Exodus 25-28

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Offerings for the Tabernacle

25 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell the Israelites to take for me an offering; from all whose hearts prompt them to give you shall receive the offering for me.^{(A) 3} This is the offering that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, ⁴ blue, purple, and crimson yarns and fine linen, goats’ hair, ⁵ tanned rams’ skins, fine leather,^[a] acacia wood, ⁶ oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense,^{(B) 7} onyx stones and gems to be set in the ephod and for the breastpiece.^{(C) 8} And they shall make me a sanctuary so that I may dwell among them.^{(D) 9} In accordance with all that I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.^(E)

The Ark of the Covenant

¹⁰ “They shall make an ark of acacia wood; it shall be two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.^{(F) 11} You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside you shall overlay it, and you shall make a molding of gold upon it all around. ¹² You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on one side of it and two rings on the other side. 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, for carrying the ark. ¹⁵ The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed. ¹⁶ You shall put the covenant that I am giving you into the ark.^(G)

¹⁷ “Then you shall make a cover of pure gold; two cubits and a half shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width.^{(H) 18} You shall make two cherubim of gold; you shall make them of hammered work at the two ends of the cover. ¹⁹ Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other; of one piece with the cover you shall make the cherubim at its two ends. ²⁰ The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the cover with their wings. They shall face one to another; the faces of the cherubim shall be turned toward the cover.^{(I) 21} You shall put the cover on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the covenant that I am giving you.^{(J) 22} There I will meet with you, and from above the cover, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the covenant, I will tell you all that I am commanding you for the Israelites.^(K)

The Table for the Bread of the Presence

²³ “You shall make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long, one cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high.^{(L) 24} You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a molding of gold around it. ²⁵ You shall make around it a rim a handbreadth wide and a molding of gold around the rim. ²⁶ You shall make for it four rings of gold and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs. ²⁷ The rings that hold the poles used for carrying the table shall be close to the rim. ²⁸ You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these. ²⁹ You shall make its plates and dishes and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold.^{(M) 30} And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me continually.^(N)

The Lampstand

³¹ “You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The base and the shaft of the lampstand shall be made of hammered work; its cups, its calyxes, and its petals shall be of one piece with it;^{(O) 32} and there shall be 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;^{(P) 33} three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with calyx and petals, on one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with calyx and petals, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. ³⁴ On the lampstand itself there shall be four cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with its calyxes and petals.^{(Q) 35} There shall be a calyx of one piece with it under the first pair of branches, a calyx of one piece with it under the next pair of branches, and a calyx of one piece with it under the last pair of branches—so for the six branches that go out of the lampstand. ³⁶ Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it one hammered piece of pure gold. ³⁷ You shall make seven lamps for it, and the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it.^{(R) 38} Its snuffers and trays shall be of pure gold. ³⁹ It and all these utensils shall be made from a talent of pure gold. ⁴⁰ And see that you make them according to the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.^(S)

The Tabernacle

26 “The tabernacle itself you shall make with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue, purple, and crimson yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them.^{(T) 2} The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits and the width of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall be of the same size. ³ Five curtains shall be joined to one another, and the other five curtains shall be joined to one another.^{(U) 4} You shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set, and likewise you shall make loops on the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set. ⁵ You shall make fifty loops on the one curtain, and you shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be opposite one another.^{(V) 6} You shall make fifty clasps of gold and join the curtains to one another with the clasps, so that the tabernacle may be one whole.

⁷ “You shall also make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; you shall make eleven curtains.^{(W) 8} The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits and the width of each curtain four cubits; the eleven curtains shall be of the same size. ⁹ You shall join five curtains by themselves and six curtains by themselves, and the sixth curtain you shall double over at the front of the tent. ¹⁰ You shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in one set and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second set.

