The Bronze Altar

27 “You shall make the (A)altar of acacia wood, five cubits[a] long and five cubits broad. The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. And you shall make (B)horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and (C)you shall overlay it with bronze. You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and (D)forks and fire pans. You shall make all its utensils of bronze. 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. And you shall set it under the ledge of the altar so that the net extends halfway down the altar. And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. And the poles shall be put through the rings, so that the poles are on the two sides of the altar when it is carried. You shall make it hollow, with boards. (E)As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made.

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 27:1 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters

Instructions for the altar

27 Make an acacia-wood altar. The altar should be square, seven and a half feet long and seven and a half feet wide. It should be four and a half feet high. Make horns for the altar and attach them to it, one horn on each of its four corners. Cover it with copper. Make pails for removing its ashes and its shovels, bowls, meat forks, and trays. Make all its equipment out of copper. Make for the altar a grate made of copper mesh. Make four copper rings for each of the four corners of the mesh. Slide the mesh underneath the bottom edge of the altar and then extend the mesh halfway up to the middle of the altar. Make acacia-wood poles for the altar and cover them with copper. Put the poles through the rings so that the poles will be on the two sides of the altar when it is carried. Make the altar with planks but hollow inside. All these should be made just as you were shown on the mountain.

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