Bible in 90 Days

Priests are special servants of God

29 When you make the priests God's special servants, do it in this way: Take a young bull and two male sheep. They must not have anything wrong with them. ² Use good flour from wheat to make three kinds of bread, with no yeast in it. Mix olive oil with some of the flour before you cook it. Cook some of the flour without any oil in it. And cook some flour to make biscuits that you then put oil on. ³ Put the bread and the biscuits into a basket. Bring them to the Tent of Meeting with the bull and the two sheep.^[a]

⁴ Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. Use water to wash them there and make them clean. ⁵ Then take the special clothes. Dress Aaron in the shirt, the robe, the ephod and the breastpiece. Tie the ephod on him with its special belt. ⁶ Put the linen hat on Aaron's head. Fix the special gold sign to the hat. ⁷ Take the special olive oil. Pour it on his head to show that God has chosen him to be his servant.

⁸ Bring Aaron's sons and dress them in their special shirts. ⁹ Put the cloth hats on their heads. Tie the long cloth belts around Aaron and on his sons. These men and their descendants will always be priests. That is a law that continues for ever. That is how you must make Aaron and his sons God's special servants.

¹⁰ Bring the bull to the front of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron and his sons must put their hands on the bull's head. ¹¹ Then kill the animal as an offering to the Lord, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. ¹² Take some of the bull's blood. Use your finger to put some of it on the horns of the altar. Pour the blood that remains on the ground around the altar. ¹³ Take all the fat that is round the inside parts of the animal. Take the best part of the liver. Take both the kidneys with the fat that is round them. Burn all these things on the altar. ¹⁴ But burn the rest of the bull's body outside the camp, with its skin and the food in its stomach. It is an offering to make the priests clean from their sins.

¹⁵ Take one of the male sheep. Aaron and his sons must put their hands on its head. ¹⁶ Kill the sheep and take its blood to the altar. Throw some of the blood onto every side of the altar. ¹⁷ Cut the sheep into pieces. Wash its inside parts and its legs. Then put them together with its head and the other pieces. ¹⁸ Completely burn the whole sheep on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord. Its smell pleases him.

¹⁹ Take the second male sheep. Aaron and his sons must put their hands on its head. ²⁰ Kill the sheep. Put some of its blood on Aaron's right ear, the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. Do the same thing to each of his sons. Then throw some of the sheep's blood onto every side of the altar. ²¹ Mix together some of the blood on the altar and some of the special oil. Splash this onto Aaron and onto his clothes. Splash it also onto his sons and onto their clothes. Then Aaron and his sons and their clothes will be holy.

²² Take all the fat from this male sheep. Take its fat tail, the fat around its inside parts and the best part of the liver. Take the two kidneys with the fat that is round them. Also take the top part of its right leg. (This is the sheep that makes Aaron and his sons special servants of God.) ²³ Take one piece of each kind of flat bread out of the basket: bread that has no oil in it, bread with oil in it and a biscuit. These are an offering to the Lord. ²⁴ Put all these things in the hands of Aaron and his sons. Then lift these things up to the Lord as an offering to him. ²⁵ Then take them from Aaron and his sons and burn them on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord. Its smell pleases him.

²⁶ Take the meat from the ribs of the sheep that makes Aaron God's special servant. Lift it up to the Lord as an offering to him. Then you may eat this meat from the sheep. ²⁷ You must keep separate this meat from the sheep's ribs, as well as the top part of its right leg. Those are the pieces that you lifted up to the Lord as an offering to him. Those pieces belong to Aaron and his sons. ²⁸ In the future, when the Israelites bring a peace offering to the Lord, these pieces will belong to Aaron and his descendants. This will always be the regular gift from the Israelites to the priests. That is the law that will continue for ever. It is the gift that the Israelites must bring to the Lord.

²⁹ Aaron's special clothes will belong to his descendants after he dies. When they too become God's special servants as his priests, they will wear them. ³⁰ After Aaron's death, his son who becomes priest will first take seven days to serve the Lord in the tabernacle. The new priest must wear the special clothes in the Holy Place for those seven days.

³¹ Take the male sheep that makes Aaron God's special servant. Cook its meat in a holy place in the yard of the tabernacle. ³² Aaron and his sons must eat this meat and the bread that was in the basket. They must do this at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. ³³ That meat was part of the sacrifice which made them clean from their sins. It made them God's special servants as his priests. No other person may eat those things, because they are holy. ³⁴ But if any of the meat from the offerings remains until the morning, you must burn it. Also burn any bread that remains. You must not eat it, because it is holy.

³⁵ Do everything that I have commanded you, to make Aaron and his sons my special servants. Take seven days to do this. ³⁶ Kill a bull each day, as a sacrifice that makes people clean from their sins.

Also make the altar clean and pure. Pour oil over it to make it holy for me. ³⁷ Do this to the altar for seven days to make it pure. Then it will be completely holy. Anything that touches the altar will become holy too. ³⁸ You must offer a regular gift on the altar each day. This offering must be two lambs that are one year old. ³⁹ Offer one lamb in the morning and the other lamb in the evening. ⁴⁰ With the first lamb, offer two litres of good flour. Mix the flour with one litre of olive oil. Also offer one litre of wine as a drink offering. ⁴¹ Kill the other lamb in the evening. Offer it with the same gifts of food and drink as in the morning. It is a burnt offering to the Lord. Its smell pleases him.

⁴² You and your descendants must continue to make this burnt offering as a regular offering to me, the Lord. Offer it to me at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. I will meet with you there and I will speak to you. ⁴³ I will meet with the Israelites there. My bright glory will make it a holy place.

⁴⁴ In that way I will make the Tent of Meeting and its altar a special, holy place. Aaron and his sons will become my special servants. They will serve me as my priests. ⁴⁵ I will live among the Israelites and I will be their God. ⁴⁶ They will know that I am the Lord their God. I brought them out of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the Lord their God.

