Exodus 37
English Standard Version
Making the Ark
37 (A)Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Two cubits[a] and a half was its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 2 And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold around it. 3 And he cast for it four rings of gold for its (B)four feet, two rings on its one side and two rings on its other side. 4 And he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold 5 and put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark. 6 And he made a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half was its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. 7 And he made two cherubim of gold. He made them of hammered work on the two ends of the mercy seat, 8 one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat he made the cherubim on its two ends. 9 The cherubim spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat were the faces of the cherubim.
Making the Table
10 (C)He also made the table of acacia wood. Two cubits was its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made a molding of gold around it. 12 And he made a rim around it a handbreadth[b] wide, and made a molding of gold around the rim. 13 He cast for it four rings of gold and fastened the rings to the four corners at its four legs. 14 Close to the frame were the rings, as holders for the poles to carry the table. 15 He made the poles of acacia wood to carry the table, and overlaid them with gold. 16 And he made the vessels of pure gold that were to be on the table, its plates and dishes for incense, and its bowls and flagons with which to pour drink offerings.
Making the Lampstand
17 (D)He also made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work. Its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers were of one piece with it. 18 And there were six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; 19 three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. 20 And on the lampstand itself were four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, 21 and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out of it. 22 Their calyxes and their branches were of one piece with it. The whole of it was a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. 23 And he made its seven lamps and its tongs and its trays of pure gold. 24 He made it and all its utensils out of a talent[c] of pure gold.
Making the Altar of Incense
25 (E)He made the altar of incense of acacia wood. Its length was a cubit, and its breadth was a cubit. It was square, and two cubits was its height. Its horns were of one piece with it. 26 He overlaid it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And he made a molding of gold around it, 27 and made two rings of gold on it under its molding, on two opposite sides of it, as holders for the poles with which to carry it. 28 And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.
29 (F)He made the holy anointing oil also, and the (G)pure fragrant incense, blended as by the perfumer.
Footnotes
- Exodus 37:1 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
- Exodus 37:12 A handbreadth was about 3 inches or 7.5 centimeters
- Exodus 37:24 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
Exodus 37
New American Standard Bible
Construction Continues
37 (A)Now Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; its length was [a]two and a half cubits, its width one and a half cubits, and its height one and a half cubits; 2 and he overlaid it with pure gold inside and out, and made a gold molding for it all around. 3 He cast four rings of gold for it on its four feet; two rings on one side of it, and two rings on the [b]other side of it. 4 And he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 5 He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry [c]it. 6 He also made [d]an atoning cover of pure gold, two and a half cubits [e]long and one and a half cubits [f]wide. 7 And he made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work [g]at the two ends of the atoning cover: 8 one cherub [h]at the one end and one cherub [i]at the other end; he made the cherubim of one piece with the atoning cover [j]at the two ends. 9 And the cherubim had their wings spread upward, covering the atoning cover with their wings, with their faces toward each other; the faces of the cherubim were toward the atoning cover.
10 (B)Then he made the table of acacia wood, [k]two cubits [l]long, a cubit [m]wide, and one and a half cubits [n]high. 11 He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a gold molding for it all around. 12 And he made a rim for it of a [o]hand width all around, and made a gold molding for its rim all around. 13 He also cast four gold rings for it and put the rings on the four corners that were on its four legs. 14 Close by the rim were the rings, the holders for the poles to carry the table. 15 And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table. 16 He also made the utensils which were on the table, its dishes, its pans, its libation bowls, and its jars, with which to pour out drink offerings, of pure gold.
17 (C)Then he made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its shaft; its cups, its [p]bulbs, and its flowers were of one piece with it. 18 There were six branches going out of its sides; three branches of the lampstand from the one side of it and three branches of the lampstand from the [q]other side of it; 19 three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a [r]bulb and a flower on one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a [s]bulb and a flower on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. 20 And on the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, its [t]bulbs and its flowers; 21 and a [u]bulb was under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a [v]bulb under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a [w]bulb under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. 22 Their [x]bulbs and their branches were of one piece with it; the whole of it was a single hammered work of pure gold. 23 And he made its seven lamps with its tongs and its trays of pure gold. 24 He made it and all its utensils from a [y]talent of pure gold.
