The Bronze Altar

27 “You shall make the (A)altar of acacia wood, five cubits[a] long and five cubits broad. The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. And you shall make (B)horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and (C)you shall overlay it with bronze. You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and (D)forks and fire pans. You shall make all its utensils of bronze. You shall also make for it a grating, a network of bronze, and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. And you shall set it under the ledge of the altar so that the net extends halfway down the altar. And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. And the poles shall be put through the rings, so that the poles are on the two sides of the altar when it is carried. You shall make it hollow, with boards. (E)As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made.

The Court of the Tabernacle

(F)“You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side. 10 Its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. 11 And likewise for its length on the north side there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long, its pillars twenty and their bases twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. 12 And for the breadth of the court on the west side there shall be hangings for fifty cubits, with ten pillars and ten bases. 13 The breadth of the court on the front to the east shall be fifty cubits. 14 The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. 15 On the other side the hangings shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. 16 For the gate of the court there shall be (G)a screen twenty cubits long, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. It shall have four pillars and with them four bases. 17 All the pillars around the court shall be filleted with silver. Their hooks shall be of silver, and their bases of bronze. 18 The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, the breadth fifty, and the height five cubits, with hangings of fine twined linen and bases of bronze. 19 All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze.

Oil for the Lamp

20 (H)“You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. 21 (I)In the tent of meeting, (J)outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the Lord. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel.

The Priests' Garments

28 “Then bring near to you (K)Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron's sons, (L)Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. (M)And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. You shall speak to all the (N)skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. These are the garments that they shall make: a (O)breastpiece, an (P)ephod, (Q)a robe, (R)a coat of checker work, (S)a turban, and (T)a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests. They shall receive (U)gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen.

(V)“And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked. It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together. And the (W)skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. 11 As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree. 12 And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And (X)Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders (Y)for remembrance. 13 You shall make settings of gold filigree, 14 and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings.

15 (Z)“You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it—of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it. 16 It shall be square and doubled, a span[b] its length and a span its breadth. 17 (AA)You shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius,[c] topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row; 18 and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree. 21 There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. 22 You shall make for the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. 23 And you shall make for the breastpiece two rings of gold, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. 24 And you shall put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. 25 The two ends of the two cords you shall attach to the two settings of filigree, and so attach it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. 26 You shall make two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. 27 And you shall make two rings of gold, and attach them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the (AB)skillfully woven band of the ephod. 28 And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it may lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, so that the breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod. 29 (AC)So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular (AD)remembrance before the Lord. 30 And in the breastpiece of judgment (AE)you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron's heart, when he goes in before the Lord. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord regularly.

31 (AF)“You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment,[d] so that it may not tear. 33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them, 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe. 35 And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die.

36 “You shall make (AG)a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, (AH)‘Holy to the Lord.’ 37 And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban. 38 It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall (AI)bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.

39 “You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash embroidered with needlework.

40 (AJ)“For Aaron's sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them (AK)for glory and beauty. 41 And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall (AL)anoint them and ordain them and (AM)consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 42 You shall make for them (AN)linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the hips to the thighs; 43 and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they (AO)bear guilt and die. (AP)This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 27:1 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  2. Exodus 28:16 A span was about 9 inches or 22 centimeters
  3. Exodus 28:17 The identity of some of these stones is uncertain
  4. Exodus 28:32 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain; possibly coat of mail

The Altar of Burnt Offering(A)

27 “Build an altar(B) of acacia wood, three cubits[a] high; it is to be square, five cubits long and five cubits wide.[b] Make a horn(C) at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece, and overlay the altar with bronze. Make all its utensils of bronze—its pots to remove the ashes, and its shovels, sprinkling bowls,(D) meat forks and firepans.(E) Make a grating for it, a bronze network, and make a bronze ring at each of the four corners of the network. Put it under the ledge of the altar so that it is halfway up the altar. Make poles of acacia wood for the altar and overlay them with bronze.(F) The poles are to be inserted into the rings so they will be on two sides of the altar when it is carried.(G) Make the altar hollow, out of boards. It is to be made just as you were shown(H) on the mountain.

The Courtyard(I)

“Make a courtyard(J) for the tabernacle. The south side shall be a hundred cubits[c] long and is to have curtains of finely twisted linen, 10 with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts. 11 The north side shall also be a hundred cubits long and is to have curtains, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts.

12 “The west end of the courtyard shall be fifty cubits[d] wide and have curtains, with ten posts and ten bases. 13 On the east end, toward the sunrise, the courtyard shall also be fifty cubits wide. 14 Curtains fifteen cubits[e] long are to be on one side of the entrance, with three posts and three bases, 15 and curtains fifteen cubits long are to be on the other side, with three posts and three bases.

16 “For the entrance to the courtyard, provide a curtain(K) twenty cubits[f] long, of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen—the work of an embroiderer(L)—with four posts and four bases. 17 All the posts around the courtyard are to have silver bands and hooks, and bronze bases. 18 The courtyard shall be a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide,[g] with curtains of finely twisted linen five cubits[h] high, and with bronze bases. 19 All the other articles used in the service of the tabernacle, whatever their function, including all the tent pegs for it and those for the courtyard, are to be of bronze.

Oil for the Lampstand(M)

20 “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil(N) of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning. 21 In the tent of meeting,(O) outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law,(P) Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps(Q) burning before the Lord from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance(R) among the Israelites for the generations to come.

