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Exodus 40
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
Exodus 40
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
40 And the Lord said to Moses,
2 On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting [of God with you].
3 And you shall put in it the ark of the Testimony and screen the ark [of God’s Presence] with the veil.(A)
4 You shall bring in the [showbread] table and set in order the things that are to be upon it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up and light its lamps.(B)
5 You shall set the golden altar for the incense before the ark of the Testimony [outside the veil] and put the hanging or screen at the tabernacle door.
6 You shall set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting.
7 And you shall [a]set the laver between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it.
8 And you shall set up the court [curtains] round about and hang up the hanging or screen at the court gate.
9 You shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and shall consecrate it and all its furniture, and it shall be holy.
10 You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; and consecrate (set apart for God) the altar, and the altar shall be most holy.
11 And you shall anoint the laver and its base and consecrate it.
12 You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water.(C)
13 You shall put on Aaron the holy garments, and anoint and consecrate him, so he may serve Me as priest.
14 And you shall bring his sons and put long and sleeved tunics on them,
15 And you shall anoint them as you anointed their father, that they may minister to Me as priests; for their anointing shall be to them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.
16 Thus did Moses; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did.
17 And on the first day of the first month in the second year the tabernacle was erected.
18 Moses set up the tabernacle, laid its sockets, set up its boards, put in its bars, and erected its pillars.
19 [Moses] spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the Lord had commanded him.
20 He took the Testimony [the Ten Commandments] and put it into the ark, and set the poles [in the rings] on the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark.
21 [Moses] brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the veil of the screen and screened the ark of the Testimony, as the Lord had commanded him.
22 Moses put the table [of showbread] in the Tent of Meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the veil;
23 He set the bread [of the Presence] in order on it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded him.(D)
24 And he put the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle.
25 Moses set up and lighted the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him.
26 He put the golden altar [of incense] in the Tent of Meeting before the veil;
27 He burned sweet incense [symbol of prayer] upon it, as the Lord commanded him.(E)
28 And he set up the hanging or screen at the door of the tabernacle.
29 [Moses] put the altar of burnt offering at the door of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting and offered on it the burnt offering and the cereal offering, as the Lord commanded him.
30 And Moses set the laver between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing.
31 And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet there.
32 When they went into the Tent of Meeting or came near the altar, they washed, as the Lord commanded Moses.
33 And he erected the court round about the tabernacle and the altar and set up the hanging or screen at the court gate. So Moses finished the work.
34 Then the cloud [the Shekinah, God’s visible presence] covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle!(F)
35 And Moses was not able to enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud remained upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
36 In all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the Israelites went onward;
37 But if the cloud was not taken up, they did not journey on till the day that it was taken up.
38 For throughout all their journeys the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.
Footnotes
- Exodus 40:7 Why was it necessary for one exact position for the laver to be demanded of Moses by God? Those who have published charts of the tabernacle furniture arrangement, with the laver off to one side or the other of the door into the sanctuary, have missed a point here. The laver was to be placed directly “between [the doors of] the Tent of Meeting and the altar [of burnt offering],” thus completing the “cross” made by the arrangement of the furniture, from the ark to the altar. It could have no significance to the Jews of that time, but the One Who planned it had those in mind to whom Christ would one day say, “And these [very Scriptures] testify about Me!” (John 5:39.) How fitting that at the foot of that “cross” there should be the altar, picturing our complete surrender, and then the laver, picturing our cleansing, that we may enter in through Him Who alone is “the Door” to the eternal Holy of Holies (John 10:1-9).
Exodus 40
New International Version
Exodus 40
New International Version
Setting Up the Tabernacle
40 Then the Lord said to Moses: 2 “Set up(A) the tabernacle, the tent of meeting,(B) on the first day of the first month.(C) 3 Place the ark(D) of the covenant law in it and shield the ark with the curtain. 4 Bring in the table(E) and set out what belongs on it.(F) Then bring in the lampstand(G) and set up its lamps. 5 Place the gold altar(H) of incense in front of the ark of the covenant law and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.
6 “Place the altar(I) of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; 7 place the basin(J) between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. 8 Set up the courtyard(K) around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.
9 “Take the anointing oil and anoint(L) the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings,(M) and it will be holy. 10 Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate(N) the altar, and it will be most holy. 11 Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them.
12 “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting(O) and wash them with water.(P) 13 Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments,(Q) anoint him and consecrate(R) him so he may serve me as priest. 14 Bring his sons and dress them in tunics.(S) 15 Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations.(T)” 16 Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded(U) him.
17 So the tabernacle(V) was set up on the first day of the first month(W) in the second year. 18 When Moses(X) set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames,(Y) inserted the crossbars and set up the posts. 19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering(Z) over the tent, as the Lord commanded(AA) him.
20 He took the tablets of the covenant law(AB) and placed them in the ark,(AC) attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover(AD) over it. 21 Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain(AE) and shielded the ark of the covenant law, as the Lord commanded(AF) him.
22 Moses placed the table(AG) in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain 23 and set out the bread(AH) on it before the Lord, as the Lord commanded(AI) him.
24 He placed the lampstand(AJ) in the tent of meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle 25 and set up the lamps(AK) before the Lord, as the Lord commanded(AL) him.
26 Moses placed the gold altar(AM) in the tent of meeting in front of the curtain 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord commanded(AN) him.
28 Then he put up the curtain(AO) at the entrance to the tabernacle. 29 He set the altar(AP) of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings,(AQ) as the Lord commanded(AR) him.
30 He placed the basin(AS) between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing, 31 and Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash(AT) their hands and feet. 32 They washed whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar,(AU) as the Lord commanded(AV) Moses.
33 Then Moses set up the courtyard(AW) around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain(AX) at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.
The Glory of the Lord
34 Then the cloud(AY) covered the tent of meeting, and the glory(AZ) of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory(BA) of the Lord filled the tabernacle.(BB)
36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out;(BC) 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloud(BD) of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels.
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New International Version (NIV) 
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