Exodus 36-38
Good News Translation
36 “Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the other workers to whom the Lord has given skill and understanding, who know how to make everything needed to build the sacred Tent, are to make everything just as the Lord has commanded.”
The People Bring Many Gifts
2 Moses called Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the other skilled men to whom the Lord had given ability and who were willing to help, and Moses told them to start working. 3 They received from him all the offerings which the Israelites had brought for constructing the sacred Tent. But the people of Israel continued to bring Moses their offerings every morning. 4 Then the skilled men who were doing the work went 5 and told Moses, “The people are bringing more than is needed for the work which the Lord commanded to be done.”
6 So Moses sent a command throughout the camp that no one was to make any further contribution for the sacred Tent; so the people did not bring any more. 7 What had already been brought was more than enough to finish all the work.
Making the Tent of the Lord's Presence(A)
8 The most skilled men among those doing the work made the Tent of the Lord's presence. They made it out of ten pieces of fine linen woven with blue, purple, and red wool and embroidered with figures of winged creatures. 9 Each piece was the same size, 14 yards long and 2 yards wide. 10 They sewed five of them together in one set and did the same with the other five. 11 They made loops of blue cloth on the edge of the outside piece in each set. 12 They put fifty loops on the first piece of the first set and fifty loops matching them on the last piece of the second set. 13 They made fifty gold hooks, with which to join the two sets into one piece.
14 Then they made a cover for the Tent out of eleven pieces of cloth made of goats' hair. 15 They made them all the same size, 15 yards long and 2 yards wide. 16 They sewed five of them together in one set and the other six in another set. 17 They put fifty loops on the edge of the last piece of one set and fifty loops on the edge of the other set. 18 They made fifty bronze hooks to join the two sets, so as to form one cover. 19 They made two more coverings, one of rams' skin dyed red and the other of fine leather, to serve as an outer cover.
20 They made upright frames of acacia wood for the Tent. 21 Each frame was 15 feet tall and 27 inches wide, 22 with two matching projections, so that the frames could be joined together. All the frames had these projections. 23 They made twenty frames for the south side 24 and forty silver bases to go under them, two bases under each frame to hold its two projections. 25 They made twenty frames for the north side of the Tent 26 and forty silver bases, two under each frame. 27 For the back of the Tent, on the west, they made six frames 28 and two frames for the corners. 29 These corner frames were joined at the bottom and connected all the way to the top. The two frames that formed the two corners were made in this way. 30 So there were eight frames and sixteen silver bases, two under each frame.
31 They made fifteen crossbars of acacia wood, five for the frames on one side of the Tent, 32 five for the frames on the other side, and five for the frames on the west end, at the back. 33 The middle crossbar, set halfway up the frames, extended from one end of the Tent to the other. 34 They covered the frames with gold and fitted them with gold rings to hold the crossbars, which were also covered with gold.
35 They made a curtain of fine linen, woven with blue, purple, and red wool and embroidered it with figures of winged creatures. 36 They made four posts of acacia wood to hold the curtain, covered them with gold, and fitted them with gold hooks. Then they made four silver bases to hold the posts. 37 For the entrance of the Tent they made a curtain of fine linen woven with blue, purple, and red wool and decorated with embroidery. 38 For this curtain they made five posts fitted with hooks, covered their tops and their rods with gold, and made five bronze bases for the posts.
Making the Covenant Box(B)
37 Bezalel made the Covenant Box out of acacia wood, 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high. 2 He covered it with pure gold inside and out and put a gold border all around it. 3 He made four carrying rings of gold for it and attached them to its four feet, with two rings on each side. 4 He made carrying poles of acacia wood, covered them with gold, 5 and put them through the rings on each side of the Box. 6 He made a lid of pure gold, 45 inches long and 27 inches wide. 7 He made two winged creatures of hammered gold, 8 one for each end of the lid. He made them so that they formed one piece with the lid. 9 The winged creatures faced each other across the lid, and their outspread wings covered it.
Making the Table for the Bread Offered to God(C)
10 He made the table out of acacia wood, 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high. 11 He covered it with pure gold and put a gold border around it. 12 He made a rim 3 inches wide around it and put a gold border around the rim. 13 He made four carrying rings of gold for it and put them at the four corners, where the legs were. 14 The rings to hold the poles for carrying the table were placed near the rim. 15 He made the poles of acacia wood and covered them with gold. 16 He made the dishes of pure gold for the table: the plates, the cups, the jars, and the bowls to be used for the wine offering.
