Then you are to anoint the altar for the burnt offering with10 all its utensils; you are to sanctify the altar, and it will be the most holy altar. 40:11 You must also anoint the laver and its pedestal, and you are to sanctify it.11

40:12 You are to bring12 Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 40:13 Then you are to clothe Aaron with the holy garments and anoint him and sanctify him that he may minister as my priest. 40:14 You are to bring13 his sons and clothe them with tunics 40:15 and anoint them just as you anointed their father, that they may minister as my priests; and their anointing will make them a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations. 40:16 This is what Moses did, according to all the Lord had commanded him—so he did.

40:17 So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month, in the second year. 40:18 When Moses set up the tabernacle and put its bases in place, he set14 up its frames, attached its bars, and set up its posts. 40:19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 40:20 And he took the testimony and put it in the ark, attached the poles to the ark, and then put the propitiatory lid on the ark. 40:21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, hung15 the protecting veil,16 and shielded the ark of the testimony, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

40:22 And he put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil. 40:23 And he set the bread in order on it17 before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

40:24 And he put the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle. 40:25 Then he set up the lamps before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

40:26 And he put the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the veil, 40:27 and he burned fragrant incense on it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

40:28 Then he put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. 40:29 He also put the altar of burnt offering by the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the meal offering, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

40:30 Then he put the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it18 for washing. 40:31 Moses19 and Aaron and his sons would wash their hands and their feet from it. 40:32 Whenever they entered20 the tent of meeting, and whenever they approached21 the altar, they would wash,22 just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

40:33 And he set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and the altar, and put the curtain at the gate of the courtyard. So Moses finished the work.

40:34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 40:35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 40:36 But when the cloud was taken up23 from on the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out24 on all their journeys; 40:37 but if the cloud was not lifted up, then they would not journey on until the day it was taken up.25 40:38 For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, but fire would be26 on it at night, in plain view27 of all the house of Israel, in all their journeys.