The Tabernacle Underwritten

36 “Bezalel and Oholiab, and every skilled person in whom the Lord has put ability and understanding to know how to do all the work in the construction of the sanctuary, shall work according to all that the Lord has commanded.”

² So Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person in whom the Lord had put ability, everyone whose heart stirred him, to come to do the work. ³ They received from Moses all the offerings which the Israelites had brought for the construction of the sanctuary, to prepare it for service. And they continued to bring him freewill (voluntary) offerings every morning. ⁴ And all the skilled men who were doing all the work on the sanctuary came, each one from the work which he was doing, ⁵ and they said to Moses, “The people are bringing much more than enough for the construction work which the Lord commanded us to do.” ⁶ So Moses issued a command, and it was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the sanctuary offering.” So the people were restrained from bringing anything more; ⁷ for the material they had was sufficient and more than enough to do all the work.

Construction Proceeds

⁸ All the skilled men among them who were doing the work on the tabernacle made ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, with cherubim [worked into them], the work of an embroiderer, Bezalel made them. ⁹ Each curtain was twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide; all the curtains were one size. ¹⁰ Bezalel joined five curtains one to another, and [the other] five curtains he joined one to another. ¹¹ He made loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set; he also did this on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the second set. ¹² He made fifty loops in the one curtain [of the first set] and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain which was in the second set; the loops were opposite one another. ¹³ He made fifty gold hooks and joined the curtains together with the hooks, so that the tabernacle became a unit.

¹⁴ Then he made curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; he made eleven curtains in all. ¹⁵ Each curtain was thirty cubits long and four cubits wide; the eleven curtains were of equal size. ¹⁶ Bezalel joined five curtains by themselves and [the other] six curtains by themselves. ¹⁷ He made fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain of the second set. ¹⁸ He made fifty bronze hooks to join the tent together into a unit. ¹⁹ He made a [third] covering for the tent of rams’ ^[a]skins dyed red, and above it a [fourth] covering of ^[b]porpoise skins.

²⁰ Bezalel made boards of acacia wood for the upright framework of the tabernacle. ²¹ Each board was ten cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. ²² Each board had two tenons (dovetails), fitted to one another; he did this for all the boards of the tabernacle. ²³ And [this is how] he made the boards [for frames] for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side; ²⁴ and he made under the twenty boards forty silver sockets; two sockets under one board for its two tenons (dovetails), 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 silver sockets; two sockets under [the end of] each board. ²⁷ And for the rear of the tabernacle, to the west, he made six [frame] boards. ²⁸ And he made two boards 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 silver sockets, and under [the end of] each board two sockets.

³¹ Bezalel 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 the tabernacle’s other side, and five bars for the boards at the rear side to the west. ³³ And he made the middle bar pass through [horizontally] 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 holders for the bars.

³⁵ Further, Bezalel made the veil of blue and purple and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen; he made it with cherubim, the work of an embroiderer.^{(A) 36} For the veil (partition curtain) he made four support poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold; their hooks were gold, and he cast for them four silver sockets. ³⁷ He made a screen (curtain) for the doorway of the tent, of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen, the work of an embroiderer; ³⁸ and [he made] the five support poles with their hooks, and overlaid their [ornamental] tops and connecting rings with gold; but their five sockets were bronze.

Construction Continues

37 Bezalel made the ark [of the covenant] of acacia wood—it was two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. ² And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and out, and made a molding (border) of gold to go all around [the top of it]. ³ He cast four rings of gold for it on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. ⁴ He made carrying poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. ⁵ He put the carrying poles through the rings at the sides of the ark, to carry it. ⁶ Bezalel made the mercy seat of pure gold; it was two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide. ⁷ He made two cherubim of hammered gold; he made them at the two ends of the mercy seat, ⁸ one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; he made the cherubim [of one piece] with the mercy seat at the two ends. ⁹ The cherubim spread out their wings upward, covering and protecting the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward each other; the faces of the cherubim were [looking downward] toward the mercy seat.^(B)

¹⁰ Bezalel made the table [for the bread] of acacia wood; it was two cubits long, a cubit wide, and one and a half cubits high. ¹¹ He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a border of gold for it all around [its top]. ¹² He made a rim for it [just under the top] a hand width wide all around, and a border of gold around its rim. ¹³ He cast four rings of gold for it and fastened the rings to the four corners that were at its four legs. ¹⁴ Close by the rim were the rings, the holders for the poles [to pass through] to carry the table. ¹⁵ Bezalel made the carrying poles of acacia wood to carry the table and overlaid them with gold. ¹⁶ He made the utensils which were to be on the table, its dishes and its pans [for bread], its bowls and its jars for pouring drink offerings, of pure gold.

