Exodus 38–40

Making the Altar of Burnt Offering

38Bezalel ^fconstructed the altar of burnt offering from acacia wood. It was square, 7½ feet long and 7½ feet wide, ^gand was 4½ feet ^hhigh. ²He made horns for it on its four corners; the horns were of one piece. ⁱThen he overlaid it with bronze.

³He made all the altar’s utensils: the pots, shovels, basins, meat forks, and firepans; he made all its utensils of bronze. ⁴He constructed for the altar a grate of bronze mesh under its ledge, ^jhalfway up from the bottom. ⁵At the four corners of the bronze grate he cast four rings as holders for the poles. ⁶Also, he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. ⁷Then he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar in order to carry it with them. He constructed the altar with boards so that it was hollow.

Making the Bronze Basin

⁸He made the bronze basin and its stand from the bronze mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ^k

Making the Courtyard

⁹Then ^lhe made the courtyard. The hangings on the south side of the courtyard were of finely spun linen, 150 feet in length, ^m10including their 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The hooks and bands ⁿof the posts were silver. ¹¹The hangings on the north side were also 150 feet in length, ^oincluding their 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The hooks and bands ^pof the posts were silver. ¹²The hangings on the west side were 75 feet in length, ^qincluding their 10 posts and 10 bases. The hooks and bands of the posts were silver. ¹³The hangings on the east toward the sunrise were also 75 feet in length. ^r14The hangings on one side of the gate were 22½ feet, ^sincluding their three posts and three bases. ¹⁵It was the same for the other side. The hangings were 22½ feet, ^tincluding their three posts and three bases on both sides of the courtyard gate. ¹⁶All the hangings around the courtyard were of finely spun linen. ¹⁷The bases for the posts were bronze; the hooks and bands ^uof the posts were silver; and the plating for the tops of the posts was silver. All the posts of the courtyard were banded with silver.

¹⁸The screen for the gate of the courtyard was embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. It was 30 feet ^vlong, and like the hangings of the courtyard, 7½ feet ^whigh. ^x19It had four posts, including their four bronze bases. Their hooks were silver, and the bands ^yas well as the plating of their tops were silver. ²⁰All the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the surrounding courtyard were bronze.

Inventory of Materials

²¹This is the inventory for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, ^zthat was recorded at Moses’ command. It was the work of the Levites under the direction of ^aIthamar son of Aaron the priest. ^b22Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything that the Lord commanded Moses. ²³With him was Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, a gem cutter, a designer, and an embroiderer with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.

²⁴All the gold of the presentation offering that was used for the project in all the work on the sanctuary, was 2,193 pounds, ^caccording to the sanctuary shekel. ^d25The silver from those of the community who were registered was 7,544 pounds, ^eaccording to the sanctuary shekel— ²⁶2/5 of an ounce ^fper man, that is, half a shekel according to the sanctuary shekel, from everyone 20 years old or more who had crossed over to the registered group, 603,550 men. ²⁷There were 7,500 pounds ^gof silver used to cast the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil—100 bases from 7,500 pounds, ^h75 pounds ⁱfor each base. ^j28With the remaining 44 pounds ^khe made the hooks for the posts, overlaid their tops, and supplied bands ^lfor them.

²⁹The bronze of the presentation offering totaled 5,310 pounds. ^m30He made with it the bases for the entrance to the tent of meeting, the bronze altar and its bronze grate, all the utensils for the altar, ³¹the bases for the surrounding courtyard, the bases for the gate of the courtyard, all the tent pegs for the tabernacle, and all the tent pegs for the surrounding courtyard.