Making the Lampstand(D)
17 He made the lampstand of pure gold. He made its base and its shaft of hammered gold; its decorative flowers, including buds and petals, formed one piece with it. 18 Six branches extended from its sides, three from each side. 19 Each of the six branches had three decorative flowers shaped like almond blossoms with buds and petals. 20 The shaft of the lampstand had four decorative flowers shaped like almond blossoms with buds and petals. 21 There was one bud below each of the three pairs of branches. 22 The buds, the branches, and the lampstand were a single piece of pure hammered gold. 23 He made seven lamps for the lampstand, and he made its tongs and trays of pure gold. 24 He used seventy-five pounds of pure gold to make the lampstand and all its equipment.
Making the Altar for Burning Incense(E)
25 He made an altar out of acacia wood, for burning incense. It was square, 18 inches long and 18 inches wide, and it was 36 inches high. Its projections at the four corners formed one piece with it. 26 He covered its top, all four sides, and its projections with pure gold and put a gold border around it. 27 He made two gold carrying rings for it and attached them below the border on the two sides, to hold the poles with which it was to be carried. 28 He made the poles of acacia wood and covered them with gold.
Making the Anointing Oil and the Incense(F)
29 (G)He also made the sacred anointing oil and the pure sweet-smelling incense, mixed like perfume.
Making the Altar for Burning Offerings(H)
38 For burning offerings, he made an altar out of acacia wood. It was square, 7½ feet long and 7½ feet wide, and it was 4½ feet high. 2 He made the projections at the top of the four corners, so that they formed one piece with the altar. He covered it all with bronze. 3 He also made all the equipment for the altar: the pans, the shovels, the bowls, the hooks, and the fire pans. All this equipment was made of bronze. 4 He made a bronze grating and put it under the rim of the altar, so that it reached halfway up the altar. 5 He made four carrying rings and put them on the four corners. 6 He made carrying poles of acacia wood, covered them with bronze, 7 and put them in the rings on each side of the altar. The altar was made of boards and was hollow.
Making the Bronze Basin(I)
8 (J)He made the bronze basin and its bronze base out of the mirrors belonging to the women who served at the entrance of the Tent of the Lord's presence.
The Enclosure for the Tent of the Lord's Presence(K)
9 For the Tent of the Lord's presence he made the enclosure out of fine linen curtains. On the south side the curtains were 50 yards long, 10 supported by twenty bronze posts in twenty bronze bases, with hooks and rods made of silver. 11 The enclosure was the same on the north side. 12 On the west side there were curtains 25 yards long, with ten posts and ten bases and with hooks and rods made of silver. 13 On the east side, where the entrance was, the enclosure was also 25 yards wide. 14-15 On each side of the entrance there were 7½ yards of curtains, with three posts and three bases. 16 All the curtains around the enclosure were made of fine linen. 17 The bases for the posts were made of bronze, and the hooks, the rods, and the covering of the tops of the posts were made of silver. All the posts around the enclosure were connected with silver rods. 18 The curtain for the entrance of the enclosure was made of fine linen woven with blue, purple, and red wool and decorated with embroidery. It was 10 yards long and 2½ yards high, like the curtains of the enclosure. 19 It was supported by four posts in four bronze bases. Their hooks, the covering of their tops, and their rods were made of silver. 20 All the pegs for the Tent and for the surrounding enclosure were made of bronze.
Metals Used in the Tent of the Lord's Presence
21 Here is a list of the amounts of the metals used in the Tent of the Lord's presence, where the two stone tablets were kept on which the Ten Commandments were written. The list was ordered by Moses and made by the Levites who worked under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.
22 Bezalel, the son of Uri and grandson of Hur from the tribe of Judah, made everything that the Lord had commanded. 23 His helper, Oholiab son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan, was an engraver, a designer, and a weaver of fine linen and of blue, purple, and red wool.
24 All the gold that had been dedicated to the Lord for the sacred Tent weighed 2,195 pounds, weighed according to the official standard. 25 (L)The silver from the census of the community weighed 7,550 pounds, weighed according to the official standard. 26 (M)This amount equaled the total paid by all persons enrolled in the census, each one paying the required amount, weighed according to the official standard. There were 603,550 men twenty years old or older enrolled in the census. 27 Of the silver, 7,500 pounds were used to make the hundred bases for the sacred Tent and for the curtain, 75 pounds for each base. 28 With the remaining 50 pounds of silver Bezalel made the rods, the hooks for the posts, and the covering for their tops. 29 The bronze which was dedicated to the Lord amounted to 5,310 pounds. 30 With it he made the bases for the entrance of the Tent of the Lord's presence, the bronze altar with its bronze grating, all the equipment for the altar, 31 the bases for the surrounding enclosure and for the entrance of the enclosure, and all the pegs for the Tent and the surrounding enclosure.
