Exodus 24-25

Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Covenant Ceremony

24 Then He said to Moses, “Go up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and 70 of Israel’s elders,^(A) and bow in worship at a distance. ² Moses alone is to approach the Lord, but the others are not to approach, and the people are not to go up with him.”

³ Moses came and told the people all the commands of the Lord and all the ordinances. Then all the people responded with a single voice, “We will do everything that the Lord has commanded.”^{(B) 4} And Moses wrote^(C) down all the words of the Lord. He rose early the next morning and set up an altar and 12 pillars for the 12 tribes of Israel at the base of the mountain. ⁵ Then he sent out young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. ⁶ Moses took half the blood and set it in basins; the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. ⁷ He then took the covenant scroll and read it aloud to the people. They responded, “We will do and obey everything that the Lord has commanded.”

⁸ Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you concerning all these words.”^(D)

⁹ Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and 70 of Israel’s elders, ¹⁰ and they saw^(E) the God of Israel. Beneath His feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire^[a] stone, as clear as the sky itself.^{(F) 11} God did not harm^[b] the Israelite nobles; they saw^(G) Him, and they ate and drank.

¹² The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and stay there so that I may give you the stone tablets^(H) with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”

¹³ So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua and went up the mountain of God.^{(I) 14} He told the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. Aaron and Hur are here with you. Whoever has a dispute should go to them.” ¹⁵ When Moses went up the mountain, the cloud^(J) covered it. ¹⁶ The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day He called to Moses from the cloud.^{(K) 17} The appearance of the Lord’s glory to the Israelites was like a consuming fire^(L) on the mountaintop. ¹⁸ Moses entered the cloud as he went up the mountain, and he remained on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights.^(M)

Offerings to Build the Tabernacle

25 The Lord spoke to Moses: ² “Tell the Israelites to take an offering for Me. You are to take My offering from everyone who is willing to give.^{(N) 3} This is the offering you are to receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze; ⁴ blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen and goat hair; ⁵ ram skins dyed red^(O) and manatee skins;^[c] acacia wood; ⁶ oil^(P) for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; ⁷ and onyx^[d] along with other gemstones for mounting on the ephod and breastpiece.^[e](Q)

⁸ “They are to make a sanctuary^(R) for Me so that I may dwell^(S) among them. ⁹ You must make it according to all that I show you—the pattern^(T) of the tabernacle as well as the pattern of all its furnishings.

The Ark

¹⁰ “They are to make an ark^(U) of acacia wood, 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high.^{[f] 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 the testimony that I will give you into the ark.^{(V) 17} Make a mercy seat^(W) of pure gold, 45 inches long and 27 inches wide.^{[g] 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^(X) 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 testimony that I will give you into the ark.^{(Y) 22} I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim^(Z) 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^(AA) of acacia wood, 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high.^{[h] 24} Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding all around it. ²⁵ Make a three-inch^[i] 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^(AB) 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^(AC) on the table before Me at all times.

The Lampstand

³¹ “You^(AD) are to make a lampstand^(AE) out of pure, hammered gold. It is to be made of one piece: its base and shaft, its ornamental cups, and its calyxes^[j] 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 calyx and petals, on the first branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a calyx 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 calyxes and petals. ³⁵ For the six branches that extend from the lampstand, a calyx must be under the first pair of branches from it, a calyx under the second pair of branches from it, and a calyx under the third pair of branches from it. ³⁶ Their calyxes and branches are to be of one piece.^[k] All of it is to be a single hammered piece of pure gold.

³⁷ “Make seven lamps^(AF) on it. Its lamps are to be set up so they illuminate the area in front of it. ³⁸ Its snuffers and firepans must be of pure gold. ³⁹ The lampstand^[l] with all these utensils is to be made from 75 pounds^[m] of pure gold. ⁴⁰ Be careful to make them according to the pattern^(AG) you have been shown on the mountain.