³ Place the Ark of the Covenant^[a] inside, and install the inner curtain to enclose the Ark within the Most Holy Place.

⁵ When the camp moves, Aaron and his sons must enter the Tabernacle first to take down the inner curtain and cover the Ark of the Covenant^[a] with it.

¹⁹ Then, in heaven, the Temple of God was opened and the Ark of his covenant could be seen inside the Temple. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and roared, and there was an earthquake and a terrible hailstorm.

¹⁴ Then he must take some of the blood of the bull, dip his finger in it, and sprinkle it on the east side of the atonement cover. He must sprinkle blood seven times with his finger in front of the atonement cover.

²⁰ He took the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant and placed them^[a] inside the Ark. Then he attached the carrying poles to the Ark, and he set the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—on top of it. ²¹ Then he brought the Ark of the Covenant into the Tabernacle and hung the inner curtain to shield it from view, just as the Lord had commanded him.

²² I will meet with you there and talk to you from above the atonement cover between the gold cherubim that hover over the Ark of the Covenant.^[a] From there I will give you my commands for the people of Israel.

Building the Ark of the Covenant

37 Next Bezalel made the Ark of acacia wood—a sacred chest 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high.^{[a] 2} He overlaid it inside and outside with pure gold, and he ran a molding of gold all around it. ³ He cast four gold rings and attached them to its four feet, two rings on each side. ⁴ Then he made poles from acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. ⁵ He inserted the poles into the rings at the sides of the Ark to carry it.

⁶ Then he made the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—from pure gold. It was 45 inches long and 27 inches wide.^{[b] 7} He made two cherubim from hammered gold and placed them on the two ends of the atonement cover. ⁸ He molded the cherubim on each end of the atonement cover, making it all of one piece of gold. ⁹ The cherubim faced each other and looked down on the atonement cover. With their wings spread above it, they protected it.

³⁵ For the inside of the Tabernacle, Bezalel made a special curtain of finely woven linen. He decorated it with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. ³⁶ For the curtain, he made four posts of acacia wood and four gold hooks. He overlaid the posts with gold and set them in four silver bases.

³³ Hang the inner curtain from clasps, and put the Ark of the Covenant^[a] in the room behind it. This curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

³⁴ “Then put the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—on top of the Ark of the Covenant inside the Most Holy Place.