Exodus 36-38
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
36 “Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord has given skill and understanding to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.”(A)
2 Moses then called Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given skill, everyone whose heart was stirred to come to do the work,(B) 3 and they received from Moses all the offerings that the Israelites had brought for the work of constructing the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning,(C) 4 so that all the skilled workers who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task being performed, 5 and said to Moses, “The people are bringing much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.”(D) 6 So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing, 7 for what they had already brought was more than enough to do all the work.
Construction of the Tabernacle
8 All those with skill among the workers made the tabernacle with ten curtains; they were made of fine twisted linen and blue, purple, and crimson yarns, with cherubim skillfully worked into them.(E) 9 The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits and the width of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains were of the same size.
10 He joined five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he joined 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.(F) 13 And he made fifty clasps of gold and joined the curtains one to the other with clasps; so the tabernacle was one whole.
14 He also made curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; he made eleven curtains.(G) 15 The length of each curtain was thirty cubits and the width of each curtain four cubits; the eleven curtains were of the same size. 16 He joined five curtains by themselves and six curtains by themselves. 17 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 He made fifty clasps of bronze to join the tent together so that it might be one whole. 19 And he made for the tent a covering of tanned rams’ skins and an outer covering of fine leather.[a](H)
20 Then he made the upright frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood.(I) 21 Ten cubits was the length of a frame and a cubit and a half the width of each frame. 22 Each frame had two pegs for fitting together; he did this for all the frames of the tabernacle. 23 The frames for the tabernacle he made in this way: twenty frames for the south side, 24 and he made 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.(J) 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 the first frame and two bases under the next frame. 27 For the rear of the tabernacle westward he made six frames.(K) 28 He made two frames for the corners of the tabernacle in the rear. 29 They were separate beneath but joined at the top at the first ring; he made two of them in 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,(L) 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 He made the middle bar to pass through from end to end halfway up the frames. 34 And he overlaid the frames with gold and made rings of gold for them to hold the bars and overlaid the bars with gold.
35 He made the curtain of blue, purple, and crimson yarns and fine twisted linen, with cherubim skillfully worked into it.(M) 36 He made for it 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 to the tent, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns and fine twisted linen, embroidered with needlework, 38 and its five pillars with their hooks. He overlaid their capitals and their bases with gold, but their five bases were of bronze.
Making the Ark of the Covenant
37 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; it was two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.(N) 2 He overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside and made a molding of gold around it. 3 He cast for it four rings of gold for its four feet, two rings on its one side and two rings on its other side.(O) 4 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 He made a cover of pure gold; two cubits and a half was its length and a cubit and a half its width.(P) 7 He made two cherubim of hammered gold; at the two ends of the cover he made them, 8 one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; of one piece with the cover he made the cherubim at its two ends. 9 The cherubim spread out their wings above, overshadowing the cover with their wings. They faced one another; the faces of the cherubim were turned toward the cover.
Making the Table for the Bread of the Presence
10 He also made the table of acacia wood, two cubits long, one cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high.(Q) 11 He overlaid it with pure gold and made a molding of gold around it. 12 He also made around it a rim a handbreadth wide, and he 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 The rings that held the poles used for carrying the table were close to the rim. 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.(R)
Making the Lampstand
17 He also made the lampstand of pure gold. The base and the shaft of the lampstand were made of hammered work; its cups, its calyxes, and its petals were of one piece with it.(S) 18 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 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.(T) 20 On the lampstand itself there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with its calyxes and petals. 21 There was 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 going out of it.(U) 22 Their calyxes and their branches were of one piece with it, the whole of it one hammered piece of pure gold. 23 He made its seven lamps and its snuffers and its trays of pure gold. 24 He made it and all its utensils of a talent of pure gold.
Making the Altar of Incense
25 He made the altar of incense of acacia wood, one cubit long and one cubit wide; it was square and was two cubits high; its horns were of one piece with it.(V) 26 He overlaid it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around and its horns, and he made a molding of gold around it 27 and two golden rings for it under its molding, on two opposite sides of it, to hold the poles with which to carry it. 28 And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.