¹¹ “You shall make fifty clasps of bronze and put the clasps into the loops and join the tent together, so that it may be one whole.^{(X) 12} The part that remains of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remains, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle. ¹³ The cubit on one side and the cubit on the other side of what remains in the length of the curtains of the tent shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle, on this side and that side, to cover it. ¹⁴ You shall make for the tent a covering of tanned rams’ skins and an outer covering of fine leather.^[b](Y)

The Framework

¹⁵ “You shall make upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle.^{(Z) 16} Ten cubits shall be the length of a frame and a cubit and a half the width of each frame. ¹⁷ There shall be two pegs in each frame to fit the frames together; you shall make these for all the frames of the tabernacle. ¹⁸ You shall make the frames for the tabernacle: twenty frames for the south side; ¹⁹ and you shall make forty bases of silver under the twenty frames: two bases under the first frame for its two pegs and two bases under the next frame for its two pegs; ²⁰ and for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side twenty frames,^{(AA) 21} and their forty bases of silver: two bases under the first frame and two bases under the next frame; ²² and for the rear of the tabernacle westward you shall make six frames. ²³ You shall make two frames for corners of the tabernacle in the rear; ²⁴ they shall be separate beneath but joined at the top at the first ring; it shall be the same with both of them; they shall form the two corners. ²⁵ And so there shall be eight frames, with their bases of silver, sixteen bases: two bases under the first frame and two bases under the next frame.^(AB)

²⁶ “You shall make bars of acacia wood: five for the frames of one side of the tabernacle, ²⁷ and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the side of the tabernacle at the rear westward. ²⁸ The middle bar, halfway up the frames, shall pass through from end to end. ²⁹ You shall overlay the frames with gold and shall make their rings of gold to hold the bars, and you shall overlay the bars with gold. ³⁰ Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to the plan for it that you were shown on the mountain.^(AC)

The Curtain

³¹ “You shall make a curtain of blue, purple, and crimson yarns and of fine twisted linen; it shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it.^{(AD) 32} You shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, which have hooks of gold and rest on four bases of silver. ³³ You shall hang the curtain under the clasps and bring the ark of the covenant in there, within the curtain, and the curtain shall separate for you the holy place from the most holy place.^{(AE) 34} You shall put the cover on the ark of the covenant in the most holy place.^{(AF) 35} You shall set the table outside the curtain and the lampstand on the south side of the tabernacle opposite the table, and you shall put the table on the north side.^(AG)

³⁶ “You shall make a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns and of fine twisted linen, embroidered with needlework.^{(AH) 37} You shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia and overlay them with gold; their hooks shall be of gold, and you shall cast five bases of bronze for them.^(AI)

The Altar of Burnt Offering

27 “You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square, and it shall be three cubits high.^{(AJ) 2} You shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze. ³ You shall make pots for its ashes and shovels and basins and forks and firepans; you shall make all its utensils of bronze.^{(AK) 4} You shall also make for it a grating, a network of bronze, and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. ⁵ You shall set it under the ledge of the altar so that the net shall extend halfway down the altar. ⁶ You shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze; ⁷ the poles shall be put through the rings, so that the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar when it is carried. ⁸ You shall make it hollow, with boards. They shall be made just as you were shown on the mountain.^(AL)

The Court and Its Hangings

⁹ “You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twisted linen one hundred cubits long for that side;^{(AM) 10} its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their bands shall be of silver.^{(AN) 11} Likewise for its length on the north side there shall be hangings one hundred cubits long, their pillars twenty and their bases twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their bands shall be of silver. ¹² For the width of the court on the west side there shall be fifty cubits of hangings, with ten pillars and ten bases. ¹³ The width of the court on the front to the east shall be fifty cubits. ¹⁴ There shall be fifteen cubits of hangings on one side, with three pillars and three bases.^{(AO) 15} There shall be fifteen cubits of^[c] hangings on the other side, with three pillars and three bases. ¹⁶ For the gate of the court there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns and of fine twisted linen, embroidered with needlework; it shall have four pillars and with them four bases.^{(AP) 17} All the pillars around the court shall be banded with silver; their hooks shall be of silver and their bases of bronze. ¹⁸ The length of the court shall be one hundred cubits, the width fifty, and the height five cubits, with hangings of fine twisted linen and bases of bronze. ¹⁹ All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze.