25 (D)Then he made the altar of incense of acacia wood: a cubit [z]long and a cubit [aa]wide, square, and two cubits [ab]high; its horns were of one piece with it. 26 And he overlaid it with pure gold, its top and its [ac]sides all around, and its horns; and he made a gold molding for it all around. 27 He also made two golden rings for it under its molding, on its two sides—on opposite sides—as holders for poles with which to carry it. 28 And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 29 (E)Then he made the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense of spices, the work of a perfumer.
Footnotes
- Exodus 37:1 About 3.7 ft. long and 2.2 ft. wide and high or about 1.1 m and 68 cm
- Exodus 37:3 Lit second
- Exodus 37:5 Lit the ark
- Exodus 37:6 Also called a mercy seat, and so throughout the ch; i.e., where blood was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement
- Exodus 37:6 Lit its length
- Exodus 37:6 Lit its width
- Exodus 37:7 Lit from
- Exodus 37:8 Lit from
- Exodus 37:8 Lit from
- Exodus 37:8 Lit from
- Exodus 37:10 About 3 ft. long, 1.5 ft. wide, and 2.2 ft. high or about 90 cm, 45 cm, and 68 cm
- Exodus 37:10 Lit its length
- Exodus 37:10 Lit its width
- Exodus 37:10 Lit its height
- Exodus 37:12 About 3 in. or 7.5 cm
- Exodus 37:17 Or calyxes
- Exodus 37:18 Lit second
- Exodus 37:19 Or calyx
- Exodus 37:19 Or calyx
- Exodus 37:20 Or calyxes
- Exodus 37:21 Or calyx
- Exodus 37:21 Or calyx
- Exodus 37:21 Or calyx
- Exodus 37:22 Or calyxes
- Exodus 37:24 About 75 lb. or 34 kg
- Exodus 37:25 Lit its length
- Exodus 37:25 Lit its width
- Exodus 37:25 Lit its height
- Exodus 37:26 Lit walls
出埃及 37
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
约柜
37 比撒列用皂荚木造了一个柜,长一点一米,宽六十六厘米,高六十六厘米。 2 这柜子里外都包上纯金,还镶了一圈金边。 3 他造了四个金环,安在柜的四个脚上,每边两个环, 4 又用皂荚木造了两根横杠,外面包上金, 5 然后把横杠穿过柜旁的金环,便于抬柜。 6 他用纯金造施恩座,长一点一米,宽六十六厘米。 7 又在施恩座的两端用金子打造两个基路伯天使, 8 这两个基路伯天使跟施恩座连在一起, 9 在施恩座的两端,面对面朝向施恩座,向上展开翅膀遮盖施恩座。
桌子
10 他用皂荚木造了一张桌子,长八十八厘米,宽四十四厘米,高六十六厘米。 11 整张桌子都包上纯金,四周镶上金边。 12 在桌子四周造一个八厘米宽的外框,上面也镶上金边。 13 他又造四个金环,安在桌子四角的桌腿上, 14 金环靠近外框,以便穿横杠抬桌子。 15 他用皂荚木造两根横杠,外面包金,用来抬桌子。 16 又用纯金造桌子上的器具,就是盘、碟及献酒用的杯和瓶。
17 他用纯金造了一座灯台,灯台的灯座、灯柱、油杯、花瓣和花苞都是用一块纯金打成的。 18 灯台两边各伸出三个分枝,共有六个分枝。 19 每个分枝都伸出三个杏花形状、有花瓣和花苞的油杯,六个分枝都是这样。 20 灯台上有四个杏花形状、有花瓣和花苞的杯。 21 灯台上每一对分枝的相连处有花苞,三对分枝都是这样。 22 整座灯台,包括一切装饰,都是用一块纯金打成的。 23 他又用纯金为这座灯台造了七个灯盏,以及灯剪和灯花盘。 24 造整座灯台和灯台的器具共用了三十四公斤纯金。
造香坛
25 他又用皂荚木造了一座方形的香坛,长宽各四十五厘米,高九十厘米,坛的四角与坛连成一体, 26 坛顶、坛的四面和坛上的角状物包上纯金,四周镶上金边。 27 他造了两个金环,安在坛两侧的金边下面, 28 又用皂荚木造横杠,包上金,穿在两个环里,用来抬香坛。
29 他又用调制香料的方法制作圣膏油和纯净芬芳的香。
Exodus 37
Evangelical Heritage Version
The Ark of the Covenant
37 Bezalel[a] made the ark[b] of acacia wood. It was forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. 2 He overlaid it with pure gold on the inside and the outside, and he made a gold border around it. 3 He cast four gold rings for it and placed them next to its four feet—two rings on one side of it and two rings on the other side. 4 He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 5 He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark.