Making the Anointing Oil and the Incense
29 He made the holy anointing oil also and the pure fragrant incense, blended as by the perfumer.(W)
Making the Altar of Burnt Offering
38 He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood; it was five cubits long and five cubits wide; it was square and was three cubits high.(X) 2 He made horns for it on its four corners; its horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze. 3 He made all the utensils of the altar: the pots, the shovels, the basins, the forks, and the firepans; all its utensils he made of bronze. 4 He made for the altar a grating, a network of bronze, under its ledge, extending halfway down. 5 He cast four rings on the four corners of the bronze grating to hold the poles; 6 he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. 7 And he put the poles through the rings on the sides of the altar, to carry it with them; he made it hollow, with boards.
8 He made the basin of bronze with its stand of bronze, from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.(Y)
Making the Court of the Tabernacle
9 He made the court; for the south side the hangings of the court were of fine twisted linen, one hundred cubits long;(Z) 10 its twenty pillars and their twenty bases were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. 11 For the north side there were hangings[b] one hundred cubits long; its twenty pillars and their twenty bases were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver.(AA) 12 For the west side there were hangings fifty cubits long, with ten pillars and ten bases; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. 13 And for the front to the east, fifty cubits. 14 The hangings for one side of the gate were fifteen cubits, with three pillars and three bases.(AB) 15 And likewise for the other side: on each side of the gate of the court were hangings of fifteen cubits, with three pillars and three bases. 16 All the hangings around the court were of fine twisted linen. 17 The bases for the pillars were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver; the overlaying of their capitals was also of silver, and all the pillars of the court were banded with silver. 18 The screen for the entrance to the court was embroidered with needlework in blue, purple, and crimson yarns and fine twisted linen. It was twenty cubits long and, along the width of it, five cubits high, corresponding to the hangings of the court.(AC) 19 There were four pillars; their four bases were of bronze, their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their capitals and their bands of silver. 20 All the pegs for the tabernacle and for the court all around were of bronze.
Materials of the Tabernacle
21 These are the records of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the covenant, which were drawn up at the commandment of Moses, the work of the Levites being under the direction of Ithamar son of the priest Aaron.(AD) 22 Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord commanded Moses,(AE) 23 and with him was Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, engraver, designer, and embroiderer in blue, purple, and crimson yarns and in fine linen.
24 All the gold that was used for the work, in all the construction of the sanctuary, the gold from the offering, was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred thirty shekels, measured by the sanctuary shekel.(AF) 25 The silver from those of the congregation who were counted was one hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred seventy-five shekels, measured by the sanctuary shekel,(AG) 26 a beka a head (that is, half a shekel, measured by the sanctuary shekel) for everyone who was counted in the census, from twenty years old and up, for six hundred three thousand, five hundred fifty men.(AH) 27 The hundred talents of silver were for casting the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the curtain, one hundred bases for the hundred talents, one talent per base.(AI) 28 Of the thousand seven hundred seventy-five shekels he made hooks for the pillars and overlaid their capitals and made bands for them. 29 The bronze offering was seventy talents and two thousand four hundred shekels; 30 with it he made the bases for the entrance of the tent of meeting, the bronze altar and the bronze grating for it and all the utensils of the altar, 31 the bases all around the court, and the bases of the gate of the court, all the pegs of the tabernacle, and all the pegs around the court.
Exodus 36-38
Complete Jewish Bible
36 “B’tzal’el and Oholi’av, along with all the craftsmen whom Adonai has endowed with the wisdom and skill necessary to carry out the work needed for the sanctuary, are to do exactly according to everything Adonai has ordered.”
2 Moshe summoned B’tzal’el, Oholi’av and every craftsman to whom Adonai had given wisdom, everyone whose heart stirred him, to come and take part in the work. 3 They received from Moshe all the offering which the people of Isra’el had brought for the work of building the sanctuary. But they still kept bringing voluntary offerings every morning, 4 until all the craftsmen doing the work for the sanctuary left the work they were involved with 5 to tell Moshe, “The people are bringing far more than is needed to do the work Adonai has ordered done.” 6 So Moshe gave an order which was proclaimed throughout the camp: “Neither men nor women are to make any further efforts for the sanctuary offering.” In this way, the people were restrained from making additional contributions. 7 For what they had already was not only sufficient for doing all the work, but too much!
(LY: iv) 8 All the skilled men among them who did the work made the tabernacle, using ten sheets of finely woven linen and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn. He made them with k’ruvim worked in that had been crafted by a skilled artisan. 9 Each sheet was forty-two feet long and six feet wide; all the sheets were the same size. 10 He joined five sheets one to another, and the other five sheets he joined one to another. 11 He made loops of blue on the edge of the outermost sheet in the first set and did the same on the edge of the outermost sheet in the second set. 12 He made fifty loops on the one sheet, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the sheet in the second set; the loops were opposite one another. 13 He made fifty fasteners of gold and coupled the sheets to each other with the fasteners, so that the tabernacle formed a single unit.
14 He made sheets of goat’s hair to be used as a tent covering the tabernacle; he made eleven sheets. 15 Each sheet was forty-five feet long and six feet wide; all eleven sheets were the same size. 16 He joined five sheets together and six sheets together. 17 He made fifty loops on the edge of the outermost sheet in the first set and fifty loops on the outermost sheet in the second set. 18 He made fifty fasteners of bronze to join the tent together, so that it would be a single unit.
19 He made a covering for the tent of tanned ram skins and an outer covering of fine leather.
(LY: v) 20 He made the upright planks of acacia-wood for the tabernacle. 21 Each plank was fifteen feet long and two-and-a-quarter feet wide. 22 There were two projections on each plank, and the planks were joined one to another. This is how he made all the planks for the tabernacle.
23 He made the planks for the tabernacle as follows: twenty planks for the south side, facing southward. 24 He made forty silver sockets under the twenty planks, two sockets under one plank for its two projections and two sockets under another plank for its two projections. 25 For the second side of the tabernacle, to the north, he made twenty planks 26 and their forty silver sockets, two sockets under one plank and two under another. 27 For the rear part of the tabernacle, toward the west, he made six planks. 28 For the corners of the tabernacle in the rear he made two planks, 29 double from the bottom all the way to the top but joined at a single ring. He did the same with both of them at the two corners. 30 Thus there were eight planks with their silver sockets, sixteen sockets, two sockets under each plank.
31 He made crossbars of acacia-wood, five for the planks of the one side of the tabernacle, 32 five crossbars for the planks of the other side of the tabernacle, and five crossbars for the planks at the side of the tabernacle at the rear toward the west. 33 He made the middle crossbar so that it extended from one end of the planks to the other, halfway up. 34 He overlaid the planks with gold, made gold rings for them through which the crossbars could pass and overlaid the crossbars with gold.
35 He made the curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely woven linen. He made them with k’ruvim worked in that had been crafted by a skilled artisan. 36 He made for it four posts of acacia-wood and overlaid them with gold, and gold hooks; and cast for them four silver sockets.
37 For the entrance to the tent he made a screen of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely woven linen, in colors, the work of a weaver; 38 with its five posts and their hooks. He overlaid their capitals and their attached rings for hanging with gold, while their five sockets were of bronze.
37 B’tzal’el made the ark of acacia-wood three-and-three-quarters feet long, two-and-a-quarter feet wide and two-and-a-quarter feet high. 2 He overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside and put a molding of gold for it around the top. 3 He cast four gold rings for it at its four feet, two rings on each side. 4 He made poles of acacia-wood and overlaid them with gold. 5 He put the carrying-poles for the ark in the rings on the sides of the ark.
6 He made a cover for the ark of pure gold, three-and-three-quarters feet long and two-and-a-quarter feet wide. 7 He made two k’ruvim of gold; he made them of hammered work for the two ends of the ark-cover — 8 one keruv for one end and one keruv for the other end; he made the k’ruvim of one piece with the ark-cover at its two ends. 9 The k’ruvim had their wings spread out above, so that their wings covered the ark; their faces were toward each other and toward the ark-cover.
10 He made the table of acacia-wood, three feet long, eighteen inches wide and eighteen inches high. 11 He overlaid it with pure gold and put a molding of gold around the top of it. 12 He made around it a rim a handbreadth wide and put a molding of gold around the rim. 13 He cast for it four gold rings and attached the rings to the four corners, near its four legs. 14 The rings to hold the carrying-poles for the table were placed close to the rim. 15 He made the carrying-poles for the table of acacia-wood and overlaid them with gold. 16 He made the utensils to be put on the table — its dishes, pans, bowls and pitchers — of pure gold.
