The Sabbath Emphasized
1Then Moses assembled all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and said to them, “These are the things that the LORD has commanded you to do:
2“For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy day, a sabbath of complete rest to the LORD; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.
3“You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the sabbath day.”
4Moses spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the LORD has commanded, saying,
5‘Take from among you a contribution to the LORD; whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as the LORD’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze,
6and blue, purple and scarlet material, fine linen, goats’ hair,
7and rams’ skins dyed red, and porpoise skins, and acacia wood,
8and oil for lighting, and spices for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense,
9and onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastpiece.
Tabernacle Workmen
10‘Let every skillful man among you come, and make all that the LORD has commanded:
11the tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its hooks and its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets;
12the ark and its poles, the mercy seat, and the curtain of the screen;
13the table and its poles, and all its utensils, and the bread of the aPresence;
14the lampstand also for the light and its utensils and its lamps and the oil for the light;
15and the altar of incense and its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the doorway at the entrance of the tabernacle;
16the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles, and all its utensils, the basin and its stand;
17the hangings of the court, its pillars and its sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court;
18the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court and their cords;
19the woven garments for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests.’ ”
Gifts Received
20Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel departed from Moses’ presence.
21Everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit moved him came and brought the LORD’s contribution for the work of the tent of meeting and for all its service and for the holy garments. Life Lessons
22Then all whose hearts moved them, both men and women, came and brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and bracelets, all articles of gold; so did every man who presented an offering of gold to the LORD.
23Every man, who had in his possession blue and purple and scarlet material and fine linen and goats’ hair and rams’ skins dyed red and porpoise skins, brought them.
24Everyone who could make a contribution of silver and bronze brought the LORD’s contribution; and every man who had in his possession acacia wood for any work of the service brought it.
25All the skilled women spun with their hands, and brought what they had spun, in blue and purple and scarlet material and in fine linen.
26All the women whose heart stirred with a skill spun the goats’ hair.
27The rulers brought the onyx stones and the stones for setting for the ephod and for the breastpiece;
28and the spice and the oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense.
29The Israelites, all the men and women, whose heart moved them to bring material for all the work, which the LORD had commanded through Moses to be done, brought a freewill offering to the LORD.
30Then Moses said to the sons of Israel, “See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.
31“And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding and in knowledge and in all craftsmanship;
32to make designs for working in gold and in silver and in bronze,
33and in the cutting of stones for settings and in the carving of wood, so as to perform in every inventive work.
34“He also has put in his heart to teach, both he and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.
35“He has filled them with skill to perform every work of an engraver and of a designer and of an embroiderer, in blue and in purple and in scarlet material, and in fine linen, and of a weaver, as performers of every work and makers of designs.
The Tabernacle Underwritten
1“Now Bezalel and Oholiab, and every skillful person in whom the LORD has put skill and understanding to know how to perform all the work in the construction of the sanctuary, shall perform in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded.” Life Lessons
2Then Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every skillful person in whom the LORD had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him, to come to the work to perform it.
3They received from Moses all the contributions which the sons of Israel had brought to perform the work in the construction of the sanctuary. And they still continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning.
4And all the skillful men who were performing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work which he was performing,
5and they said to Moses, “The people are bringing much more than enough for the construction work which the LORD commanded us to perform.”
6So Moses issued a command, and a proclamation was circulated throughout the camp, saying, “Let no man or woman any longer perform work for the contributions of the sanctuary.” Thus the people were restrained from bringing any more.
7For the material they had was sufficient and more than enough for all the work, to perform it.
Construction Proceeds
8All the skillful men among those who were performing the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine twisted linen and blue and purple and scarlet material, with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman, Bezalel made them.
9The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits and the width of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains had the same measurements.
10He joined five curtains to one another and the other five curtains he joined to one another.
11He made loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set; he did likewise on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the second set.
12He made fifty loops in the one curtain and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second set; the loops were opposite each other.
13He made fifty clasps of gold and joined the curtains to one another with the clasps, so the tabernacle was a unit.
14Then he made curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; he made eleven curtains in all.
15The length of each curtain was thirty cubits and four cubits the width of each curtain; the eleven curtains had the same measurements.
16He joined five curtains by themselves and the other six curtains by themselves.
17Moreover, he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the first set, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the second set.
18He made fifty clasps of bronze to join the tent together so that it would be a unit.
19He made a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering of porpoise skins above.
20Then he made the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing upright.
21Ten cubits was the length of each board and one and a half cubits the width of each board.
22There were two tenons for each board, fitted to one another; thus he did for all the boards of the tabernacle.
23He made the boards for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side;
24and he made forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for its two tenons and two sockets under another board for its two tenons.
25Then for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty boards,
26and their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board and two sockets under another board.
27For the rear of the tabernacle, to the west, he made six boards.
28He made two boards for the corners of the tabernacle at the rear.