6 He made an atonement seat[c] of pure gold, forty-five inches long and twenty-seven inches wide. 7 He made two cherubim of hammered gold for the two ends of the atonement seat, 8 one cherub for one end and one cherub for the other. The cherubim on its two ends formed one piece with the atonement seat.[d] 9 The cherubim spread their wings upward so that they covered the atonement seat with their wings, and they faced each other. The faces of the cherubim were looking inward toward the atonement seat.
The Table
10 He made a table of acacia wood, thirty-six inches long, eighteen inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. 11 He overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold border around it.[e] 12 He made a three-inch rim around it. He made a gold border on its rim all the way around it. 13 He made four gold rings for it and put the rings at the four corners above the four legs of the table. 14 The rings were close to the border to hold the poles used to carry the table. 15 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, so that the table could be carried with them. 16 He made the vessels and the accessories for the table out of pure gold—its dishes,[f] its small bowls,[g] its larger bowls, and its pitchers[h] to pour out drink offerings.
The Lampstand
17 He made a lampstand[i] of pure gold. The lampstand was made of hammered metal. Its base, its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its flowers were all formed as one piece with the lampstand. 18 There were six branches going out from its sides. Three branches of the lampstand went out from one side, and three branches of the lampstand went out from the other side. 19 Three cups like almond blossoms with buds and flowers were on the first branch, and three cups like almond blossoms with buds and flowers were on the branch opposite it. It was the same for all six branches that went out from the lampstand. 20 On the lampstand itself he made four cups like almond blossoms with buds and flowers. 21 The buds under one pair of branches formed one piece with the lampstand, and the buds under the second pair of branches formed one piece with the lampstand, and the buds under the third pair of branches formed one piece with the lampstand—the same for all six branches going out of the lampstand. 22 Its buds and branches were made as one piece with it. All of it was one hammered work of pure gold.
23 He made seven lamps for it. Its wick trimmers and its pans[j] were pure gold. 24 It was made with seventy-five pounds[k] of pure gold, along with all these accessories.
The Altar for Incense
25 He made the altar for incense. He made it of acacia wood. Its length was eighteen inches, and its width was eighteen inches. It was square, and its height was three feet. Its horns formed one piece with it. 26 He overlaid it with pure gold, its top, all its sides, and its horns. He made a gold border[l] around it. 27 He made two gold rings to go under its border. He made them for two opposite sides. They were holders for poles with which to carry it. 28 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.
29 He made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of fragrant spices, the work of a perfume maker.
Footnotes
- Exodus 37:1 Pronouns and verbs in this section are mostly singular referring to Bezalel. This does not mean he did all the work single-handedly.
- Exodus 37:1 An aron is a box or chest or even a coffin. The translation retains the traditional rendering ark.
- Exodus 37:6 The Hebrew word kapporet refers to an object that pertains to atonement. It can be translated atonement cover or place of atonement. The traditional translation mercy seat is based on the translation of Luther, Gnadenstuhl, throne of grace. This translation emphasizes that kapporet was not so much a cover for the ark as a footstool for God’s throne.
- Exodus 37:8 That is, the angels were to be permanently fastened to the lid.
- Exodus 37:11 The meanings of the Hebrew words misgeret and zer are uncertain. They may be decorative trim, or they may be frames to give support and stability to the table. The rabbinic writers do not agree whether the reference is to a rim above the table or to a skirt below the tabletop.
- Exodus 37:16 Etymology suggests that a qe’ara is a deep dish or bowl, but some think it means platter.
- Exodus 37:16 The Hebrew word kaf refers to the palm of the hand, so it refers to a small bowl, spoon, or ladle.
- Exodus 37:16 The precise identification of the four types of vessels is uncertain. Jars and jugs are among the possibilities. Some rabbinic writers believed the utensils included molds for the bread and stands to separate the loaves. This and many other discussions in the rabbinic writings show that there was no consensus on the meaning of many terms in this section of Exodus.
- Exodus 37:17 Hebrew menorah
- Exodus 37:23 The meaning of these two items is uncertain. Tongs and snuffers are among the other possibilities.
- Exodus 37:24 Literally one talent. The weight of a talent is uncertain. A talent is also a monetary unit.
- Exodus 37:26 Or rim, trim, frame, or edging
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