The altar for incense

30 Use acacia wood to make an altar so that you can burn incense on it. ² The altar must be square. Make it 45 centimetres long, 45 centimetres wide and 90 centimetres high. The altar's horns must be part of it, made from one piece of wood. ³ Cover all the altar with gold: its top, its sides and the horns. Build up an edge of gold around the four sides. ⁴ Make two gold rings for the altar. Fix them below the gold edge on two opposite sides. They will hold the poles for you to carry the altar. ⁵ Use acacia wood to make the poles. Cover them with gold.

⁶ Put the altar for incense in the Holy Place in the tabernacle. Put it in front of the curtain that hides the Covenant Box. It will be near the special lid that covers the Covenant Box. That is the place where I will meet with you.

⁷ Every morning, Aaron must burn sweet incense on this altar. He must do this when he goes in to take care of the lamps. ⁸ He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps in the evening. Incense must burn there as an offering to the Lord every day from now on. ⁹ Only offer proper incense on this altar. Do not offer any burnt offerings or grain offerings on it. And do not pour any drink offerings on it. ¹⁰ Once every year, Aaron must make the altar clean and pure. He must put some of the blood from the sin offering on the horns of the altar. A priest must do this every year from now on. The altar is holy because it belongs to me, the Lord.’

Money for the tabernacle

¹¹ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹² ‘When you count the number of the Israelites, each person must pay the Lord a price for his life. Everyone must do this at the time when you count them. Then no bad illness will happen to them as you count them. ¹³ Each person that you count must give six grams of silver. That is the proper weight that they use in the tabernacle. The silver is an offering to the Lord. ¹⁴ You must count every person who is 20 years old or more. Each person must offer his gift to the Lord. ¹⁵ Rich people must not give more than six grams of silver. Poor people must not give less than that. That is the offering that you must each give to the Lord. It is the price that everyone must pay for his life. ¹⁶ Receive these silver coins from the Israelites. Use the money to take care of the Tent of Meeting.^[b] Then the Lord will always remember that you belong to him. You have paid money for your lives.’

The bronze bowl

¹⁷ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹⁸ ‘Use bronze to make a large bowl for water. Also use bronze to make a base for it to stand on. Put it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar. Fill it with water.

¹⁹ Aaron and his sons must use the water from the bowl to wash their hands and their feet. ²⁰ Every time they go into the Tent of Meeting, they must wash in the same way. Then they will not die. They must also wash before they go to the altar to make a burnt offering to the Lord. ²¹ If they wash their hands and their feet, they will not die as they serve me. This will always be a rule for Aaron and for his descendants, the priests.’

Special oil and incense

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, ²³ ‘Mix together these special spices:

²⁵ Mix these spices to make a special oil. A worker should use special skills to make it, so that it has a sweet smell, like perfume. It will be a very special oil to put on things that belong to me.

²⁶ Then pour some of this special oil on these things:

²⁹ You must make all these things special for me. They will be very holy things. Anything that touches them will also become holy.

³⁰ Pour some of the special oil on Aaron's head and on the heads of his sons. Make them special for me. Then they can serve me as my priests. ³¹ Say to the Israelites, “This will always be my special oil for all time. ³² Do not put it on the bodies of anyone, except priests. Do not use spices like this to make oil for yourselves. It is holy and you must always think about it as holy. ³³ Nobody must make a perfume that has a sweet smell like this oil. Nobody must put this oil on any person who is not a priest. Anyone who does not obey this rule will no longer belong to my people.” ’

³⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Use the same amount of each of these sweet spices to make some incense: gum resin, onycha, galbanum and frankincense.^{[d] 35} Give them to a worker who can use special skills to make the incense. It must have a sweet smell, like a perfume. Add some salt to it so that it is a pure and holy incense. ³⁶ Beat some of the incense to make powder. Put this in front of the Covenant Box, in the Tent of Meeting. That is where I will meet with you. This incense will be a very holy thing for you. ³⁷ Do not make any incense like this for yourselves. You must always think about it as very holy. It belongs to the Lord. ³⁸ If anyone makes any incense like it for his own perfume, he will no longer belong to my people.’

Bezalel and Oholiab

31 Then the Lord said to Moses, ² ‘Look! I have chosen Bezalel, the son of Uri and the grandson of Hur. He belongs to the tribe of Judah. ³ I have filled him with my Spirit so that he has special skills. He knows how to make many kinds of things. ⁴ He can draw pictures of beautiful things that he wants to make. Then he uses gold, silver or bronze to make them. ⁵ He knows how to cut valuable stones and make them look beautiful. He knows how to cut wood into different shapes. He is very clever at all kinds of work.

⁶ I have also chosen Oholiab to help Bezalel. Oholiab is the son of Ahisamach. He belongs to the tribe of Dan. I have also helped all the workers who have special skills. They will be able to make everything that I have commanded you to make. ⁷ They will make these things:

⁸ Those things include:

The workers must make all these things in the way that I have commanded you.’

The Sabbath day

¹² Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹³ ‘Say to the Israelites, “You must keep my Sabbath days as special days. This will help you and your descendants to remember that you belong to me. You will remember that I, the Lord, have chosen you to be my people.

¹⁴ The Sabbath day must be special for you, because it is a holy day. If anyone does not make the Sabbath a special day, you must punish him with death. If anyone does any work on a Sabbath day, he can no longer belong to my people. ¹⁵ You may work for six days each week, but the seventh day is a day of rest. It is a holy day that is special to me, the Lord. If anyone does any work on a Sabbath day, you must punish him with death. ¹⁶ The Israelites must always keep the Sabbath as a special day. They must obey the rules for the Sabbath day. Those rules are part of my covenant with my people that continues for ever. ¹⁷ It will always be a sign that I have chosen the Israelites to be my people. You will remember that the Lord made the heavens and the earth in six days. Then, on the seventh day, he stopped working and he rested.” ’

¹⁸ The Lord finished speaking to Moses on Sinai mountain. Then he gave Moses the two flat stones with the special commands that God himself had written on them.

The gold calf

32 The people realized that Moses had been on the mountain for a long time. So they went in a group to Aaron. They said to him, ‘Do something! Make some gods for us who will lead us. This man, Moses, brought us here out of Egypt. But now we do not know what has happened to him.’

² So Aaron said to them, ‘Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives, your sons and your daughters. Then bring the rings to me.’ ³ So all the Israelites removed the rings from their ears. They brought them to Aaron.

