Exodus 40

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

1The LORD spoke to Moses. He said:

2On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.

2"On the first day of the first month, set up the tabernacle. That is the special tent where I meet with my people."

3And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail.

3"Put the ark inside it. The ark is the gold box that holds God's rules. Hang the thick curtain in front of it."

4And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof.

4"Bring in the table. Lay out on it the things that belong there. Bring in the lampstand, and light its lamps."

NoteThe old word "candlestick" here means a lampstand. It was a gold stand that held small oil lamps.

5And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door to the tabernacle.

5"Put the gold altar for incense in front of the ark. Incense is spice that makes sweet-smelling smoke. Hang the curtain at the tent door."

6And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.

6"Put the altar for burnt gifts in front of the tent door."

7And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put water therein.

7"Put the big washing bowl between the tent and the altar. Fill the bowl with water."

Note"Laver" is an old word for a large bowl that holds water for washing.

8And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate.

8"Set up the yard all around the tent. Hang the curtain at the gate of the yard."

9And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy.

9"Take the special oil. Pour it on the tent and everything inside. This makes them holy, which means set apart for God."

10And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar: and it shall be an altar most holy.

10"Pour the oil on the altar for burnt gifts and all its tools. Set the altar apart for God. It will be most holy."

11And thou shalt anoint the laver and his foot, and sanctify it.

11"Pour the oil on the washing bowl and its stand. Set them apart for God too."

12And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.

12"Bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tent. Wash them with water."

13And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

13"Put the holy clothes on Aaron. Pour oil on him and set him apart. Then he can serve me as a priest, a man who works for God in the tent."

14And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats:

14"Bring Aaron's sons too. Dress them in their long shirts."

15And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.

15"Pour oil on them, just as you did for their father. Then they can serve me as priests. Their family will be priests for all time."

16Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he.

16Moses did all of this. He did everything just as the LORD told him.

17And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up.

17So the tent was set up on the first day of the first month. It was the second year after Israel left Egypt.

18And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up his pillars.

18Moses set up the tent. He laid the bases, stood up the frames, slid in the bars, and raised the posts.

19And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it; as the LORD commanded Moses.

19He spread the tent cloth over the frame. He put the outer cover on top. He did just what the LORD told him.

20And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon the ark:

20Moses put the stone rules inside the ark. He slid the carrying poles through its rings. He put the gold lid on top.

21And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the vail of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; as the LORD commanded Moses.

21Then he brought the ark into the tent. He hung the thick curtain in front to hide it. He did just what the LORD told him.

22And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle northward, without the vail.

22Moses put the table inside the tent, on the north side. It stood outside the thick curtain.

23And he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD; as the LORD had commanded Moses.

23He laid the bread on the table in front of the LORD. He did just what the LORD told him.

24And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward.

24He put the lampstand inside the tent, across from the table. It stood on the south side.

25And he lighted the lamps before the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.

25He lit the lamps in front of the LORD. He did just what the LORD told him.

26And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vail:

26Moses put the gold altar inside the tent, right in front of the thick curtain.

27And he burnt sweet incense thereon; as the LORD commanded Moses.

27He burned sweet-smelling incense on it. He did just what the LORD told him.

28And he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle.

28Then he hung the curtain at the door of the tent.

29And he put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the meat offering; as the LORD commanded Moses.

29He put the altar for burnt gifts by the tent door. On it he gave a burnt gift and a grain gift. He did just what the LORD told him.

NoteThe old words "meat offering" mean a gift of grain, not a gift of meat. Long ago, "meat" meant any kind of food.

30And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there, to wash withal.

30He put the washing bowl between the tent and the altar. He filled it with water for washing.

31And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereat:

31Moses, Aaron, and Aaron's sons washed their hands and feet there.

32When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; as the LORD commanded Moses.

32They washed each time they went into the tent or came near the altar. They did just what the LORD told Moses.

33And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.

33Moses set up the yard around the tent and the altar. He hung the curtain at the gate. So Moses finished all the work.

34Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

34Then a cloud came down and covered the tent. The bright glory of the LORD filled it.

35And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

35Moses could not go inside. The cloud rested on the tent, and God's glory filled it.

36And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:

36When the cloud lifted up off the tent, the people of Israel packed up and traveled on.

37But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.

37If the cloud did not lift, they stayed where they were. They waited until the day it lifted.

38For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

38The cloud of the LORD sat over the tent by day. At night there was fire on it. All Israel could see this on their whole journey.