29They were double beneath, and together they were complete to its top to the first ring; thus he did with both of them for the two corners.
30There were eight boards with their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets, two under every board.
31Then he made bars of acacia wood, five for the boards of one side of the tabernacle,
32and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the rear side to the west.
33He made the middle bar to pass through in the center of the boards from end to end.
34He overlaid the boards with gold and made their rings of gold as holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.
35Moreover, he made the veil of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen; he made it with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman.
36He made four pillars of acacia for it, and overlaid them with gold, with their hooks of gold; and he cast four sockets of silver for them.
37He made a screen for the doorway of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen, the work of a weaver;
38and he made its five pillars with their hooks, and he overlaid their tops and their bands with gold; but their five sockets were of bronze.
Construction Continues
1Now Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; its length was two and a half cubits, and its width one and a half cubits, and its height one and a half cubits; Life Lessons
2and he overlaid it with pure gold inside and out, and made a gold molding for it all around.
3He cast four rings of gold for it on its four feet; even two rings on one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.
4He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.
5He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry it.
6He made a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide.
7He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat;
8one cherub at the one end and one cherub at the other end; he made the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at the two ends.
9The cherubim had their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward each other; the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.
10Then he made the table of acacia wood, two cubits long and a cubit wide and one and a half cubits high.
11He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a gold molding for it all around.
12He made a rim for it of a handbreadth all around, and made a gold molding for its rim all around.
13He cast four gold rings for it and put the rings on the four corners that were on its four feet.
14Close by the rim were the rings, the holders for the poles to carry the table.
15He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table.
16He made the utensils which were on the table, its dishes and its pans and its bowls and its jars, with which to pour out drink offerings, of pure gold.
17Then he made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its shaft; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers were of one piece with it.
18There were six branches going out of its sides; three branches of the lampstand from the one side of it and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it;
19three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a bulb and a flower in one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a bulb and a flower in the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand.
20In the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, its bulbs and its flowers;
21and a bulb was under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand.
22Their bulbs and their branches were of one piece with it; the whole of it was a single hammered work of pure gold.
23He made its seven lamps with its snuffers and its trays of pure gold.
24He made it and all its utensils from a talent of pure gold.
25Then he made the altar of incense of acacia wood: a cubit long and a cubit wide, square, and two cubits high; its horns were of one piece with it.
26He overlaid it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and he made a gold molding for it all around.
27He made two golden rings for it under its molding, on its two sides—on opposite sides—as holders for poles with which to carry it.
28He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.
29And he made the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense of spices, the work of a perfumer.
The Tabernacle Completed
1Then he made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits wide, square, and three cubits high.
2He made its horns on its four corners, its horns being of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze.
3He made all the utensils of the altar, the pails and the shovels and the basins, the flesh hooks and the firepans; he made all its utensils of bronze.
4He made for the altar a grating of bronze network beneath, under its ledge, reaching halfway up.
5He cast four rings on the four ends of the bronze grating as holders for the poles.
6He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze.
7He inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made it hollow with planks.
8Moreover, he made the laver of bronze with its base of bronze, from the mirrors of the serving women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
9Then he made the court: for the south side the hangings of the court were of fine twisted linen, one hundred cubits;
10their twenty pillars, and their twenty sockets, made of bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver.
11For the north side there were one hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and their twenty sockets were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver.
12For the west side there were hangings of fifty cubits with their ten pillars and their ten sockets; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver.
13For the east side fifty cubits.
14The hangings for the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets,
15and so for the other side. On both sides of the gate of the court were hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets.
16All the hangings of the court all around were of fine twisted linen.
17The sockets for the pillars were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands, of silver; and the overlaying of their tops, of silver, and all the pillars of the court were furnished with silver bands.
18The screen of the gate of the court was the work of the weaver, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. And the length was twenty cubits and the height was five cubits, corresponding to the hangings of the court.
19Their four pillars and their four sockets were of bronze; their hooks were of silver, and the overlaying of their tops and their bands were of silver.
20All the pegs of the tabernacle and of the court all around were of bronze.
The Cost of the Tabernacle
21This is the number of the things for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were numbered according to the command of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. Life Lessons
22Now Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD had commanded Moses.
23With him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and a skillful workman and a weaver in blue and in purple and in scarlet material, and fine linen.
24All the gold that was used for the work, in all the work of the sanctuary, even the gold of the wave offering, was 29 talents and 730 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.
25The silver of those of the congregation who were numbered was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary;
26a beka a head (that is, half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary), for each one who passed over to those who were numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men.
27The hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary and the sockets of the veil; one hundred sockets for the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.
28Of the 1,775 shekels, he made hooks for the pillars and overlaid their tops and made bands for them.
29The bronze of the wave offering was 70 talents and 2,400 shekels.
30With it he made the sockets to the doorway of the tent of meeting, and the bronze altar and its bronze grating, and all the utensils of the altar,
31and the sockets of the court all around and the sockets of the gate of the court, and all the pegs of the tabernacle and all the pegs of the court all around.