The Priestly Garments

28 “Have Aaron(S) your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu,(T) Eleazar and Ithamar,(U) so they may serve me as priests.(V) Make sacred garments(W) for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor.(X) Tell all the skilled workers(Y) to whom I have given wisdom(Z) in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest. These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece,(AA) an ephod,(AB) a robe,(AC) a woven tunic,(AD) a turban(AE) and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests. Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.(AF)

The Ephod(AG)

“Make the ephod(AH) of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen—the work of skilled hands. It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to two of its corners, so it can be fastened. Its skillfully woven waistband(AI) is to be like it—of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen.

“Take two onyx stones and engrave(AJ) on them the names of the sons of Israel 10 in the order of their birth—six names on one stone and the remaining six on the other. 11 Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings 12 and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders(AK) as a memorial(AL) before the Lord. 13 Make gold filigree settings 14 and two braided chains of pure gold, like a rope, and attach the chains to the settings.

The Breastpiece(AM)

15 “Fashion a breastpiece(AN) for making decisions—the work of skilled hands. Make it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. 16 It is to be square—a span[i] long and a span wide—and folded double. 17 Then mount four rows of precious stones(AO) on it. The first row shall be carnelian, chrysolite(AP) and beryl; 18 the second row shall be turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald; 19 the third row shall be jacinth, agate and amethyst; 20 the fourth row shall be topaz, onyx and jasper.[j] Mount them in gold filigree settings. 21 There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel,(AQ) each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.(AR)

22 “For the breastpiece make braided chains of pure gold, like a rope. 23 Make two gold rings for it and fasten them to two corners of the breastpiece. 24 Fasten the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece, 25 and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. 26 Make two gold rings and attach them to the other two corners of the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod. 27 Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod. 28 The rings of the breastpiece are to be tied to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband, so that the breastpiece will not swing out from the ephod.

29 “Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place,(AS) he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord. 30 Also put the Urim and the Thummim(AT) in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.

Other Priestly Garments(AU)

31 “Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, 32 with an opening for the head in its center. There shall be a woven edge like a collar[k] around this opening, so that it will not tear. 33 Make pomegranates(AV) of blue, purple and scarlet yarn around the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. 34 The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe. 35 Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he comes out, so that he will not die.

36 “Make a plate(AW) of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: holy to the Lord.(AX) 37 Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban. 38 It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and he will bear the guilt(AY) involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be on Aaron’s forehead continually so that they will be acceptable(AZ) to the Lord.

39 “Weave the tunic(BA) of fine linen and make the turban(BB) of fine linen. The sash is to be the work of an embroiderer. 40 Make tunics, sashes and caps for Aaron’s sons(BC) to give them dignity and honor.(BD) 41 After you put these clothes(BE) on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint(BF) and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.(BG)

42 “Make linen undergarments(BH) as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh. 43 Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the tent of meeting(BI) or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place,(BJ) so that they will not incur guilt and die.(BK)

“This is to be a lasting ordinance(BL) for Aaron and his descendants.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 27:1 That is, about 4 1/2 feet or about 1.4 meters
  2. Exodus 27:1 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters long and wide
  3. Exodus 27:9 That is, about 150 feet or about 45 meters; also in verse 11
  4. Exodus 27:12 That is, about 75 feet or about 23 meters; also in verse 13
  5. Exodus 27:14 That is, about 23 feet or about 6.8 meters; also in verse 15
  6. Exodus 27:16 That is, about 30 feet or about 9 meters
  7. Exodus 27:18 That is, about 150 feet long and 75 feet wide or about 45 meters long and 23 meters wide
  8. Exodus 27:18 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters
  9. Exodus 28:16 That is, about 9 inches or about 23 centimeters
  10. Exodus 28:20 The precise identification of some of these precious stones is uncertain.
  11. Exodus 28:32 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

23 (A)And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him (B)as he was teaching, and said, (C)“By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, (D)from where did it come? (E)From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, (F)‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From man,’ (G)we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was (H)a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 (I)“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in (J)the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he (K)changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, (L)the tax collectors and (M)the prostitutes go into (N)the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you (O)in the way of righteousness, and (P)you did not believe him, but (Q)the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward (R)change your minds and believe him.

The Parable of the Tenants

33 (S)“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted (T)a vineyard (U)and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and (V)leased it to tenants, and (W)went into another country. 34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants[a] to the tenants (X)to get his fruit. 35 (Y)And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and (Z)stoned another. 36 (AA)Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, (AB)‘This is the heir. Come, (AC)let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and (AD)threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 (AE)When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, (AF)“He will put those wretches to a miserable death and (AG)let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

42 Jesus said to them, (AH)“Have you never read in the Scriptures:

(AI)“‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;[b]
this was the Lord's doing,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God (AJ)will be taken away from you and given to a people (AK)producing its fruits. 44 And (AL)the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and (AM)when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”[c]

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And (AN)although they were seeking to arrest him, (AO)they feared the crowds, because they held him to be (AP)a prophet.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 21:34 Or bondservants; also verses 35, 36
  2. Matthew 21:42 Greek the head of the corner
  3. Matthew 21:44 Some manuscripts omit verse 44

The Authority of Jesus Questioned(A)

23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority(B) are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”

24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”(C)

27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’(D)

29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors(E) and the prostitutes(F) are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness,(G) and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors(H) and the prostitutes(I) did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent(J) and believe him.

The Parable of the Tenants(K)

33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted(L) a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower.(M) Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.(N) 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants(O) to the tenants to collect his fruit.

35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.(P) 36 Then he sent other servants(Q) to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir.(R) Come, let’s kill him(S) and take his inheritance.’(T) 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,”(U) they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants,(V) who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’[a]?(W)

43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you(X) and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”[b](Y)

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.(Z)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 21:42 Psalm 118:22,23
  2. Matthew 21:44 Some manuscripts do not have verse 44.