Exodus 37-40

Common English Bible

Building the chest containing the covenant document

37 Bezalel made the chest of acacia wood. It was forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. ² He covered the chest with pure gold inside and out, and made a gold molding all around it. ³ He cast four gold rings for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other. ⁴ He made acacia-wood poles and covered them with gold. ⁵ He put the poles into the rings on the chest’s sides to use to carry the chest. ⁶ He made a cover for the chest out of pure gold, forty-five inches long and twenty-seven inches wide. ⁷ He made two winged heavenly creatures of hammered gold for the two ends of the cover, ⁸ one winged heavenly creature at one end and one winged heavenly creature at the other. He placed the winged heavenly creatures at the cover’s two ends. ⁹ The winged heavenly creatures spread out their wings above, shielding the cover with their wings. The winged heavenly creatures faced each other toward the cover’s center.

Constructing the table and lampstand

¹⁰ He also made the table of acacia wood, three feet long, eighteen inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. ¹¹ He covered it with pure gold and made a gold molding all around it. ¹² He made a frame around it that was four inches wide and gold molding around the frame. ¹³ He made four gold rings for the table. He fastened the rings to the four corners at its four legs. ¹⁴ The rings that housed the poles used for carrying the table were close to the frame. ¹⁵ He made the poles used to carry the table out of acacia wood, and he covered them with gold. ¹⁶ He made the containers of pure gold that were to be on the table: its plates, dishes, bowls, and jars for pouring drink offerings.

¹⁷ He also made the lampstand of pure, hammered gold. The lampstand’s base, branches, cups, flowers, and petals were all attached to it. ¹⁸ It had six branches growing out from its sides, three branches on one side of the lampstand and three branches on the other side of the lampstand. ¹⁹ One branch had three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a flower and petals, and the next branch also had three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a flower and petals. A total of six branches grew out of the lampstand. ²⁰ In addition, on the lampstand itself there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with its flower and petals. ²¹ There was a flower attached under the first pair of branches, a flower attached under the next pair of branches, and a flower attached under the last pair of branches. ²² Their flowers and their branches were attached to it. The whole lampstand was one piece of pure hammered gold. ²³ He made its seven lamps and its tongs and its fire pans out of pure gold. ²⁴ He made the lampstand and all its equipment from pure gold weighing one kikkar.

Making the incense altar, incense, and oil

²⁵ He made the incense altar out of acacia wood. The altar was square, eighteen inches long by eighteen inches wide. It was three feet high, and its horns were permanently attached. ²⁶ He covered it with pure gold, including its top, all its sides, and its horns. He also made a gold molding all around it. ²⁷ He made two gold rings, and he attached them under the molding on two opposite sides of the altar. They housed the poles used to carry it. ²⁸ He made the poles of acacia wood, and he covered them with gold.

²⁹ He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure sweet-smelling incense like a skilled perfume maker.

Making the altar for entirely burned offerings

38 He made the altar for entirely burned offerings out of acacia wood. The altar was square, seven and a half feet long and seven and a half feet wide. It was four and a half feet high. ² He made horns for it, one horn on each of its four corners. Its horns were attached to the altar, and he covered it with copper. ³ He made all the altar’s equipment: the pails, the shovels, the bowls, the meat forks, and the trays. He made all its equipment out of copper. ⁴ He made a grate for the altar of copper mesh underneath its bottom edge and extending halfway up to the middle of the altar. ⁵ He made four rings for each of the four corners of the copper grate to house the poles. ⁶ He made the poles out of acacia wood, and he covered them with copper. ⁷ He put the poles through the rings so that the poles were on the two sides of the altar when it was carried. He made the altar with planks but hollow inside.

⁸ He made the copper washbasin with its copper stand from the copper mirrors among the ranks of women assigned to the meeting tent’s entrance.

Constructing the dwelling’s plaza

⁹ He also set up the courtyard. The courtyard’s south side had drapes of fine twisted linen stretching one hundred fifty feet ¹⁰ with twenty posts, twenty copper bases, and silver hooks and bands for the posts. ¹¹ Likewise the north side stretched one hundred fifty feet, with twenty posts, twenty copper bases, and silver hooks and bands for the posts. ¹² On the west side the drapes stretched seventy-five feet, with their ten posts, their ten bases, and silver hooks and bands for the posts. ¹³ The front side facing east was seventy-five feet. ¹⁴ There were twenty-two and a half feet of drapes on one side with three posts and three bases for them. ¹⁵ Likewise, there were twenty-two and a half feet of drapes on the other side of the plaza’s gate with three posts and three bases for them. ¹⁶ All the drapes around the courtyard were made of fine twisted linen. ¹⁷ The bases for the posts were made of copper, but the hooks for the posts and their bands were made of silver. The tops of the posts were covered with silver, and all the posts surrounding the courtyard had silver bands. ¹⁸ The screen for the gate into the courtyard was made with blue, purple, and deep red yarns and fine twisted linen, decorated with needlework. It was thirty feet long and, along the width of it, seven and a half feet high, corresponding to the courtyard’s drapes. ¹⁹ It had four posts, their four copper bases, their silver hooks, and their tops and bands covered with silver. ²⁰ All the tent pegs for the dwelling and for the courtyard all around were made of copper.