⁴ Aaron took the gold rings from the people. He melted the gold and he used a tool to make an image of a calf. Then the people said, ‘Look, people of Israel! This is our god who brought us up out of Egypt!’

⁵ When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the gold calf. He told everyone, ‘Tomorrow, there will be a feast to worship the Lord.’

⁶ So the next day, the Israelites got up early. They killed animals as burnt offerings on the altar. They also brought peace offerings. After that, they sat down to eat a meal and they drank wine. Then they had a wild party.

⁷ The Lord said to Moses, ‘Hurry back down the mountain! The people that you brought out of Egypt have done a wicked thing. ⁸ They have already turned away from my commands. They have made for themselves an image of a calf. They have bent down low to worship it. They have made sacrifices to give it honour. They are saying, “This is the god of the Israelites, the god who brought us out of Egypt!” ’

⁹ Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I have seen these people. They are proud and they do not obey me. ¹⁰ I am very angry with them and I will destroy them. Do not try to stop me. I will make your descendants into a great nation, instead of them.’

¹¹ But Moses asked the Lord his God to be kind. He said, ‘Lord, please do not be so angry with your own people! You used your great power and authority to bring them safely out of Egypt. ¹² If you destroy them, the Egyptians will say, “God led the Israelites out of our land so that he could completely destroy them. He wanted to kill them in the mountains.” So please stop being angry. Change your mind. Please do not bring this great trouble on your own people. ¹³ Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who are our ancestors. Remember the serious promise that you made to them. You said, “I will give you many descendants. They will be as many as the stars in the sky. I have also promised to give this whole land to them. It will belong to them as their home for ever.” ’

¹⁴ Then the Lord changed his mind. He did not bring the great trouble on his people as he had said he would.

¹⁵ Moses left the Lord and he went down the mountain. He carried in his hands the two flat stones with God's special commands on them. God had written his commands on both sides of the stones. ¹⁶ This was God's own work. He himself had written the words on the stones.

¹⁷ Joshua heard the noise of the Israelites as they were shouting down below. He said to Moses, ‘I can hear the sound of war in the camp!’ ¹⁸ But Moses said, ‘It is not the noise that soldiers make when they have won a battle. It is not the sound of soldiers who are crying because their enemy has won against them. I can hear the sound of people who are singing.’

¹⁹ Then Moses arrived at the camp. He saw the gold calf. He saw that the people were dancing. He became very angry. He threw the two flat stones that he was carrying onto the ground. He broke them into pieces there at the bottom of the mountain. ²⁰ Then he took the image of the calf that they had made. He burned it in the fire. He beat it into powder. He mixed the powder with the people's water. Then he commanded the Israelites to drink it.

²¹ Moses said to Aaron, ‘Why did you agree to do this? What did the people do to you? You have made them guilty of a great sin.’ ²² Aaron answered, ‘My lord, please do not be so angry with me. You know how quickly these people decide to do wicked things. ²³ They said to me, “Make us some gods that will lead us. This man Moses brought us here out of Egypt. But now we do not know what has happened to him.” ²⁴ So I said to them, “Everyone who has any gold rings must remove them.” So they gave the gold to me. I threw it into the fire. Then this image of a calf came out of the fire!’

God punishes the people

²⁵ Moses saw that the people were running about everywhere. Aaron had not been able to control them. If their enemies could see them, they would see how foolish they were. ²⁶ So Moses stood at the edge of the camp. He said, ‘Everyone who decides to serve the Lord must come here to me.’ Then all the Levites went to stand near Moses.

²⁷ Then Moses said to the Levites, ‘The Lord, Israel's God, says this: Each one of you must take his sword in his hand. You must go everywhere in the camp, from this side to the other side. You must kill everyone, even your brothers, your friends and your neighbours.’ ²⁸ The Levites obeyed Moses' command. About 3,000 Israelites died on that day.

²⁹ Then Moses said to the Levites, ‘You have shown today that you want to serve the Lord. You have become his special servants because you have obeyed him. You have agreed to kill even your own sons and brothers. God has blessed you because of this.’

³⁰ On the next day, Moses said to the people, ‘You have done a great sin. But now I will go back up the mountain. I will speak to the Lord. Perhaps I can do something so that the Lord will forgive your sin.’

³¹ So Moses returned to the Lord. He said to the Lord, ‘Please listen to me. These people have done a very great sin. They have made a gold idol to worship as their god. ³² But now I ask you to forgive them for their sin. But if you will not do that, then please remove my name from your book.’^[e]

³³ The Lord answered Moses, ‘I will only remove the names of the people who have turned against me. ³⁴ Now go! Lead the Israelites to the place that I have told you about. My angel will go in front of you. But on the day for punishment, I will certainly punish them for their sin.’

³⁵ The Lord did send a bad disease to punish the people. He punished them because they had caused Aaron to make an image of a calf.

33 Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘You must now leave here with the people that you brought out of Egypt. You must take them to the land that I promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I made a serious promise to them that I would give the land to their descendants. ² I will send an angel to lead you. I will chase the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites out of the land. ³ You will go to that land where there is plenty of food and drink, enough for everyone. But I will not travel with you. You are proud people who refuse to obey me. If I go with you, I might destroy you as you travel.’

⁴ The Israelites heard God's strong words. His message made them very upset. They stopped wearing their jewels, to show that they were sad. ⁵ The Lord had said to Moses, ‘Tell the Israelites, “You are proud people who refuse to obey me. If I go with you, even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now remove your jewels. Then I will decide what I should do with you.” ’

⁶ So the Israelites no longer wore their jewels after they left Sinai mountain.

The special tent

⁷ As they travelled, Moses put up a special tent outside the camp. It was not near the other tents. He called it the Tent of Meeting. Anyone could go there to ask the Lord about something. They would go to the Tent of Meeting that was outside the camp.^[f]

⁸ When Moses went out to the special tent, all the people would stand at the doors of their tents. They would watch Moses until he went into the special tent. ⁹ When Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down. The cloud would stay at the door of the tent while the Lord spoke to Moses.

