Exodus 36:1–38:7

36:1 So Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person1 in whom the Lord has put skill2 and ability3 to know how4 to do all the work for the service5 of the sanctuary are to do the work6 according to all that the Lord has commanded.”

36:2 Moses summoned7 Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person in whom8 the Lord had put skill—everyone whose heart stirred him9 to volunteer10 to do the work, 36:3 and they received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to do11 the work for the service of the sanctuary, and they still continued to bring him a freewill offering each morning.12 36:4 So all the skilled people who were doing all the work on the sanctuary came from the work13 they were doing 36:5 and told Moses, “The people are bringing much more than14 is needed for the completion15 of the work which the Lord commanded us to do!”16

36:6 Moses instructed them to take17 his message18 throughout the camp, saying, “Let no man or woman do any more work for the offering for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing any more.19 36:7 Now the materials were more than enough20 for them to do all the work.21

The Building of the Tabernacle

36:8 All the skilled among those who were doing the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue and purple and scarlet; they were made with cherubim that were the work of an artistic designer. 36:9 The length of one curtain was forty-two feet, and the width of one curtain was six feet—the same size for each of the curtains. 36:10 He joined22 five of the curtains to one another, and the other23 five curtains he joined to one another. 36:11 He made loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in the first set; he did the same along the edge of the end curtain in the second set. 36:12 He made fifty loops on the first curtain, and he made fifty loops on the end curtain that was in the second set, with the loops opposite one another. 36:13 He made fifty gold clasps and joined the curtains together to one another with the clasps, so that the tabernacle was a unit.24

36:14 He made curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; he made eleven curtains.25 36:15 The length of one curtain was forty-five feet, and the width of one curtain was six feet—one size for all eleven curtains. 36:16 He joined five curtains by themselves and six curtains by themselves. 36:17 He made fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in the first set and fifty loops along the edge of the curtain that joined the second set. 36:18 He made fifty bronze clasps to join the tent together so that it might be a unit.26 36:19 He made a covering for the tent out of ram skins dyed red and over that a covering of fine leather.27

36:20 He made the frames28 for the tabernacle of acacia wood29 as uprights.30 36:21 The length of each31 frame was fifteen feet, the width of each32 frame was two and a quarter feet, 36:22 with33 two projections per frame parallel one to another.34 He made all the frames of the tabernacle in this way. 36:23 So he made frames for the tabernacle: twenty frames for the south side. 36:24 He made forty silver bases under the twenty frames—two bases under the first frame for its two projections, and likewise35 two bases under the next frame for its two projections, 36:25 and for the second side of the tabernacle, the north side, he made twenty frames 36:26 and their forty silver bases, two bases under the first frame and two bases under the next36 frame. 36:27 And for the back of the tabernacle on the west he made six frames. 36:28 He made two frames for the corners of the tabernacle on the back. 36:29 At the two corners37 they were doubled at the lower end and38 finished together at the top in one ring. So he did for both. 36:30 So there were eight frames and their silver bases, sixteen bases, two bases under each frame.

36:31 He made bars of acacia wood, five for the frames on one side of the tabernacle 36:32 and five bars for the frames on the second side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the tabernacle for the back side on the west. 36:33 He made the middle bar to reach from end to end in the center of the frames. 36:34 He overlaid the frames with gold and made their rings of gold to provide places39 for the bars, and he overlaid the bars with gold.

36:35 He made the special curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine twisted linen; he made40 it with cherubim, the work of an artistic designer. 36:36 He made for it four posts of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, with gold hooks,41 and he cast for them four silver bases.

36:37 He made a hanging for the entrance of the tent of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine twisted linen, the work of an embroiderer, 36:38 and its five posts and their hooks. He overlaid their tops42 and their bands with gold, but their five bases were bronze.43

The Making of the Ark

37:1 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; its length was three feet nine inches, its width two feet three inches, and its height two feet three inches. 37:2 He overlaid it with pure gold, inside and out, and he made a surrounding border1 of gold for it. 37:3 He cast four gold rings for it that he put2 on its four feet, with3 two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. 37:4 He made poles of acacia wood, overlaid them with gold, 37:5 and put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry the ark.

37:6 He made4 an atonement lid of pure gold; its length was three feet nine inches, and its width was two feet three inches. 37:7 He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered metal on the two ends of the atonement lid, 37:8 one cherub on one end5 and one cherub on the other end.6 He made the cherubim from the atonement lid on its two ends. 37:9 The cherubim were spreading their wings7 upward, overshadowing the atonement lid with their wings. The cherubim8 faced each other,9 looking toward the atonement lid.10

The Making of the Table

37:10 He made the table of acacia wood; its length was three feet, its width one foot six inches, and its height two feet three inches. 37:11 He overlaid it with pure gold, and he made a surrounding border of gold for it. 37:12 He made a surrounding frame for it about three inches wide, and he made a surrounding border of gold for its frame. 37:13 He cast four gold rings for it and attached the rings at the four corners where its four legs were. 37:14 The rings were close to the frame to provide places for the poles to carry the table. 37:15 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table. 37:16 He made the vessels which were on the table out of pure gold, its11 plates, its ladles, its pitchers, and its bowls, to be used in pouring out offerings.

The Making of the Lampstand

37:17 He made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered metal; its base and its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its blossoms were from the same piece.12 37:18 Six branches were extending from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from one side of it, and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it. 37:19 Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on the first branch, and three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on the next13 branch, and the same14 for the six branches that were extending from the lampstand. 37:20 On the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms, 37:21 with a bud under the first two branches from it, and a bud under the next two branches from it, and a bud under the third two branches from it; according to the six branches that extended from it.15 37:22 Their buds and their branches were of one piece;16 all of it was one hammered piece of pure gold. 37:23 He made its seven lamps, its trimmers, and its trays of pure gold. 37:24 He made the lampstand17 and all its accessories with seventy-five pounds of pure gold.

The Making of the Altar of Incense

37:25 He made the incense altar of acacia wood. Its length was a foot and a half and its width a foot and a half—a square—and its height was three feet. Its horns were of one piece with it.18 37:26 He overlaid it with pure gold—its top,19 its four walls,20 and its horns—and he made a surrounding border of gold for it.21 37:27 He also made22 two gold rings for it under its border, on its two sides, on opposite sides,23 as places24 for poles to carry it with. 37:28 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

37:29 He made the sacred anointing oil and the pure fragrant incense, the work of a perfumer.

The Making of the Altar for the Burnt Offering

38:1 He made the altar for the burnt offering of acacia wood seven feet six inches long and seven feet six inches wide—it was square—and its height was four feet six inches. 38:2 He made its horns on its four corners; its horns were part of it,1 and he overlaid it with bronze. 38:3 He made all the utensils of the altar—the pots, the shovels, the tossing bowls, the meat hooks, and the fire pans—he made all its utensils of bronze. 38:4 He made a grating for the altar, a network of bronze under its ledge, halfway up from the bottom. 38:5 He cast four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating, to provide places for the poles. 38:6 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. 38:7 He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made the altar2 hollow, out of boards.