The Daily Audio Bible

Construction Continues

37 Bezalel made the ark [of the covenant] of acacia wood—it was two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. ² And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and out, and made a molding (border) of gold to go all around [the top of it]. ³ He cast four rings of gold for it on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. ⁴ He made carrying poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. ⁵ He put the carrying poles through the rings at the sides of the ark, to carry it. ⁶ Bezalel made the mercy seat of pure gold; it was two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide. ⁷ He made two cherubim of hammered gold; he made them at the two ends of the mercy seat, ⁸ one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; he made the cherubim [of one piece] with the mercy seat at the two ends. ⁹ The cherubim spread out their wings upward, covering and protecting the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward each other; the faces of the cherubim were [looking downward] toward the mercy seat.^(A)

¹⁰ Bezalel made the table [for the bread] of acacia wood; it was two cubits long, a cubit wide, and one and a half cubits high. ¹¹ He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a border of gold for it all around [its top]. ¹² He made a rim for it [just under the top] a hand width wide all around, and a border of gold around its rim. ¹³ He cast four rings of gold for it and fastened the rings to the four corners that were at its four legs. ¹⁴ Close by the rim were the rings, the holders for the poles [to pass through] to carry the table. ¹⁵ Bezalel made the carrying poles of acacia wood to carry the table and overlaid them with gold. ¹⁶ He made the utensils which were to be on the table, its dishes and its pans [for bread], its bowls and its jars for pouring drink offerings, of pure gold.

¹⁷ Then he made the lampstand (menorah) of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its [center] shaft; its cups, its ^[a]calyxes, and its flowers were all of one piece with it. ¹⁸ There were six branches coming out of the sides of the lampstand, three branches from one side of the center shaft and three branches from the other side of it; ¹⁹ three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a calyx and a flower in one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a calyx and a flower in the opposite branch—so for the six branches coming out of the center shaft of the lampstand. ²⁰ On the center shaft of the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, with calyxes and flowers [one at the top]; ²¹ and a calyx was under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a calyx under the second pair of branches, coming out of it, and a calyx under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. ²² Their calyxes and their branches were of one piece with it; all of it was a single hammered work of pure gold. ²³ He made its seven lamps with its snuffers and its trays of pure gold. ²⁴ He made the lampstand and all its utensils from a talent of pure gold.^(B)

²⁵ Then Bezalel made the incense altar of acacia wood; its top was a cubit square and it was two cubits high; the horns were of one piece with it. ²⁶ He overlaid it with pure gold, its top, its sides all around and its horns; he also made a rim of gold around it. ²⁷ He made two rings of gold for it under its rim, on its two opposite sides, as holders for the poles [to pass through] to carry it. ²⁸ He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. ²⁹ He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense of spices, the work of a perfumer.

The Tabernacle Completed

38 Then Bezalel made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood; its top was square, five cubits long and five cubits wide, and three cubits high. ² And he made its horns (horn-shaped projections) on the four corners of it; the horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze. ³ He made all the utensils and vessels of the altar [of burnt offering], the pots, shovels, basins [to catch the blood of the sacrificed animal], meat hooks and the firepans [to store live coals]. He made all its utensils of bronze. ⁴ He made for the altar a grating of bronze mesh under its rim, extending halfway up it. ⁵ He cast four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating as holders for the carrying poles. ⁶ And he made the carrying poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. ⁷ He put the poles through the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it; he made it hollow with planks.

⁸ Bezalel made the basin and its base of bronze from the mirrors of the attending women who served and ministered at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting.

⁹ Then he made the court: for the south side the curtains of the court were of fine twisted linen, a hundred cubits; ¹⁰ their twenty support poles, and their twenty bronze sockets; the hooks of the support poles and their connecting rings were silver. ¹¹ And for the north side [of the court the curtains were also] a hundred cubits; their twenty support poles and their twenty bronze sockets; the hooks of the support poles and their connecting rings were silver. ¹² For the west side [of the court] there were curtains of fifty cubits with their ten support poles and their ten sockets; the hooks of the support poles and their connecting rings were silver. ¹³ For the east side [the front of the courtyard, there were curtains of] fifty cubits. ¹⁴ The curtains for one side of the court gate were fifteen cubits, with their three support poles and their three sockets; ¹⁵ and the same for the other side [of the court gate]. Left and right of the court gate there were curtains of fifteen cubits; with their three support poles and their three sockets. ¹⁶ All the curtains around the court were of fine twisted linen. ¹⁷ The sockets for the support poles were made of bronze, the hooks of the support poles and their connecting rings were made of silver; and silver overlaid their tops. All the support poles of the court had silver connecting rings. ¹⁸ The screen (curtain) for the gate of the courtyard [on the east side] was the work of an embroiderer, in blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen; it was twenty cubits long and five cubits high, corresponding to the curtains of the court. ¹⁹ Their four support poles and their four sockets were bronze; their hooks were silver, and silver overlaid their tops and their connecting rings. ²⁰ All the pegs for the tabernacle and the court were bronze.

The Cost of the Tabernacle

²¹ This is the sum of the things for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the Testimony, as counted according to the command of Moses, for the work of the Levites, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. ²² Now Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything that the Lord commanded Moses. ²³ With him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and a skillful craftsman and an embroiderer in blue and in purple and in scarlet fabric, and in fine linen.

²⁴ All the gold that was used for the work, in all the building and furnishing of the sanctuary, the gold from the wave offering, was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. ²⁵ The silver from those of the congregation who were assembled and counted was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; ²⁶ a beka for each man (that is, half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary) for everyone who was counted, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men. ²⁷ The hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary and the sockets of the veil (partition curtain); a hundred sockets for the hundred talents, a talent for a socket. ²⁸ Of the 1,775 shekels, he made hooks for the support poles and overlaid their tops and made connecting rings for them. ²⁹ The bronze of the wave offering was seventy talents and 2,400 shekels. ³⁰ With it Bezalel made the sockets for the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, and the bronze altar and its bronze grating, and all the utensils of the altar, ³¹ and the sockets of the court all around and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pegs of the tabernacle and all the pegs around the court.

Jesus Is Risen!

28 Now after the Sabbath, near dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other ^[a]Mary went to look at the tomb.^{(A) 2} And a great earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone [from the opening of the tomb], and sat on it. ³ The angel’s appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were as white as snow. ⁴ The guards shook, paralyzed with fear [at the sight] of him and became like dead men [pale and immobile]. ⁵ But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. ⁶ He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said [He would]. Come! See the place where He was lying. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee [as He promised]. There you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

⁸ So the women left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell [the good news to] the disciples. ⁹ And as they went, suddenly, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” And they went to Him and took hold of His feet [in homage] and worshiped Him [as the Messiah]. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell My brothers to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me [just as I promised].”

¹¹ While they were on their way, some of the [Roman] guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. ¹² And when the chief priests had gathered with the elders and had consulted together [to develop a plan of deception], they gave a sufficient sum of money [as a bribe] to the soldiers, ¹³ and said, “You say this, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him while we were sleeping.’ ¹⁴ And if the governor (Pilate) hears about it, we will calm him down and keep you out of trouble.” ¹⁵ So they took the money [they were paid for lying] and did as they were instructed; and this [fabricated] story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to the present day.

The Great Commission

¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. ¹⁷ And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted [that it was really He]. ¹⁸ Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”