Exodus 25
Expanded Bible
Gifts for the Lord
25 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] to bring me ·gifts [tribute]. Receive for me the ·gifts [tribute] ·each person wants [L from each one whose heart moves them] to give. 3 ·These are the gifts [This is the tribute] that you should receive from them: gold, silver, bronze; 4 blue, purple, and ·red [scarlet] thread; fine linen, goat hair, 5 ·sheepskins [or ramskins] that are dyed red; ·fine leather [or sea cow/porpoise hide]; acacia wood; 6 olive oil to burn in the lamps; spices for sweet-smelling incense, and the special olive oil ·poured on a person’s head to make him a priest [L for anointing; Ps. 133]; 7 onyx stones, and other jewels to be put on the ·holy vest [ephod; 28:6–14] and the ·chest covering [breastpiece; 28:15–30].
8 “The people must build a ·holy place [sanctuary] for me so that I can live among them. 9 Build this ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle] and ·everything in it [all its furniture] by the ·plan [pattern] I will show you [C every detail reflects a heavenly reality].
The Ark of the Covenant
10 “·Use acacia wood and build an Ark [L They will make an Ark of acacia wood; C the Ark, considered the footstool of God’s throne, was a powerful symbol of God’s presence; 1 Sam. 4] ·forty-five inches [L two and a half cubits] long, ·twenty-seven inches [L a cubit and a half] wide, and ·twenty-seven inches [L a cubit and a half] high. 11 ·Cover the Ark [L Overlay it] inside and out with pure gold, and put a gold ·strip [molding] all around it. 12 ·Make [Cast] four gold rings for the Ark and attach them to its four feet, two rings on ·each [one side and two rings on the other] side. 13 Then make poles from acacia wood and ·cover [cast; overlay] them with gold. 14 Put the poles through the rings on the sides of the Ark, and use these poles to carry it. 15 These poles must always stay in the rings of the Ark. Do not take them out. 16 Then put in the Ark the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty; L Testimony] which I will make with you [C a reference to the tablets of the Ten Commandments].
17 “Then make the ·lid of the Ark [mercy seat; atonement cover] of pure gold. Make it ·forty-five inches [L two and a half cubits] long and ·twenty-seven inches [L one and a half cubits] wide. 18 ·Then hammer gold to make two creatures with wings [Make two cherubim of hammered gold], and put one on each end of the ·lid [mercy seat; atonement cover]. 19 Attach one ·creature [cherub] on one end of the ·lid [mercy seat; atonement cover] and the other ·creature [cherub] on the other end. Make them to be one piece with the ·lid [mercy seat; atonement cover] at the ends. 20 The ·creatures’ [cherubim’s] wings should be spread upward, covering the ·lid [mercy seat; atonement cover], and the ·creatures [cherubim] are to face each other across the ·lid [mercy seat; atonement cover]. 21 Put this ·lid [mercy seat; atonement cover] on top of the Ark, and put in the Ark the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty; L Testimony] which I will make with you. 22 I will meet with you there, above the ·lid [mercy seat; atonement cover] between the two ·winged creatures [cherubim] on the Ark of the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty; L Testimony]. There I will give you all my commands for the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel].
The Table
23 “Make a table out of acacia wood, ·thirty-six inches [L two cubits] long, ·eighteen inches [L one cubit] wide, and ·twenty-seven inches [L one and a half cubits] high. 24 ·Cover [Overlay] it with pure gold, and put a gold ·strip [molding] around it. 25 Make a ·frame [rim] ·three inches [L a handbreadth] high ·that stands up all around the edge, and put a gold ·strip [molding] around it. 26 Then make four gold rings. Attach them to the four corners of the table where the four legs are. 27 Put the rings close to the ·frame [rim] around the top of the table, because they will hold the poles for carrying it. 28 Make the poles out of acacia wood, ·cover [overlay] them with gold, and carry the table with these poles. 29 Make the plates and bowls for the table, as well as the jars and cups, out of pure gold. They will be used for pouring out the drink offerings [Ezra 1:9–11; Dan. 1:2; 5:1–4]. 30 On this table put the ·bread that shows you are in my presence [Bread of Presence] so that it is always there in front of me.
The Lampstand
31 “Hammer pure gold to make a ·lampstand [L menorah]. Its base, ·stand [shaft], flower-like cups, buds, and petals must all be joined together in one piece [C its tree shape suggests that the Tabernacle represented Eden where God and humans lived in harmony]. 32 The lampstand must have six branches going out from its sides—three on one side and three on the other. 33 Each branch must have three cups shaped like almond flowers on it. Each cup must have a bud and a petal. Each of the six branches going out from the lampstand must be the same. 34 And there must be four more cups made like almond flowers on the lampstand itself. These cups must also have buds and petals. 35 Put a bud under each pair of branches that goes out from the lampstand. Each of the six branches going out from the lampstand must be the same. 36 The branches, buds, and lampstand must be made of one piece, hammered out of pure gold.
37 “Then make seven ·small oil lamps [L lamps for it] and put them on the lampstand so that they give light to the area in front of it. 38 The ·wick trimmers [snuffers] and trays must be made of pure gold. 39 Use ·seventy-five pounds [L one talent] of pure gold to make the lampstand and everything with it. 40 Be very careful to make them by the ·plan [pattern] I showed you on the mountain [25:9].
Exodus 25
King James Version
25 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
3 And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,
4 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
5 And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,
6 Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,
7 Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.
8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
10 And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.
12 And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.
13 And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
14 And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.
15 The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.
16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.
21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
23 Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
24 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.
25 And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about.
26 And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.
27 Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.
28 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.
29 And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.
30 And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.
31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:
33 Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.
34 And in the candlesticks shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.
35 And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.
36 Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.
37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.
38 And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.
39 Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.
40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.
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