¹⁷ Then he made the lampstand (menorah) of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its [center] shaft; its cups, its ^[c]calyxes, and its flowers were all of one piece with it. ¹⁸ There were six branches coming out of the sides of the lampstand, three branches from one side of the center shaft and three branches from the other side of it; ¹⁹ three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a calyx and a flower in one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a calyx and a flower in the opposite branch—so for the six branches coming out of the center shaft of the lampstand. ²⁰ On the center shaft of the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, with calyxes and flowers [one at the top]; ²¹ and a calyx was under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a calyx under the second pair of branches, coming out of it, and a calyx under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. ²² Their calyxes and their branches were of one piece with it; all of it was a single hammered work of pure gold. ²³ He made its seven lamps with its snuffers and its trays of pure gold. ²⁴ He made the lampstand and all its utensils from a talent of pure gold.^(C)

²⁵ Then Bezalel made the incense altar of acacia wood; its top was a cubit square and it was two cubits high; the horns were of one piece with it. ²⁶ He overlaid it with pure gold, its top, its sides all around and its horns; he also made a rim of gold around it. ²⁷ He made two rings of gold for it under its rim, on its two opposite sides, as holders for the poles [to pass through] to carry it. ²⁸ He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. ²⁹ He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense of spices, the work of a perfumer.

The Tabernacle Completed

38 Then Bezalel made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood; its top was square, five cubits long and five cubits wide, and three cubits high. ² And he made its horns (horn-shaped projections) on the four corners of it; the horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze. ³ He made all the utensils and vessels of the altar [of burnt offering], the pots, shovels, basins [to catch the blood of the sacrificed animal], meat hooks and the firepans [to store live coals]. He made all its utensils of bronze. ⁴ He made for the altar a grating of bronze mesh under its rim, extending halfway up it. ⁵ He cast four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating as holders for the carrying poles. ⁶ And he made the carrying poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. ⁷ He put the poles through the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it; he made it hollow with planks.

⁸ Bezalel made the basin and its base of bronze from the mirrors of the attending women who served and ministered at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting.

⁹ Then he made the court: for the south side the curtains of the court were of fine twisted linen, a hundred cubits; ¹⁰ their twenty support poles, and their twenty bronze sockets; the hooks of the support poles and their connecting rings were silver. ¹¹ And for the north side [of the court the curtains were also] a hundred cubits; their twenty support poles and their twenty bronze sockets; the hooks of the support poles and their connecting rings were silver. ¹² For the west side [of the court] there were curtains of fifty cubits with their ten support poles and their ten sockets; the hooks of the support poles and their connecting rings were silver. ¹³ For the east side [the front of the courtyard, there were curtains of] fifty cubits. ¹⁴ The curtains for one side of the court gate were fifteen cubits, with their three support poles and their three sockets; ¹⁵ and the same for the other side [of the court gate]. Left and right of the court gate there were curtains of fifteen cubits; with their three support poles and their three sockets. ¹⁶ All the curtains around the court were of fine twisted linen. ¹⁷ The sockets for the support poles were made of bronze, the hooks of the support poles and their connecting rings were made of silver; and silver overlaid their tops. All the support poles of the court had silver connecting rings. ¹⁸ The screen (curtain) for the gate of the courtyard [on the east side] was the work of an embroiderer, in blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen; it was twenty cubits long and five cubits high, corresponding to the curtains of the court. ¹⁹ Their four support poles and their four sockets were bronze; their hooks were silver, and silver overlaid their tops and their connecting rings. ²⁰ All the pegs for the tabernacle and the court were bronze.

The Cost of the Tabernacle

²¹ This is the sum of the things for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the Testimony, as counted according to the command of Moses, for the work of the Levites, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. ²² Now Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything that the Lord commanded Moses. ²³ With him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and a skillful craftsman and an embroiderer in blue and in purple and in scarlet fabric, and in fine linen.

²⁴ All the gold that was used for the work, in all the building and furnishing of the sanctuary, the gold from the wave offering, was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. ²⁵ The silver from those of the congregation who were assembled and counted was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; ²⁶ a beka for each man (that is, half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary) for everyone who was counted, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men. ²⁷ The hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary and the sockets of the veil (partition curtain); a hundred sockets for the hundred talents, a talent for a socket. ²⁸ Of the 1,775 shekels, he made hooks for the support poles and overlaid their tops and made connecting rings for them. ²⁹ The bronze of the wave offering was seventy talents and 2,400 shekels. ³⁰ With it Bezalel made the sockets for the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, and the bronze altar and its bronze grating, and all the utensils of the altar, ³¹ and the sockets of the court all around and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pegs of the tabernacle and all the pegs around the court.

The Priestly Garments

39 Moreover, from the blue and purple and scarlet fabric, they made finely woven garments for serving and ministering in the Holy Place; they made the holy garments for Aaron, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

² Bezalel made the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen. ³ Then Bezalel and Oholiab hammered the gold [into thin sheets] and cut it into threads to work into the blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and into the fine linen, the work of a skilled craftsman. ⁴ They made attaching shoulder pieces for the ephod; it was attached at its two [upper] edges. ⁵ The skillfully woven sash with which to bind it, which was on the ephod [to hold it in place], was like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold and of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁶ They made the onyx stones, set in settings of gold filigree; they were engraved as signets are engraved, with the names of [the twelve tribes of] the sons of Israel. ⁷ And he put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod to be memorial stones (a remembrance) for the sons of Israel (Jacob), just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁸ Bezalel made the breastpiece, the work of a skillful craftsman, like the workmanship of the ephod: of gold and of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen. ⁹ It was square; they made the breastpiece folded double, a [hand’s] span long and a [hand’s] span wide when folded double. ¹⁰ And they mounted four rows of stones on it. The first row was a row of ruby, topaz, and emerald; ¹¹ and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; ¹² and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; ¹³ and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper; they were mounted in settings of gold filigree. ¹⁴ The stones corresponded to the names of the sons of Israel; they were twelve [in all], corresponding to their names, engraved like a signet, each with its name, for the twelve tribes. ¹⁵ And they made on the breastpiece twisted chains like cords of pure gold. ¹⁶ They made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece. ¹⁷ Then they put the two twisted cords of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastpiece. ¹⁸ They put the [other] two ends of the two cords on the two filigree settings, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front of it. ¹⁹ They made two rings of gold and put them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inner edge which was next to the ephod. ²⁰ Furthermore, they made two [other] gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at the front of it, close to the place where it is joined, above the woven sash of the ephod. ²¹ They bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it would lie on the woven sash of the ephod, and so that the breastpiece would not come loose from the ephod, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

²² Then Bezalel made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue; ²³ there was an opening [for the head] in the middle of the robe, like the opening in a coat of armor, with a hem around it, so that it would not be frayed or torn. ²⁴ On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen. ²⁵ They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates around the hem of the robe; ²⁶ a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all [the way] around the hem of the robe, for service and ministering, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

²⁷ And they made tunics of finely woven linen for Aaron and his sons, ²⁸ and the turban of fine linen, and the ornamental caps of fine linen, and the linen undergarments of fine twisted linen, ²⁹ and the sash of fine twisted linen, and blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, the work of an embroiderer, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

³⁰ They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription, like the engravings of a signet, “Holy to the Lord.”^{(D) 31} They tied a blue cord to it, to fasten it on the turban above, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

³² Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting was finished; and the Israelites did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses; that is what they did. ³³ They brought the tabernacle to Moses [for him to inspect]: the tent and all its furnishings, its hooks, its [frame] boards, its bars, its support poles, its sockets or bases; ³⁴ and the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and the covering of ^[d]porpoise skins, and the veil (partition) of the screen (curtain); ³⁵ the ark of the Testimony, its carrying poles and the mercy seat; ³⁶ the table and all its utensils and the bread of the Presence (showbread); ³⁷ the pure gold lampstand and its lamps, with the lamps placed in order, all its utensils, and the oil for the light; ³⁸ the golden altar [of incense], the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the [hanging] veil for the doorway of the tent; ³⁹ the bronze altar [of burnt offering] and its grating of bronze, its poles and all its utensils, the basin and its base; ⁴⁰ the curtains of the courtyard, its support poles and sockets, and the screen (curtain) for the courtyard gate, its cords and pegs, and all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the Tent of Meeting [of God with His people];^{(E) 41} the [finely] woven garments for serving and ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons to minister as priests. ⁴² So the Israelites did all the work according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses. ⁴³ And Moses [carefully] inspected all the work, and behold, they had done it; just as the Lord had commanded, so had they done it. So Moses blessed them.

The Tabernacle Erected

40 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “On the first day of the first month (Abib) you shall set up the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting [of God with you]. ³ You shall place the ark of the Testimony there, and you shall screen off the ark [from the Holy Place of God’s Presence] with the veil (partition curtain).^{(F) 4} You shall bring in the table [for the bread] and arrange its setting; you shall bring in the lampstand and mount and light its lamps.^{(G) 5} You shall set the golden altar of incense in front of the ark of the Testimony [outside the veil], and put the [hanging] veil at the doorway of the tabernacle. ⁶ You shall set the [bronze] altar of burnt offering in front of the doorway of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting. ⁷ You shall set the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar [of burnt offering], and put water in it. ⁸ You shall set up the courtyard [curtains] all around and hang up the screen (curtain) for the gateway of the courtyard. 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 be holy (declared sacred, separated from secular use). ¹⁰ You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, and the altar shall be most holy. ¹¹ You shall anoint the basin and its base, and consecrate it. ¹² Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water.^{(H) 13} You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve as a priest to Me. ¹⁴ You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them; ¹⁵ you shall anoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may serve as priests to Me; and their anointing shall qualify them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.” ¹⁶ Thus Moses did; in accordance with all that the Lord commanded him, so he did.

¹⁷ Now it happened on the first day of the first month (Abib) in the second year [after the exodus from Egypt], that the tabernacle was erected. ¹⁸ Moses erected the tabernacle, laid its sockets, set up its boards, put in its bars and erected its support poles. ¹⁹ He spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, just as the Lord had commanded him. ²⁰ He took the Testimony [the stones inscribed with the Ten Commandments] and put it into the ark [of the covenant], and placed the poles [through the rings] on the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark. ²¹ Moses brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up a veil (partition) for the screen (curtain), and screened off the ark of the Testimony, just as the Lord had commanded him. ²² Then he put the table in the Tent of Meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil. ²³ He set the bread [of the Presence] in order on it before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him.^{(I) 24} Then he put the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle. ²⁵ Moses mounted and lighted the lamps [on the lampstand] before the Lord, just as the Lord commanded him. ²⁶ He put the golden altar [of incense] in the Tent of Meeting in front of the veil; ²⁷ he burned fragrant incense [as a symbol of prayer] on it, just as the Lord commanded him.^{(J) 28} Then he set up the screen (curtain) at the doorway of the tabernacle. ²⁹ He set the altar of burnt offering before the doorway of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, just as the Lord commanded him. ³⁰ He placed the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar [of burnt offering], and put water in it for washing. ³¹ Then from it Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. ³² When they entered the Tent of Meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, just as the Lord commanded Moses. ³³ And he erected the courtyard all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung the screen (curtain) at the gateway of the courtyard. So Moses finished the work.

The Glory of the Lord

³⁴ Then the cloud [the Shekinah, God’s visible, dwelling presence] covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory and brilliance of the Lord filled the tabernacle.^{(K) 35} Moses was not able to enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud remained on it, and the glory and brilliance of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ³⁶ In all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out; ³⁷ but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey on until the day when it was taken up. ³⁸ For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.