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Exodus 36-40
English Standard Version

36 “Bezalel and Oholiab and (A)every craftsman in whom the Lord has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.”

2 And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the Lord had put skill, everyone (B)whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work. 3 And they received from Moses all the (C)contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him (D)freewill offerings every morning, 4 so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing, 5 and said to Moses, (E)“The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.” 6 So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the (F)contribution for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing, 7 for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.

8 (G)And all the craftsmen among the workmen made the tabernacle with ten curtains. They were made of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns, with cherubim skillfully worked. 9 The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits,[a] and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains were the same size.

10 He[b] 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 outermost curtain of the first set. Likewise he made them on the edge of the outermost curtain of the second set. 12 He made fifty loops on the one curtain, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second set. The loops were opposite one another. 13 And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one to the other with clasps. So the tabernacle was a single whole.

14 He also made curtains of goats' hair for a tent over the tabernacle. He made eleven curtains. 15 The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. The eleven curtains were the same size. 16 He coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. 17 And he made fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain of the one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the other connecting curtain. 18 And he made fifty clasps of bronze to couple the tent together that it might be a single whole. 19 And he made for the tent a covering of tanned rams' skins and goatskins.

20 (H)Then he made the upright frames for the tabernacle of (I)acacia wood. 21 Ten cubits was the length of a frame, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each frame. 22 Each frame had two tenons for fitting together. He did this for all the frames of the tabernacle. 23 The frames for the tabernacle he made thus: twenty frames for the south side. 24 And he made forty bases of silver under the twenty frames, two bases under one frame for its two tenons, and two bases under the next frame for its two tenons. 25 For the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty frames 26 and their forty bases of silver, two bases under one frame and two bases under the next frame. 27 For the rear of the tabernacle westward he made six frames. 28 He made two frames for corners of the tabernacle in the rear. 29 And they were separate beneath but joined at the top, at the first ring. He made two of them this way for the two corners. 30 There were eight frames with their bases of silver: sixteen bases, under every frame two bases.

31 He made bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle, 32 and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the tabernacle at the rear westward. 33 And he made the middle bar to run from end to end halfway up the frames. 34 And he overlaid the frames with gold, and made their rings of gold for holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.

35 (J)He made the veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; with cherubim skillfully worked into it he made it. 36 And for it he made four pillars of acacia and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were of gold, and he cast for them four bases of silver. 37 He also made a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework, 38 and its five pillars with their hooks. He overlaid their capitals, and their fillets were of gold, but their five bases were of bronze.

Making the Ark

37 (K)Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Two cubits[c] and a half was its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 2 And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold around it. 3 And he cast for it four rings of gold for its (L)four feet, two rings on its one side and two rings on its other side. 4 And he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold 5 and put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark. 6 And he made a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half was its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. 7 And he made two cherubim of gold. He made them of hammered work on the two ends of the mercy seat, 8 one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat he made the cherubim on its two ends. 9 The cherubim spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat were the faces of the cherubim.

Making the Table

10 (M)He also made the table of acacia wood. Two cubits was its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made a molding of gold around it. 12 And he made a rim around it a handbreadth[d] wide, and made a molding of gold around the rim. 13 He cast for it four rings of gold and fastened the rings to the four corners at its four legs. 14 Close to the frame were the rings, as holders for the poles to carry the table. 15 He made the poles of acacia wood to carry the table, and overlaid them with gold. 16 And he made the vessels of pure gold that were to be on the table, its plates and dishes for incense, and its bowls and flagons with which to pour drink offerings.

Making the Lampstand

17 (N)He also made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work. Its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers were of one piece with it. 18 And there were 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; 19 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. 20 And on the lampstand itself were four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, 21 and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out of it. 22 Their calyxes and their branches were of one piece with it. The whole of it was a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. 23 And he made its seven lamps and its tongs and its trays of pure gold. 24 He made it and all its utensils out of a talent[e] of pure gold.

