Offerings to Build the Tabernacle

25 The Lord spoke to Moses: “Tell the Israelites to take an offering for me. You are to take my offering from everyone who is willing to give.(A) This is the offering you are to receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen and goat hair; ram skins dyed red(B) and fine leather;[a] acacia wood; oil(C) for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx[b] along with other gemstones for mounting on the ephod and breastpiece.[c](D)

“They are to make a sanctuary(E) for me so that I may dwell(F) among them. You must make it according to all that I show you—the pattern(G) of the tabernacle as well as the pattern of all its furnishings.

The Ark

10 “They are to make an ark(H) of acacia wood, forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high.[d] 11 Overlay it with pure gold; overlay it both inside and out. Also make a gold molding all around it. 12 Cast four gold rings for it and place them on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. 13 Make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry the ark with them. 15 The poles are to remain in the rings of the ark; they must not be removed from it. 16 Put the tablets of[e] the testimony that I will give you into the ark.(I) 17 Make a mercy seat(J) of pure gold, forty-five inches long and twenty-seven inches wide.[f] 18 Make two cherubim of gold; make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end. At its two ends, make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat. 20 The cherubim are to have wings spread out above, covering(K) the mercy seat with their wings, and are to face one another. The faces of the cherubim should be toward the mercy seat. 21 Set the mercy seat on top of the ark and put the tablets of the testimony that I will give you into the ark.(L) 22 I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim(M) that are over the ark of the testimony; I will speak with you from there about all that I command you regarding the Israelites.

The Table

23 “You are to construct a table(N) of acacia wood, thirty-six inches long, eighteen inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high.[g] 24 Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding all around it. 25 Make a three-inch[h] frame all around it and make a gold molding for it all around its frame. 26 Make four gold rings for it, and attach the rings to the four corners at its four legs. 27 The rings should be next to the frame as holders for the poles to carry the table. 28 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, and the table can be carried by them. 29 You are also to make its plates(O) and cups, as well as its pitchers and bowls for pouring drink offerings. Make them out of pure gold. 30 Put the Bread of the Presence(P) on the table before me at all times.

The Lampstand

31 “You(Q) are to make a lampstand(R) out of pure, hammered gold. It is to be made of one piece: its base and shaft, its ornamental cups, and its buds[i] and petals. 32 Six branches are to extend from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from one side and three branches of the lampstand from the other side. 33 There are to be three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a bud and petals, on one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a bud and petals, on the next branch. It is to be this way for the six branches that extend from the lampstand. 34 There are to be four cups shaped like almond blossoms on the lampstand shaft along with its buds and petals. 35 For the six branches that extend from the lampstand, a bud must be under the first pair of branches from it, a bud under the second pair of branches from it, and a bud under the third pair of branches from it. 36 Their buds and branches are to be of one piece.[j] All of it is to be a single hammered piece of pure gold.

37 “Make its seven lamps,(S) and set them up so that they illuminate the area in front of it. 38 Its snuffers and firepans must be of pure gold. 39 The lampstand[k] with all these utensils is to be made from seventy-five pounds[l] of pure gold. 40 Be careful to make them according to the pattern(T) you have been shown on the mountain.

Footnotes

  1. 25:5 Hb obscure
  2. 25:7 Or carnelian
  3. 25:7 Traditionally, breastplate
  4. 25:10 Lit two and a half cubits its length, one and a half cubits its width, and one and a half cubits its height
  5. 25:16 the tablets of supplied for clarity, also in v. 21
  6. 25:17 Lit two and a half cubits its length, one and a half cubits its width
  7. 25:23 Lit two cubits its length, one cubit its width, and one and a half cubits its height
  8. 25:25 Lit Make it a handbreadth
  9. 25:31 = the outer covering of a flower
  10. 25:36 Lit piece with it
  11. 25:39 Lit It
  12. 25:39 Lit a talent

Contributions for the Sanctuary

25 The Lord said to Moses, (A)“Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From (B)every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, (C)blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats' hair, tanned (D)rams' skins, goatskins,[a] acacia wood, (E)oil for the lamps, (F)spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the (G)ephod and for the breastpiece. And let them make me a (H)sanctuary, that (I)I may dwell in their midst. (J)Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the (K)tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.

The Ark of the Covenant

10 (L)“They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits[b] and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 You shall overlay it with (M)pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it. 12 You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its (N)four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. 13 You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. 15 The (O)poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. 16 (P)And you shall put into the ark the (Q)testimony that I shall give you.

17 (R)“You shall make a mercy seat[c] of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. 18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of (S)hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. (T)Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. 20 (U)The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. 21 And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. 22 (V)There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from (W)between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.

The Table for Bread

23 (X)“You shall make a table of acacia wood. Two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 24 You shall overlay it with (Y)pure gold and make a molding of gold around it. 25 And you shall make a rim around it a handbreadth[d] wide, and a molding of gold around the rim. 26 And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs. 27 Close to the frame the rings shall lie, as (Z)holders for the poles to carry the table. 28 You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these. 29 And you shall make its plates and (AA)dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold. 30 And you shall set the (AB)bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly.

The Golden Lampstand

31 (AC)“You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. 32 And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; 33 three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. 34 And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, 35 and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand. 36 Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. 37 You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps (AD)shall be set up so as (AE)to give light on the space in front of it. 38 Its tongs and their trays shall be of pure gold. 39 It shall be made, with all these utensils, out of a talent[e] of pure gold. 40 And (AF)see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 25:5 Uncertain; possibly dolphin skins, or dugong skins; compare 26:14
  2. Exodus 25:10 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  3. Exodus 25:17 Or cover
  4. Exodus 25:25 A handbreadth was about 3 inches or 7.5 centimeters
  5. Exodus 25:39 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms