Exodus 37
Common English Bible
Building the chest containing the covenant document
37 Bezalel made the chest of acacia wood. It was forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. 2 He covered the chest with pure gold inside and out, and made a gold molding all around it. 3 He cast four gold rings for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other. 4 He made acacia-wood poles and covered them with gold. 5 He put the poles into the rings on the chest’s sides to use to carry the chest. 6 He made a cover for the chest out of pure gold, forty-five inches long and twenty-seven inches wide. 7 He made two winged heavenly creatures of hammered gold for the two ends of the cover, 8 one winged heavenly creature at one end and one winged heavenly creature at the other. He placed the winged heavenly creatures at the cover’s two ends. 9 The winged heavenly creatures spread out their wings above, shielding the cover with their wings. The winged heavenly creatures faced each other toward the cover’s center.
Constructing the table and lampstand
10 He also made the table of acacia wood, three feet long, eighteen inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. 11 He covered it with pure gold and made a gold molding all around it. 12 He made a frame around it that was four inches wide and gold molding around the frame. 13 He made four gold rings for the table. He fastened the rings to the four corners at its four legs. 14 The rings that housed the poles used for carrying the table were close to the frame. 15 He made the poles used to carry the table out of acacia wood, and he covered them with gold. 16 He made the containers of pure gold that were to be on the table: its plates, dishes, bowls, and jars for pouring drink offerings.
17 He also made the lampstand of pure, hammered gold. The lampstand’s base, branches, cups, flowers, and petals were all attached to it. 18 It had six branches growing out from its sides, three branches on one side of the lampstand and three branches on the other side of the lampstand. 19 One branch had three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a flower and petals, and the next branch also had three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a flower and petals. A total of six branches grew out of the lampstand. 20 In addition, on the lampstand itself there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with its flower and petals. 21 There was a flower attached under the first pair of branches, a flower attached under the next pair of branches, and a flower attached under the last pair of branches. 22 Their flowers and their branches were attached to it. The whole lampstand was one piece of pure hammered gold. 23 He made its seven lamps and its tongs and its fire pans out of pure gold. 24 He made the lampstand and all its equipment from pure gold weighing one kikkar.
Making the incense altar, incense, and oil
25 He made the incense altar out of acacia wood. The altar was square, eighteen inches long by eighteen inches wide. It was three feet high, and its horns were permanently attached. 26 He covered it with pure gold, including its top, all its sides, and its horns. He also made a gold molding all around it. 27 He made two gold rings, and he attached them under the molding on two opposite sides of the altar. They housed the poles used to carry it. 28 He made the poles of acacia wood, and he covered them with gold.
29 He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure sweet-smelling incense like a skilled perfume maker.
Exodus 37
New King James Version
Making the Ark of the Testimony(A)
37 Then (B)Bezalel made (C)the ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits was its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 2 He overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold all around it. 3 And he cast for it four rings of gold to be set in its four corners: two rings on one side, and two rings on the other side of it. 4 He made poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. 5 And he put the poles into the rings at the sides of the ark, to bear the ark. 6 He also made the (D)mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits was its length and a cubit and a half its width. 7 He made two cherubim of beaten gold; he made them of one piece at the two ends of the mercy seat: 8 one cherub at one end on this side, and the other cherub at the other end on that side. He made the cherubim at the two ends of one piece with the mercy seat. 9 The cherubim spread out their wings above, and covered the (E)mercy seat with their wings. They faced one another; the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.
Making the Table for the Showbread(F)
10 He made (G)the table of acacia wood; two cubits was its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made a molding of gold all around it. 12 Also he made a frame of a handbreadth all around it, and made a molding of gold for the frame all around it. 13 And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners that were at its four legs. 14 The rings were close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table. 15 And he made the poles of acacia wood to bear the table, and overlaid them with gold. 16 He made of pure gold the utensils which were on the table: its (H)dishes, its cups, its bowls, and its pitchers for pouring.
