Exodus Chapter 40 : Easy-to-Read Version  | SearchSearch | Next Version | Previous Page | Next Page |

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Moses Sets Up the Holy Tent

40 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2“On the first day of the first month, set up the Holy Tent,* that is, the Meeting Tent. 3Put the Box of the Agreement* in the Holy Tent. Cover the Box with the curtain. 4Then bring in the table. Put the things on the table that should be there. Then put the lampstand in the Tent. Put the lamps on the lampstand in the right places. 5Put the gold altar* for offering incense* in the Tent. Put the altar in front of the Box of the Agreement. Then put the curtain at the entrance to the Holy Tent. 6“Put the altar* for burning offerings in front of the entrance of the Holy Tent,* that is, the Meeting Tent. 7Put the bowl between the Meeting Tent and the altar. Put water in the bowl. 8Set up {the wall of curtains around} the courtyard. Then put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. 9“Use the anointing oil and anoint* the Holy Tent* and everything in it. When you put the oil on these things, you will make them holy.* 10Anoint the altar for burning offerings. Anoint everything on the altar. You will make the altar holy. It will be very holy. 11Then anoint the bowl and the base under it. Do this to make those things holy. 12“Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Meeting Tent.* Wash them with water. 13Then put the special clothes on Aaron. Anoint* him with the oil and make him holy.* Then he can serve me as a priest. 14Then put the clothes on his sons. 15Anoint the sons in the same way that you anointed their father. Then they can also serve me as priests. When you anoint them, they will become priests. That family will continue to be priests for all time to come.” 16Moses obeyed the Lord. He did everything that the Lord commanded him. 17So the Holy Tent* was set up at the right time. It was the first day of the first month during the second year {from the time they left Egypt}. 18Moses set up the Holy Tent like the Lord had said. He put the bases down first. Then he put the frames on the bases. Then he put the braces on and set up the posts. 19After that, Moses put the outer tent over the Holy Tent. Then he put the covering over the outer tent. He did these things like the Lord had commanded. 20Moses took the Agreement* and put it in the Holy Box. Moses put the poles on the Box. Then he put the cover* on the Box. 21Then Moses put the Holy Box into the Holy Tent.* He hung the curtain in the right place to protect it. In this way, he protected the Box of the Agreement* {behind the curtain} like the Lord had commanded him. 22Then Moses put the table in the Meeting Tent. He put it on the north side of the Holy Tent. He put it {in the Holy Place,} in front of the curtain. 23Then he put the bread on the table before the Lord. He did this like the Lord had commanded him. 24Then Moses put the lampstand in the Meeting Tent. He put the lampstand on the south side of the Tent, across from the table. 25Then Moses put the lamps on the lampstand before the Lord. He did this like the Lord had commanded him. 26Then Moses put the gold altar in the Meeting Tent.* He put the altar in front of the curtain. 27Then he burned sweet-smelling incense on the altar. He did this like the Lord had commanded him. 28Then Moses put the curtain at the entrance to the Holy Tent.* 29Moses put the altar for burning offerings at the entrance to the Holy Tent,* that is, the Meeting Tent. Then Moses offered a burnt offering on that altar. He also offered grain offerings to the Lord. He did these things like the Lord had commanded him. 30Then Moses put the bowl between the Meeting Tent* and the altar. Moses put water in the bowl for washing. 31Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons used this bowl to wash their hands and feet. 32They washed themselves every time they entered the Meeting Tent. They also washed themselves every time they went near the altar. They did these things like the Lord commanded Moses. 33Then Moses set up {the curtains around} the courtyard of the Holy Tent.* Moses put the altar in the courtyard. Then he put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. So Moses finished all the work that the Lord had given him to do.

The Glory of the Lord

34Then the cloud covered the Meeting Tent* and the Glory of the Lord* filled the Holy Tent.* 35Moses could not go into the Meeting Tent because the cloud had settled on it, and the Glory of the Lord had filled the Holy Tent. 36{This was the cloud that showed the people when to move.} When the cloud rose from the Holy Tent*, the people of Israel would begin to travel. 37But when the cloud stayed on the Holy Tent, the people did not try to move. They stayed in that place until the cloud rose. 38So the cloud of the Lord was over the Holy Tent during the day. And at night, there was a fire in the cloud. So all the people of Israel could see the cloud while they traveled.

Holy Tent Or, “tabernacle,” the tent where God came to live among his people. Box of the Agreement Or, “ark of the Covenant.” The box containing the flat stones with the Ten Commandments written on them and other things that proved God was with the people of Israel during their time in the Sinai desert. altar A table or raised area used for offering sacrifices. incense Special dried tree sap. Burned to make a sweetsmelling smoke, it was offered as a gift to God. anoint To pour olive oil on things or people to show they are chosen by God for a special work or purpose. holy Set aside or chosen for a special purpose. Meeting Tent The Holy Tent (tabernacle), where the people of Israel went to meet with God. Agreement Literally, “Proof.” The two flat stones with the Ten Commandments written on them. These were proof of the Agreement between God and the people of Israel. cover Also called “mercy seat.” The Hebrew word can mean “lid,” “cover” or “the place where sins are forgiven.” Glory of the Lord One of the forms God used when he appeared to people. It was like a bright shining light.

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