¹⁰ Every time that the people saw the pillar of cloud at the door of the special tent, they all stood up. Then each person would stand at the door of his tent. They would bend low to worship the Lord. ¹¹ The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp. But Nun's son Joshua always stayed in the special tent. Joshua was a young man who helped Moses.

God's great glory

¹² Moses said to the Lord, ‘You have said to me, “Lead these people to their new land.” But you have not told me who my helper will be on the journey. You have told me, “I know you by your name. I am very pleased with you.” ¹³ If you are really pleased with me, tell me your thoughts. I want to understand you properly. Then I can continue to please you. Remember that this nation, the Israelites, are your own people.’

¹⁴ The Lord replied, ‘I myself will go with you. I will give you rest.’^[g]

¹⁵ Then Moses said, ‘If you do not agree to go with us, do not let us go anywhere. ¹⁶ If you do not go with us, nobody will know that you are pleased with me. Nobody will know that you are pleased with us as your special people. I, and all your people, will be the same as all the other people in the world.’

¹⁷ The Lord said to Moses, ‘I will certainly do what you have asked for. This is because I am pleased with you. I know you by your name.’

¹⁸ Then Moses said, ‘Please, show me your glory!’

¹⁹ The Lord said, ‘I will let you see how great and good I am. I will tell you my name, that I am the Lord. If I choose to be kind to someone, I will be kind to them. If I choose to forgive someone, I will forgive them. ²⁰ But you will never see my face. Nobody can see my face and still be alive.’

²¹ Then the Lord said, ‘Look! There is a place near to me. You can stand there on a rock. ²² When my glory passes in front of you, I will put you in a hole in the rock. I will cover your eyes with my hand as I pass by there. ²³ Then I will remove my hand so that you will see my back. But nobody must ever see my face.’

Two new flat stones

34 The Lord said to Moses, ‘Cut two flat stones like the first stones. Then I will write on them all the words that I wrote on the first stones. Those were the stones that you broke into pieces.^{[h] 2} Make yourself ready in the morning and come up Sinai mountain. Stand there, ready to meet me on the top of the mountain. ³ Nobody must come with you. Nobody must go anywhere on the mountain. Even your sheep and your cows must not eat grass near the bottom of the mountain.’

⁴ So Moses cut two flat stones like the first stones. Early in the morning, he went up Sinai mountain, as the Lord had commanded him. He carried the two flat stones in his hands. ⁵ Then the Lord came down in the cloud. He came and he stood with Moses. The Lord spoke aloud his own name, the Lord.

⁶ The Lord passed in front of Moses. He said in a loud voice, ‘I am the Lord! The Lord! I am kind to people and I forgive them. I do not quickly become angry. My faithful love for my people continues for ever, and I am always faithful. ⁷ I faithfully love thousands of people. I forgive their sins when they turn against me. But if people are guilty, I surely punish them. I punish their children, their grandchildren and their grandchildren's children.’

⁸ Then Moses quickly bent down low to worship the Lord. ⁹ He said, ‘Lord, my God, if you are pleased with me, please travel with us! It is true that these people are proud and they often do not obey you. But please forgive all our sins. Please accept us as your own people.’

¹⁰ Then the Lord said, ‘I will make a covenant with the Israelites. I will do great miracles for them to see. Nobody in any nation anywhere in the world has ever done such great things. All the people who live near you will see the great things that I, the Lord, will do. The powerful things that I do among you will make them very afraid.

¹¹ Obey the commands that I am giving you today. Then I will chase out the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as you move into the land. ¹² Do not make any agreements with those people in the land where you are going. If you become their friends, they would teach you to do wrong things. ¹³ Instead, you must knock down their altars. Destroy the special stones that are their idols. Cut down their Asherah poles. ¹⁴ Do not worship any other god instead of me. I am the Lord and I want you to belong to me alone.

¹⁵ Be careful not to make an agreement with the people who live in that land. They have turned away to worship their own gods. They offer sacrifices to their gods. When they do that, they may ask you to join with them. Then you will eat the food that they have offered to their gods. ¹⁶ Perhaps you may choose some of their daughters for your sons to marry. Their daughters will continue to worship their gods. Then they will teach your sons to turn away from me and worship their gods.

¹⁷ Do not melt metal to make images of false gods.

¹⁸ Eat the Feast of Flat Bread every year. Eat bread that has no yeast in it for seven days, as I commanded you. Do this on the right day in the month of Abib. That is the month that you came out from Egypt.

¹⁹ Every firstborn child that a woman gives birth to belongs to me. That is also true for every firstborn male that your animals give birth to. That includes your cows and your sheep. ²⁰ For a firstborn donkey, you may pay for it with a lamb instead. If you do not pay for it, you must break the donkey's neck. You must pay me back for every firstborn son that you have.

Nobody may come to worship me without an offering to give me.

²¹ You may work for six days each week, but on the seventh day you must rest. That is true even when it is the time to plough your fields. It is also true at harvest time. You must rest on the seventh day each week.

²² Eat the Feast of Weeks every year when you cut the first wheat in your fields. Eat the Feast of Harvest at the end of each year.^{[i] 23} Three times in every year, all your men must come to worship the Lord God, the God of Israel. ²⁴ I will chase the nations out of the land as you move in. I will give you more and more land to live in. Three times each year you must come to worship the Lord your God. When you do that, nobody will try to take your land for themselves.

²⁵ When you offer the blood of an animal to me as your sacrifice, do not also offer any bread with yeast in it. When you kill a lamb for the Passover sacrifice, do not keep any of the meat until the next morning.

²⁶ When you cut the first crops from your fields, bring the best food to the house of the Lord your God.

Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk.’

²⁷ Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write down these words. They are the rules of the covenant that I have made with you and with the Israelites.’

²⁸ Moses was there on the mountain with the Lord for 40 days and 40 nights. He did not eat anything or drink anything during that time. He wrote the words of God's covenant on the flat stones. Those were God's ten special commands.

Moses' face shines

²⁹ Moses came down from Sinai mountain. He carried the two stones of the covenant in his hands. As he came down the mountain, he did not know that his face was shining. His face was shining because he had spoken with the Lord. ³⁰ When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, they could see that his face was shining. They were afraid to come near him. ³¹ But Moses called out to them. So Aaron and the leaders of the people came back to him. Then Moses talked to them. ³² After this, all the Israelites came near to Moses. He told them all the commands that the Lord had given to him on Sinai mountain.

