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36 Moses continued,[a] “Bezalel and Oholiab shall work with every skilled man, in whom the Lord has put wisdom and understanding, who knows how to carry out all the work for completing everything for the sanctuary, according to everything that the Lord has commanded.”

So Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab, and every skilled man into whose heart the Lord had put the needed wisdom and skill,[b] that is, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come and join in the work. They received from Moses all the materials which the people of Israel had brought as a special offering for the task of completing everything for the sanctuary, and the people continued to bring voluntary offerings to Moses every morning. All the skilled craftsmen who were performing all the work for the sanctuary came from the specific work which they were doing. Each of them told Moses, “The people have brought more than enough to complete the work which the Lord commanded.”

So Moses gave a command that was passed throughout the camp: “No man or woman should provide anything else for the offering for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing more, because the material they had brought was sufficient to complete all the work, with some left over.

The Coverings for the Dwelling

All the skilled craftsmen among the workers made the dwelling[c] out of ten curtains made from finely woven linen[d] and with blue, purple, and scarlet material. They[e] decorated the curtains with cherubim, which were the work of a skillful craftsman. The length of each panel of the curtain was forty-two feet, and the width of each panel was six feet. All the panels were the same size. 10 One set of five curtains was connected together into one panel, and the other set of five curtains was connected together. 11 They attached blue loops to the edge of the last panel in the first set of curtains. In the same way they attached loops to the edge of the last panel of the second set. 12 They made fifty loops for the edge of the first set of curtains and fifty loops for the edge of the second set of curtains. The two sets of loops lined up opposite one another. 13 They made fifty gold clasps, and they connected one set of curtains to the other with the clasps, so that the tent became one connected piece.

14 They made a curtain from panels of goats’ hair to serve as a tent over the dwelling.[f] They made eleven panels. 15 The length of each panel was forty-five feet, and the width of each panel was six feet. The eleven panels were the same size. 16 They connected five panels into one unit, and six panels into another unit. 17 They made fifty loops for the edge of the last curtain of one set, and fifty loops for the edge of the last curtain in the second set. 18 They made fifty bronze clasps and put the clasps into the loops to join the two pieces of the tent together, so that it was one unit.

19 They made another cover for the tent from rams’ skins dyed red and another cover from hides of sea cows to go above that one.

The Framework

20 They made upright boards[g] of acacia wood for the Dwelling. 21 Each board was fifteen feet tall, and the width of each board was twenty-seven inches. 22 There were two pegs on each board to join them to one another.[h] This is the way they made all the boards for the Dwelling.

23 They made twenty boards for the south side of the Dwelling. 24 They made forty socket bases of silver to go under the twenty boards—two sockets under the first board for its two pegs, and two sockets under the next board for its two pegs.

25 For the second side of the Dwelling, the north side, they made twenty boards, 26 with forty socket bases of silver—two sockets under the first board, and two sockets under the next board.

27 For the far side of the Dwelling, the west side, they made six boards. 28 They made two boards for each of the back corners of the Dwelling. 29 These two corner boards were double on the bottom, but they both were joined at the top by one ring.[i] Both sets were like this. 30 Altogether there were eight boards with silver socket bases. There were sixteen socket bases—two socket bases under each board.

The Crossbars

31 They made crossbars of acacia wood—five for the boards on one side of the Dwelling, 32 five crossbars for the boards on the other side of the Dwelling, and five crossbars for the boards on the back of the Dwelling on the west. 33 The middle bar, placed halfway up the boards, passed through from one end to the other end. 34 They overlaid the boards with gold and made gold rings to attach to them as a housing for the crossbars, and they overlaid the crossbars with gold.

The Partitions for the Sanctuary

35 They made a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine woven linen, decorated with cherubim, the work of a skillful craftsman. 36 They made four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold. The posts stood on four socket bases of silver. The hooks were made of gold.

37 They made a screen for the entry to the tent out of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine woven linen, the work of an embroiderer. 38 They made five posts of acacia to support the screen and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were gold, and they cast five bronze socket bases for them.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 36:1 The words Moses continued are added to the text to initiate the new chapter.
  2. Exodus 36:2 In this context wisdom includes practical skill.
  3. Exodus 36:8 Here dwelling refers to the inmost of the four layers that covered the sanctuary. Elsewhere, the Dwelling refers to the whole sanctuary.
  4. Exodus 36:8 Also translated twisted linen. It may refer to twisting different materials into one thread or to weaving them together.
  5. Exodus 36:8 Throughout the account of the construction of the Dwelling many of the Hebrew verbs and pronouns are singular, referring to Bezalel as the leader of the workers. Others are plural referring to those who worked under his direction. The Hebrew fluctuates between singular and plural. In this section the translation uses plural pronouns and verbs, because the work was done through Bezalel’s assistants, as verse 8 specifically says.
  6. Exodus 36:14 Here dwelling refers to the inner covering of the sanctuary. Elsewhere, the Dwelling refers to the whole sanctuary. Here tent refers to the second of the four coverings of the sanctuary. Elsewhere, Tent refers to the whole sanctuary.
  7. Exodus 36:20 Or frames
  8. Exodus 36:22 These pegs may be on the side of each board to connect it to the board next to it. Verse 24 describes two pegs on the bottom of each board to anchor the boards to the socket bases below the boards.
  9. Exodus 36:29 There is much disagreement about what it means that the boards are double at the bottom. Some think it means they are separate; some think it means they are joined together. The translation above suggests that two planks were joined together in one L-shaped cornerpiece.

36 Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the Lord had commanded.

And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it:

And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning.

And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made;

And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make.

And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.

For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.

And every wise hearted man among them that wrought the work of the tabernacle made ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work made he them.

The length of one curtain was twenty and eight cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: the curtains were all of one size.

10 And he coupled the five curtains one unto another: and the other five curtains he coupled one unto another.

11 And he made loops of blue on the edge of one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling: likewise he made in the uttermost side of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.

12 Fifty loops made he in one curtain, and fifty loops made he in the edge of the curtain which was in the coupling of the second: the loops held one curtain to another.

13 And he made fifty taches of gold, and coupled the curtains one unto another with the taches: so it became one tabernacle.

14 And he made curtains of goats' hair for the tent over the tabernacle: eleven curtains he made them.

15 The length of one curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits was the breadth of one curtain: the eleven curtains were of one size.

16 And he coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves.

17 And he made fifty loops upon the uttermost edge of the curtain in the coupling, and fifty loops made he upon the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.

18 And he made fifty taches of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be one.

19 And he made a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of badgers' skins above that.

20 And he made boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood, standing up.

21 The length of a board was ten cubits, and the breadth of a board one cubit and a half.

22 One board had two tenons, equally distant one from another: thus did he make for all the boards of the tabernacle.

23 And he made boards for the tabernacle; twenty boards for the south side southward:

24 And forty sockets of silver he made under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.

25 And for the other side of the tabernacle, which is toward the north corner, he made twenty boards,

26 And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.

27 And for the sides of the tabernacle westward he made six boards.

28 And two boards made he for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.

29 And they were coupled beneath, and coupled together at the head thereof, to one ring: thus he did to both of them in both the corners.

30 And there were eight boards; and their sockets were sixteen sockets of silver, under every board two sockets.

31 And he made bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,

32 And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the sides westward.

33 And he made the middle bar to shoot through the boards from the one end to the other.

34 And he overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold to be places for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.

35 And he made a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubims made he it of cunning work.

36 And he made thereunto four pillars of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold: their hooks were of gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver.

37 And he made an hanging for the tabernacle door of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, of needlework;

38 And the five pillars of it with their hooks: and he overlaid their chapiters and their fillets with gold: but their five sockets were of brass.

36 “Bezalel and Oholiab and (A)every craftsman in whom the Lord has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.”

And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the Lord had put skill, everyone (B)whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work. And they received from Moses all the (C)contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him (D)freewill offerings every morning, so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing, and said to Moses, (E)“The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.” So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the (F)contribution for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.

(G)And all the craftsmen among the workmen made the tabernacle with ten curtains. They were made of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns, with cherubim skillfully worked. The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits,[a] and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains were the same size.

10 He[b] coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another. 11 He made loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain of the first set. Likewise he made them on the edge of the outermost curtain of the second set. 12 He made fifty loops on the one curtain, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second set. The loops were opposite one another. 13 And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one to the other with clasps. So the tabernacle was a single whole.

14 He also made curtains of goats' hair for a tent over the tabernacle. He made eleven curtains. 15 The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. The eleven curtains were the same size. 16 He coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. 17 And he made fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain of the one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the other connecting curtain. 18 And he made fifty clasps of bronze to couple the tent together that it might be a single whole. 19 And he made for the tent a covering of tanned rams' skins and goatskins.

