A modern English translation drawn directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Translated word-for-word where possible, by a committee with scholarly oversight.
Uses the same source texts as the ESV, NASB, and most academic Bibles, including the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Nestle-Aland critical edition.
Exodus 40
Exodus 40 is the fortieth and final chapter of the book of Exodus and the chapter in which the tabernacle is assembled and the glory of the LORD fills it. The 38-verse chapter closes the book with the descent of the glory cloud and the closing image of the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night that will guide Israel through all its journeys.
The chapter opens with the LORD telling Moses to set up the tabernacle on the first day of the first month, the new year of the second year out of Egypt. The instructions are sequential. Place the ark of the testimony inside and screen it with the veil. Bring in the table and arrange its setting. Bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. Place the gold altar of incense before the ark. Hang the entrance screen. Set up the altar of burnt offering. Place the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar with water. Set up the courtyard around it and hang the gate screen. Anoint the tabernacle and everything in it with the anointing oil, consecrating it as holy. Wash and clothe Aaron in the holy garments and anoint him as priest. Bring his sons forward and clothe them in their tunics.
Moses does everything as the LORD commanded. He sets up the tabernacle on the first day of the first month of the second year. He places the testimony in the ark, puts the mercy seat over it, brings the ark into the tabernacle, and hangs the veil. He places the table on the north side outside the veil and arranges the bread before the LORD. He places the lampstand opposite the table on the south side and sets up the lamps. He places the gold altar of incense in front of the veil and burns fragrant incense. He hangs the entrance screen, places the altar of burnt offering at the entrance, and offers burnt and grain offerings. He places the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar with water for washing, and Moses, Aaron, and his sons wash their hands and feet. He sets up the courtyard around the tabernacle and the altar and hangs the gate screen. Moses finishes the work.
The book then closes with what has been waiting all along. "Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses was unable to enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Whenever the cloud was lifted from above the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out through all the stages of their journey. If the cloud was not lifted, they would not set out until the day it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel through all their journeys."
Verse 1. Then the LORD said to Moses,
Verse 2. “On the first day of the first month you are to set up the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting.
Verse 3. Put the ark of the Testimony in it and screen off the ark with the veil.
Verse 4. Then bring in the table and set out its arrangement; bring in the lampstand as well, and set up its lamps.
Verse 5. Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the Testimony, and hang the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.
Verse 6. Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting.
Verse 7. And place the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it.
Verse 8. Set up the surrounding courtyard and hang the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard.
Verse 9. Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it along with all its furnishings, and it shall be holy.
Verse 10. Anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it shall be most holy.
Verse 11. Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them.
Verse 12. Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water.
Verse 13. And you are to clothe Aaron with the holy garments, anoint him, and consecrate him, so that he may serve Me as a priest.
Verse 14. Bring his sons forward and clothe them with tunics.
Verse 15. Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may also serve Me as priests. Their anointing will qualify them for a permanent priesthood throughout their generations.”
Verse 16. Moses did everything just as the LORD had commanded him.
Verse 17. So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month of the second year.
Verse 18. When Moses set up the tabernacle, he laid its bases, positioned its frames, inserted its crossbars, and set up its posts.
Verse 19. Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, just as the LORD had commanded him.
Verse 20. Moses took the Testimony and placed it in the ark, attaching the poles to the ark; and he set the mercy seat atop the ark.
Verse 21. Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle, put up the veil for the screen, and shielded off the ark of the Testimony, just as the LORD had commanded him.
Verse 22. Moses placed the table in the Tent of Meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil.
Verse 23. He arranged the bread on it before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded him.
Verse 24. He also placed the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle
Verse 25. and set up the lamps before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded him.
Verse 26. Moses placed the gold altar in the Tent of Meeting, in front of the veil,
Verse 27. and he burned fragrant incense on it, just as the LORD had commanded him.
Verse 28. Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.
Verse 29. He placed the altar of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, just as the LORD had commanded him.
Verse 30. He placed the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing;
Verse 31. and from it Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and feet.
Verse 32. They washed whenever they entered the Tent of Meeting or approached the altar, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Verse 33. And Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and the altar, and he hung the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard. So Moses finished the work.
Verse 34. Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
Verse 35. Moses was unable to enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
Verse 36. Whenever the cloud was lifted from above the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out through all the stages of their journey.
Verse 37. If the cloud was not lifted, they would not set out until the day it was taken up.
Verse 38. For the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel through all their journeys.
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