Making the Gold Lampstand(I)
17 He also made the (J)lampstand of pure gold; of hammered work he made the lampstand. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and its flowers were of the same piece. 18 And six branches came out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side. 19 There were three bowls 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 coming out of the lampstand. 20 And on the lampstand itself were four bowls made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower. 21 There was 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 extending from it. 22 Their knobs and their branches were of one piece; all of it was one hammered piece of pure gold. 23 And he made its seven lamps, its (K)wick-trimmers, and its trays of pure gold. 24 Of a talent of pure gold he made it, with all its utensils.
Making the Altar of Incense(L)
25 (M)He made the incense altar of acacia wood. Its length was a cubit and its width a cubit—it was square—and two cubits was its height. Its horns were of one piece with it. 26 And he overlaid it with pure gold: its top, its sides all around, and its horns. He also made for it a molding of gold all around it. 27 He made two rings of gold for it under its molding, by its two corners on both sides, as holders for the poles with which to bear it. 28 And he (N)made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold.
Making the Anointing Oil and the Incense(O)
29 He also made (P)the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the perfumer.
Exodus 37
New Living Translation
Building the Ark of the Covenant
37 Next Bezalel made the Ark of acacia wood—a sacred chest 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high.[a] 2 He overlaid it inside and outside with pure gold, and he ran a molding of gold all around it. 3 He cast four gold rings and attached them to its four feet, two rings on each side. 4 Then he made poles from acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 5 He inserted the poles into the rings at the sides of the Ark to carry it.
6 Then he made the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—from pure gold. It was 45 inches long and 27 inches wide.[b] 7 He made two cherubim from hammered gold and placed them on the two ends of the atonement cover. 8 He molded the cherubim on each end of the atonement cover, making it all of one piece of gold. 9 The cherubim faced each other and looked down on the atonement cover. With their wings spread above it, they protected it.
Building the Table
10 Then Bezalel[c] made the table of acacia wood, 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high.[d] 11 He overlaid it with pure gold and ran a gold molding around the edge. 12 He decorated it with a 3-inch border[e] all around, and he ran a gold molding along the border. 13 Then he cast four gold rings for the table and attached them at the four corners next to the four legs. 14 The rings were attached near the border to hold the poles that were used to carry the table. 15 He made these poles from acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 16 Then he made special containers of pure gold for the table—bowls, ladles, jars, and pitchers—to be used in pouring out liquid offerings.
Building the Lampstand
17 Then Bezalel made the lampstand of pure, hammered gold. He made the entire lampstand and its decorations of one piece—the base, center stem, lamp cups, buds, and petals. 18 The lampstand had six branches going out from the center stem, three on each side. 19 Each of the six branches had three lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. 20 The center stem of the lampstand was crafted with four lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. 21 There was an almond bud beneath each pair of branches where the six branches extended from the center stem, all made of one piece. 22 The almond buds and branches were all of one piece with the center stem, and they were hammered from pure gold.
23 He also made seven lamps for the lampstand, lamp snuffers, and trays, all of pure gold. 24 The entire lampstand, along with its accessories, was made from 75 pounds[f] of pure gold.
Building the Incense Altar
25 Then Bezalel made the incense altar of acacia wood. It was 18 inches square and 36 inches high,[g] with horns at the corners carved from the same piece of wood as the altar itself. 26 He overlaid the top, sides, and horns of the altar with pure gold, and he ran a gold molding around the entire altar. 27 He made two gold rings and attached them on opposite sides of the altar below the gold molding to hold the carrying poles. 28 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.
29 Then he made the sacred anointing oil and the fragrant incense, using the techniques of a skilled incense maker.
Footnotes
- 37:1 Hebrew 2.5 cubits [115 centimeters] long, 1.5 cubits [69 centimeters] wide, and 1.5 cubits high.
- 37:6 Hebrew 2.5 cubits [115 centimeters] long and 1.5 cubits [69 centimeters] wide.
- 37:10a Hebrew he; also in 37:17, 25.
- 37:10b Hebrew 2 cubits [92 centimeters] long, 1 cubit [46 centimeters] wide, and 1.5 cubits [69 centimeters] high.
- 37:12 Hebrew a border of a handbreadth [8 centimeters].
- 37:24 Hebrew 1 talent [34 kilograms].
- 37:25 Hebrew 1 cubit [46 centimeters] long and 1 cubit wide, a square, and 2 cubits [92 centimeters] high.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
