Call for Artisans. ^10 (A)“Let every artisan among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded: ¹¹ the tabernacle, with its tent, its covering, its clasps, its frames, its bars, its columns, and its pedestals; ¹² the ark, with its poles, the cover, and the curtain veil; ¹³ the table, with its poles and all its utensils, and the showbread; ¹⁴ the menorah, with its utensils, the lamps, and the oil for the light; ¹⁵ the altar of incense, with its poles; the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense; the entrance curtain for the entrance of the tabernacle; ¹⁶ the altar for burnt offerings, with its bronze grating, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin, with its stand; ¹⁷ the hangings of the court, with their columns and pedestals; the curtain for the gate of the court; ¹⁸ the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the court, with their ropes; ¹⁹ the service cloths for use in the sanctuary; the sacred vestments for Aaron, the priest, and the vestments for his sons in their ministry.”

The Contribution. ²⁰ When the whole Israelite community left Moses’ presence, ²¹ all, as their hearts moved them and their spirit prompted, brought a contribution to the Lord for the work of the tent of meeting, for all its services, and for the sacred vestments. ²² Both the men and the women, all as their heart prompted them, brought brooches, earrings, rings, necklaces, and various other gold articles.^(B) Everyone who could presented an offering of gold to the Lord. ²³ Everyone who happened to have violet, purple, or scarlet yarn, fine linen or goat hair, rams’ skins dyed red or tahash skins, brought them. ²⁴ Whoever could make a contribution of silver or bronze offered it to the Lord; and everyone who happened to have acacia wood for any part of the work, brought it. ²⁵ All the women who were expert spinners brought hand-spun violet, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen thread. ²⁶ All the women, as their hearts and skills moved them, spun goat hair. ²⁷ The tribal leaders brought onyx stones and other gems for mounting on the ephod and on the breastpiece; ²⁸ as well as spices, and oil for the light, anointing oil, and fragrant incense. ²⁹ Every Israelite man and woman brought to the Lord such voluntary offerings as they thought best, for the various kinds of work which the Lord, through Moses, had commanded to be done.

The Artisans. ³⁰ Moses said to the Israelites:^(C) “See, the Lord has singled out Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, ³¹ and has filled him with a divine spirit of skill and understanding and knowledge in every craft: ³² in the production of embroidery, in making things of gold, silver, or bronze, ³³ in cutting and mounting precious stones, in carving wood, and in every other craft. ³⁴ He has also given both him and Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. ³⁵ He has endowed them with skill to execute all types of work: engraving, embroidering, the making of variegated cloth of violet, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen thread, weaving, and all other arts and crafts.

Chapter 36

¹ “Bezalel, therefore, will set to work with Oholiab and with all the artisans whom the Lord has endowed with skill and understanding in knowing how to do all the work for the service of the sanctuary, just as the Lord has commanded.”^(D)

² Moses then called Bezalel and Oholiab and all the other artisans whom the Lord had endowed with skill, men whose hearts moved them to come and do the work. ³ They received from Moses all the contributions which the Israelites had brought for the work to be done for the sanctuary service. Still, morning after morning the people continued to bring their voluntary offerings to Moses. ⁴ Thereupon all the artisans who were doing the work for the sanctuary came from the work each was doing, ⁵ and told Moses, “The people are bringing much more than is needed to carry out the work which the Lord has commanded us to do.” ⁶ Moses, therefore, ordered a proclamation to be made throughout the camp: “Let neither man nor woman make any more contributions for the sanctuary.” So the people stopped bringing their offerings; ⁷ there was already enough at hand, and more than enough, to complete the work to be done.

The Tent Cloth and Coverings. ^8 (E)The various artisans who were doing the work made the tabernacle with its ten sheets woven of fine linen twined, having cherubim embroidered on them with violet, purple, and scarlet yarn. ⁹ The length of each sheet was twenty-eight cubits, and the width four cubits; all the sheets were the same size. ¹⁰ Five of the sheets were joined together, edge to edge; and the other five sheets likewise, edge to edge. ¹¹ Loops of violet yarn were made along the edge of the end sheet in the first set, and the same along the edge of the end sheet in the second set. ¹² Fifty loops were thus put on one inner sheet, and fifty loops on the inner sheet in the other set, with the loops directly opposite each other. ¹³ Then fifty clasps of gold were made, with which the sheets were joined so that the tabernacle formed one whole.

¹⁴ Sheets of goat hair were also woven as a tent over the tabernacle. Eleven such sheets were made. ¹⁵ The length of each sheet was thirty cubits and the width four cubits; all eleven sheets were the same size. ¹⁶ Five of these sheets were joined into one set, and the other six sheets into another set. ¹⁷ Fifty loops were made along the edge of the end sheet in one set, and fifty loops along the edge of the corresponding sheet in the other set. ¹⁸ Fifty bronze clasps were made with which the tent was joined so that it formed one whole. ¹⁹ A covering for the tent was made of rams’ skins dyed red and, above that, a covering of tahash skins.