The Oil for the Lamp

²⁰ “You shall further command the Israelites to bring you pure oil of beaten olives for the light, so that a lamp may be set up to burn continually.^{(AQ) 21} In the tent of meeting, outside the curtain that is before the covenant, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the Lord. It shall be a perpetual ordinance to be observed throughout their generations by the Israelites.^(AR)

Vestments for the Priesthood

28 “Then bring near to you your brother Aaron and his sons with him, from among the Israelites, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron’s sons: Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.^{(AS) 2} You shall make sacred vestments for the glorious adornment of your brother Aaron.^{(AT) 3} And you shall speak to all who are skillful, whom I have endowed with skill, so that they make Aaron’s vestments to consecrate him for my priesthood.^{(AU) 4} These are the vestments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a checkered tunic, a turban, and a sash. When they make these sacred vestments for your brother Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests,^{(AV) 5} they shall use gold, blue, purple, and crimson yarns and fine linen.

The Ephod

⁶ “They shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen, skillfully worked.^{(AW) 7} It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together. ⁸ The decorated band on it shall be of the same workmanship and materials, of gold, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen. ⁹ You shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel,^{(AX) 10} six of their names on the one stone and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. ¹¹ As a gem cutter engraves signets, so you shall engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel; you shall mount them in settings of gold filigree. ¹² You shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel, and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for remembrance.^{(AY) 13} You shall make settings of gold filigree ¹⁴ and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords, and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings.

The Breastplate

¹⁵ “You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work; you shall make it in the style of the ephod; of gold, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen you shall make it.^{(AZ) 16} It shall be square and doubled, a span in length and a span in width. ¹⁷ You shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of carnelian, chrysolite, and emerald shall be the first row;^{(BA) 18} and the second row a turquoise, a sapphire,^[d] and a moonstone; ¹⁹ and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; ²⁰ and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper; they shall be set in gold filigree. ²¹ There shall be twelve stones with names corresponding to the names of the sons of Israel; they shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes.^{(BB) 22} You shall make for the breastpiece chains of pure gold, twisted like cords, ²³ and you shall make for the breastpiece two rings of gold and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. ²⁴ You shall put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece;^{(BC) 25} the two ends of the two cords you shall attach to the two settings and so attach it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. ²⁶ You shall make two rings of gold and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod.^{[e](BD) 27} You shall make two rings of gold and attach them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its joining above the decorated band of the ephod. ²⁸ The breastpiece shall be bound by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it may lie on the decorated band of the ephod and so that the breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod. ²⁹ So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart when he goes into the holy place, for a continual remembrance before the Lord.^{(BE) 30} In the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the Lord; thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the Israelites on his heart before the Lord continually.^(BF)

Other Priestly Vestments

³¹ “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue.^{(BG) 32} It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around its edge, like the opening in a garment,^[f] so that it may not be torn. ³³ On its lower hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, all around the lower hem, with bells of gold between them all around— ³⁴ a golden bell and a pomegranate alternating all around the lower hem of the robe. ³⁵ Aaron shall wear it when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the holy place before the Lord and when he comes out, so that he may not die.

³⁶ “You shall make a rosette of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the Lord.’^{(BH) 37} You shall fasten it on the turban with a blue cord; it shall be on the front of the turban. ³⁸ It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall take on himself any guilt incurred in the holy offerings that the Israelites consecrate as their sacred donations; it shall always be on his forehead, in order that they may find favor before the Lord.^(BI)

³⁹ “You shall make the checkered tunic of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash embroidered with needlework.

⁴⁰ “For Aaron’s sons you shall make tunics and sashes and headdresses; you shall make them for their glorious adornment.^{(BJ) 41} You shall put them on your brother Aaron and on his sons with him and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, so that they may serve me as priests.^{(BK) 42} You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh; they shall reach from the hips to the thighs;^{(BL) 43} They shall be worn by Aaron and his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the holy place, so that they do not bring guilt on themselves and die. This shall be a perpetual ordinance for him and for his descendants after him.^(BM)