(RY: iii, LY: vi) 17 He made the menorah of pure gold. He made it of hammered work; its base, shaft, cups, rings of outer leaves and flowers were a single unit. 18 There were six branches extending from its sides, three branches of the menorah on one side of it and three on the other. 19 On one branch were three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a ring of outer leaves and petals; likewise on the opposite branch three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a ring of outer leaves and petals; and similarly for all six branches extending from the menorah. 20 On the central shaft of the menorah were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with its ring of outer leaves and petals. 21 Where each pair of branches joined the central shaft was a ring of outer leaves of one piece with the pair of branches — thus for all six branches. 22 Their rings of outer leaves and their branches were of one piece with the shaft. Thus the whole menorah was one piece of hammered work made of pure gold. 23 He made its seven lamps, its tongs and its trays of pure gold. 24 The menorah and its utensils were made of sixty-six pounds of pure gold.
25 He made the altar on which to burn incense of acacia-wood, eighteen inches square and three feet high; its horns were a single unit. 26 He overlaid it with pure gold — its top, all around its sides and its horns; and he put around it a molding of gold. 27 He made two gold rings for it under its molding at the two corners on both sides, to hold the carrying-poles. 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 aromatic plant substances as would an expert perfume-maker.
38 (RY: iv, LY: vii) He made the altar for burnt offerings of acacia-wood, seven-and-a-half feet long and seven-and-a-half feet wide — it was square — and four-and-a-half feet high. 2 He made horns for it on its four corners, the horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze.
3 He made all the utensils for the altar — its pots, shovels, basins, meat-hooks and fire pans; all its utensils he made of bronze. 4 He made for the altar a grate of bronze netting, under its rim, reaching halfway up the altar. 5 He cast four rings for the four ends of the bronze grate to hold the poles. 6 He made the poles of acacia-wood and overlaid them with bronze. 7 He put the carrying-poles into the rings on the sides of the altar; he made it of planks and hollow inside.
8 He made the basin of bronze with its base of bronze from the mirrors of the women serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
9 He made the courtyard. On the south side, facing southward, the tapestries for the courtyard were made of finely woven linen, 150 feet long, 10 supported on twenty posts in twenty bronze sockets; the hooks on the posts and the attached rings for hanging were of silver. 11 On the north side they were 150 feet long, hung on twenty posts in twenty bronze sockets, with the hooks on the posts and their rings of silver. 12 On the west side were tapestries seventy-five feet long, hung on ten posts in ten sockets, with the hooks on the posts and their rings of silver. 13 On the east side were tapestries seventy-five feet long. 14 The tapestries for the one side [of the gateway] were twenty-two-and-a-half feet long, hung on three posts in three sockets; 15 likewise for the other side — on either side [of the gate] were tapestries twenty-two-and-a-half feet long on three posts in three sockets. 16 All the tapestries for the courtyard, all the way around, were of finely woven linen; 17 the sockets for the posts were of bronze; the hooks on the posts and their rings were of silver; the capitals of the posts were overlaid with silver; and all the posts of the courtyard were banded with silver.
(LY: Maftir) 18 The screen for the gateway to the courtyard was the work of a weaver in colors, of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely woven linen. Its length was thirty feet and its height seven-and-a-half feet all the way along, like the tapestries of the courtyard. 19 It had four posts in four bronze sockets, with silver hooks, capitals overlaid with silver and silver fasteners.
20 The tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard around it were of bronze.
Haftarah Vayak’hel: M’lakhim Alef (1 Kings) 7:40–50 (A); 7:13–26 (S)
B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Vayak’hel: 2 Corinthians 9:1–15; Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 9:1–14; Revelation 11:1–13
Parashah 23: P’kudei (Accounts) 38:21–40:38
[In regular years read with Parashah 22, in leap years read separately]
21 These are the accounts of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, recorded, as Moshe ordered, by the L’vi’im under the direction of Itamar the son of Aharon, the cohen.
22 B’tzal’el the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Y’hudah, made everything that Adonai ordered Moshe to make. 23 Assisting him was Oholi’av the son of Achisamakh, of the tribe of Dan, who was an engraver, a designer and a weaver in colors — in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and in fine linen.
24 All the gold used for the work in everything needed for the sanctuary, the gold of the offering, weighed 29 talents 730 shekels [1,930 pounds], using the sanctuary shekel.
25 The silver given by the community weighed 100 talents 1,775 shekels [6,650 pounds], using the sanctuary shekel. 26 This was a beka per person, that is, half a shekel [one-fifth of an ounce], using the sanctuary shekel, for everyone twenty years old or older counted in the census, 603,550 men. 27 The hundred talents of silver were used to cast the sockets for the sanctuary and the sockets for the curtain — one hundred sockets made from the hundred talents, one talent [sixty-six pounds] per socket. 28 The 1,775 shekels [fifty pounds] he used to make hooks for the posts, to overlay their capitals and to make fasteners for them.
