Exodus 38-40

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Making the Altar of Burnt Offering

38 Bezalel^(A) constructed the altar of burnt offering from acacia wood. It was square, 7½ feet long and 7½ feet wide,^[a] and was 4½ feet^[b] high. ² He made horns for it on its four corners; the horns were of one piece.^[c] Then he overlaid it with bronze.

³ He made all the altar’s utensils: the pots, shovels, basins, meat forks, and firepans; he made all its utensils of bronze. ⁴ He constructed for the altar a grate of bronze mesh under its ledge,^[d] halfway up from the bottom. ⁵ At the four corners of the bronze grate he cast four rings as holders for the poles. ⁶ Also, he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. ⁷ Then he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar in order to carry it with them. He constructed the altar with boards so that it was hollow.

Making the Bronze Basin

⁸ He made the bronze basin and its stand from the bronze mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.^(B)

Making the Courtyard

⁹ Then^(C) he made the courtyard. The hangings on the south side of the courtyard were of finely spun linen, 150 feet in length,^{[e] 10} including their 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The hooks and bands^[f] of the posts were silver. ¹¹ The hangings on the north side were also 150 feet in length,^[g] including their 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The hooks and bands^[h] of the posts were silver. ¹² The hangings on the west side were 75 feet in length,^[i] including their 10 posts and 10 bases. The hooks and bands of the posts were silver. ¹³ The hangings on the east toward the sunrise were also 75 feet in length.^{[j] 14} The hangings on one side of the gate were 22½ feet,^[k] including their three posts and three bases. ¹⁵ It was the same for the other side. The hangings were 22½ feet,^[l] including their three posts and three bases on both sides of the courtyard gate. ¹⁶ All the hangings around the courtyard were of finely spun linen. ¹⁷ The bases for the posts were bronze; the hooks and bands^[m] of the posts were silver; and the plating for the tops of the posts was silver. All the posts of the courtyard were banded with silver.

¹⁸ The screen for the gate of the courtyard was embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. It was 30 feet^[n] long, and like the hangings of the courtyard, 7½ feet^[o] high.^{[p] 19} It had four posts, including their four bronze bases. Their hooks were silver, and the bands^[q] as well as the plating of their tops were silver. ²⁰ All the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the surrounding courtyard were bronze.

Inventory of Materials

²¹ This is the inventory for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony,^(D) that was recorded at Moses’ command. It was the work of the Levites under the direction of^[r] Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.^{(E) 22} Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything that the Lord commanded Moses. ²³ With him was Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, a gem cutter, a designer, and an embroiderer with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.

²⁴ All the gold of the presentation offering that was used for the project in all the work on the sanctuary, was 2,193 pounds,^[s] according to the sanctuary shekel.^{(F) 25} The silver from those of the community who were registered was 7,544 pounds,^[t] according to the sanctuary shekel— ²⁶ 2⁄5 of an ounce^[u] per man, that is, half a shekel according to the sanctuary shekel, from everyone 20 years old or more who had crossed over to the registered group, 603,550 men. ²⁷ There were 7,500 pounds^[v] of silver used to cast the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil—100 bases from 7,500 pounds,^[w] 75 pounds^[x] for each base.^{(G) 28} With the remaining 44 pounds^[y] he made the hooks for the posts, overlaid their tops, and supplied bands^[z] for them.

²⁹ The bronze of the presentation offering totaled 5,310 pounds.^{[aa] 30} He made with it the bases for the entrance to the tent of meeting, the bronze altar and its bronze grate, all the utensils for the altar, ³¹ the bases for the surrounding courtyard, the bases for the gate of the courtyard, all the tent pegs for the tabernacle, and all the tent pegs for the surrounding courtyard.

Making the Priestly Garments

39 They made specially woven^[ab] garments for ministry in the sanctuary, and the holy garments for Aaron from the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.^(H)

Making the Ephod

² Bezalel^(I) made the ephod of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen. ³ They hammered out thin sheets of gold, and he^[ac] cut threads from them to interweave with the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and the fine linen in a skillful design. ⁴ They made shoulder pieces for attaching it; it was joined together at its two edges. ⁵ The artistically woven waistband that was on the ephod was of one piece with the ephod, according to the same workmanship of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁶ Then they mounted the onyx stones surrounded with gold filigree settings, engraved with the names of Israel’s sons as a gem cutter engraves a seal. ⁷ He fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the Israelites, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Making the Breastpiece

⁸ He^(J) also made the embroidered breastpiece with the same workmanship as the ephod of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen. ⁹ They made the breastpiece square and folded double, nine inches long and nine inches wide.^{[ad] 10} They mounted four rows of gemstones^[ae] on it. The first row was a row of carnelian, topaz, and emerald;^{[af] 11} the second row, a turquoise,^[ag] a sapphire,^[ah] and a diamond;^{[ai] 12} the third row, a jacinth,^[aj] an agate, and an amethyst; ¹³ and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were surrounded with gold filigree in their settings.

¹⁴ The 12 stones corresponded to the names of Israel’s sons. Each stone was engraved like a seal with one of the names of the 12 tribes.

¹⁵ They made braided chains of pure gold cord for the breastpiece. ¹⁶ They also fashioned two gold filigree settings and two gold rings and attached the two rings to its two corners. ¹⁷ Then they attached the two gold cords to the two gold rings on the corners of the breastpiece. ¹⁸ They attached the other ends of the two cords to the two filigree settings and, in this way, attached them to the ephod’s shoulder pieces in front. ¹⁹ They made two other gold rings and put them at the two other corners of the breastpiece on the edge that is next to the inner border of the ephod. ²⁰ They made two more gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the ephod’s two shoulder pieces on its front, close to its seam,^[ak] above the ephod’s woven waistband. ²¹ Then they tied the breastpiece from its rings to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue yarn, so that the breastpiece was above the ephod’s waistband and did not come loose from the ephod. They did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Making the Robe

²² They^(K) made the woven robe of the ephod entirely of blue yarn. ²³ There was an opening in the center of the robe like that of body armor^[al] with a collar around the opening so that it would not tear. ²⁴ They made pomegranates of finely spun blue, purple, and scarlet yarn^[am] on the lower hem of the robe. ²⁵ They made bells of pure gold and attached the bells between the pomegranates, all around the hem of the robe between the pomegranates, ²⁶ a bell and a pomegranate alternating all around the lower hem of the robe^[an] to be worn for ministry. They made it just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Other Priestly Garments

²⁷ They made the tunics of fine woven linen for Aaron and his sons. ²⁸ They also made the turban and the ornate headbands^[ao] of fine linen, the undergarments,^{(L) 29} and the sash of finely spun linen of embroidered blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. They did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Making the Holy Diadem

³⁰ They also made a medallion, the holy diadem, out of pure gold and wrote on it an inscription like the engraving on a seal:^(M)

³¹ Then they attached a cord of blue yarn to it in order to mount it on the turban, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Moses’ Inspection of the Tabernacle

³² So all the work for the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was finished. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses.^{(N) 33} Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent with all its furnishings, its clasps, its planks, its crossbars, and its posts and bases; ³⁴ the covering of ram skins dyed red and the covering of manatee skins;^[ap] the veil for the screen; ³⁵ the ark of the testimony with its poles and the mercy seat; ³⁶ the table, all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; ³⁷ the pure gold lampstand, with its lamps arranged and all its utensils, as well as the oil for the light; ³⁸ the gold altar; the anointing oil; the fragrant incense; the screen for the entrance to the tent; ³⁹ the bronze altar with its bronze grate, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin with its stand; ⁴⁰ the hangings of the courtyard, its posts and bases, the screen for the gate of the courtyard, its ropes and tent pegs, and all the equipment for the service of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; ⁴¹ and the specially woven^[aq] garments for ministering in the sanctuary, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons to serve as priests. ⁴² The Israelites had done all the work according to everything the Lord had commanded Moses.^{(O) 43} Moses inspected all the work they had accomplished. They had done just as the Lord commanded. Then Moses blessed them.^(P)

Setting up the Tabernacle

40 The Lord spoke to Moses: ² “You are to set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the first month.^{[ar](Q) 3} Put the ark^(R) of the testimony there and screen off the ark with the veil. ⁴ Then bring in the table and lay out its arrangement; also bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. ⁵ Place the gold altar for incense in front of the ark of the testimony. Put up the screen for the entrance to the tabernacle. ⁶ Position the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting. ⁷ Place the basin^(S) between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. ⁸ Assemble the surrounding courtyard and hang the screen for the gate of the courtyard.

⁹ “Take the anointing oil and anoint^(T) the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it along with all its furnishings so that it will be holy. ¹⁰ Anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar so that it will be especially holy. ¹¹ Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate it.

¹² “Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water.^{(U) 13} Clothe Aaron with the holy garments,^(V) anoint him, and consecrate him, so that he can serve Me as a priest. ¹⁴ Have his sons come forward and clothe them in tunics. ¹⁵ Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may also serve Me as priests. Their anointing will serve to inaugurate a permanent priesthood for them throughout their generations.”^(W)

¹⁶ Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him. ¹⁷ The tabernacle was set up in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month.^{[as](X) 18} Moses set up the tabernacle: he laid its bases, positioned its planks, inserted its crossbars, and set up its posts. ¹⁹ Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

²⁰ Moses took the testimony^(Y) and placed it in the ark, and attached the poles to the ark. He set the mercy seat on top of the ark. ²¹ He brought the ark into the tabernacle, put up the veil for the screen, and screened off the ark of the testimony, just as the Lord had commanded him.

²² Moses placed the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil. ²³ He arranged the bread on it before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him. ²⁴ He also 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, just as the Lord had commanded him.

²⁶ Moses also installed the gold altar in the tent of meeting, in front of the veil, ²⁷ and burned fragrant incense on it, just as the Lord had commanded him. ²⁸ He put up the screen at the entrance to the tabernacle. ²⁹ Then he placed the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered the burnt offering and the grain offering on it, just as the Lord had commanded him.

³⁰ He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing. ³¹ Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and feet from it. ³² They washed whenever they came to the tent of meeting and approached the altar, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

³³ Next Moses set up the surrounding courtyard for the tabernacle and the altar and hung a screen for the gate of the courtyard. So Moses finished the work.^(Z)

The Lord’s Glory

³⁴ The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.^{(AA) 35} Moses was unable to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud rested on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

³⁶ The Israelites set out whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle throughout all the stages of their journey.^{(AB) 37} If the cloud was not taken up, they did not set out until the day it was taken up.^{(AC) 38} For the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and there was a fire inside the cloud by night, visible to the entire house of Israel throughout all the stages of their journey.