Psalm 117

Universal Call to Praise

Making the Priestly Garments

39 They made specially woven^[a] 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.^(A)

Making the Ephod

² Bezalel^(B) 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^[b] 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^(C) also made the embroidered^[c] 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.^{[d] 10} They mounted four rows of gemstones^[e] on it.

They were surrounded with gold filigree in their settings.

¹⁴ The twelve stones corresponded to the names of Israel’s sons. Each stone was engraved like a seal with one of the names of the twelve 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 they 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,^[j] 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^(D) 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^[k] with a collar around the opening so that it would not tear. ²⁴ They made pomegranates of finely spun blue, purple, and scarlet yarn^[l] 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^[m] 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 made the turban and the ornate headbands^[n] of fine linen, the linen undergarments of finely spun linen,^{(E) 29} and the sash of finely spun linen expertly embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. They did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Making the Holy Diadem

³⁰ They made a medallion, the holy diadem, out of pure gold and wrote on it an inscription like the engraving on a seal:^(F) Holy to the Lord. ³¹ 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’s 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.^{(G) 33} They brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent with all its furnishings, its clasps, its supports, its crossbars, and its pillars and bases; ³⁴ the covering of ram skins dyed red and the covering of fine leather;^[o] the curtain 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 furnishings for the service of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; ⁴¹ and the specially woven^[p] garments for ministering in the sanctuary, the holy garments for the priest Aaron 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.^{(H) 43} Moses inspected all the work they had accomplished. They had done just as the Lord commanded. Then Moses blessed them.^(I)

The Emmaus Disciples

¹³ Now^(A) that same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles^[a](B) from Jerusalem.^{(C) 14} Together they were discussing everything that had taken place. ¹⁵ And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus himself came near and began to walk along with them. ¹⁶ But they^[b] were prevented from recognizing him.^{(D) 17} Then he asked them, “What is this dispute that you’re having^[c] with each other as you are walking?” And they stopped walking and looked discouraged.

¹⁸ The one named Cleopas answered him, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that happened there in these days?” ^(E)

¹⁹ “What things?” he asked them.

So they said to him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth,^(F) who was a prophet^(G) powerful in action and speech^(H) before God and all the people,^{(I) 20} and how our chief priests and leaders^(J) handed him over to be sentenced to death,^(K) and they crucified him.^{(L) 21} But we were hoping that he was the one who was about to redeem^(M) Israel. Besides all this, it’s the third day^(N) since these things happened. ²² Moreover, some women from our group astounded us. They arrived early at the tomb, ²³ and when they didn’t find his body, they came and reported that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. ²⁴ Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they didn’t see him.”^(O)

²⁵ He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow^[d] to believe all that the prophets have spoken!^{(P) 26} Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer^(Q) these things and enter into his glory?”^{(R) 27} Then beginning with Moses^(S) and all the Prophets,^(T) he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.^(U)

²⁸ They came near the village where they were going, and he gave the impression that he was going farther.^{(V) 29} But they urged him, “Stay with us, because it’s almost evening, and now the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

³⁰ It was as he reclined at the table with them that he took the bread, blessed and broke^(W) it, and gave it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were opened,^(X) and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight.^{(Y) 32} They said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures^(Z) to us?” ³³ That very hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven^(AA) and those with them gathered together, ³⁴ who said, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” ^{(AB) 35} Then they began to describe what had happened on the road and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.^(AC)