29 The bronze in the offering came to 4,680 pounds. 30 He used it to make the sockets for the entrance to the tent of meeting, the bronze altar, its bronze grate, all the utensils for the altar, 31 the sockets for the courtyard around it, the sockets for the gateway to the courtyard, all the tent pegs for the tabernacle and all the tent pegs for the courtyard around it.
Exodus 36-38
The Message
36 “Bezalel and Oholiab, along with everyone whom God has given the skill and know-how for making everything involved in the worship of the Sanctuary as commanded by God, are to start to work.”
2-3 Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab along with all whom God had gifted with the ability to work skillfully with their hands. The men were eager to get started and engage in the work. They took from Moses all the offerings that the Israelites had brought for the work of constructing the Sanctuary. The people kept on bringing in their freewill offerings, morning after morning.
4-5 All the artisans who were at work making everything involved in constructing the Sanctuary came, one after another, to Moses, saying, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing this work that God has commanded us to do!”
6-7 So Moses sent out orders through the camp: “Men! Women! No more offerings for the building of the Sanctuary!”
The people were ordered to stop bringing offerings! There was plenty of material for all the work to be done. Enough and more than enough.
The Tapestries
8-13 Then all the skilled artisans on The Dwelling made ten tapestries of fine twisted linen and blue, purple, and scarlet fabric with an angel-cherubim design worked into the material. Each panel of tapestry was forty-six feet long and six feet wide. Five of the panels were joined together, and then the other five. Loops of blue were made along the edge of the outside panel of the first set, and the same on the outside panel of the second set. They made fifty loops on each panel, with the loops opposite each other. Then they made fifty gold clasps and joined the tapestries together so that The Dwelling was one whole.
14-19 Next they made tapestries of woven goat hair for a tent that would cover The Dwelling. They made eleven panels of these tapestries. The length of each panel was forty-five feet long and six feet wide. They joined five of the panels together, and then the other six, by making fifty loops along the edge of the end panel and fifty loops along the edge of the joining panel, then making fifty clasps of bronze, connecting the clasps to the loops, bringing the tent together. They finished it off by covering the tapestries with tanned rams’ skins dyed red, and covered that with dolphin skins.
The Framing
20-30 They framed The Dwelling with vertical planks of acacia wood, each section of frame fifteen feet long and two and a quarter feet wide, with two pegs for securing them. They made all the frames identical: twenty frames for the south side, with forty silver sockets to receive the two tenons from each of the twenty frames; they repeated that construction on the north side of The Dwelling. For the rear of The Dwelling facing west, they made six frames, with two additional frames for the rear corners. Both of the two corner frames were double in thickness from top to bottom and fit into a single ring—eight frames altogether with sixteen sockets of silver, two under each frame.
31-34 They made crossbars of acacia wood, five for the frames on one side of The Dwelling, five for the other side, and five for the back side facing west. The center crossbar ran from end to end halfway up the frames. They covered the frames with a veneer of gold, made gold rings to hold the crossbars, and covered the crossbars with a veneer of gold.
35-36 They made the curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. They wove a design of angel-cherubim into it. They made four posts of acacia wood, covered them with a veneer of gold, and cast four silver bases for them.
37-38 They made a screen for the door of the tent, woven from blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen with embroidery. They framed the weaving with five poles of acacia wood covered with a veneer of gold, and made gold hooks to hang the weaving and five bronze bases for the poles.
The Chest
37 1-5 Bezalel made the Chest using acacia wood: He made it three and three-quarters feet long and two and a quarter feet wide and deep. He covered it inside and out with a veneer of pure gold and made a molding of gold all around it. He cast four gold rings and attached them to its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other. He made poles from acacia wood, covered them with a veneer of gold, and inserted the poles for carrying the Chest into the rings on the sides.
6 Next he made a lid of pure gold for the Chest, an Atonement-Cover, three and three-quarters feet long and two and a quarter feet wide.
7-9 He sculpted two winged angel-cherubim out of hammered gold for the ends of the Atonement-Cover, one angel at one end, one angel at the other. He made them of one piece with the Atonement-Cover. The angels had outstretched wings and appeared to hover over the Atonement-Cover, facing one another but looking down on the Atonement-Cover.