Making the Priestly Garments

39They made specially woven ⁿgarments for ministry in the sanctuary, and the holy garments for Aaron from the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ^o

Making the Ephod

²Bezalel ^pmade the ephod of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen. ³They hammered out thin sheets of gold, and he ^qcut threads from them to interweave with the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and the fine linen in a skillful design. ⁴They made shoulder pieces for attaching it; it was joined together at its two edges. ⁵The artistically woven waistband that was on the ephod was of one piece with the ephod, according to the same workmanship of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁶Then they mounted the onyx stones surrounded with gold filigree settings, engraved with the names of Israel’s sons as a gem cutter engraves a seal. ⁷He fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the Israelites, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Making the Breastpiece

⁸He ^ralso made the embroidered breastpiece with the same workmanship as the ephod of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen. ⁹They made the breastpiece square and folded double, nine inches long and nine inches wide. ^s10They mounted four rows of gemstones ^ton it. The first row was a row of carnelian, topaz, and emerald; ^u11the second row, a turquoise, ^va sapphire, ^wand a diamond; ^x12the third row, a jacinth, ^yan agate, and an amethyst; ¹³and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were surrounded with gold filigree in their settings.

¹⁴The 12 stones corresponded to the names of Israel’s sons. Each stone was engraved like a seal with one of the names of the 12 tribes.

¹⁵They made braided chains of pure gold cord for the breastpiece. ¹⁶They also fashioned two gold filigree settings and two gold rings and attached the two rings to its two corners. ¹⁷Then they attached the two gold cords to the two gold rings on the corners of the breastpiece. ¹⁸They attached the other ends of the two cords to the two filigree settings and, in this way, attached them to the ephod’s shoulder pieces in front. ¹⁹They made two other gold rings and put them at the two other corners of the breastpiece on the edge that is next to the inner border of the ephod. ²⁰They made two more gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the ephod’s two shoulder pieces on its front, close to its seam, ^zabove the ephod’s woven waistband. ²¹Then they tied the breastpiece from its rings to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue yarn, so that the breastpiece was above the ephod’s waistband and did not come loose from the ephod. They did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Making the Robe

²²They ^amade the woven robe of the ephod entirely of blue yarn. ²³There was an opening in the center of the robe like that of body armor ^bwith a collar around the opening so that it would not tear. ²⁴They made pomegranates of finely spun blue, purple, and scarlet yarn ^con the lower hem of the robe. ²⁵They made bells of pure gold and attached the bells between the pomegranates, all around the hem of the robe between the pomegranates, ²⁶a bell and a pomegranate alternating all around the lower hem of the robe ^dto be worn for ministry. They made it just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Other Priestly Garments

²⁷They made the tunics of fine woven linen for Aaron and his sons. ²⁸They also made the turban and the ornate headbands ^eof fine linen, the undergarments, ^f29and the sash of finely spun linen of embroidered blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. They did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Making the Holy Diadem

³⁰They also made a medallion, the holy diadem, out of pure gold and wrote on it an inscription like the engraving on a seal: ^g

HOLY TO THE LORD.

³¹Then they attached a cord of blue yarn to it in order to mount it on the turban, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Moses’ Inspection of the Tabernacle

³²So all the work for the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was finished. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ^h33Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent with all its furnishings, its clasps, its planks, its crossbars, and its posts and bases; ³⁴the covering of ram skins dyed red and the covering of manatee skins; ⁱthe veil for the screen; ³⁵the ark of the testimony with its poles and the mercy seat; ³⁶the table, all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; ³⁷the pure gold lampstand, with its lamps arranged and all its utensils, as well as the oil for the light; ³⁸the gold altar; the anointing oil; the fragrant incense; the screen for the entrance to the tent; ³⁹the bronze altar with its bronze grate, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin with its stand; ⁴⁰the hangings of the courtyard, its posts and bases, the screen for the gate of the courtyard, its ropes and tent pegs, and all the equipment for the service of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; ⁴¹and the specially woven ^jgarments for ministering in the sanctuary, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons to serve as priests. ⁴²The Israelites had done all the work according to everything the Lord had commanded Moses. ^k43Moses inspected all the work they had accomplished. They had done just as the Lord commanded. Then Moses blessed them. ^l

Setting up the Tabernacle

40The Lord spoke to Moses: ²“You are to set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the first month. ^mn3Put the ark ^oof the testimony there and screen off the ark with the veil. ⁴Then bring in the table and lay out its arrangement; also bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. ⁵Place the gold altar…