Exodus 40

1 And he spoke Yahweh to Moses saying.

Then Yahweh said to Moses/me,

2 On [the] day of the month first on [day] one of the month you will set up [the] tabernacle of [the] tent of meeting.

“On the first day of the first month next year, [tell the people to] set up the Sacred Tent.

3 And you will put there [the] ark of the testimony and you will cover over the ark the curtain.

Put inside it the sacred chest [that contains the stone slabs on which are engraved] the Ten Commandments, and hang the curtain in front of it.

4 And you will bring the table and you will arrange arrangement its and you will bring the lampstand and you will lift up lamps its.

Bring the table into the Sacred Tent, and place on it all the things that are to be used with it. Bring in the lampstand and fasten the lamps to it.

5 And you will put [the] altar of gold for incense before [the] ark of the testimony and you will put [the] screen of the entrance of the tabernacle.

Put the gold altar for [burning] incense in front of the sacred chest, and set up the curtain at the entrance of the Sacred Tent.

6 And you will put [the] altar of the burnt offering before [the] entrance of [the] tabernacle of [the] tent of meeting.

Put the altar for burning sacrifices in front of the Sacred Tent.

7 And you will put the laver between [the] tent of meeting and between the altar and you will put there water.

Put the washbasin between the Sacred Tent and the altar, and fill it with water.

8 And you will put the courtyard all around and you will put [the] screen of [the] gate of the courtyard.

Hang the curtains that will surround the courtyard, and hang the curtain at its entrance.

9 And you will take [the] oil of anointing and you will anoint the tabernacle and all that [is] in it and you will consecrate it and all articles its and it will be a holy thing.

Then take the oil for anointing, and anoint the Sacred Tent and everything that is in it, to (set it apart/dedicate it) to me. Then it will be holy/sacred.

10 And you will anoint [the] altar of the burnt offering and all articles its and you will consecrate the altar and it will be the altar holiness of holiness.

Also anoint the altar for offering sacrifices that will be completely burned, and all the things that will be used with it, and set it apart. Then it also will be holy/sacred.

11 And you will anoint the laver and base its and you will consecrate it.

Also anoint the washbasin and its base, to set it apart.

12 And you will bring near Aaron and sons his to [the] entrance of [the] tent of meeting and you will wash them with water.

Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Sacred Tent, and wash them [ritually] with water.

13 And you will clothe Aaron [the] garments of holiness and you will anoint him and you will consecrate him and he will serve as a priest me.

Then put on Aaron his sacred clothes to (set him apart/dedicate him), in order that he can serve me as a priest.

14 And sons his you will bring near and you will clothe them tunics.

Also bring his sons there. Put their sacred tunics/gowns on them

15 And you will anoint them just as you anointed father their and they will serve as priests me and it will become to be for them anointing their a priesthood of perpetuity to generations their.

and anoint them just as you anointed their father, in order that they also may serve me by working as priests. By anointing them [and their descendants], you will cause them and their descendants to be priests throughout all coming generations.”

16 And he did Moses according to all that he had commanded Yahweh him so he did.

Moses/I did all these things exactly as Yahweh had commanded him/me.

17 And it was in the month first in the year second on [day] one of the month it was set up the tabernacle.

On the first day of the first month of the next year (OR, second year [after they/we left Egypt]), the people set up the Sacred Tent.

18 And he set up Moses the tabernacle and he put bases its and he set up frames its and he put bars its and he set up pillars its.

Following Moses’/my instructions, they set up the Sacred Tent and its bases, set up the frames, attached the crossbars, and put up the posts [for the curtains].

19 And he spread out the tent over the tabernacle and he put [the] covering of the tent over it from to above just as he had commanded Yahweh Moses.

Then they spread out the coverings over the Sacred Tent, exactly as Yahweh had commanded.

20 And he took and he put the testimony into the ark and he put the poles on the ark and he put the atonement cover on the ark from to above.

Then he/I took the two stone slabs [on which the commandments were written] and put them in the sacred chest. He/I put the carrying poles [in the rings] on the chest and put the lid on top of the chest.