The Table
10-15 He made the Table from acacia wood. He made it three feet long, one and a half feet wide and two and a quarter feet high. He covered it with a veneer of pure gold and made a molding of gold all around it. He made a border a handbreadth wide all around it and a rim of gold for the border. He cast four rings of gold for it and attached the rings to the four legs parallel to the tabletop. They will serve as holders for the poles used to carry the Table. He made the poles of acacia wood and covered them with a veneer of gold. They will be used to carry the Table.
16 Out of pure gold he made the utensils for the Table: its plates, bowls, jars, and jugs used for pouring.
The Lampstand
17-23 He made a Lampstand of pure hammered gold, making its stem and branches, cups, calyxes, and petals all of one piece. It had six branches, three from one side and three from the other; three cups shaped like almond blossoms with calyxes and petals on one branch, three on the next, and so on—the same for all six branches. On the main stem of the Lampstand, there were four cups shaped like almonds, with calyxes and petals, a calyx extending from under each pair of the six branches. The entire Lampstand with its calyxes and stems was fashioned from one piece of hammered pure gold. He made seven of these lamps with their candle snuffers, all out of pure gold.
24 He used a seventy-five-pound brick of pure gold to make the Lampstand and its accessories.
The Altar of Incense
25-28 He made an Altar for burning incense from acacia wood. He made it a foot and a half square and three feet high, with its horns of one piece with it. He covered it with a veneer of pure gold, its top, sides, and horns, and made a gold molding around it with two rings of gold beneath the molding. He placed the rings on the two opposing sides to serve as holders for poles by which it will be carried. He made the poles of acacia wood and covered them with a veneer of gold.
29 He also prepared with the art of a perfumer the holy anointing oil and the pure aromatic incense.
The Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering
38 1-7 He made the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering from acacia wood. He made it seven and a half feet square and four and a half feet high. He made horns at each of the four corners. The horns were made of one piece with the Altar and covered with a veneer of bronze. He made from bronze all the utensils for the Altar: the buckets for removing the ashes, shovels, basins, forks, and fire pans. He made a grate of bronze mesh under the ledge halfway up the Altar. He cast four rings at each of the four corners of the bronze grating to hold the poles. He made the poles of acacia wood and covered them with a veneer of bronze. He inserted the poles through the rings on the two sides of the Altar for carrying it. The Altar was made out of boards; it was hollow.
The Washbasin
8 He made the Bronze Washbasin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women’s work group who were assigned to serve at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
The Courtyard
9-11 And he made the Courtyard. On the south side the hangings for the Courtyard, woven from fine twisted linen, were 150 feet long, with their twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, and fastening hooks and bands of silver. The north side was exactly the same.
12-20 The west end of the Courtyard had seventy-five feet of hangings with ten posts and bases, and fastening hooks and bands of silver. Across the seventy-five feet at the front, or east end, were twenty-two and a half feet of hangings, with their three posts and bases on one side and the same for the other side. All the hangings around the Courtyard were of fine twisted linen. The bases for the posts were bronze and the fastening hooks and bands on the posts were of silver. The posts of the Courtyard were both capped and banded with silver. The screen at the door of the Courtyard was embroidered in blue, purple, and scarlet fabric with fine twisted linen. It was thirty feet long and seven and a half feet high, matching the hangings of the Courtyard. There were four posts with bases of bronze and fastening hooks of silver; they were capped and banded in silver. All the pegs for The Dwelling and the Courtyard were made of bronze.
* * *
21-23 This is an inventory of The Dwelling that housed The Testimony drawn up by order of Moses for the work of the Levites under Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest. Bezalel, the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything that God had commanded Moses. Working with Bezalel was Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an artisan, designer, and embroiderer in blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics and fine linen.
24 Gold. The total amount of gold used in construction of the Sanctuary, all of it contributed freely, weighed out at 1,900 pounds according to the Sanctuary standard.
25-28 Silver. The silver from those in the community who were registered in the census came to 6,437 pounds according to the Sanctuary standard—that amounted to a beka, or half-shekel, for every registered person aged twenty and over, a total of 603,550 men. They used the three and one-quarter tons of silver to cast the bases for the Sanctuary and for the hangings, one hundred bases at sixty-four pounds each. They used the remaining thirty-seven pounds to make the connecting hooks on the posts, and the caps and bands for the posts.
29-31 Bronze. The bronze that was brought in weighed 4,522 pounds. It was used to make the door of the Tent of Meeting, the Bronze Altar with its bronze grating, all the utensils of the Altar, the bases around the Courtyard, the bases for the gate of the Courtyard, and all the pegs for The Dwelling and the Courtyard.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson