40:1 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 40:2 “On the first day of the first month you will set up¹ the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting. 40:3 And you will place the ark of the testimony in it, and you will shield the ark with the veil. 40:4 And you will bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order on it;² then you will bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 40:5 And you will put³ 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 will put⁴ the altar for the burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting. 40:7 And you will put⁵ the laver between the Tent of Meeting and the altar; and you will put⁶ water in it.⁷ 40:8 And you will set up the courtyard around it, and you will put⁸ the curtain at the gate of the courtyard. 40:9 And take⁹ the anointing oil, and anoint¹⁰ the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate¹¹ it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. 40:10 Then you will anoint the altar for the burnt offering, and all its utensils, and you will sanctify the altar, and it will be the most holy altar. 40:11 You will also anoint the laver and its pedestal, and you will sanctify it.¹²

40:12 And you will bring¹³ Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and you will wash them with water. 40:13 Then you will clothe Aaron with the holy garments, and you will anoint him and sanctify him that he may minister to me as a priest. 40:14 And you will bring¹⁴ his sons and clothe them with tunics. 40:15 And you will anoint them just as you anointed their father, that they may minister to me as priests; and their anointing will be to them to a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations. 40:16 Thus Moses did according to all the Yahweh had commanded him, so did he.

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 set¹⁵ up its frames, and 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 Yahweh had commanded Moses. 40:20 And he took the testimony and put it in the ark, and he attached the poles to the ark, and then he put the propitiatory lid on the ark. 40:21

And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and hung¹⁶ the protecting veil,¹⁷ and shielded the ark of the testimony, just as Yahweh 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 it¹⁸ before Yahweh, just as Yahweh 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 Yahweh, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

40:26 And he put the golden altar in the Tent of Meeting in front of the veil, 40:27 and he burned fragrant incense on it, just as Yahweh 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; ad he offered on it the burnt offering and the meal offering, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

40:30 Then he put the laver between the Tent of Meeting and the altar; and he put water in it¹⁹ for washing. 40:31 Moses²⁰ and Aaron and his sons would wash their hands and their feet from it. 40:32 Whenever they entered²¹ the Tent of Meeting, and whenever they drew near²² to the altar, they would wash,²³ just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

40:33 And he set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and the altar, and he 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 Yahweh 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 Yahweh filled the tabernacle. 40:36 But when the cloud was taken up²⁴ from on the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out²⁵ on all their journeys; 40:37 but if the cloud would not be lifted up, then they would not journey until the day it was taken up.²⁶ 40:38 For the cloud of Yahweh was on the tabernacle by day, but fire would be²⁷ on it at night, in plain view²⁸ of all the house of Israel, in all their journeys.