³³ When Moses had finished speaking to the people, he covered his face with a thin cloth. ³⁴ But when he went into the special tent to speak with the Lord, he would remove the cloth. When he came out again, he would tell God's commands to the Israelites. ³⁵ They could see that his face was shining. So Moses would put the thin cloth over his face again. The cloth would stay on his face until he went into the special tent again to speak with the Lord.

Rules about the Sabbath day

35 Moses brought all the Israelites together. Then he said to them, ‘These are the Lord's commands to you. ² You may work for six days each week, but the seventh day will be a holy day for you. It will be a day of complete rest to give honour to the Lord. If anyone works on that day, you must punish him with death. ³ Do not light a fire in any of your homes on a Sabbath day.’

Materials for the tabernacle

⁴ Moses said to all the Israelites, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: ⁵ Take an offering to give to the Lord from the things that you have. Everyone who wants to give something may choose to give these things:

¹⁰ Every clever person who has special skills must come to help. They must make all these things that the Lord has commanded:

²⁰ After Moses had said this, all the Israelites went away. ²¹ Everyone who decided to offer a gift to the Lord brought the things that they wanted to give. They brought the things to make the Tent of Meeting and the things to use in it. They also brought materials to make the priests' special clothes. ²² Both men and women brought beautiful things because they wanted to do that. They brought gold things and jewels that they had worn. They included rings, necklaces and other beautiful things. When they brought their gifts, they lifted them up as an offering of gold to the Lord.

²³ Everyone who had blue, purple or red material, or good linen, brought it. They also brought goats' hair, red leather from sheep's skins and other kinds of good leather. ²⁴ Those who brought gifts of silver or bronze offered them to the Lord. Everyone who had acacia wood brought it to help with the Lord's work.

²⁵ All the women who knew how to make things used their hands to make material. They brought what they had made: blue, purple and red material and good linen. ²⁶ Other clever women used goats' hair to make cloth. They did that because they wanted to help.

²⁷ The leaders of the Israelites brought onyx stones and other jewels to fix on the ephod and on the breastpiece. ²⁸ They also brought spices and olive oil. These things were to burn in the lamps, and to make the special oil and the sweet incense.

²⁹ Many Israelites chose to offer gifts to the Lord. Men and women all brought the gifts that they had decided to bring. Moses had told them about the work that the Lord had commanded them to do. So they brought these things to help with the work.

Bezalel and Oholiab

³⁰ Then Moses said to the Israelites, ‘Listen! The Lord has chosen Bezalel, the son of Uri and the grandson of Hur. He belongs to the tribe of Judah. ³¹ The Lord has filled him with his Spirit so that he has special skills. He knows how to make many kinds of things. ³² He can draw pictures of beautiful things that he wants to make. He can use gold, silver and bronze to make them. ³³ He knows how to cut valuable stones and make them look beautiful. He knows how to cut wood into different shapes. He is very clever at all kinds of beautiful work.

³⁴ The Lord has chosen Oholiab to help Bezalel. Oholiab is the son of Ahisamach. He belongs to the tribe of Dan. Bezalel and Oholiab can teach other people how to make things. ³⁵ They have special skills to make all kinds of things. They can draw pictures of the things that they want to make. They can cut pictures in metal. They can use blue, purple and red material and good linen to make beautiful things with pictures on them. They are very clever at their work, so that the things that they make look beautiful.’

36 Then Moses said, ‘Bezalel and Oholiab will do the work that the Lord has commanded us to do. Everyone that the Lord has helped to have special skills will work with them. They will help to build the tabernacle and all the other special things that the Lord has commanded.’

² Then Moses called Bezalel, Oholiab and all the other people who had special skills to come together. The Lord had given them these skills and they wanted to start the work. ³ They received from Moses all the gifts that the Israelites had chosen to bring. They had brought gifts that would help to build the tabernacle and the other special things. The Israelites continued to bring more gifts to Moses every morning. ⁴ Then all the workers who had special skills stopped doing their work. They left their work on the tabernacle and they went to speak to Moses. ⁵ They said to Moses, ‘The people are bringing many more gifts than we need to finish the tabernacle, as the Lord commanded us to do.’

⁶ So Moses sent a message to everyone in the whole camp. He said, ‘No man or woman must offer any more gifts for the work of the tabernacle.’ When the people heard Moses' message, they did not bring any more gifts. ⁷ The workers already had more things than they needed to finish all the work.

The tabernacle

⁸ All the workers who had special skills made the tabernacle with ten curtains. They used very good linen, as well as blue, purple and red material. They made beautiful pictures of cherubs on the curtains. ⁹ All the curtains were the same size: 12 metres long and 2 metres wide. ¹⁰ The workers joined five of the curtains together. They did the same thing with the other five curtains. ¹¹ They made rings of blue material along the edge of the last curtain in each set of five curtains. ¹² They put 50 rings along the edge of the first set. They put another 50 rings along the edge of the second set. The rings on one curtain were opposite to the rings on the other curtain. ¹³ They made 50 small gold hooks to join the curtains together. So a single piece of curtain made the whole tabernacle.

¹⁴ The workers used goats' hair to make 11 more curtains to cover the tabernacle, like a tent.

¹⁵ The curtains were all the same size: 13.5 metres long and 2 metres wide. ¹⁶ They joined five of the curtains together to make one set. They joined the other six curtains to make another set. ¹⁷ They used material to make 50 rings along the edge of the end curtain in each set. ¹⁸ They made 50 bronze hooks to join the two sets of curtains together. It made a single tent. ¹⁹ They used red leather from sheep's skins to cover the tent. They used another kind of good leather to cover the red leather.

²⁰ They used acacia wood to make the boards that would hold up the tabernacle. ²¹ Each board was 4 metres high and 65 centimetres wide. ²² Each board had two wooden pegs, beside each other. They made all the boards for the tabernacle like this. ²³ They made 20 boards for the south side of the tabernacle. ²⁴ They used silver to make 40 heavy bases to hold up the boards. Two bases would hold up each board. The pegs on the boards fitted into holes in the bases. ²⁵ They made 20 boards for the north side of the tabernacle. ²⁶ They made 40 silver bases, two bases under each board.

