« | Exodus 40 |
1 The LORD said to Moses,
2 "On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.
3 And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall screen the ark with the veil.
4 And you shall bring in the table, and set its arrangements in order; and you shall bring in the lampstand, and set up its lamps.
5 And you shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the screen for the door of the tabernacle.
6 You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting,
7 and place the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it.
8 And you shall set up the court round about, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court.
9 Then you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture; and it shall become holy.
10 You shall also anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar; and the altar shall be most holy.
11 You shall also anoint the laver and its base, and consecrate it.
12 Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tent of meeting, and shall wash them with water,
13 and put upon Aaron the holy garments, and you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest.
14 You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them,
15 and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests: and their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations."
16 Thus did Moses; according to all that the LORD commanded him, so he did.
17 And in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected.
18 Moses erected the tabernacle; he laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars;
19 and he spread the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent over it, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
20 And he took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark, and set the mercy seat above on the ark;
21 and he 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 Moses.
22 And he put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil,
23 and set the bread in order on it before the LORD; as the LORD had commanded Moses.
24 And he put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle,
25 and set up the lamps before the LORD; as the LORD had commanded Moses.
26 And he put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil,
27 and burnt fragrant incense upon it; as the LORD had commanded Moses.
28 And he put in place the screen for the door of the tabernacle.
29 And he set the altar of burnt offering at the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the cereal offering; as the LORD had commanded Moses.
30 And he set the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing,
31 with which Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet;
32 when they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed; as the LORD commanded Moses.
33 And he erected the court round the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.
34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting, because the cloud abode upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
36 Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would go onward;
37 but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not go onward 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.
The Revised Standard Version (RSV)
The Revised Standard Version (RSV) is a widely respected English translation of the Bible that was first published in 1952 by the National Council of Churches. It was developed as a revision of the American Standard Version (ASV) of 1901, with the primary aim of providing a more accurate and readable text while retaining the literary qualities of its predecessor. The RSV sought to modernize the language of the ASV without sacrificing its faithfulness to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts, making it a significant milestone in the history of English Bible translations.
One of the key features of the RSV is its commitment to formal equivalence, or a word-for-word translation approach. This method ensures that the translation closely mirrors the structure and wording of the original texts, allowing readers to engage more directly with the biblical languages. The translators of the RSV were guided by the latest biblical scholarship of their time, and they endeavored to produce a text that was both accurate and elegant. This combination of precision and literary quality has made the RSV a popular choice for both academic study and liturgical use.
The RSV also stands out for its ecumenical appeal. It was one of the first translations to be accepted across a wide range of Christian denominations, including Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox traditions. This broad acceptance was partly due to the inclusive approach of the translation committee, which included scholars from various religious backgrounds. The RSV’s ecumenical nature helped it gain widespread usage in churches, seminaries, and universities, fostering a greater sense of unity among different Christian communities.
Despite its many strengths, the RSV has faced some criticism over the years. Some conservative scholars and readers have expressed concerns about certain translation choices, arguing that they reflect modernist theological perspectives. Additionally, the RSV’s use of archaic language in certain passages has been a point of contention for those seeking a more contemporary rendering of the Bible. Nonetheless, the Revised Standard Version remains a highly respected and influential translation, valued for its accuracy, literary excellence, and broad ecumenical acceptance. It continues to serve as a foundation for later revisions and translations, such as the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) and the English Standard Version (ESV).