Plans for the Altar of Burnt Offering

27 “Using acacia wood, construct a square altar 7 1⁄2 feet wide, 7 1⁄2 feet long, and 4 1⁄2 feet high.^{[a] 2} Make horns for each of its four corners so that the horns and altar are all one piece. Overlay the altar with bronze. ³ Make ash buckets, shovels, basins, meat forks, and firepans, all of bronze. ⁴ Make a bronze grating for it, and attach four bronze rings at its four corners. ⁵ Install the grating halfway down the side of the altar, under the ledge. ⁶ For carrying the altar, make poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. ⁷ Insert the poles through the rings on the two sides of the altar. ⁸ The altar must be hollow, made from planks. Build it just as you were shown on the mountain.

Plans for the Courtyard

⁹ “Then make the courtyard for the Tabernacle, enclosed with curtains made of finely woven linen. On the south side, make the curtains 150 feet long.^{[b] 10} They will be held up by twenty posts set securely in twenty bronze bases. Hang the curtains with silver hooks and rings. ¹¹ Make the curtains the same on the north side—150 feet of curtains held up by twenty posts set securely in bronze bases. Hang the curtains with silver hooks and rings. ¹² The curtains on the west end of the courtyard will be 75 feet long,^[c] supported by ten posts set into ten bases. ¹³ The east end of the courtyard, the front, will also be 75 feet long. ¹⁴ The courtyard entrance will be on the east end, flanked by two curtains. The curtain on the right side will be 22 1⁄2 feet long,^[d] supported by three posts set into three bases. ¹⁵ The curtain on the left side will also be 22 1⁄2 feet long, supported by three posts set into three bases.

¹⁶ “For the entrance to the courtyard, make a curtain that is 30 feet long.^[e] Make it from finely woven linen, and decorate it with beautiful embroidery in blue, purple, and scarlet thread. Support it with four posts, each securely set in its own base. ¹⁷ All the posts around the courtyard must have silver rings and hooks and bronze bases. ¹⁸ So the entire courtyard will be 150 feet long and 75 feet wide, with curtain walls 7 1⁄2 feet high,^[f] made from finely woven linen. The bases for the posts will be made of bronze.

¹⁹ “All the articles used in the rituals of the Tabernacle, including all the tent pegs used to support the Tabernacle and the courtyard curtains, must be made of bronze.

Light for the Tabernacle

²⁰ “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually. ²¹ The lampstand will stand in the Tabernacle, in front of the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant.^[g] Aaron and his sons must keep the lamps burning in the Lord’s presence all night. This is a permanent law for the people of Israel, and it must be observed from generation to generation.

Clothing for the Priests

28 “Call for your brother, Aaron, and his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Set them apart from the rest of the people of Israel so they may minister to me and be my priests. ² Make sacred garments for Aaron that are glorious and beautiful. ³ Instruct all the skilled craftsmen whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom. Have them make garments for Aaron that will distinguish him as a priest set apart for my service. ⁴ These are the garments they are to make: a chestpiece, an ephod, a robe, a patterned tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother, Aaron, and his sons to wear when they serve me as priests. ⁵ So give them fine linen cloth, gold thread, and blue, purple, and scarlet thread.

Design of the Ephod

⁶ “The craftsmen must make the ephod of finely woven linen and skillfully embroider it with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. ⁷ It will consist of two pieces, front and back, joined at the shoulders with two shoulder-pieces. ⁸ The decorative sash will be made of the same materials: finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread.

⁹ “Take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the tribes of Israel. ¹⁰ Six names will be on each stone, arranged in the order of the births of the original sons of Israel. ¹¹ Engrave these names on the two stones in the same way a jeweler engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in settings of gold filigree. ¹² Fasten the two stones on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod as a reminder that Aaron represents the people of Israel. Aaron will carry these names on his shoulders as a constant reminder whenever he goes before the Lord. ¹³ Make the settings of gold filigree, ¹⁴ then braid two cords of pure gold and attach them to the filigree settings on the shoulders of the ephod.

Parable of the Three Servants

¹⁴ “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. ¹⁵ He gave five bags of silver^[a] to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.

¹⁶ “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. ¹⁷ The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. ¹⁸ But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.

¹⁹ “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. ²⁰ The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’

²¹ “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!^[b]’

²² “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’

²³ “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

²⁴ “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. ²⁵ I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’

²⁶ “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, ²⁷ why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

²⁸ “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. ²⁹ To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. ³⁰ Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’