²⁷ They made six boards for the west side, at the back of the tabernacle. ²⁸ They made two boards for the corners at the back of the tabernacle. ²⁹ They fixed the two boards together, from the bottom to the top. They used a ring to fix them together at the top. They made both corners in the same way. ³⁰ So there were eight boards at the back of the tabernacle and 16 silver bases, two bases under each board.

³¹ They used acacia wood to make bars to fix across the boards. They made five bars for the south side of the tabernacle, ³² five bars for the north side, and five bars for the west side at the back of the tabernacle. ³³ The bar that would go across the centre of the boards would reach from one end of the tabernacle to the other end. ³⁴ They used gold to cover the boards and to make rings for the boards. The rings would hold the bars in place across the boards. They also covered the wooden bars with gold.

³⁵ The workers used blue, purple and red material, and good linen to make a special curtain. A worker used special skills to make pictures of cherubs on it. ³⁶ They used gold rings to hang the curtain from four poles of acacia wood. They covered the poles with gold. They made four silver bases to hold the poles. ³⁷ They made a curtain for the entrance of the tent. They used blue, purple and red material and good linen to make it. A worker used special skills to make it, so that it looked beautiful. ³⁸ They made five poles to hold up this curtain. They fixed gold hooks to the poles. They covered the tops of the poles with gold. But they used bronze to make five bases to hold up the poles.

The Covenant Box

37 Bezalel used acacia wood to make the Covenant Box.^[j] It was 1 metre long, 75 centimetres wide and 75 centimetres high. ² He covered it with gold, inside and outside. He built up the edges of the box with gold. ³ He made four gold rings for it and he fixed them to its four feet. He fixed two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. ⁴ He used acacia wood to make two poles. He also covered them with gold. ⁵ He pushed the poles through the rings on the sides of the Covenant Box, to carry it.

⁶ He used pure gold to make the special lid for the Covenant Box. It was 1 metre long and 75 centimetres wide. ⁷ He used gold to make images of two cherubs. He used a hammer to make them the right shape. He made them to stand at the two ends of the lid. ⁸ One cherub stood at one end of the lid and one cherub stood at the other end. He made the two cherubs and the lid from one piece of gold. ⁹ The cherubs looked at each other and they watched over the lid. Their wings touched each other over the top of the lid.

The special table

¹⁰ Bezalel used acacia wood to make the special table. It was 1 metre long, 50 centimetres wide and 75 centimetres high. ¹¹ He covered the wood with gold. He built up the edges of the table with gold. ¹² He fixed an extra piece of wood around its edge. It was 7 centimetres wide. He built up the edges of this piece with gold. ¹³ He made four gold rings for the table. He fixed them to the four corners, one beside each leg of the table. ¹⁴ The rings were near to the extra piece of wood. They would hold the poles to carry the table. ¹⁵ He used acacia wood to make the poles and he covered them with gold. They would use the poles to carry the table. ¹⁶ He used pure gold to make the things that would be on the table. He made plates, big spoons, jars and bowls. They would use those things to pour out drink offerings.

The lampstand

¹⁷ Bezalel used one piece of pure gold to make the lampstand. He used a hammer to make it the right shape. He used the gold to make its base, its middle pole and the cups to hold the oil. The cups were like open flowers and closed flowers. ¹⁸ There were six branches on the lampstand, three branches on each side of the middle pole. ¹⁹ Three cups in the shape of almond flowers and their leaves were on each branch. Each of the six branches of the lampstand had three cups like that.

²⁰ On the lampstand itself there were four cups in the shape of almond flowers and their leaves. ²¹ There was one closed flower under the first pair of branches. There was a second closed flower under the second pair of branches. There was a third closed flower under the third pair of branches. So there were three closed flowers for the six branches. ²² He made the flowers and the branches from the same piece of pure gold as the lampstand. He used a hammer to make the gold into the right shape.

²³ He used pure gold to make seven lamps for the lampstand, as well as the small tools and dishes to take care of the lamps. ²⁴ He used 34 kilograms of pure gold to make the lampstand and all its tools.

The altar for incense

²⁵ Bezalel used acacia wood to make the altar for incense. It was square, 45 centimetres long, 45 centimetres wide and 90 centimetres high. The altar's horns were part of it, made from one piece of wood. ²⁶ He covered all the altar with gold: its top, its sides and the horns. He built up an edge of gold around the four sides. ²⁷ He made two gold rings for the altar. He fixed them below the gold edge, on two opposite sides. They would hold the poles to carry the altar. ²⁸ He used acacia wood to make the poles and he covered them with gold.

²⁹ He also made the special oil that would make things holy. He also made the incense with a sweet smell, like perfume.

The altar for burnt offerings

38 Bezalel used acacia wood to build the altar for burnt offerings.^[k] It was square, 2.2 metres long and 2.2 metres wide. It was 1.3 metres high. ² He made four horns, one at each corner of the altar. The horns and the altar itself were one piece of work. He covered the whole altar with bronze. ³ He made all the tools for the altar with bronze. He made pots to remove the ashes, and also spades and bowls. He made forks for the meat and dishes to carry the fire.

⁴ He used bronze to make a square net for the altar. He fixed it inside the altar, in the middle between the top and the ground. ⁵ He used bronze to make four rings. He fixed them to the four corners of the net. The poles would go through these rings. ⁶ He used acacia wood to make the poles. He covered them with bronze. ⁷ He put the poles through the rings on each side of the altar, to carry it. He used boards to make the altar so that it was empty inside.

⁸ He used bronze to make a large bowl for water, and a base for it to stand on. He used the bronze from small mirrors to make these things. The mirrors had belonged to women who worked at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.

The yard of the tabernacle

⁹ Bezalel made the yard around the tent. The south side of the yard was 45 metres long. It had curtains that were made from good linen. ¹⁰ He made 20 poles and 20 bronze bases to hold the poles. He used silver to make hooks and sticks to hold the curtains. ¹¹ The north side of the yard was also 45 metres long. It also had 20 poles and their bronze bases, as well as their silver hooks and sticks.

¹² The west end of the yard was 23 metres long. It had curtains with ten poles and their ten bronze bases. The poles had silver hooks and sticks. ¹³ The entrance of the yard was at its east end. That end was also 23 metres long. ^14-15 There were 7 metres of curtain on each side of the entrance. Three poles with their bases held the curtains on each side. ¹⁶ The workers used good linen to make all the curtains around the yard.

¹⁷ All the poles had bronze bases to hold them. But the workers used silver to make the hooks that were on the poles, and the sticks. They covered the tops of the poles with silver too. All the poles around the yard had silver sticks to join them together.

¹⁸ They used blue, purple and red material, as well as good linen, to make the curtain for the entrance of the yard. A worker used special skills so that it looked beautiful. It was 9 metres wide and 2.2 metres high. All the curtains around the yard were 2.2 metres high. ¹⁹ Four poles in bronze bases held the curtain at the entrance. The poles had silver hooks and silver sticks. Silver also covered the tops of the poles. ²⁰ The workers used bronze to make the pegs that fixed the tabernacle to the ground. They also made bronze pegs to fix all the curtains around the yard to the ground.

The materials for the tabernacle

²¹ This is a list of the materials that the workers used to make the tabernacle with the Covenant Box inside it. Moses commanded the Levites to write this list. Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest, was the leader of this work.

²² Bezalel, the son of Uri and grandson of Hur, made all the things that the Lord had commanded Moses. Bezalel belonged to the tribe of Judah. ²³ Ahisamach's son Oholiab helped him. He belonged to the tribe of Dan. He had a special skill to draw things that he wanted to make. He could make beautiful pictures on cloth, with blue, purple and red materials, as well as good linen.

²⁴ The workers used 1,000 kilograms of gold to do all the work to make the tabernacle. That was its proper weight. The Israelites had lifted up this gold as an offering to the Lord.

²⁵ The people had also brought 3,430 kilograms of silver as an offering for the work. ²⁶ Each person who was 20 years old when Moses counted them had given the right amount, about ten grams. There were 603,550 men that Moses had counted.

²⁷ The workers used 34 kilograms of silver to make each base to hold the poles. There were 100 bases to hold the tabernacle and the special curtain inside it. So they used 3,400 kilograms of silver to make the bases. ²⁸ Then they used the 30 kilograms that still remained. With this, they made the hooks and the sticks for the poles, and they covered the tops of the poles.

²⁹ The people had also lifted up 2,425 kilograms of bronze as an offering to the Lord. ³⁰ The workers used this bronze to make the bases for the entrance to the tabernacle. They also used it to make the bronze altar, with its net and all its tools. ³¹ They used this bronze to make the bases for the curtains around the yard and for the entrance to the yard. They used it to make the pegs to fix the tabernacle and the curtain around the yard to the ground.

The clothes for the priests

39 The workers used blue, purple and red material to make beautiful clothes for the priests. They would wear them when they served God in the Holy Place. They made these special clothes for Aaron, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The ephod

² The workers used gold, and blue, purple and red material, as well as good linen, to make the ephod. ³ They used a hammer to hit the gold to make thin pieces. Then they cut these pieces into narrow strings. A worker with special skills used the gold strings to make the blue, purple and red material, and the good linen, look very beautiful. ⁴ The workers fixed pieces of cloth on the two edges of the ephod. These pieces went over the priest's shoulders to join the front and the back parts of the ephod.

⁵ They made the beautiful belt to tie around the ephod. The belt and the ephod were one piece of work. They used the same materials to make both of them: gold, blue, purple and red material and good linen. They made them in the way that the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁶ The workers fixed the onyx stones into beautiful gold around their edges. A worker used a sharp tool to write on them the names of the sons of Israel. ⁷ They fixed the two onyx stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod. They showed the names of the 12 sons of Israel, so that the Lord would remember to bless his people. The Lord had commanded Moses to do this.

The breastpiece

⁸ A worker used special skills to make the breastpiece, so that it looked beautiful. He made it like the ephod. He used gold, blue, purple and red material as well as good linen to make it. ⁹ They bent a piece of cloth over to make a square pocket, 22 centimetres long and 22 centimetres wide. ¹⁰ Then they fixed four rows of jewels on it.^[l] These are the names of the jewels: A ruby, a topaz and a beryl in the first row. ¹¹ A turquoise, a sapphire and an emerald in the second row. ¹² A jacinth, an agate and an amethyst in the third row. ¹³ A chrysolite, an onyx and a jasper in the fourth row. They fixed each jewel into beautiful gold around its edges. ¹⁴ There were 12 jewels, one jewel for each of Israel's sons. They used a sharp tool to write one tribe's name on each jewel.

¹⁵ They used pure gold to make two thin chains like strings, to fix the breastpiece to the ephod ¹⁶ Then they made two gold rings with beautiful gold around the edges. They fixed the rings to the two top corners of the breastpiece. ¹⁷ They fixed the two gold chains to the rings on the corners of the breastpiece. ¹⁸ They fixed the other ends of the two chains to the shoulder pieces of the ephod, in the front. They joined them to the gold pieces that held the onyx stones.

¹⁹ They made two gold rings and they fixed them to the bottom corners of the breastpiece. They were on its inside edge, next to the ephod. ²⁰ Then they made two more gold rings. They fixed them to the bottom edge of the shoulder pieces, on the front of the ephod. They put the rings just above the ephod's belt. ²¹ They used a string of blue material to tie the rings of the breastpiece to the rings of the ephod. They fixed them together above the ephod's belt, so that the breastpiece would not become separate. The workers made all these things as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The other clothes for the priests

²² The workers used only blue cloth to make the robe for the ephod.^{[m] 23} They made a hole in the top of the robe, in the middle. They made an edge around the hole so that it would not tear. The priest's head would go through this hole. ²⁴ They used blue, purple and red materials and good linen to make pictures of pomegranates. These were around the bottom edge of the robe. ²⁵ They used pure gold to make little bells. They fixed the bells between the pomegranates on the bottom edge of the robe. ²⁶ So there was a bell, then a pomegranate, another bell then a pomegranate, all around the edge of the robe. The priest would wear this robe when he served the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

²⁷ The workers made long shirts for Aaron and his sons, the priests. They used good linen to make cloth for the shirts. ²⁸ They also used good linen to make Aaron's special hat, as well as hats for the other priests. They used special soft linen to make the trousers that they wore next to their skin. ²⁹ A worker used special skills to make the long belt, so that it looked beautiful. He used blue, purple and red materials to make it, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

³⁰ The workers used pure gold to make a thin plate as a holy sign. They wrote these words on it carefully with a sharp tool: ‘Holy to the Lord’. ³¹ They fixed a blue string to the plate, to tie it to the front of the special hat. The Lord had commanded Moses to do this.