20 (H)Then he made the upright frames for the tabernacle of (I)acacia wood. 21 Ten cubits was the length of a frame, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each frame. 22 Each frame had two tenons for fitting together. He did this for all the frames of the tabernacle. 23 The frames for the tabernacle he made thus: twenty frames for the south side. 24 And he made forty bases of silver under the twenty frames, two bases under one frame for its two tenons, and two bases under the next frame for its two tenons. 25 For the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty frames 26 and their forty bases of silver, two bases under one frame and two bases under the next frame. 27 For the rear of the tabernacle westward he made six frames. 28 He made two frames for corners of the tabernacle in the rear. 29 And they were separate beneath but joined at the top, at the first ring. He made two of them this way for the two corners. 30 There were eight frames with their bases of silver: sixteen bases, under every frame two bases.

31 He made bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle, 32 and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the tabernacle at the rear westward. 33 And he made the middle bar to run from end to end halfway up the frames. 34 And he overlaid the frames with gold, and made their rings of gold for holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.

35 (J)He made the veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; with cherubim skillfully worked into it he made it. 36 And for it he made four pillars of acacia and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were of gold, and he cast for them four bases of silver. 37 He also made a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework, 38 and its five pillars with their hooks. He overlaid their capitals, and their fillets were of gold, but their five bases were of bronze.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 36:9 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  2. Exodus 36:10 Probably Bezalel (compare 35:30; 37:1)

36 And Bezalel and Oholiab shall work, and every wise-hearted man, in whom Jehovah hath put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all the work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that Jehovah hath commanded.

And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab, and every wise-hearted man, in whose heart Jehovah had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it: and they received of Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, wherewith to make it. And they brought yet unto him freewill-offerings every morning. And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they wrought; and they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which Jehovah commanded to make. And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing. For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.

And all the wise-hearted men among them that wrought the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, with cherubim, the work of the skilful workman, Bezalel made them. The length of each curtain was eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits: all the curtains had one measure. 10 And he coupled five curtains one to another: and the other five curtains he coupled one to another. 11 And he made loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain [a]from the selvedge in the coupling: likewise he made in the edge of the curtain that was outmost in the second [b]coupling. 12 Fifty loops made he in the one curtain, and fifty loops made he in the edge of the curtain that was in the second [c]coupling: the loops were opposite one to another. 13 And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one to another with the clasps: so the tabernacle was one.

14 And he made curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle: eleven curtains he made them. 15 The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits the breadth of each curtain: the eleven curtains had one measure. 16 And he coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. 17 And he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was outmost in the [d]coupling, and fifty loops made he upon the edge of the curtain which was outmost in the second [e]coupling. 18 And he made fifty clasps of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be one. 19 And he made a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering of [f]sealskins above.

20 And he made the boards for the tabernacle, of acacia wood, standing up. 21 Ten cubits was the length of a board, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each board. 22 Each board had two tenons, [g]joined one to another: thus did he make for all the boards of the tabernacle. 23 And he made the boards for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side southward; 24 and he made forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for its two tenons, and two sockets under another board for its two tenons. 25 And for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty boards, 26 and their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. 27 And for the hinder part of the tabernacle westward he made six boards. 28 And two boards made he for the corners of the tabernacle in the hinder part. 29 And they were double beneath; and in like manner they were entire unto the top thereof unto [h]one ring: thus he did to both of them in the two corners. 30 And there were eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; under every board two sockets.

31 And he made bars of acacia wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, 32 and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the hinder part westward. 33 And he made the middle bar to pass through in the midst of the boards from the one end to the other. 34 And he overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold for places for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.

35 And he made the veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubim, the work of the skilful workman, made he it. 36 And he made thereunto four pillars of acacia, and overlaid them with gold: their hooks were of gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver. 37 And he made a screen for the door of the Tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the embroiderer; 38 and the five pillars of it with their hooks: and he overlaid their capitals and their fillets with gold; and their five sockets were of brass.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 36:11 Or, that was outmost in the first set
  2. Exodus 36:11 Or, set
  3. Exodus 36:12 Or, set
  4. Exodus 36:17 Or, first set
  5. Exodus 36:17 Or, set
  6. Exodus 36:19 Or, porpoise-skins
  7. Exodus 36:22 Or, mortised
  8. Exodus 36:29 Or, the first