Making the Altar of Incense

25 (O)He made the altar of incense of acacia wood. Its length was a cubit, and its breadth was a cubit. It was square, and two cubits was its height. Its horns were of one piece with it. 26 He overlaid it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And he made a molding of gold around it, 27 and made two rings of gold on it under its molding, on two opposite sides of it, as holders for the poles with which to carry it. 28 And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

29 (P)He made the holy anointing oil also, and the (Q)pure fragrant incense, blended as by the perfumer.

Making the Altar of Burnt Offering

38 (R)He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. Five cubits[f] was its length, and five cubits its breadth. It was square, and three cubits was its height. 2 He made horns for it on its four corners. Its horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze. 3 And he made all the utensils of the altar, the pots, the shovels, the basins, the forks, and the fire pans. He made all its utensils of bronze. 4 And he made for the altar a grating, a network of bronze, under its ledge, extending halfway down. 5 He cast four rings on the four corners of the bronze grating as holders for the poles. 6 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. 7 And he put the poles through the rings on the sides of the altar to carry it with them. He made it hollow, with boards.

Making the Bronze Basin

8 (S)He made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze, from the mirrors of the (T)ministering women who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting.

Making the Court

9 (U)And he made the court. For the south side the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, a hundred cubits; 10 their twenty pillars and their twenty bases were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. 11 And for the north side there were hangings of a hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and their twenty bases were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. 12 And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their ten pillars, and their ten bases; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. 13 And for the front to the east, fifty cubits. 14 The hangings for one side of the gate were fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. 15 And so for the other side. On both sides of the gate of the court were hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three bases. 16 All the hangings around the court were of fine twined linen. 17 And the bases for the pillars were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. The overlaying of their capitals was also of silver, and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver. 18 And the screen for the gate of the court was embroidered with needlework in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It was twenty cubits long and five cubits high in its breadth, corresponding to the hangings of the court. 19 And their pillars were four in number. Their four bases were of bronze, their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their capitals and their fillets of silver. 20 And all the pegs for the tabernacle and for the court all around were of bronze.

Materials for the Tabernacle

21 These are the records of the tabernacle, (V)the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were recorded at the commandment of Moses, the responsibility of the Levites (W)under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 22 (X)Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord commanded Moses; 23 and with him was (Y)Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and designer and embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen.

24 All the gold that was used for the work, in all the construction of the sanctuary, the gold from the offering, was twenty-nine talents and 730 shekels,[g] by (Z)the shekel of the sanctuary. 25 The silver from those of the congregation who were recorded was a hundred talents and 1,775 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary: 26 a (AA)beka[h] a head (that is, half a shekel, by the shekel of the sanctuary), for everyone who was listed in the records, from twenty years old and upward, for (AB)603,550 men. 27 The hundred talents of silver were for casting the (AC)bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil; a hundred bases for the hundred talents, a talent a base. 28 And of the 1,775 shekels he made hooks for the pillars and overlaid their capitals and made fillets for them. 29 The bronze that was offered was seventy talents and 2,400 shekels; 30 with it he made the (AD)bases for the entrance of the tent of meeting, (AE)the bronze altar and the bronze grating for it and all the utensils of the altar, 31 the (AF)bases around the court, and the (AG)bases of the gate of the court, all the (AH)pegs of the tabernacle, and all the pegs around the court.

Making the Priestly Garments

39 From the (AI)blue and purple and scarlet yarns they made (AJ)finely woven garments,[i] for ministering in the Holy Place. They made the holy garments for Aaron, (AK)as the Lord had commanded Moses.