The Priestly Garments
1Moreover, from the blue and purple and scarlet material, they made finely woven garments for ministering in the holy place as well as the holy garments which were for Aaron, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
2He made the ephod of gold, and of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen.
3Then they hammered out gold sheets and cut them into threads to be woven in with the blue and the purple and the scarlet material, and the fine linen, the work of a skillful workman.
4They made attaching shoulder pieces for the ephod; it was attached at its two upper ends.
5The skillfully woven band which was on it was like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold and of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
6They made the onyx stones, set in gold filigree settings; they were engraved like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel.
7And he placed them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
8He made the breastpiece, the work of a skillful workman, like the workmanship of the ephod: of gold and of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen.
9It was square; they made the breastpiece folded double, a span long and a span wide when folded double.
10And they mounted four rows of stones on it. The first row was a row of ruby, topaz, and emerald;
11and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond;
12and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
13and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were set in gold filigree settings when they were mounted.
14The stones were corresponding to the names of the sons of Israel; they were twelve, corresponding to their names, engraved with the engravings of a signet, each with its name for the twelve tribes.
15They made on the breastpiece chains like cords, of twisted cordage work in pure gold.
16They made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece.
17Then they put the two gold cords in the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece.
18They put the other two ends of the two cords on the two filigree settings, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front of it.
19They made two gold rings and placed them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inner edge which was next to the ephod.
20Furthermore, they made two gold rings and placed them on the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on the front of it, close to the place where it joined, above the woven band of the ephod.
21They bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it would be on the woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece would not come loose from the ephod, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
22Then he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue;
23and the opening of the robe was at the top in the center, as the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding all around its opening, so that it would not be torn.
24They made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material and twisted linen on the hem of the robe.
25They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates all around on the hem of the robe,
26alternating a bell and a pomegranate all around on the hem of the robe for the service, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
27They made the tunics of finely woven linen for Aaron and his sons,
28and the turban of fine linen, and the decorated caps of fine linen, and the linen breeches of fine twisted linen,
29and the sash of fine twisted linen, and blue and purple and scarlet material, the work of the weaver, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
30They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and inscribed it like the engravings of a signet, “Holy to the LORD.”
31They fastened a blue cord to it, to fasten it on the turban above, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
32Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was completed; and the sons of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did.
33They brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its afurnishings: its clasps, its boards, its bars, and its pillars and its sockets;
34and the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and the covering of porpoise skins, and the screening veil;
35the ark of the testimony and its poles and the mercy seat;
36the table, all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence;
37the pure gold lampstand, with its arrangement of lamps and all its utensils, and the oil for the light;
38and the gold altar, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the veil for the doorway of the tent;
39the bronze altar and its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils, the laver and its stand;
40the hangings for the court, its pillars and its sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court, its cords and its pegs and all the equipment for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting;
41the woven garments for ministering in the holy place and the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests.
42So the sons of Israel did all the work according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses. Life Lessons
43And Moses examined all the work and behold, they had done it; just as the LORD had commanded, this they had done. So Moses blessed them.
The Tabernacle Erected
1Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2“On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.
3“You shall place the ark of the testimony there, and you shall screen the ark with the veil.
4“You shall bring in the table and arrange what belongs on it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and mount its lamps.
5“Moreover, you shall set the gold altar of incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the veil for the doorway to the tabernacle.
6“You shall set the altar of burnt offering in front of the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.
7“You shall set the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it.
8“You shall set up the court all around and hang up the veil for the gateway of the court.
9“Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and shall consecrate it and all its furnishings; and it shall be holy.
10“You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, and the altar shall be most holy.
11“You shall anoint the laver and its stand, and consecrate it.
12“Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water.
13“You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister as a priest to Me.
14“You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them;
15and you shall anoint them even as you have anointed their father, that they may minister as priests to Me; and their anointing will qualify them for a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.”
16Thus Moses did; according to all that the LORD had commanded him, so he did.
17Now in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected.
18Moses erected the tabernacle and laid its sockets, and set up its boards, and inserted its bars and erected its pillars.
19He spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
20Then he took the testimony and put it into the ark, and attached the poles to the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark.
21He brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up a veil for the screen, and screened off the ark of the testimony, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
22Then he put the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil.
23He set the arrangement of bread in order on it before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
24Then he placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle.
25He lighted the lamps before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
26Then he placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the veil;
27and he burned fragrant incense on it, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
28Then he set up the veil for the doorway of the tabernacle.
29He set the altar of burnt offering before the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the meal offering, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
30He placed the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing.
31From it Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet.
32When they entered the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
33He erected the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the veil for the gateway of the court. Thus Moses finished the work.
The Glory of the LORD
34Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
35Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Life Lessons
36Throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out;
37but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up.
38For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel. Life Lessons