Exodus 37

The Voice

37 After this Bezalel built the covenant chest out of acacia wood. It was 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high. ² He overlaid the entire thing, inside and out, with pure gold, and decorated it with gold trim all the way around it. ³ He cast four gold rings and attached them to its four corners—two rings on each side of the chest. ⁴ He made poles out of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. ⁵ He slid the poles through the rings on the sides of the chest in order to carry it without touching it. The poles were never to be removed.

⁶ He built a cover for the chest out of pure gold. It is known as the seat of mercy—where sins are atoned—and it was 45 inches long and 27 inches wide. ⁷ He also fashioned two winged guardians out of hammered gold and placed them at both ends of the seat of mercy. ⁸ He placed one winged creature at each end of the seat of mercy. He had it made so that the winged guardians appeared as one solid piece with the cover. ⁹ The guardians faced one another with bowed heads, their wings spread so that they were reaching up and covering the seat of mercy.

¹⁰ Bezalel then built the table out of acacia wood—36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high. ¹¹ He overlaid it with pure gold, and decorated it with gold trim around the edge. ¹² He put a three-inch-wide rim around it and placed gold trim around the rim. ¹³ Then he cast four gold rings and attached them to each of the table’s four corners at its four legs. ¹⁴ The rings were placed just beneath the rim so they could hold the poles in order to carry the table. ¹⁵ He made the poles out of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. ¹⁶ He had his artisans make different kinds of vessels for use at the table—platters, pans, pitchers, and bowls—out of pure gold for use with the offerings of incense and drink.

¹⁷ Then Bezalel fashioned a lampstand out of pure, hammered gold. He made its base, trunk, branches, decorative buds and blossoms, and lamp cups out of one solid piece. ¹⁸ Six branches extended from the trunk’s sides—three on one side and three on the other. ¹⁹ Each of the six branches had three decorative cups shaped like almond blossoms whose buds have just flowered. ²⁰ On the trunk of the lampstand, there were four cups, shaped like almond blossoms whose buds have just flowered. ²¹ A single almond bud sat beneath each pair of six branches extending out from the trunk of the lampstand. ²² All the buds and branches were crafted out of pure, hammered gold of one solid piece. ²³ Bezalel had his artisans make seven lamps, trays, and tongs out of pure gold. ²⁴ He made the lampstand and all its accessories out of 75 pounds of pure gold.

²⁵ Bezalel then built the altar of incense out of more acacia wood. He made it in the shape of a square—18 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 36 inches high. He carved the horns and the top of the altar out of one piece of wood. ²⁶ He overlaid the whole thing, the top, the sides, and the horns with pure gold and attached a gold trim around its edges. ²⁷ He fashioned two gold rings and attached them beneath the trim on the two opposite sides to hold the poles used to carry the altar. ²⁸ He made the poles out of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

²⁹ With the skill of a master perfumer, he blended the ingredients to make the sacred anointing oil and fragrant incense.