2 (AL)He made the ephod of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 3 And they hammered out gold leaf, and he cut it into threads to work into the blue and purple and the scarlet yarns, and into the fine twined linen, in skilled design. 4 They made for the ephod attaching shoulder pieces, joined to it at its two edges. 5 And the skillfully woven band on it was of one piece with it and made like it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

6 They made the onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold filigree, and engraved like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel. 7 And he set them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod to be stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

8 (AM)He made the breastpiece, in skilled work, in the style of the ephod, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 9 It was square. They made the breastpiece doubled, a span[j] its length and a span its breadth when doubled. 10 And they set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle was the first row; 11 and the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; 12 and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 13 and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold filigree. 14 There were twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They were like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. 15 And they made on the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. 16 And they made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. 17 And they put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. 18 They attached the two ends of the two cords to the two settings of filigree. Thus they attached it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. 19 Then they made two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. 20 And they made two rings of gold, and attached them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 21 And they bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it should lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece should not come loose from the ephod, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

22 (AN)He also made the robe of the ephod woven all of blue, 23 and the opening of the robe in it was like the opening in a garment, with a binding around the opening, so that it might not tear. 24 On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. 25 They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates all around the hem of the robe, between the pomegranates— 26 a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate around the hem of the robe for ministering, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

27 (AO)They also made the coats, woven of fine (AP)linen, for Aaron and his sons, 28 and the (AQ)turban of fine linen, and the caps of fine linen, and the linen undergarments of fine twined linen, 29 and the sash of fine twined linen and of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, embroidered with needlework, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

30 (AR)They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription, like the engraving of a signet, “Holy to the Lord.” 31 And they tied to it a cord of blue to fasten it on the turban above, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

32 Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished, and the people of Israel did (AS)according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses; so they did. 33 Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its utensils, its hooks, its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; 34 the covering of tanned rams' skins and goatskins, and the (AT)veil of the screen; 35 the ark of the testimony with its poles and the mercy seat; 36 the table with all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; 37 (AU)the lampstand of pure gold and its lamps with the lamps set and all its utensils, and the oil for the light; 38 (AV)the golden altar, the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and (AW)the screen for the entrance of the tent; 39 the bronze altar, and its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin and its stand; 40 (AX)the hangings of the court, its pillars, and its bases, and the (AY)screen for the gate of the court, its (AZ)cords, and its pegs; and all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; 41 the finely worked garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons for their service as priests. 42 (BA)According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work. 43 And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses (BB)blessed them.

The Tabernacle Erected

40 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “On the (BC)first day of the first month you shall (BD)erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall (BE)screen the ark with the veil. 4 And (BF)you shall bring in the table and arrange it, and (BG)you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 (BH)And you shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 6 (BI)You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, 7 (BJ)and place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8 And you shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court.

9 “Then you shall take the (BK)anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it may become holy. 10 You shall also anoint (BL)the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, (BM)so that the altar may become most holy. 11 You shall also anoint the basin and its stand, and consecrate it. 12 (BN)Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water 13 and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest. 14 You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them, 15 (BO)and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall admit them to a (BP)perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.”

16 This Moses did; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did. 17 In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, (BQ)the tabernacle was erected. 18 Moses erected the tabernacle. He laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars. 19 And he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 20 He (BR)took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on the ark. 21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle and (BS)set up the veil of the screen, and screened (BT)the ark of the testimony, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 22 (BU)He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil, 23 and arranged the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 24 (BV)He put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle, 25 (BW)and set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 26 (BX)He put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil, 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 28 (BY)He put in place the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 29 (BZ)And he set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the (CA)grain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 30 (CB)He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing, 31 with which Moses and (CC)Aaron and his sons (CD)washed their hands and their feet. 32 When they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, as the Lord commanded Moses. 33 (CE)And he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So (CF)Moses finished the work.

The Glory of the Lord

34 Then (CG)the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and (CH)the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 Throughout all their journeys, (CI)whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. 37 But (CJ)if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 36:9 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  2. Exodus 36:10 Probably Bezalel (compare 35:30; 37:1)
  3. Exodus 37:1 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  4. Exodus 37:12 A handbreadth was about 3 inches or 7.5 centimeters
  5. Exodus 37:24 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
  6. Exodus 38:1 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  7. Exodus 38:24 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms; a shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
  8. Exodus 38:26 A beka was about 1/5 ounce or 5.5 grams
  9. Exodus 39:1 Or garments for worship
  10. Exodus 39:9 A span was about 9 inches or 22 centimeters
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Exodus 36-40
New International Version

36 1 So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person(A) to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary(B) are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded.”