A listing of materials used

²¹ These are the accounts of the dwelling, the covenant dwelling, that were recorded at Moses’ instructions. They are the work of the Levites, under the direction of Ithamar, Aaron the priest’s son. ²² Bezalel, Uri’s son and Hur’s grandson from the tribe of Judah, made everything that the Lord had commanded Moses to make. ²³ Working with Bezalel was Oholiab, Ahisamach’s son from the tribe of Dan, who was a gem cutter, a designer, and a needleworker in blue, purple, and deep red yarns and in fine linen.

²⁴ The total amount of the gold that was used for construction of the whole sanctuary, gold from the uplifted offerings, was twenty-nine kikkars and seven hundred thirty shekels in weight, measured by the sanctuary shekel. ²⁵ The silver from the community census totaled one hundred kikkars and one thousand seven hundred seventy-five shekels in weight, measured by the sanctuary shekel. ²⁶ They gave a beqa per person (that is, half a shekel, measured by the sanctuary shekel) for everyone who was counted in the census, 20 years old and above, 603,550 men. ²⁷ One hundred kikkars of silver were used to cast the bases for the sanctuary and the bases for the veil, one hundred bases from one hundred kikkars of silver, one kikkar for every base. ²⁸ He used one thousand seven hundred seventy-five shekels of silver^[a] to make the hooks for the posts, cover their tops, and make bands for them. ²⁹ The amount of copper from the uplifted offering was seventy kikkars and two thousand four hundred shekels in weight. ³⁰ He used it to make the bases for the meeting tent’s entrance, the copper altar, its copper grate, and all the altar’s equipment, ³¹ the bases all around the courtyard, and the bases for the courtyard’s gate, all the dwelling’s tent pegs, and all the tent pegs used around the courtyard.

Making the priests’ clothing

39 They used the blue, purple, and deep red yarns to make the woven clothing for those ministering as priests in the sanctuary. They made the holy clothes for Aaron as the Lord had commanded Moses.

² They made the vest^[b] of gold, of blue, purple, and deep red yarns, and of fine twisted linen. ³ They beat out thin sheets of gold and cut them into threads to work into designs among the blue, purple, and deep red yarns and the fine linen. ⁴ They made shoulder pieces for it attached to its two edges so that they could be joined together. ⁵ The vest’s belt was attached to it and made in the same way of gold, of blue, purple, and deep red yarns, and of fine twisted linen, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁶ They prepared the gemstones by mounting them in gold settings and engraving on them the names of Israel’s sons, like an official seal is engraved. ⁷ The stones were attached to the vest’s shoulder pieces as reminder stones for the Israelites, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁸ They made the embroidered chest pendant in the style of the vest, using gold, blue, purple, and deep red yarns, and fine twisted linen. ⁹ They made the chest pendant square and doubled, nine inches long and nine inches wide when doubled. ¹⁰ They set in it four rows of gemstones. The first row was a row of carnelian, topaz, and emerald stones. ¹¹ The second row was a turquoise, a sapphire, and a moonstone. ¹² The third row was a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst. ¹³ The fourth row was a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. The settings around them were decorative gold. ¹⁴ There were twelve stones with names corresponding to the names of Israel’s sons. They were engraved like official seals, each with its name for the twelve tribes. ¹⁵ They made chains of pure gold, twisted like cords, for the chest pendant. ¹⁶ They made two gold settings and two gold rings. They attached the two rings to the two edges of the chest pendant. ¹⁷ They attached the two gold cords to the two rings at the edges of the chest pendant. ¹⁸ Then they fastened the two ends of the two cords to the two gold settings and attached them to the front of the vest’s shoulder pieces. ¹⁹ They made two gold rings, and they attached them to the two edges of the chest pendant, on its inside edge facing the vest. ²⁰ They made two gold rings and fastened them on the front of the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the vest, at its seam just above the vest’s belt. ²¹ The chest pendant was held in place by a blue cord binding its rings to the vest’s rings so that the chest pendant rested on the vest’s belt and didn’t come loose from the vest, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

