Exodus 25
New Catholic Bible
Instruction on the Sanctuary and Its Ministers
Chapter 25
Moses Receives the Command to Establish a Sanctuary. 1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the children of Israel to gather an offering for me. Let each one raise up as an offering what his heart tells him is right. 3 This is what you shall gather from them: gold, silver, and bronze, 4 blue, purple, and scarlet cloth, fine linen, goats’ hair, 5 rams’ skins dyed red, sheep skins, acacia wood, 6 oil for the lamps, balsam for anointing oil and for fragrant incense, 7 onyx stones and stones for setting in the ephod and the breastplate.
8 “They are to build a sanctuary for me and I will live in their midst. 9 Build it just as I will show you, following the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture.
10 The Ark of the Covenant.“They are to make an Ark out of acacia wood. It is to be two and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high.[a] 11 You are to cover it with gold inside and out, and they are to put a gold molding on it. 12 You are to cast four golden rings for it and attach them to its four legs, two rings on one side and two rings on the other. 13 You are to make poles out of acacia wood and cover them with gold. 14 You shall put the poles into the rings on the two sides of the Ark so that you may carry the Ark with them. 15 The poles must remain in the rings of the Ark; they are not to be taken out of them.
16 “You will place the Testimony that I will give you in the Ark.
17 “You shall make a seat[b] of atonement of pure gold. It shall be two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. 18 You will make two cherubim[c] out of gold. Make them as hammered works, placing them on the two sides of the seat of atonement.
19 “Make one cherubim at one end and the other cherubim at the other end. Make the cherubim all of one piece at the two ends of the seat of atonement. 20 The cherubim shall have two wings spread out covering the seat of atonement. They shall be facing each other, and the faces of the cherubim will be turned toward the seat of atonement.
21 “You will place the seat of atonement on top of the Ark and place the Testimony that I will give you inside the Ark.
22 “I will meet you there. I will speak with you from the seat of atonement that is between the two cherubim upon the Ark of Testimony concerning all that I will command the children of Israel.
23 The Table of the Bread Offered to God.“You are to make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long, one cubit wide, and one and a half cubits high. 24 Cover it with pure gold and place a molding of gold upon it. 25 Make a frame one handbreath wide and place a molding of gold around it. 26 You shall also make four golden rings for it and place them at the four corners that are on its four legs. 27 Place the rings alongside the borders to hold the poles used in carrying the table.
28 “Make the poles out of acacia wood, cover them in gold, and carry the table with them. 29 Also make dishes and plates and flagons and jars out of pure gold to pour out libations. 30 Set the bread of the Presence on the table before me always.
31 The Golden Lampstand.“You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold and hammer it out.
“Its base and shaft; its bowls and knobs and flowers shall be of one piece. 32 Six of the branches of the lampstand shall come out of its sides, three from one side of the lampstand and three from the other side of the lampstand. 33 On one branch there shall be three cups shaped like almond blossoms, with bud and flower. Also there shall be three cups shaped like almond blossoms, with bud and flower, on the next branch—and similarly for all six branches that rise out of the lampstand.
34 “On the shaft of the lampstand there shall be four cups shaped like almond blossoms with their bud and flower. 35 One bud shall be under the first set of two branches coming out of it, and one bud under the second set of two branches coming out of it, and one bud under the third set of two branches coming out of it, for there are six branches coming out of it. 36 The buds and their respective branches must be one piece with the lampstand, and the whole made from one piece of pure gold that has been beaten into shape.
37 “You shall then make seven lamps for the lampstand and set them on the lampstand to shed light in front of it. 38 Its snuffers and their trays are to be made of pure gold.
39 “Use a talent[d] of pure gold for making the lampstand and all of its accessories.
40 “See that you make them according to the model that I have shown you on the mountain.
Footnotes
- Exodus 25:10 The Ark is a rectangular chest. A cubit measures about 20 inches.
- Exodus 25:17 Seat: Hebrew, kapporet, from the root kaphar, “to cover” but also “to make expiation, wipe away.” The rites of the great “day of expiation” were performed on this seat of the Ark (see Lev 16:11-16; Heb 9:5).
- Exodus 25:18 The cherubim correspond to the Babylonian karibu, half animals, half human beings, who guarded the gates of temples and palaces. The two at the ends of the atonement cover on the Ark of the Covenant have been regarded as representations of supernatural beings that are ministers of God. Yahweh sits between the cherubim (1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; 2 Ki 19:15; Pss 80:2; 99:1). Solomon will place two cherubim in the holiest room of the temple, beside the Ark (1 Ki 6:23-28). The chariot of God is drawn by four cherubim (Ezek 1; 10). See also Gen 3:24; Ps 18:11.
- Exodus 25:39 A talent weighed over 75 pounds.
Exodus 25
New King James Version
Offerings for the Sanctuary(A)
25 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an [a]offering. (B)From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering. 3 And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; 4 blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; 5 ram skins dyed red, [b]badger skins, and acacia wood; 6 (C)oil for the light, and (D)spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; 7 onyx stones, and stones to be set in the (E)ephod and in the breastplate. 8 And let them make Me a (F)sanctuary,[c] that (G)I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.
The Ark of the Testimony(H)
10 (I)“And they shall make an ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits shall be its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 And you shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and shall make on it a molding of (J)gold all around. 12 You shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four corners; two rings shall be on one side, and two rings on the other side. 13 And you shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 14 You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, that the ark may be carried by them. 15 (K)The poles shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. 16 And you shall put into the ark (L)the Testimony which I will give you.
17 (M)“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width. 18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. 20 And (N)the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. 21 (O)You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and (P)in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. 22 And (Q)there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from (R)between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.
The Table for the Showbread(S)
23 (T)“You shall also make a table of acacia wood; two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 24 And you shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a molding of gold all around. 25 You shall make for it a frame of a handbreadth all around, and you shall make a gold molding for the frame all around. 26 And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners that are at its four legs. 27 The rings shall be close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table. 28 And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be carried with them. 29 You shall make (U)its dishes, its pans, its pitchers, and its bowls for pouring. You shall make them of pure gold. 30 And you shall set the (V)showbread on the table before Me always.
The Gold Lampstand(W)
31 (X)“You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and flowers shall be of one piece. 32 And six branches shall come out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side. 33 (Y)Three bowls shall be made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower—and so for the six branches that come out of the lampstand. 34 (Z)On the lampstand itself four bowls shall be made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower. 35 And there shall be a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches that extend from the lampstand. 36 Their knobs and their branches shall be of one piece; all of it shall be one hammered piece of pure gold. 37 You shall make seven lamps for it, and (AA)they shall arrange its lamps so that they (AB)give light in front of it. 38 And its wick-trimmers and their trays shall be of pure gold. 39 It shall be made of a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils. 40 And (AC)see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.
Footnotes
- Exodus 25:2 heave offering
- Exodus 25:5 Or dolphin
- Exodus 25:8 sacred place
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