2 Then Moses summoned Bezalel(C) and Oholiab(D) and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability and who was willing(E) to come and do the work. 3 They received from Moses all the offerings(F) the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. 4 So all the skilled workers who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left what they were doing 5 and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough(G) for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done.”

6 Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, 7 because what they already had was more(H) than enough to do all the work.

The Tabernacle(I)

8 All those who were skilled among the workers made the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim woven into them by expert hands. 9 All the curtains were the same size—twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide.[a] 10 They joined five of the curtains together and did the same with the other five. 11 Then they made loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in one set, and the same was done with the end curtain in the other set. 12 They also made fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the other set, with the loops opposite each other. 13 Then they made fifty gold clasps and used them to fasten the two sets of curtains together so that the tabernacle was a unit.(J)

14 They made curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle—eleven altogether. 15 All eleven curtains were the same size—thirty cubits long and four cubits wide.[b] 16 They joined five of the curtains into one set and the other six into another set. 17 Then they made fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in one set and also along the edge of the end curtain in the other set. 18 They made fifty bronze clasps to fasten the tent together as a unit.(K) 19 Then they made for the tent a covering of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of the other durable leather.[c]

20 They made upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle. 21 Each frame was ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide,[d] 22 with two projections set parallel to each other. They made all the frames of the tabernacle in this way. 23 They made twenty frames for the south side of the tabernacle 24 and made forty silver bases to go under them—two bases for each frame, one under each projection. 25 For the other side, the north side of the tabernacle, they made twenty frames 26 and forty silver bases—two under each frame. 27 They made six frames for the far end, that is, the west end of the tabernacle, 28 and two frames were made for the corners of the tabernacle at the far end. 29 At these two corners the frames were double from the bottom all the way to the top and fitted into a single ring; both were made alike. 30 So there were eight frames and sixteen silver bases—two under each frame.

31 They also made crossbars of acacia wood: five for the frames on one side of the tabernacle, 32 five for those on the other side, and five for the frames on the west, at the far end of the tabernacle. 33 They made the center crossbar so that it extended from end to end at the middle of the frames. 34 They overlaid the frames with gold and made gold rings to hold the crossbars. They also overlaid the crossbars with gold.

35 They made the curtain(L) of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim woven into it by a skilled worker. 36 They made four posts of acacia wood for it and overlaid them with gold. They made gold hooks for them and cast their four silver bases. 37 For the entrance to the tent they made a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen—the work of an embroiderer;(M) 38 and they made five posts with hooks for them. They overlaid the tops of the posts and their bands with gold and made their five bases of bronze.

The Ark(N)

37 Bezalel(O) made the ark(P) of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.[e] 2 He overlaid it with pure gold,(Q) both inside and out, and made a gold molding around it. 3 He cast four gold rings for it and fastened them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. 4 Then he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 5 And he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it.

6 He made the atonement cover(R) of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 7 Then he made two cherubim(S) out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. 8 He made one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; at the two ends he made them of one piece with the cover. 9 The cherubim had their wings spread upward, overshadowing(T) the cover with them. The cherubim faced each other, looking toward the cover.(U)

The Table(V)

10 They[f] made the table(W) of acacia wood—two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high.[g] 11 Then they overlaid it with pure gold(X) and made a gold molding around it. 12 They also made around it a rim a handbreadth[h] wide and put a gold molding on the rim. 13 They cast four gold rings for the table and fastened them to the four corners, where the four legs were. 14 The rings(Y) were put close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. 15 The poles for carrying the table were made of acacia wood and were overlaid with gold. 16 And they made from pure gold the articles for the table—its plates and dishes and bowls and its pitchers for the pouring out of drink offerings.

The Lampstand(Z)

17 They made the lampstand(AA) of pure gold. They hammered out its base and shaft, and made its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them. 18 Six branches extended from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other. 19 Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on one branch, three on the next branch and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. 20 And on the lampstand were four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. 21 One bud was 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. 22 The buds and the branches were all of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold.(AB)

23 They made its seven lamps,(AC) as well as its wick trimmers and trays, of pure gold. 24 They made the lampstand and all its accessories from one talent[i] of pure gold.

