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Plans for the Tabernacle

26 “Make the Tabernacle from ten curtains of finely woven linen. Decorate the curtains with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. These ten curtains must all be exactly the same size—42 feet long and 6 feet wide.[a] Join five of these curtains together to make one long curtain, then join the other five into a second long curtain. Put loops of blue yarn along the edge of the last curtain in each set. The fifty loops along the edge of one curtain are to match the fifty loops along the edge of the other curtain. Then make fifty gold clasps and fasten the long curtains together with the clasps. In this way, the Tabernacle will be made of one continuous piece.

“Make eleven curtains of goat-hair cloth to serve as a tent covering for the Tabernacle. These eleven curtains must all be exactly the same size—45 feet long and 6 feet wide.[b] Join five of these curtains together to make one long curtain, and join the other six into a second long curtain. Allow 3 feet of material from the second set of curtains to hang over the front[c] of the sacred tent. 10 Make fifty loops for one edge of each large curtain. 11 Then make fifty bronze clasps, and fasten the loops of the long curtains with the clasps. In this way, the tent covering will be made of one continuous piece. 12 The remaining 3 feet[d] of this tent covering will be left to hang over the back of the Tabernacle. 13 Allow 18 inches[e] of remaining material to hang down over each side, so the Tabernacle is completely covered. 14 Complete the tent covering with a protective layer of tanned ram skins and a layer of fine goatskin leather.

15 “For the framework of the Tabernacle, construct frames of acacia wood. 16 Each frame must be 15 feet high and 27 inches wide,[f] 17 with two pegs under each frame. Make all the frames identical. 18 Make twenty of these frames to support the curtains on the south side of the Tabernacle. 19 Also make forty silver bases—two bases under each frame, with the pegs fitting securely into the bases. 20 For the north side of the Tabernacle, make another twenty frames, 21 with their forty silver bases, two bases under each frame. 22 Make six frames for the rear—the west side of the Tabernacle— 23 along with two additional frames to reinforce the rear corners of the Tabernacle. 24 These corner frames will be matched at the bottom and firmly attached at the top with a single ring, forming a single corner unit. Make both of these corner units the same way. 25 So there will be eight frames at the rear of the Tabernacle, set in sixteen silver bases—two bases under each frame.

26 “Make crossbars of acacia wood to link the frames, five crossbars for the north side of the Tabernacle 27 and five for the south side. Also make five crossbars for the rear of the Tabernacle, which will face west. 28 The middle crossbar, attached halfway up the frames, will run all the way from one end of the Tabernacle to the other. 29 Overlay the frames with gold, and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. Overlay the crossbars with gold as well.

30 “Set up this Tabernacle according to the pattern you were shown on the mountain.

31 “For the inside of the Tabernacle, make a special curtain of finely woven linen. Decorate it with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. 32 Hang this curtain on gold hooks attached to four posts of acacia wood. Overlay the posts with gold, and set them in four silver bases. 33 Hang the inner curtain from clasps, and put the Ark of the Covenant[g] in the room behind it. This curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

34 “Then put the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—on top of the Ark of the Covenant inside the Most Holy Place. 35 Place the table outside the inner curtain on the north side of the Tabernacle, and place the lampstand across the room on the south side.

36 “Make another curtain for the entrance to the sacred tent. Make it of finely woven linen and embroider it with exquisite designs, using blue, purple, and scarlet thread. 37 Craft five posts from acacia wood. Overlay them with gold, and hang the curtain from them with gold hooks. Cast five bronze bases for the posts.

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Footnotes

  1. 26:2 Hebrew 28 cubits [12.9 meters] long and 4 cubits [1.8 meters] wide.
  2. 26:8 Hebrew 30 cubits [13.8 meters] long and 4 cubits [1.8 meters] wide.
  3. 26:9 Hebrew Double over the sixth sheet at the front.
  4. 26:12 Hebrew The half sheet that is left over.
  5. 26:13 Hebrew 1 cubit [46 centimeters].
  6. 26:16 Hebrew 10 cubits [4.6 meters] high and 1.5 cubits [69 centimeters] wide.
  7. 26:33 Or Ark of the Testimony; also in 26:34.

The Tent

26 “You are to make the tent with ten curtains of fine woven[a] linen and with blue, purple, and scarlet material. You are to make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them. The length of each curtain is to be 28 cubits,[b] the width of each curtain four cubits,[c] and all the curtains are to have the same measurements.[d]

“Five of the curtains are to be joined together, and the other five curtains are to be joined together. You are to make loops of blue material along the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set, and likewise you are to make loops along the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set. You are to make 50 loops in the one curtain, and you are to make 50 loops along the edge of the curtain that is in the second set, with the loops opposite each other. Then you are to make 50 gold clasps, and join the curtains to each other with the clasps so that the tent will be one piece.

