Exodus 37:1-39:31

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Making the Ark

37 Bezalel^(A) made the ark of acacia wood, 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high.^{[a] 2} He overlaid it with pure gold inside and out and made a gold molding all around it. ³ He cast four gold rings for it, for its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. ⁴ He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. ⁵ He inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark for carrying the ark.

⁶ He made a mercy seat of pure gold, 45 inches long and 27 inches wide.^{[b] 7} He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat, ⁸ one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end. At each end, he made a cherub of one piece with the mercy seat. ⁹ They had wings spread out. They faced each other and covered the mercy seat with their wings. The faces of the cherubim were looking toward the mercy seat.

Making the Table

¹⁰ He^(B) constructed the table of acacia wood, 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high.^{[c] 11} He overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold molding all around it. ¹² He made a three-inch^[d] frame all around it and made a gold molding all around its frame. ¹³ He cast four gold rings for it and attached the rings to the four corners at its four legs. ¹⁴ The rings were next to the frame as holders for the poles to carry the table. ¹⁵ He made the poles for carrying the table from acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. ¹⁶ He also made the utensils that would be on the table out of pure gold: its plates and cups, as well as its bowls and pitchers for pouring drink offerings.

Making the Lampstand

¹⁷ Then^(C) he made the lampstand out of pure hammered gold. He made it all of one piece: its base and shaft, its ornamental cups, and its calyxes^[e] and petals. ¹⁸ Six branches extended from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from one side and three branches of the lampstand from the other side. ¹⁹ There were three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a calyx and petals, on the first branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a calyx and petals, on the next branch. It was this way for the six branches that extended from the lampstand. ²⁰ On the lampstand shaft there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms with its calyxes and petals. ²¹ For the six branches that extended from it, a calyx was under the first pair of branches from it, a calyx under the second pair of branches from it, and a calyx under the third pair of branches from it. ²² Their calyxes and branches were of one piece.^[f] All of it was a single hammered piece of pure gold. ²³ He also made its seven lamps, snuffers, and firepans of pure gold. ²⁴ He made it and all its utensils of 75 pounds^[g] of pure gold.

Making the Altar of Incense

²⁵ He^(D) made the altar of incense out of acacia wood. It was square, 18 inches long and 18 inches wide; it was 36 inches high.^[h] Its horns were of one piece.^{[i] 26} He overlaid it, its top, all around its sides, and its horns with pure gold. Then he made a gold molding all around it. ²⁷ He made two gold rings for it under the molding on two of its sides; he put these on opposite sides of it to be holders for the poles to carry it with. 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, and expertly blended incense.^(E)

Making the Altar of Burnt Offering

38 Bezalel^(F) constructed the altar of burnt offering from acacia wood. It was square, 7½ feet long and 7½ feet wide,^[j] and was 4½ feet^[k] high. ² He made horns for it on its four corners; the horns were of one piece.^[l] 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,^[m] 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.^(G)

Making the Courtyard

⁹ Then^(H) he made the courtyard. The hangings on the south side of the courtyard were of finely spun linen, 150 feet in length,^{[n] 10} including their 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The hooks and bands^[o] of the posts were silver. ¹¹ The hangings on the north side were also 150 feet in length,^[p] including their 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The hooks and bands^[q] of the posts were silver. ¹² The hangings on the west side were 75 feet in length,^[r] 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.^{[s] 14} The hangings on one side of the gate were 22½ feet,^[t] including their three posts and three bases. ¹⁵ It was the same for the other side. The hangings were 22½ feet,^[u] 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^[v] 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^[w] long, and like the hangings of the courtyard, 7½ feet^[x] high.^{[y] 19} It had four posts, including their four bronze bases. Their hooks were silver, and the bands^[z] 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,^(I) that was recorded at Moses’ command. It was the work of the Levites under the direction of^[aa] Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.^{(J) 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,^[ab] according to the sanctuary shekel.^{(K) 25} The silver from those of the community who were registered was 7,544 pounds,^[ac] according to the sanctuary shekel— ²⁶ 2⁄5 of an ounce^[ad] 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^[ae] of silver used to cast the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil—100 bases from 7,500 pounds,^[af] 75 pounds^[ag] for each base.^{(L) 28} With the remaining 44 pounds^[ah] he made the hooks for the posts, overlaid their tops, and supplied bands^[ai] for them.

²⁹ The bronze of the presentation offering totaled 5,310 pounds.^{[aj] 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^[ak] 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.^(M)

Making the Ephod

² Bezalel^(N) 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^[al] 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^(O) 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.^{[am] 10} They mounted four rows of gemstones^[an] on it. The first row was a row of carnelian, topaz, and emerald;^{[ao] 11} the second row, a turquoise,^[ap] a sapphire,^[aq] and a diamond;^{[ar] 12} the third row, a jacinth,^[as] 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,^[at] 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^(P) 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^[au] with a collar around the opening so that it would not tear. ²⁴ They made pomegranates of finely spun blue, purple, and scarlet yarn^[av] 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^[aw] 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^[ax] of fine linen, the undergarments,^{(Q) 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:^(R)

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.