The Altar of Incense(AD)

25 They made the altar of incense(AE) out of acacia wood. It was square, a cubit long and a cubit wide and two cubits high[j]—its horns(AF) of one piece with it. 26 They overlaid the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and made a gold molding around it. 27 They made two gold rings(AG) below the molding—two on each of the opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it. 28 They made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.(AH)

29 They also made the sacred anointing oil(AI) and the pure, fragrant incense(AJ)—the work of a perfumer.

The Altar of Burnt Offering(AK)

38 They[k] built the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, three cubits[l] high; it was square, five cubits long and five cubits wide.[m] 2 They made a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar were of one piece, and they overlaid the altar with bronze.(AL) 3 They made all its utensils(AM) of bronze—its pots, shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and firepans. 4 They made a grating for the altar, a bronze network, to be under its ledge, halfway up the altar. 5 They cast bronze rings to hold the poles for the four corners of the bronze grating. 6 They made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. 7 They inserted the poles into the rings so they would be on the sides of the altar for carrying it. They made it hollow, out of boards.

The Basin for Washing

8 They made the bronze basin(AN) and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women(AO) who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

The Courtyard(AP)

9 Next they made the courtyard. The south side was a hundred cubits[n] long and had 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 was also a hundred cubits long and had twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, with silver hooks and bands on the posts.

12 The west end was fifty cubits[o] wide and had curtains, with ten posts and ten bases, with silver hooks and bands on the posts. 13 The east end, toward the sunrise, was also fifty cubits wide. 14 Curtains fifteen cubits[p] long were on one side of the entrance, with three posts and three bases, 15 and curtains fifteen cubits long were on the other side of the entrance to the courtyard, with three posts and three bases. 16 All the curtains around the courtyard were of finely twisted linen. 17 The bases for the posts were bronze. The hooks and bands on the posts were silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver; so all the posts of the courtyard had silver bands.

18 The curtain for the entrance to the courtyard was made of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen—the work of an embroiderer. It was twenty cubits[q] long and, like the curtains of the courtyard, five cubits[r] high, 19 with four posts and four bronze bases. Their hooks and bands were silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver. 20 All the tent pegs(AQ) of the tabernacle and of the surrounding courtyard were bronze.

The Materials Used

21 These are the amounts of the materials used for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the covenant law,(AR) which were recorded at Moses’ command by the Levites under the direction of Ithamar(AS) son of Aaron, the priest. 22 (Bezalel(AT) son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything the Lord commanded Moses; 23 with him was Oholiab(AU) son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan—an engraver and designer, and an embroiderer in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen.) 24 The total amount of the gold from the wave offering used for all the work on the sanctuary(AV) was 29 talents and 730 shekels,[s] according to the sanctuary shekel.(AW)

25 The silver obtained from those of the community who were counted in the census(AX) was 100 talents[t] and 1,775 shekels,[u] according to the sanctuary shekel— 26 one beka per person,(AY) that is, half a shekel,[v] according to the sanctuary shekel,(AZ) from everyone who had crossed over to those counted, twenty years old or more,(BA) a total of 603,550 men.(BB) 27 The 100 talents of silver were used to cast the bases(BC) for the sanctuary and for the curtain—100 bases from the 100 talents, one talent for each base. 28 They used the 1,775 shekels to make the hooks for the posts, to overlay the tops of the posts, and to make their bands.

29 The bronze from the wave offering was 70 talents and 2,400 shekels.[w] 30 They used it to make the bases for the entrance to the tent of meeting, the bronze altar with its bronze grating and all its utensils, 31 the bases for the surrounding courtyard and those for its entrance and all the tent pegs for the tabernacle and those for the surrounding courtyard.

The Priestly Garments

39 From the blue, purple and scarlet yarn(BD) they made woven garments for ministering in the sanctuary.(BE) They also made sacred garments(BF) for Aaron, as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Ephod(BG)

2 They[x] made the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. 3 They hammered out thin sheets of gold and cut strands to be worked into the blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen—the work of skilled hands. 4 They made shoulder pieces for the ephod, which were attached to two of its corners, so it could be fastened. 5 Its skillfully woven waistband was like it—of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen, as the Lord commanded Moses.

6 They mounted the onyx stones in gold filigree settings and engraved them like a seal with the names of the sons of Israel. 7 Then they fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial(BH) stones for the sons of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Breastpiece(BI)

8 They fashioned the breastpiece(BJ)—the work of a skilled craftsman. They made it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. 9 It was square—a span[y] long and a span wide—and folded double. 10 Then they mounted four rows of precious stones on it. The first row was carnelian, chrysolite and beryl; 11 the second row was turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald; 12 the third row was jacinth, agate and amethyst; 13 the fourth row was topaz, onyx and jasper.[z] They were mounted in gold filigree settings. 14 There were twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.(BK)

15 For the breastpiece they made braided chains of pure gold, like a rope. 16 They made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings, and fastened the rings to two of the corners of the breastpiece. 17 They fastened the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece, 18 and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. 19 They made two gold rings and attached them to the other two corners of the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod. 20 Then they made two more gold rings and attached 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. 21 They tied the rings of the breastpiece to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband so that the breastpiece would not swing out from the ephod—as the Lord commanded Moses.

Other Priestly Garments(BL)

22 They made the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth—the work of a weaver— 23 with an opening in the center of the robe like the opening of a collar,[aa] and a band around this opening, so that it would not tear. 24 They made pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen around the hem of the robe. 25 And they made bells of pure gold and attached them around the hem between the pomegranates. 26 The bells and pomegranates alternated around the hem of the robe to be worn for ministering, as the Lord commanded Moses.

27 For Aaron and his sons, they made tunics of fine linen(BM)—the work of a weaver— 28 and the turban(BN) of fine linen, the linen caps and the undergarments of finely twisted linen. 29 The sash was made of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn—the work of an embroiderer—as the Lord commanded Moses.

30 They made the plate, the sacred emblem, out of pure gold and engraved on it, like an inscription on a seal: holy to the Lord.(BO) 31 Then they fastened a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban,(BP) as the Lord commanded Moses.

Moses Inspects the Tabernacle(BQ)

32 So all the work on the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was completed. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses.(BR) 33 Then they brought the tabernacle(BS) to Moses: the tent and all its furnishings, its clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases; 34 the covering of ram skins dyed red and the covering of another durable leather[ab] and the shielding curtain; 35 the ark of the covenant law(BT) with its poles and the atonement cover; 36 the table(BU) with all its articles and the bread of the Presence;(BV) 37 the pure gold lampstand(BW) with its row of lamps and all its accessories,(BX) and the olive oil(BY) for the light; 38 the gold altar,(BZ) the anointing oil,(CA) the fragrant incense,(CB) and the curtain(CC) for the entrance to the tent; 39 the bronze altar(CD) with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the basin(CE) with its stand; 40 the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard;(CF) the ropes and tent pegs for the courtyard; all the furnishings for the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; 41 and the woven garments(CG) worn for ministering in the sanctuary, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when serving as priests.

42 The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses.(CH) 43 Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded.(CI) So Moses blessed(CJ) them.

Setting Up the Tabernacle

40 Then the Lord said to Moses: 2 “Set up(CK) the tabernacle, the tent of meeting,(CL) on the first day of the first month.(CM) 3 Place the ark(CN) of the covenant law in it and shield the ark with the curtain. 4 Bring in the table(CO) and set out what belongs on it.(CP) Then bring in the lampstand(CQ) and set up its lamps. 5 Place the gold altar(CR) of incense in front of the ark of the covenant law and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.

6 “Place the altar(CS) of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; 7 place the basin(CT) between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. 8 Set up the courtyard(CU) around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.