Moses checks the tabernacle

³² So the workers finished making everything for the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting. The Israelites made everything exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses. ³³ Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses. They brought the tent and all the things that would be in it. They brought the hooks, boards, sticks, poles and bases. ³⁴ They brought the red leather from sheep's skins, and the other kinds of good leather that covered the tent. They also brought the curtain that hid the Most Holy Place. ³⁵ They brought the Covenant Box with its poles and its special lid. ³⁶ They brought the special table with all its dishes, and the special bread to put on the table for the Lord.

³⁷ They brought the gold lampstand with its lamps, and the oil and the tools to make the lamps give light. ³⁸ They brought the gold altar, the special oil, the sweet incense and the curtain for the entrance of the tabernacle. ³⁹ They brought the bronze altar and its bronze net, with its poles and all its tools. They brought the large bowl for water and its base. ⁴⁰ They brought the curtains for the yard and the curtain for the entrance to the yard, with their poles and their bases. They brought all the ropes and the pegs to fix those things to the ground. They brought everything that the priests needed to serve the Lord in the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting.

⁴¹ They also brought the special clothes for Aaron and his sons to wear when they served the Lord as priests in the Holy Place.

⁴² The Israelites did all the work in the way that the Lord had commanded Moses. ⁴³ Moses carefully checked all the work. He saw that the workers had done it exactly as the Lord had commanded them.

When Moses saw this, he blessed the people.

Moses puts up the tabernacle

40 Then the Lord said to Moses, ² ‘On the first day of the first month, put up the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting.^{[n] 3} Put the Covenant Box in the tabernacle and hide it behind the special curtain. ⁴ Bring in the special table and put the dishes on it. Then bring in the lampstand. Fix its lamps on it. ⁵ Put the gold altar for incense in front of the Covenant Box. Hang the curtain that will be at the entrance to the tabernacle.

⁶ Put the altar for burnt offerings in front of the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. ⁷ Put the large bowl for water between the Tent of Meeting and the altar. Put water in the bowl. ⁸ Hang the curtains around the yard of the tabernacle, as well as the curtain at the entrance to the yard.

⁹ Take the special oil that makes things holy. Pour some oil on the tabernacle and on everything that is in it. Offer the tabernacle and all its things to God, and then it will be holy. ¹⁰ Then pour some oil on the altar for burnt offerings and all its tools. Offer it all to God, and then it will be completely holy. ¹¹ Pour some oil on the large bowl for water and on its base to offer them to God.

¹² Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. Wash them with water. ¹³ Then dress Aaron in the special clothes for the priest. Pour some of the special oil on his head. Offer him to me to serve me as my priest. ¹⁴ Also bring his sons and dress them in the special long shirts. ¹⁵ Pour some oil on their heads, as you did to their father. Then they too may serve me as my priests. In this way, they and their descendants will always continue to serve me as priests.’

¹⁶ Moses did all these things, as the Lord had commanded him.

¹⁷ So they put up the tabernacle on the first day of the first month. It was in the second year after they had left Egypt. ¹⁸ When Moses put up the tabernacle, he first put the metal bases in their right places. Then he put up the boards, the bars to hold them, and the poles. ¹⁹ Then he covered the tabernacle with the tent and he put the leather covers over the tent. He did this in the way that the Lord had commanded him.

²⁰ Moses took the two flat stones with God's special commands on them. He put them inside the Covenant Box. He put the poles through the rings on the box. He put the special lid on top of the box. ²¹ Then he brought the Covenant Box into the tabernacle. He hung the special curtain to hide it, so that nobody could see it. He did this in the way that the Lord had commanded him.

²² Moses put the special table inside the Tent of Meeting. He put it outside the curtain, on the north side of the Holy Place. ²³ He put the special bread on the table as an offering to the Lord, as the Lord had commanded him.

²⁴ He also put the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting. He put it on the south side of the Holy Place, opposite the table. ²⁵ Then he put the lamps in their places in front of the Lord, as the Lord had commanded him.

²⁶ Moses put the gold altar in the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain that hid the Covenant Box. ²⁷ He burned sweet incense on it, as the Lord had commanded him. ²⁸ Then he hung the curtain at the entrance of the tent.

²⁹ He put the altar for burnt offerings outside the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. He offered a burnt offering and a grain offering on it, as the Lord had commanded him.

³⁰ Moses put the large bowl for water between the Tent of Meeting and the altar. He put water in it for the priests to wash themselves. ³¹ Moses and Aaron and Aaron's sons used the water to wash their hands and their feet. ³² They washed themselves every time that they went into the Tent of Meeting. They also washed themselves before they went to offer sacrifices at the altar. They did what the Lord had commanded Moses to do.

³³ Moses also made the yard around the tabernacle and round the altar. He hung the curtain at the entrance of the yard.

In that way, Moses finished the work.

The glory of the Lord

³⁴ Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting. The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ³⁵ Moses could not go into the Tent of Meeting because of the cloud and the bright glory of the Lord.

³⁶ The Israelites followed the cloud during all their journeys. Every time that the cloud rose up from the tabernacle, they would continue on their journey. ³⁷ But if the cloud remained on the tabernacle, the Israelites did not travel. They stayed where they were until the day when the cloud rose up. ³⁸ So the cloud stayed over the tabernacle during the day, to show that the Lord was with them. During the night, there was fire in the cloud. All the Israelites could see the cloud during all their journeys.