The Ark of the Covenant

10 (A)“They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits[a] and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 You shall overlay it with (B)pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it. 12 You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its (C)four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. 13 You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. 15 The (D)poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. 16 (E)And you shall put into the ark the (F)testimony that I shall give you.

17 (G)“You shall make a mercy seat[b] of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. 18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of (H)hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. (I)Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. 20 (J)The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. 21 And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. 22 (K)There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from (L)between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 25:10 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  2. Exodus 25:17 Or cover

Instructions for Making the Ark of the Covenant

10 “And they will make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits its length and a cubit and a half its width and a cubit and a half its height. 11 And you will overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside you will overlay it, and you will make on it a gold molding all around. 12 And you will cast for it four gold rings, and you will put them on its four feet, with two rings on its one side and two rings on its second side. 13 And you will make poles of acacia wood, and you will overlay them with gold. 14 And you will put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark with them. 15 In the rings of the ark will be the poles; they will not be removed from it.[a] 16 And you will put into the ark the testimony that I will give to you.

17 “And you will make an atonement cover of pure gold, two and a half cubits its length and a cubit and a half its width. 18 And you will make two cherubim of gold; you will make them of hammered work at the two ends of the atonement cover. 19 And make one cherub at one end[b] and one cherub at the other end[c] of the atonement cover; you will make the cherubim on its two ends. 20 And the cherubim will be with outspread wings above, covering with their wings over the atonement cover and facing each other;[d] the faces of the cherubim will be toward the atonement cover. 21 And you will put the atonement cover above onto the ark, and into the ark you will put the testimony that I will give you. 22 And I will meet you there, and I will speak with you from over the atonement cover, from between the two cherubim that are to be on the ark of the testimony—all that I will command you to the Israelites.[e]

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 25:15 Literally “they will not turn aside from it”
  2. Exodus 25:19 Literally “from end from this”
  3. Exodus 25:19 Literally “from end from this”
  4. Exodus 25:20 Literally “and their faces a man to his brother”
  5. Exodus 25:22 Literally “sons/children of Israel”