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The Sacred Tent

(Exodus 35.4-9)

25 The Lord said to Moses:

Tell everyone in Israel who wants to give gifts that they must bring them to you. Here is a list of what you are to collect: Gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and red wool; fine linen; goat hair; tanned ram skins; fine leather; acacia wood; olive oil for the lamp; sweet-smelling spices to mix with the incense and with the oil for dedicating the tent and ordaining the priests; and onyx[a] stones and other gems for the sacred vest and the breastpiece. I also want them to build a special place where I can live among my people. Make it and its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.

The Sacred Chest

(Exodus 37.1-9)

The Lord said to Moses:

10 Tell the people to build a chest of acacia wood 110 centimeters long, 66 centimeters wide, and 66 centimeters high. 11 Cover it inside and out with pure gold and put a gold edging around the lid. 12 Make four gold rings and attach one of them to each of the four legs of the chest. 13 Make two poles of acacia wood. Cover them with gold 14 and put them through the rings, so the chest can be carried by the poles. 15 Don't ever remove the poles from the rings. 16 When I give you the Ten Commandments written on two flat stones, put them inside the chest.

17 (A) Make the lid of the chest out of pure gold. 18-19 Then hammer out two winged creatures of pure gold and fasten them to the lid at the ends of the chest. 20 The creatures must face each other with their wings spread over the chest. 21 Inside it place the two flat stones with the Ten Commandments on them and put the gold lid on top of the chest. 22 I will meet you there[b] between the two creatures and tell you what my people must do and what they must not do.

The Table for the Sacred Bread

(Exodus 37.10-16)

The Lord said:

23 Make a table of acacia wood 88 centimeters long, 44 centimeters wide, and 66 centimeters high. 24-25 Cover it with pure gold and put a gold edging around it with a border 75 millimeters thick.[c] 26 Make four gold rings and attach one to each of the legs 27-28 near the edging. The poles for carrying the table are to be placed through these rings and are to be made of acacia wood covered with gold. 29-30 (B) The table is to be kept in the holy place, and the sacred loaves of bread must always be on it. All bowls, plates, jars, and cups for wine offerings are to be made of pure gold and set on this table.

The Lampstand

(Exodus 37.17-24)

The Lord said:

31 Make a lampstand of pure gold. The whole lampstand, including its decorative flowers, must be made from a single piece of hammered gold 32 with three branches on each of its two sides. 33 There are to be three decorative almond blossoms on each branch 34 and four on the stem. 35 There must also be a blossom where each pair of branches comes out from the stem. 36 The lampstand, including its branches and decorative flowers, must be made from a single piece of hammered pure gold. 37 The lamp on the top and those at the end of each of its six branches must be made so as to shine toward the front of the lampstand. 38 The tongs and trays for taking care of the lamps are to be made of pure gold. 39 The lampstand and its equipment will require 35 kilograms of pure gold, 40 (C) and they must be made according to the pattern I showed you on the mountain.

Footnotes

  1. 25.7 onyx: A precious stone with bands of different colors.
  2. 25.22 I will meet you there: It was believed that God had his earthly throne on the lid of the sacred chest.
  3. 25.24,25 a gold edging … thick: Or “a gold edging around it 75 millimeters thick.”

Offerings for the Tabernacle(A)

25 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts(B) them to give. These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn(C) and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather[a];(D) acacia wood;(E) olive oil(F) for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense;(G) and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod(H) and breastpiece.(I)

“Then have them make a sanctuary(J) for me, and I will dwell(K) among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern(L) I will show you.

The Ark(M)

10 “Have them make an ark[b](N) of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.[c] 11 Overlay(O) it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. 12 Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings(P) on one side and two rings on the other. 13 Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.(Q) 14 Insert the poles(R) into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. 15 The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed.(S) 16 Then put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law,(T) which I will give you.

17 “Make an atonement cover(U) of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 18 And make two cherubim(V) out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. 19 Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. 20 The cherubim(W) are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing(X) the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. 21 Place the cover on top of the ark(Y) and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law(Z) that I will give you. 22 There, above the cover between the two cherubim(AA) that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet(AB) with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.(AC)

The Table(AD)

23 “Make a table(AE) of acacia wood—two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high.[d] 24 Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it. 25 Also make around it a rim a handbreadth[e] wide and put a gold molding on the rim. 26 Make four gold rings for the table and fasten them to the four corners, where the four legs are. 27 The rings are to be close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. 28 Make the poles of acacia wood, overlay them with gold(AF) and carry the table with them. 29 And make its plates and dishes of pure gold, as well as its pitchers and bowls for the pouring out of offerings.(AG) 30 Put the bread of the Presence(AH) on this table to be before me at all times.

The Lampstand(AI)

31 “Make a lampstand(AJ) of pure gold. Hammer out its base and shaft, and make its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them. 32 Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other. 33 Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. 34 And on the lampstand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. 35 One bud shall be under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair—six branches in all. 36 The buds and branches shall all be of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold.(AK)

37 “Then make its seven lamps(AL) and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. 38 Its wick trimmers and trays(AM) are to be of pure gold. 39 A talent[f] of pure gold is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories. 40 See that you make them according to the pattern(AN) shown you on the mountain.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 25:5 Possibly the hides of large aquatic mammals
  2. Exodus 25:10 That is, a chest
  3. Exodus 25:10 That is, about 3 3/4 feet long and 2 1/4 feet wide and high or about 1.1 meters long and 68 centimeters wide and high; similarly in verse 17
  4. Exodus 25:23 That is, about 3 feet long, 1 1/2 feet wide and 2 1/4 feet high or about 90 centimeters long, 45 centimeters wide and 68 centimeters high
  5. Exodus 25:25 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters
  6. Exodus 25:39 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms