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36 “Bezalel and Oholiab shall work with every wise-hearted man, in whom Yahweh has put wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that Yahweh has commanded.”

Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab, and every wise-hearted man, in whose heart Yahweh had put wisdom, even everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to the work to do it. They received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, with which to make it. They kept bringing free will offerings to him every morning. All the wise men, who performed all the work of the sanctuary, each came from his work which he did. They spoke to Moses, saying, “The people have brought much more than enough for the service of the work which Yahweh commanded to make.”

Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, “Let neither man nor woman make anything else for the offering for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing. For the stuff they had was sufficient to do all the work, and too much.

All the wise-hearted men among those who did the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, blue, purple, and scarlet. They made them with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman. The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits,[a] and the width of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains had one measure. 10 He coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another. 11 He made loops of blue on the edge of the one curtain from the edge in the coupling. Likewise he made in the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the second coupling. 12 He made fifty loops in the one curtain, and he made fifty loops in the edge of the curtain that was in the second coupling. The loops were opposite to one another. 13 He made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains to one another with the clasps: so the tabernacle was a unit.

14 He made curtains of goats’ hair for a covering over the tabernacle. He made them eleven curtains. 15 The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits the width of each curtain. The eleven curtains had one measure. 16 He coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. 17 He made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the coupling, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain which was outermost in the second coupling. 18 He made fifty clasps of bronze to couple the tent together, that it might be a unit. 19 He made a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering of sea cow hides above.

20 He made the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing up. 21 Ten cubits was the length of a board, and a cubit and a half the width of each board. 22 Each board had two tenons, joined to one another. He made all the boards of the tabernacle this way. 23 He made the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side southward. 24 He made forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards: two sockets under one board for its two tenons, and two sockets under another board for its two tenons. 25 For the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty boards 26 and their forty sockets of silver: two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. 27 For the far part of the tabernacle westward he made six boards. 28 He made two boards for the corners of the tabernacle in the far part. 29 They were double beneath, and in the same way they were all the way to its top to one ring. He did this to both of them in the two corners. 30 There were eight boards and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets—under every board two sockets.

31 He made bars of acacia wood: five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, 32 and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the hinder part westward. 33 He made the middle bar to pass through in the middle of the boards from the one end to the other. 34 He overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold as places for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.

35 He made the veil of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. He made it the work of a skillful workman. 36 He made four pillars of acacia for it, and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were of gold. He cast four sockets of silver for them. 37 He made a screen for the door of the tent, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of an embroiderer; 38 and the five pillars of it with their hooks. He overlaid their capitals and their fillets with gold, and their five sockets were of bronze.

Footnotes

  1. 36:9 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.

36 Bezalel and Aholiab and every wisehearted man in whom the Lord has put wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work for the service of the sanctuary shall work according to all that the Lord has commanded.

And Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab and every able and wisehearted man in whose mind the Lord had put wisdom and ability, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work;

And they received from Moses all the freewill offerings which the Israelites had brought for doing the work of the sanctuary, to prepare it for service. And they continued to bring him freewill offerings every morning.

And all the wise and able men who were doing the work on the sanctuary came, every man from the work he was doing,

And they said to Moses, The people bring much more than enough for doing the work which the Lord commanded to do.

So Moses commanded and it was proclaimed in all the camp, Let no man or woman do anything more for the sanctuary offering. So the people were restrained from bringing,

For the stuff they had was sufficient to do all the work and more.

And all the able and wisehearted men among them who did the work on the tabernacle made ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff], with cherubim skillfully worked on them.

The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits and its breadth four cubits; all the curtains were one size.

10 [Bezalel] coupled five curtains one to another and the other five curtains he coupled one to another.

11 And he made loops of blue on the outer edge of the last curtain in the first set; this he did also on the inner edge of the first curtain in the second set.

12 Fifty loops he made in the one curtain and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which was the second set; the loops were opposite one another.

13 And he made fifty clasps of gold and coupled the curtains together with the clasps so that the tabernacle became one unit.

14 And he made eleven curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle.

15 The length of one curtain was thirty cubits and four cubits was the breadth; the eleven curtains were of equal size.

16 And he coupled five curtains by themselves and the other six curtains by themselves.

17 And he made fifty loops on the outmost edge of the curtain to be coupled and fifty loops he made on the inner edge of the second curtain to be coupled.

18 He made fifty clasps of bronze to couple the tent together into one whole.

19 He made a covering for the tent of [a]rams’ skins tanned red, and above it a covering of dolphin or porpoise skins.

20 He made boards of acacia wood for the upright framework of the tabernacle.

21 The length of a board was ten cubits and the breadth one cubit and a half.

22 Each board had two tenons (projections) to fit into a mortise to form a clutch; he did this for all the boards of the tabernacle.

23 And he made thus the boards [for frames] for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side,

24 And he made under the twenty boards forty sockets or bases of silver, two sockets under one board for its two tenons or hands, and two sockets under another board for its two tenons.

25 For the other side of the tabernacle, the north side, he made twenty boards

26 And their forty sockets or bases of silver, two sockets under [the end of] each board.

27 And for the rear or west side of the tabernacle he made six [frame] boards.

28 And two boards he made for each corner of the tabernacle in the rear.

29 They were separate below but linked together at the top with one ring; thus he made both of them in both corners.

30 There were eight boards with sixteen sockets or bases of silver, and under [the end of] each board two sockets.

31 He made bars of acacia wood, five for the [frame] boards of the one side of the tabernacle,

32 And five bars for the boards of its other side, and five bars for the boards at the rear or west side.

33 And he made the middle bar pass through halfway up the boards from one end to the other.

34 He overlaid the boards and the bars with gold and made their rings of gold as places for the bars.

35 And he made the veil of blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff] and fine twined linen, with cherubim skillfully worked.(A)

36 For [the veil] he made four pillars of acacia [wood] and overlaid them with gold; their hooks were of gold, and he cast for them four sockets or bases of silver.

37 And he made a screen for the tent door of blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff] and fine twined linen, embroidered,

38 And he made the five pillars of it with their hooks, and overlaid their ornamental tops and joinings with gold, but their five sockets were of bronze.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 36:19 The final coverings of the tabernacle tent are not to be confused with the second one of goats’ hair (Exod. 36:14). There were four distinct coverings of the tabernacle tent: 1. A covering of fine twined linen woven with blue, purple, and scarlet, with figures of cherubim upon it. It was made of two long pieces, one running from north to south, the other from east to west [and overlapping for the ceiling] (Exod. 26:1, 6; 36:8ff.). 2. Over this a covering of woven goats’ hair was thrown (Exod. 26:7; 36:14). 3. A third covering of rams’ skins made red (Exod. 26:14; 36:19). 4. And “above it” another covering of dolphin or porpoise skins, weighing the others down and giving perfect protection from the weather (Exod. 26:14; 36:19).