The Framework. ^20 (F)Frames were made for the tabernacle, acacia-wood uprights. ²¹ The length of each frame was ten cubits, and the width one and a half cubits. ²² Each frame had two arms, fastening them one to another. In this way all the frames of the tabernacle were made. ²³ The frames for the tabernacle were made as follows: twenty frames on the south side, ²⁴ with forty silver pedestals under the twenty frames, two pedestals under each frame for its two arms; ²⁵ twenty frames on the other side of the tabernacle, the north side, ²⁶ with their forty silver pedestals, two pedestals under each frame. ²⁷ At the rear of the tabernacle, to the west, six frames were made, ²⁸ and two frames were made for the corners of the tabernacle, at its rear. ²⁹ These were double at the bottom, and likewise double at the top, to the first ring. That is how both corner frames were made. ³⁰ Thus, there were eight frames, with their sixteen silver pedestals, two pedestals under each frame. ³¹ Bars of acacia wood were also made, five for the frames on one side of the tabernacle, ³² five for those on the other side, and five for those at the rear, to the west. ³³ The center bar, at the middle of the frames, was made to reach across from end to end. ³⁴ The frames were plated with gold, and gold rings were made on them as holders for the bars, which were also plated with gold.

The Veil. ^35 (G)The veil was made of violet, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of fine linen twined, with cherubim embroidered on it. ³⁶ Four gold-plated columns of acacia wood, with gold hooks, were made for it, and four silver pedestals were cast for them.

³⁷ The curtain for the entrance of the tent was made of violet, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of fine linen twined, woven in a variegated manner. ³⁸ Its five columns, with their hooks as well as their capitals and bands, were plated with gold; their five pedestals were of bronze.

^32 (A)As they were going out, they met a Cyrenian named Simon; this man they pressed into service to carry his cross.

The Crucifixion. ^33 (B)And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of the Skull), ^34 (C)they gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with gall.^[a] But when he had tasted it, he refused to drink. ^35 (D)After they had crucified him, they divided his garments^[b] by casting lots; ³⁶ then they sat down and kept watch over him there. ³⁷ And they placed over his head the written charge^[c] against him: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. ³⁸ Two revolutionaries^[d] were crucified with him, one on his right and the other on his left. ^39 [e](E)Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads ^40 (F)and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, if you are the Son of God, [and] come down from the cross!” ⁴¹ Likewise the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him and said, ⁴² “He saved others; he cannot save himself. So he is the king of Israel!^[f] Let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. ^43 [g](G)He trusted in God; let him deliver him now if he wants him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ The revolutionaries who were crucified with him also kept abusing him in the same way.

The Death of Jesus. ^45 [h](H)From noon onward,^(I) darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ^46 (J)And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”^[i] which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ^47 [j]Some of the bystanders who heard it said, “This one is calling for Elijah.” ^48 (K)Immediately one of them ran to get a sponge; he soaked it in wine, and putting it on a reed, gave it to him to drink. ⁴⁹ But the rest said, “Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him.” ^50 [k]But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, and gave up his spirit. ^51 (L)And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom.^[l] The earth quaked, rocks were split, ^52 (M)tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. ⁵³ And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many. ^54 [m]The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus feared greatly when they saw the earthquake and all that was happening, and they said, “Truly, this was the Son of God!” ⁵⁵ There were many women there, looking on from a distance,^[n] who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him. ^56 (N)Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

The Burial of Jesus.^{[o] 57 (O)}When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who was himself a disciple of Jesus.^{(P) 58} He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be handed over. ⁵⁹ Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it [in] clean linen ⁶⁰ and laid it in his new tomb that he had hewn in the rock. Then he rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the tomb and departed. ⁶¹ But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary remained sitting there, facing the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb.^{[p] 62} The next day, the one following the day of preparation,^[q] the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate ^63 (Q)and said, “Sir, we remember that this impostor while still alive said, ‘After three days I will be raised up.’ ⁶⁴ Give orders, then, that the grave be secured until the third day, lest his disciples come and steal him and say to the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead.’ This last imposture would be worse than the first.”^{[r] 65} Pilate said to them, “The guard is yours;^[s] go secure it as best you can.” ⁶⁶ So they went and secured the tomb by fixing a seal to the stone and setting the guard.

Psalm 34^[a]

Thanksgiving to God Who Delivers the Just

¹ Of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech,^[b] who drove him out and he went away.

I

II

Miscellaneous Aphorisms