“You are to make curtains of goat hair for a tent over the tent. You are to make eleven curtains. The length of each curtain is to be 30 cubits,[e] and the width of each curtain two cubits;[f] the measurements of each of the eleven curtains is to be the same.[g] You are to join five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and you are to double over the sixth curtain at the front of the tent. 10 You are to make 50 loops along the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set, and 50 loops along the edge of the curtain of the other set. 11 You are to make 50 bronze clasps, put the clasps into the loops, and join the tent together so that it will be one piece. 12 As for the excess that remains of the curtains of the tent—the half curtain that remains—is to hang over the back of the tent. 13 The half cubit[h] that remain on either end of the length of the curtains of the tent is to hang over each side of the tent to cover it.

14 “You are to make a cover for the tent of ram skins dyed red[i] and a covering of dolphin[j] skins above that.

15 “You are to make upright boards of acacia wood for the tent. 16 Each board is to be ten cubits[k] long and one and a half cubits[l] wide. 17 Each board is to have two pegs joined to one another, and you are to do this for all the boards of the tent. 18 You are to make the boards for the tent: 20 boards for the south side.[m] 19 And you are to make 40 silver sockets[n] under the 20 boards: two sockets under the one board for its two pegs and two sockets under the next[o] board for its two pegs.

20 “For the second side of the tent to the north you are to make[p] 20 boards 21 and 40 silver sockets for them, two sockets under one board and two sockets under the next board. 22 On the west you are to make six boards for the rear of the tent, 23 and you are to make two boards for the rear corners of the tent. 24 They are to be interlocked together[q] at the bottom and connected[r] on top by one ring. Do this for the two of them, and they are to be the two corners. 25 There is to be eight boards with their sixteen silver sockets, two sockets under one board and two sockets under the next board.

26 “You are to make bars of acacia wood, five for the boards on one side of the tent, 27 five bars for the boards on the second side of the tent, and five bars for the boards on the back side of the tent to the west. 28 The center bar in the middle of the boards is to pass through from end to end. 29 You are to overlay the boards with gold, and you are to make gold rings for them as holders for the bars, and you are to overlay the bars with gold. 30 You are to erect the tent according to the plan for it that was shown you on the mountain.

31 “You are to make a curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet material, and fine woven linen. You are to make it with cherubim skillfully worked into it. 32 You are to hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, which have hooks of gold, and are set on four sockets of silver. 33 You are to hang the curtain from[s] the clasps and bring the Ark of the Testimony there inside the curtain. The curtain is to separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

34 “You are to put the Mercy Seat on the Ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy Place. 35 You are to put the table outside the curtain. You are to put the table on the north side with the lamp stand opposite the table on the south side of the tent. 36 For the doorway of the tent you are to make a screen of blue, purple, and scarlet material, and with fine woven linen, the work of an embroiderer. 37 You are to make five pillars of acacia for the screens and overlay them with gold. Their hooks are to be of gold, and you are to cast five bronze sockets for them.”

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 26:1 Or twisted; and so through chapter 31
  2. Exodus 26:2 I.e. about 42 feet
  3. Exodus 26:2 I.e. about six feet
  4. Exodus 26:2 Lit. and the measure of one shall be for every curtain
  5. Exodus 26:8 I.e. about 45 feet
  6. Exodus 26:8 I.e. about six feet
  7. Exodus 26:8 Lit. and the measure of one shall be for the eleven curtains
  8. Exodus 26:13 I.e. about nine inches
  9. Exodus 26:14 Or tanned
  10. Exodus 26:14 Or dugong, a marine animal resembling a walrus or manatee
  11. Exodus 26:16 I.e. about 15 feet
  12. Exodus 26:16 I.e. about 27 inches
  13. Exodus 26:18 Lit. toward the Negev (south), toward Teman (a city to the south)
  14. Exodus 26:19 Or bases; and so through chapter 27
  15. Exodus 26:19 Lit. the one; and so through chapter 27
  16. Exodus 26:20 The Heb. lacks you are to make
  17. Exodus 26:24 Lit. twins; perhaps designed with interlocking pieces
  18. Exodus 26:24 Lit. complete; perhaps the tops were joined together by a metal ring
  19. Exodus 26:33 Or under