21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle and he set up [the] curtain of the screen and he covered over [the] ark of the testimony just as he had commanded Yahweh Moses.

Then he/I took the chest into [the Very Holy Place inside] the Sacred Tent and hung the curtain. In that way, he/I prevented the people who were outside from seeing the chest. He/I did all this exactly as Yahweh had commanded him/me.

22 And he put the table in [the] tent of meeting on [the] side of the tabernacle north-ward from [the] outside of the curtain.

He/I set the table inside the Sacred Tent, on the north side, outside the curtain.

23 And he arranged on it an arrangement of bread before Yahweh just as he had commanded Yahweh Moses.

He/I placed on the table the bread that was offered to Yahweh, exactly as Yahweh had commanded.

24 And he put the lampstand in [the] tent of meeting opposite to the table on [the] side of the tabernacle south-ward.

He/I set the lampstand inside the Sacred Tent, on the south side, opposite the table.

25 And he lifted up the lamps before Yahweh just as he had commanded Yahweh Moses.

Then he/I fastened the lamps to the lampstand in Yahweh’s presence, exactly as Yahweh had commanded.

26 And he put [the] altar of gold in [the] tent of meeting before the curtain.

He/I set the golden altar for burning incense inside the Sacred Tent, in front of the curtain [that separated the Holy Place from the Very Holy Place],

27 And he made smoke on it incense of perfume just as he had commanded Yahweh Moses.

and he/I burned some sweet-smelling incense on it, exactly as Yahweh had commanded him/me.

28 And he set up [the] screen of the entrance of the tabernacle.

He/I hung the curtain at the entrance to the Sacred Tent.

29 And [the] altar of the burnt offering he set up [the] entrance of [the] tabernacle of [the] tent of meeting and he offered up on it the burnt offering and the grain offering just as he had commanded Yahweh Moses.

At the entrance to the Sacred Tent, he/I set the altar for offering sacrifices that were to be burned completely. Then he/I offered on it the meat that was to be burned completely and the grain offering, exactly as Yahweh had commanded him/me.

30 And he put the laver between [the] tent of meeting and between the altar and he put there water for washing.

He/I set the washbasin between the Sacred Tent and the [bronze] altar, and he/I filled the washbasin with water.

31 And they washed from it Moses and Aaron and sons his hands their and feet their.

Every time Moses/I and Aaron and his sons went into the Sacred Tent or went to the altar, they/we washed their/our hands and feet [ritually], exactly as Yahweh had commanded Moses/me.

32 When went they into [the] tent of meeting and when drew near they to the altar they washed just as he had commanded Yahweh Moses.

33 And he set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and the altar and he put [the] screen of [the] gate of the courtyard and he finished Moses the work.

Following Moses’/my instructions, they hung the curtains that surrounded the courtyard and the altar, and they hung the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. So Moses/I finished that work.

34 And it covered the cloud [the] tent of meeting and [the] glory of Yahweh it filled the tabernacle.

Then the [tall bright] cloud covered the Sacred Tent, and Yahweh’s (glory/brilliant light) filled the Sacred Tent.

35 And not he was able Moses to go into [the] tent of meeting for it had settled down over it the cloud and [the] glory of Yahweh it had filled the tabernacle.

Because that light was very bright, Moses/I was not able to enter the Sacred Tent.

36 And when was taken up the cloud from over the tabernacle they set out [the] people of Israel in all journeyings their.

From that day, whenever the Israeli people wanted to move to another place, they went only when the bright cloud rose from above the Sacred Tent.

37 And if not it was taken up the cloud and not they set out until [the] day was taken up it.

If the cloud did not rise, they stayed where they were and did not go on until the cloud rose.

38 For [the] cloud of Yahweh [was] over the tabernacle by day and fire it was night on it to [the] eyes of all [the] house of Israel in all journeyings their.

Wherever they traveled, the bright cloud that [indicated] Yahweh’s [presence] was above the Sacred Tent during the day, and a [bright] fire was inside the cloud at night, with the result that all the Israeli people [MTY] could see it [at any time].