²² They also made the vest’s robe, woven completely in blue. ²³ The opening of the robe in the middle of it was reinforced with a strong border so that it didn’t tear. ²⁴ On the robe’s lower hem, they added pomegranates made of blue, purple, and deep red yarns and of fine twisted linen. ²⁵ They also made pure gold bells and sewed the bells between the pomegranates, all around the robe’s lower hem, ²⁶ with a bell and a pomegranate alternating all around the lower hem of the robe that is used for ministering as a priest, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

²⁷ They also made the tunics woven out of fine linen for Aaron and his sons, ²⁸ the turban of fine linen, the decorated turbans of fine linen, the linen undergarments of fine twisted linen, ²⁹ the sashes of fine twisted linen, and of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, decorated with needlework, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

³⁰ They made the flower ornament for the holy crown out of pure gold. Like the engraving on an official seal, they engraved on it the saying “Holy to the Lord.” ³¹ They fastened to it a blue cord to tie it to the top of the turban, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Completion of dwelling construction

³² In this way all the work of the meeting tent dwelling was finished. The Israelites did everything just exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses. ³³ Then they brought to Moses the dwelling, the tent, and all its equipment:

⁴² The Israelites did all of the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ⁴³ When Moses saw that they in fact had done all the work exactly as the Lord had commanded, Moses blessed them.

Moses sets up the dwelling

40 The Lord spoke to Moses: ² Set up the meeting tent dwelling on the first day of the first month.^{[c] 3} Place the chest containing the covenant inside the dwelling. Hide the chest from view with the veil. ⁴ Bring in the table and arrange its items. Bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. ⁵ Place the gold altar for burning incense in front of the chest containing the covenant. Set up the screen at the dwelling’s entrance. ⁶ Put the altar for entirely burned offerings in front of the entrance to the meeting tent dwelling. ⁷ Put the washbasin between the meeting tent and the altar and put water in it. ⁸ Set up the courtyard all around. Hang up the screen at the courtyard gate. ⁹ Then take the anointing oil and anoint the dwelling and everything in it. Make holy the dwelling and all its equipment, and it will be holy. ¹⁰ Anoint the altar for entirely burned offerings and all its equipment. Make the altar holy, and the altar will be most holy. ¹¹ Anoint the washbasin with its stand and make it holy.

¹² Then bring Aaron and his sons to the meeting tent’s entrance and wash them with water. ¹³ Dress Aaron in the holy clothes. Anoint him and make him holy so that he may serve me as priest. ¹⁴ Then bring his sons and dress them in tunics. ¹⁵ Anoint them like you anointed their father so that they may serve me as priests. Their anointing is to the priesthood for all time in every generation.

¹⁶ Moses did everything exactly as the Lord had commanded him. ¹⁷ In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the dwelling was set up. ¹⁸ Moses set up the dwelling. He laid out its bases. He set up its boards, inserted its bars, and raised up its posts. ¹⁹ He spread the tent out over the dwelling, and he put the covering of the tent over it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²⁰ He took the covenant document and placed it inside the chest. He put the poles on the chest, and he set the cover on top of the chest. ²¹ He brought the chest into the dwelling. He set up the veil as a screen to hide from view the chest containing the covenant, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²² He placed the table in the meeting tent, on the north side of the dwelling, outside the veil. ²³ He set the bread in its proper place on the table in the Lord’s presence, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²⁴ He put the lampstand in the meeting tent, opposite the table on the south side of the dwelling. ²⁵ He set up the lamps in the Lord’s presence, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²⁶ He put the gold altar in the meeting tent in front of the veil. ²⁷ He burned sweet-smelling incense on it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²⁸ He also set up the screen at the entrance to the dwelling. ²⁹ He placed the altar for entirely burned offerings at the entrance to the meeting tent dwelling. He offered the entirely burned offering and the grain offering on it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ³⁰ He put the washbasin between the meeting tent and the altar, and put water in it for washing. ³¹ Moses, Aaron, and his sons used it to wash their hands and their feet. ³² Whenever they went into the meeting tent and whenever they approached the altar, they washed themselves, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ³³ He set up the courtyard around the dwelling and the altar, and he hung up the screen at the courtyard’s gate.

God’s presence fills the dwelling!

When Moses had finished all the work, ³⁴ the cloud covered the meeting tent and the Lord’s glorious presence filled the dwelling. ³⁵ Moses couldn’t enter the meeting tent because the cloud had settled on it, and the Lord’s glorious presence filled the dwelling. ³⁶ Whenever the cloud rose from the dwelling, the Israelites would set out on their journeys. ³⁷ But if the cloud didn’t rise, then they didn’t set out until the day it rose. ³⁸ The Lord’s cloud stayed over the dwelling during the day, with lightning in it at night, clearly visible to the whole household of Israel at every stage of their journey.