Construction of the Tabernacle

⁸ All those with skill among the workers made the tabernacle with ten curtains; they were made of fine twisted linen and blue, purple, and crimson yarns, with cherubim skillfully worked into them.^(A)

God’s Glory Leaves Jerusalem

10 Then I looked, and above the dome that was over the heads of the cherubim there appeared above them something like a sapphire,^[a] in form resembling a throne.^{(A) 2} He said to the man clothed in linen, “Go within the wheelwork underneath the cherubim; fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.” He went in as I looked on.^{(B) 3} Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the house when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court.^{(C) 4} Then the glory of the Lord rose up from the cherub to the entryway of the temple; the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the glory of the Lord.^{(D) 5} The sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty^[b] when he speaks.^(E)

⁶ When he commanded the man clothed in linen, “Take fire from within the wheelwork, from among the cherubim,” he went in and stood beside a wheel. ⁷ And a cherub stretched out his hand from among the cherubim to the fire that was among the cherubim, took some of it, and put it into the hands of the man clothed in linen, who took it and went out. ⁸ The cherubim appeared to have the form of a human hand under their wings.

⁹ I looked, and there were four wheels beside the cherubim, one beside each cherub, and the appearance of the wheels was like gleaming beryl.^{(F) 10} And as for their appearance, the four looked alike, something like a wheel within a wheel. ¹¹ When they moved, they moved in any of the four directions without veering as they moved, but in whatever direction the front wheel faced, the others followed without veering as they moved. ¹² Their entire bodies—backs, hands, and wings—were covered with eyes all around, as were the wheels of the four of them.^{(G) 13} As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing “the wheelwork.” ¹⁴ Each one had four faces: the first face was that of the cherub, the second face was that of a human, the third that of a lion, and the fourth that of an eagle.^(H)

¹⁵ The cherubim rose up. These were the living creatures that I saw by the River Chebar. ¹⁶ When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the cherubim lifted up their wings to rise up from the earth, the wheels at their side did not veer.^{(I) 17} When they stopped, the others stopped, and when they rose up, the others rose up with them, for a living spirit was in them.^(J)

¹⁸ Then the glory of the Lord went out from the entryway of the temple and stopped above the cherubim. ¹⁹ The cherubim lifted up their wings and rose up from the earth in my sight as they went out with the wheels beside them. They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the house of the Lord, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.^(K)

⁵ In the middle of it was something like four living creatures. This was their appearance: they were of human form.^{(A) 6} Each had four faces, and each of them had four wings.^{(B) 7} Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf’s foot, and they sparkled like burnished bronze.^{(C) 8} Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus:^{(D) 9} their wings touched one another; each of them moved straight ahead, without turning as they moved. ¹⁰ As for the appearance of their faces: the four had the face of a human being, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle;^{(E) 11} such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies.^{(F) 12} Each moved straight ahead; wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went. ¹³ In the middle of^[a] the living creatures there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the living creatures; the fire was bright, and lightning issued from the fire.^{(G) 14} The living creatures darted to and fro, like a flash of lightning.^(H)

¹⁵ As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them.^{[b](I) 16} As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of beryl, and the four had the same form, their construction being something like a wheel within a wheel.^{(J) 17} When they moved, they moved in any of the four directions without veering as they moved.^{(K) 18} Their rims were tall and awesome, for the rims of all four were full of eyes all around.^{(L) 19} When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose.^{(M) 20} Wherever the spirit would go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, for a living spirit was in the wheels.^{(N) 21} When they moved, the others moved; when they stopped, the others stopped; and when they rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them, for a living spirit was in the wheels.^(O)

²² Over the heads of the living creatures there was something like a dome, shining like crystal,^[c] spread out above their heads.^{(P) 23} Under the dome their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another, and each of the creatures had two wings covering its body. ²⁴ When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of mighty waters, like the thunder of the Almighty,^[d] a sound of tumult like the sound of an army; when they stopped, they let down their wings.^{(Q) 25} And there came a voice from above the dome over their heads; when they stopped, they let down their wings.