9 “Take the anointing oil and anoint(CV) the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings,(CW) and it will be holy. 10 Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate(CX) the altar, and it will be most holy. 11 Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them.

12 “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting(CY) and wash them with water.(CZ) 13 Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments,(DA) anoint him and consecrate(DB) him so he may serve me as priest. 14 Bring his sons and dress them in tunics.(DC) 15 Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations.(DD)” 16 Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded(DE) him.

17 So the tabernacle(DF) was set up on the first day of the first month(DG) in the second year. 18 When Moses(DH) set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames,(DI) inserted the crossbars and set up the posts. 19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering(DJ) over the tent, as the Lord commanded(DK) him.

20 He took the tablets of the covenant law(DL) and placed them in the ark,(DM) attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover(DN) over it. 21 Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain(DO) and shielded the ark of the covenant law, as the Lord commanded(DP) him.

22 Moses placed the table(DQ) in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain 23 and set out the bread(DR) on it before the Lord, as the Lord commanded(DS) him.

24 He placed the lampstand(DT) in the tent of meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle 25 and set up the lamps(DU) before the Lord, as the Lord commanded(DV) him.

26 Moses placed the gold altar(DW) in the tent of meeting in front of the curtain 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord commanded(DX) him.

28 Then he put up the curtain(DY) at the entrance to the tabernacle. 29 He set the altar(DZ) of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings,(EA) as the Lord commanded(EB) him.

30 He placed the basin(EC) between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing, 31 and Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash(ED) their hands and feet. 32 They washed whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar,(EE) as the Lord commanded(EF) Moses.

33 Then Moses set up the courtyard(EG) around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain(EH) at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.

The Glory of the Lord

34 Then the cloud(EI) covered the tent of meeting, and the glory(EJ) of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory(EK) of the Lord filled the tabernacle.(EL)

36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out;(EM) 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloud(EN) of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 36:9 That is, about 42 feet long and 6 feet wide or about 13 meters long and 1.8 meters wide
  2. Exodus 36:15 That is, about 45 feet long and 6 feet wide or about 14 meters long and 1.8 meters wide
  3. Exodus 36:19 Possibly the hides of large aquatic mammals (see 35:7)
  4. Exodus 36:21 That is, about 15 feet long and 2 1/4 feet wide or about 4.5 meters long and 68 centimeters wide
  5. Exodus 37:1 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 6
  6. Exodus 37:10 Or He; also in verses 11-29
  7. Exodus 37:10 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
  8. Exodus 37:12 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters
  9. Exodus 37:24 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms
  10. Exodus 37:25 That is, about 1 1/2 feet long and wide and 3 feet high or about 45 centimeters long and wide and 90 centimeters high
  11. Exodus 38:1 Or He; also in verses 2-9
  12. Exodus 38:1 That is, about 4 1/2 feet or about 1.4 meters
  13. Exodus 38:1 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters long and wide
  14. Exodus 38:9 That is, about 150 feet or about 45 meters
  15. Exodus 38:12 That is, about 75 feet or about 23 meters
  16. Exodus 38:14 That is, about 22 feet or about 6.8 meters
  17. Exodus 38:18 That is, about 30 feet or about 9 meters
  18. Exodus 38:18 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters
  19. Exodus 38:24 The weight of the gold was a little over a ton or about 1 metric ton.
  20. Exodus 38:25 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons; also in verse 27
  21. Exodus 38:25 That is, about 44 pounds or about 20 kilograms; also in verse 28
  22. Exodus 38:26 That is, about 1/5 ounce or about 5.7 grams
  23. Exodus 38:29 The weight of the bronze was about 2 1/2 tons or about 2.4 metric tons.
  24. Exodus 39:2 Or He; also in verses 7, 8 and 22
  25. Exodus 39:9 That is, about 9 inches or about 23 centimeters
  26. Exodus 39:13 The precise identification of some of these precious stones is uncertain.
  27. Exodus 39:23 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  28. Exodus 39:34 Possibly the hides of large aquatic mammals
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Exodus 35
Leviticus 1
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