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36 “Bezalel and Oholiab shall work with every wise-hearted man, in whom Yahweh has put wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that Yahweh has commanded.”

Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab, and every wise-hearted man, in whose heart Yahweh had put wisdom, even everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to the work to do it. They received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, with which to make it. They kept bringing free will offerings to him every morning. All the wise men, who performed all the work of the sanctuary, each came from his work which he did. They spoke to Moses, saying, “The people have brought much more than enough for the service of the work which Yahweh commanded to make.”

Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, “Let neither man nor woman make anything else for the offering for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing. For the stuff they had was sufficient to do all the work, and too much.

All the wise-hearted men among those who did the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, blue, purple, and scarlet. They made them with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman. The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits,[a] and the width of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains had one measure. 10 He coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another. 11 He made loops of blue on the edge of the one curtain from the edge in the coupling. Likewise he made in the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the second coupling. 12 He made fifty loops in the one curtain, and he made fifty loops in the edge of the curtain that was in the second coupling. The loops were opposite to one another. 13 He made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains to one another with the clasps: so the tabernacle was a unit.

14 He made curtains of goats’ hair for a covering over the tabernacle. He made them eleven curtains. 15 The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits the width of each curtain. The eleven curtains had one measure. 16 He coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. 17 He made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the coupling, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain which was outermost in the second coupling. 18 He made fifty clasps of bronze to couple the tent together, that it might be a unit. 19 He made a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering of sea cow hides above.

20 He made the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing up. 21 Ten cubits was the length of a board, and a cubit and a half the width of each board. 22 Each board had two tenons, joined to one another. He made all the boards of the tabernacle this way. 23 He made the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side southward. 24 He made forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards: two sockets under one board for its two tenons, and two sockets under another board for its two tenons. 25 For the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty boards 26 and their forty sockets of silver: two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. 27 For the far part of the tabernacle westward he made six boards. 28 He made two boards for the corners of the tabernacle in the far part. 29 They were double beneath, and in the same way they were all the way to its top to one ring. He did this to both of them in the two corners. 30 There were eight boards and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets—under every board two sockets.

31 He made bars of acacia wood: five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, 32 and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the hinder part westward. 33 He made the middle bar to pass through in the middle of the boards from the one end to the other. 34 He overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold as places for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.

35 He made the veil of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. He made it the work of a skillful workman. 36 He made four pillars of acacia for it, and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were of gold. He cast four sockets of silver for them. 37 He made a screen for the door of the tent, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of an embroiderer; 38 and the five pillars of it with their hooks. He overlaid their capitals and their fillets with gold, and their five sockets were of bronze.

Footnotes

  1. 36:9 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.

36 Bezalel and Oholiab and all the skilled craftsmen to whom the Lord gave wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work in constructing[a] the sanctuary are to do everything that the Lord has commanded.”

Contributions for Building the Tent

Then Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the skilled[b] people to whom the Lord had given ability,[c] including everyone whose hearts stirred them to come forward to do the work. They received from Moses all the offerings that the Israelis had brought for doing the work of constructing[d] the sanctuary, and the people[e] continued to bring freewill offerings every morning. All the craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left the work they were doing and told Moses, “The people are bringing much more than enough for the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.” Then Moses issued an order, and the message was taken throughout the camp, “Men and women, don’t bring any more offerings for the sanctuary.” The people were restrained from bringing any more,[f] since the material was more than sufficient for doing all the work.

All the skilled craftsmen among the workers made the tent with ten curtains of fine woven[g] linen, blue, purple, and scarlet material.[h] He[i] made them with cherubim skillfully worked into them. The length of each curtain was 28 cubits,[j] and the width of each curtain two cubits.[k] All the curtains had the same measurements.[l] 10 He joined five of the curtains together, and the other five curtains he joined together. 11 He made loops of blue material[m] along the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set, and likewise, he made loops along the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set. 12 He made 50 loops in the one curtain, and he made 50 loops along the edge of the curtain that is in the second set, with the loops opposite each other. 13 Then he made 50 gold clasps, and joined the curtains to each other with the clasps so the tent was one piece.

14 He made curtains of goat hair for a tent over the tent; he made 11 curtains. 15 The length of each curtain was 30 cubits,[n] and the width of each curtain was two cubits;[o] the measurements of each of the eleven curtains was the same.[p] 16 He joined five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. 17 He made 50 loops along the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set, and 50 loops along the edge of the curtain of the other set. 18 He made 50 bronze clasps to join the tent together so it would be one piece. 19 Then he made a cover for the tent of ram skins dyed red[q] and a covering of dolphin[r] skins above that.

20 Then he made upright boards of acacia wood for the tent. 21 Each[s] board was ten cubits[t] long, and one and a half cubits[u] wide. 22 Each board had two pegs, joined to one another, and he did this for all the boards of the tent. 23 He made the boards for the tent: 20 boards for the south side.[v] 24 He made 40 silver sockets under the 20 boards: two sockets under one board for its two pegs and two sockets[w] under the next[x] board for its two pegs. 25 For the second side of the tent to the north he made 20 boards,[y] 26 and 40 silver sockets for them, two sockets under one board and two sockets under the next[z] board. 27 For the rear of the tent on the west he made six boards, 28 and he made two boards for the rear corners of the tent. 29 They were joined together[aa] at the bottom and they were connected[ab] on top, by one ring. He did this for the two of them, and they were the two corners. 30 There were eight boards with their sixteen silver sockets, two sockets under each board.

31 Then he made bars of acacia wood, five for the boards on one side of the tent, 32 five bars for the boards on the second side of the tent, and five bars for the boards on the back side of the tent to the west. 33 He made the middle bar in the center of the boards pass through from end to end. 34 He overlaid the boards with gold, and made gold rings for them as holders for the bars, and he overlaid the bars with gold.

35 He made a curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet material, and fine woven linen. He made it with cherubim skillfully worked into it. 36 He made four pillars of acacia for it and overlaid them with gold, along with their gold hooks, and he cast four silver sockets for them. 37 For the doorway of the tent, he made a screen of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine woven linen, the work of an embroiderer, 38 and five pillars of acacia along with their hooks. He overlaid their tops and their bands[ac] with gold. Their five sockets were made of bronze.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 36:1 Lit. for the service of
  2. Exodus 36:2 Lit. wise of heart
  3. Exodus 36:2 Lit. wisdom in his heart
  4. Exodus 36:3 Lit. for the service of
  5. Exodus 36:3 Lit. they
  6. Exodus 36:6 The Heb. lacks any more
  7. Exodus 36:8 Or twisted
  8. Exodus 36:8 The Heb. lacks material
  9. Exodus 36:8 Perhaps Bezalel as the head of the skilled workers; and so through the rest of the book
  10. Exodus 36:9 I.e. about 42 feet
  11. Exodus 36:9 I.e. about six feet
  12. Exodus 36:9 Lit. the measure of one for every curtain
  13. Exodus 36:11 The Heb. lacks material
  14. Exodus 36:15 I.e. about 45 feet
  15. Exodus 36:15 I.e. about six feet
  16. Exodus 36:15 Lit. the measure of one for the eleven curtains
  17. Exodus 36:19 Or tanned
  18. Exodus 36:19 Or dugong, a marine animal resembling a walrus or manatee
  19. Exodus 36:21 Lit. the one
  20. Exodus 36:21 I.e. about 15 feet
  21. Exodus 36:21 I.e. about 27 inches
  22. Exodus 36:23 Lit. toward the Negev (south), toward Teman (a city to the south)
  23. Exodus 36:24 Or bases
  24. Exodus 36:24 Lit. the one
  25. Exodus 36:25 The Heb. lacks he made
  26. Exodus 36:26 Lit. the one
  27. Exodus 36:29 Lit. twins; i.e. perhaps designed with interlocking pieces
  28. Exodus 36:29 Lit. complete; i.e.. perhaps the tops were joined together by a metal ring
  29. Exodus 36:38 Perhaps a kind of connecting rod joining the pillars together