²⁶ And above the dome over their heads there was something like a throne, in appearance like sapphire,^[e] and seated above the likeness of the throne was something that seemed like a human form.^{(R) 27} Upward from what appeared like the loins I saw something like gleaming amber, something that looked like fire enclosed all around, and downward from what looked like the loins I saw something that looked like fire, and there was a splendor all around.^{(S) 28} Like the bow in a cloud on a rainy day, such was the appearance of the splendor all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.

When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of someone speaking.^(T)

¹⁰ In the most holy place he made two carved cherubim and overlaid^[a] them with gold.^(A)

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem

15 David^[a] built houses for himself in the city of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.^(A)

The Furnishings of the Temple

²³ In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olivewood, each ten cubits high.^(A)

¹⁰ “All who are skillful among you shall come and make all that the Lord has commanded:

⁶ Moreover, I have appointed with him Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, and I have given skill to all the skillful, so that they may make all that I have commanded you:^(A)

The Tabernacle

26 “The tabernacle itself you shall make with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue, purple, and crimson yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them.^{(A) 2} The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits and the width of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall be of the same size. ³ Five curtains shall be joined to one another, and the other five curtains shall be joined to one another.^{(B) 4} You shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set, and likewise you shall make loops on the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set. ⁵ You shall make fifty loops on the one curtain, and you shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be opposite one another.^{(C) 6} You shall make fifty clasps of gold and join the curtains to one another with the clasps, so that the tabernacle may be one whole.

⁷ “You shall also make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; you shall make eleven curtains.^{(D) 8} The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits and the width of each curtain four cubits; the eleven curtains shall be of the same size. ⁹ You shall join five curtains by themselves and six curtains by themselves, and the sixth curtain you shall double over at the front of the tent. ¹⁰ You shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in one set and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second set.

¹¹ “You shall make fifty clasps of bronze and put the clasps into the loops and join the tent together, so that it may be one whole.^{(E) 12} The part that remains of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remains, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle. ¹³ The cubit on one side and the cubit on the other side of what remains in the length of the curtains of the tent shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle, on this side and that side, to cover it. ¹⁴ You shall make for the tent a covering of tanned rams’ skins and an outer covering of fine leather.^[a](F)

The Framework

¹⁵ “You shall make upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle.^{(G) 16} Ten cubits shall be the length of a frame and a cubit and a half the width of each frame. ¹⁷ There shall be two pegs in each frame to fit the frames together; you shall make these for all the frames of the tabernacle. ¹⁸ You shall make the frames for the tabernacle: twenty frames for the south side; ¹⁹ and you shall make forty bases of silver under the twenty frames: two bases under the first frame for its two pegs and two bases under the next frame for its two pegs; ²⁰ and for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side twenty frames,^{(H) 21} and their forty bases of silver: two bases under the first frame and two bases under the next frame; ²² and for the rear of the tabernacle westward you shall make six frames. ²³ You shall make two frames for corners of the tabernacle in the rear; ²⁴ they shall be separate beneath but joined at the top at the first ring; it shall be the same with both of them; they shall form the two corners. ²⁵ And so there shall be eight frames, with their bases of silver, sixteen bases: two bases under the first frame and two bases under the next frame.^(I)

²⁶ “You shall make bars of acacia wood: five for the frames of one side of the tabernacle, ²⁷ and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the side of the tabernacle at the rear westward. ²⁸ The middle bar, halfway up the frames, shall pass through from end to end. ²⁹ You shall overlay the frames with gold and shall make their rings of gold to hold the bars, and you shall overlay the bars with gold. ³⁰ Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to the plan for it that you were shown on the mountain.^(J)

The Curtain

³¹ “You shall make a curtain of blue, purple, and crimson yarns and of fine twisted linen; it shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it.^{(K) 32} You shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, which have hooks of gold and rest on four bases of silver. ³³ You shall hang the curtain under the clasps and bring the ark of the covenant in there, within the curtain, and the curtain shall separate for you the holy place from the most holy place.^{(L) 34} You shall put the cover on the ark of the covenant in the most holy place.^{(M) 35} You shall set the table outside the curtain and the lampstand on the south side of the tabernacle opposite the table, and you shall put the table on the north side.^(N)

³⁶ “You shall make a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns and of fine twisted linen, embroidered with needlework.^{(O) 37} You shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia and overlay them with gold; their hooks shall be of gold, and you shall cast five bases of bronze for them.^(P)