Exodus 25:1-31:17

New International Reader's Version

Offerings for the Holy Tent

25 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell the people of Israel to bring me an offering. You must receive the offering for me from everyone whose hearts move them to give.

³ “Here are the offerings you must receive from them.

⁸ “Have them make a sacred tent for me. I will live among them. ⁹ Make the holy tent and everything that belongs to it. Make them exactly like the pattern I will show you.

The Ark of the Covenant Law

¹⁰ “Have them make an ark out of acacia wood. It must be a chest three feet nine inches long and two feet three inches wide and high. ¹¹ Cover it inside and outside with pure gold. Put a strip of gold around it. ¹² Make four gold rings for it. Join them to its four bottom corners. Put two rings on one side and two rings on the other. ¹³ Then make poles out of acacia wood. Cover them with gold. ¹⁴ Put the poles through the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. ¹⁵ The poles must remain in the rings of the ark. Do not remove them. ¹⁶ I will give you the tablets of the covenant law. When I do, put them into the ark.

¹⁷ “Make its cover out of pure gold. The cover is the place where sin will be paid for. Make it three feet nine inches long and two feet three inches wide. ¹⁸ Make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. ¹⁹ Put one of the cherubim on each end of it. Make the cherubim part of the cover itself. ²⁰ They must have their wings spread up over the cover. The cherubim must face each other and look toward the cover. ²¹ Place the cover on top of the ark. I will give you the tablets of the covenant law. Put them in the ark. ²² The ark is where the tablets of the covenant law are kept. I will meet with you above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark. There I will give you all my commands for the Israelites.

The Table for the Holy Bread

²³ “Make a table out of acacia wood. Make it three feet long, one foot six inches wide and two feet three inches high. ²⁴ Cover it with pure gold. Put a strip of gold around it. ²⁵ Also make a rim around it three inches wide. Put a strip of gold around the rim. ²⁶ Make four gold rings for the table. Join them to the four corners, where the four legs are. ²⁷ The rings must be close to the rim. They must hold the poles that will be used to carry the table. ²⁸ Make the poles out of acacia wood. Cover them with gold. Use them to carry the table. ²⁹ Make its plates and dishes out of pure gold. Also make its pitchers and bowls out of pure gold. Use the pitchers and bowls to pour out drink offerings. ³⁰ Put the holy bread on the table. It must be near my holy throne on the ark of the covenant law at all times.

The Gold Lampstand

³¹ “Make a lampstand out of pure gold. Hammer out its base and stem. Its buds, blossoms and cups must branch out from it. They must be part of the lampstand itself. ³² Six branches must come out from the sides of the lampstand. Make three on one side and three on the other. ³³ On one branch make three cups that are shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. Then put three on the next branch. Do the same with all six branches that come out from the lampstand. ³⁴ On the lampstand there must be four cups that are shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. ³⁵ One bud must be under the first pair of branches that come out from the lampstand. Put a second bud under the second pair. And put a third bud under the third pair. Make a total of six branches. ³⁶ The buds and branches must come out from the lampstand. The whole lampstand must be one piece hammered out of pure gold.

³⁷ “Then make its seven lamps. Set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. ³⁸ The trays and wick cutters must be made out of pure gold. ³⁹ Use 75 pounds of pure gold to make the lampstand and everything used with it. ⁴⁰ Be sure to make everything just like the pattern I showed you on the mountain.

The Holy Tent

26 “Make ten curtains out of finely twisted linen for the holy tent. Make them with blue, purple and bright red yarn. Have a skilled worker sew cherubim into the pattern. ² Make all the curtains the same size. They must be 42 feet long and six feet wide. ³ Join five of the curtains together. Do the same thing with the other five. ⁴ Make loops out of blue strips of cloth along the edge of the end curtain in one set. Do the same thing with the end curtain in the other set. ⁵ Make 50 loops on the end curtain of the one set. Do the same thing on the end curtain of the other set. Put the loops across from each other. ⁶ Make 50 gold hooks. Use them to join the curtains together so that the holy tent is all one piece.

⁷ “Make a total of 11 curtains out of goat hair to put over the holy tent. ⁸ Make all 11 curtains the same size. They must be 45 feet long and six feet wide. ⁹ Join five of the curtains together into one set. Do the same thing with the other six. Fold the sixth curtain in half at the front of the tent. ¹⁰ Make 50 loops along the edge of the end curtain in the one set. Do the same thing with the other set. ¹¹ Then make 50 bronze hooks. Put them in the loops to join the tent together all in one piece. ¹² Let the extra half curtain hang down at the rear of the holy tent. ¹³ The tent curtains will be 18 inches longer on both sides. What is left over will hang over the sides of the holy tent and cover it. ¹⁴ Make a covering for the tent. Make it out of ram skins that are dyed red. Put a covering of the other strong leather over that.

¹⁵ “Make frames out of acacia wood for the holy tent. ¹⁶ Make each frame 15 feet long and two feet three inches wide. ¹⁷ Add two small wooden pins to each frame. Make the pins stick out so that they are even with each other. Make all the frames for the holy tent in the same way. ¹⁸ Make 20 frames for the south side of the holy tent. ¹⁹ And make 40 silver bases to go under them. Make two bases for each frame. Put one under each pin that sticks out. ²⁰ For the north side of the holy tent make 20 frames ²¹ and 40 silver bases. Put two bases under each frame. ²² Make six frames for the west end of the holy tent. ²³ Make two frames for the corners at the far end. ²⁴ At those two corners the frames must be double from top to bottom. They must be fitted into a single ring. Make both of them the same. ²⁵ There will be eight frames and 16 silver bases. There will be two bases under each frame.

²⁶ “Also make crossbars out of acacia wood. Make five for the frames on one side of the holy tent. ²⁷ Make five for the frames on the other side. And make five for the frames on the west, at the far end of the holy tent. ²⁸ The center crossbar must reach from end to end at the middle of the frames. ²⁹ Cover the frames with gold. Make gold rings to hold the crossbars. Also cover the crossbars with gold.

³⁰ “Set up the holy tent in keeping with the plan I showed you on the mountain.

³¹ “Make a curtain out of blue, purple and bright red yarn and finely twisted linen. Have a skilled worker sew cherubim into the pattern. ³² Hang the curtain with gold hooks on four posts that are made out of acacia wood. Cover the posts with gold. Stand them on four silver bases. ³³ Hang the curtain from the hooks. Place the ark of the covenant law behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Room from the Most Holy Room. ³⁴ Put the cover on the ark of the covenant law in the Most Holy Room. The cover will be the place where sin is paid for. ³⁵ Place the table outside the curtain on the north side of the holy tent. And put the lampstand across from it on the south side.

³⁶ “Make a curtain for the entrance to the tent. Make it out of blue, purple and bright red yarn and finely twisted linen. Have a person who sews skillfully make it. ³⁷ Make gold hooks for the curtain. Make five posts out of acacia wood. Cover them with gold. And make five bronze bases for them.

The Altar for Burnt Offerings

27 “Build an altar out of acacia wood. It must be four feet six inches high and seven feet six inches square. ² Make a horn stick out from each of its upper four corners. The horns and the altar must be all one piece. Cover the altar with bronze. ³ Make everything for the altar out of bronze. Make its pots to remove the ashes. Make its shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks, and pans for carrying ashes. ⁴ Make a bronze grate for the altar. Make a bronze ring for each of the four corners of the grate. ⁵ Put the grate halfway up the altar on the inside. ⁶ Make poles out of acacia wood for the altar. Cover them with bronze. ⁷ Put the poles through the rings. They will be on two sides of the altar for carrying it. ⁸ Make the altar out of boards. Leave it hollow. It must look just like what I showed you on the mountain.

The Courtyard

⁹ “Make a courtyard for the holy tent. The south side must be 150 feet long. It must have curtains that are made out of finely twisted linen. ¹⁰ The curtains must be hung on 20 posts that have 20 bronze bases. The posts must have silver hooks and bands on them. ¹¹ The north side must also be about 150 feet long. It must have curtains with 20 posts that have 20 bronze bases. The posts must have silver hooks and bands on them.

¹² “The west end of the courtyard must be 75 feet wide. It must have curtains with ten posts that have ten bases. ¹³ The east end of the courtyard, toward the sunrise, must also be 75 feet wide. ¹⁴ On one side of the entrance you must put curtains that are 22 feet six inches long. Hang them on three posts. Each post must have a base. ¹⁵ On the other side you must also put curtains that are 22 feet six inches long. Hang them on three posts. Each post must have a base.

¹⁶ “For the entrance to the courtyard, provide a curtain 30 feet long. Make it out of blue, purple and bright red yarn and finely twisted linen. Have someone who sews skillfully make it. Hang it on four posts. Each post must have a base. ¹⁷ All the posts that are around the courtyard must have silver bands and hooks. They must also have bronze bases. ¹⁸ The courtyard must be 150 feet long and 75 feet wide. It must have curtains that are made out of finely twisted linen. They must be seven feet six inches high. The posts must have bronze bases. ¹⁹ Make out of bronze all the other things used for any purpose in the holy tent. That includes all the tent stakes for the tent and the courtyard.

Oil for the Lampstand

²⁰ “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil made from pressed olives. Use it to keep the lamps burning and giving light. ²¹ Aaron and his sons must keep the lamps burning in the tent of meeting. The lamps will be outside the curtain in front of the tablets of the covenant law. The lamps must be kept burning in front of the Lord from evening until morning. This is a law for the Israelites that will last for all time to come.

The Clothes for the Priests

28 “Have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites. His sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar must also be brought. They will serve me as priests. ² Make sacred clothes for your brother Aaron. When he is wearing them, people will honor him. They will have respect for him. ³ Speak to all the skilled workers. I have given them the skill to do this kind of work. Tell them to make clothes for Aaron. He will wear them when he is set apart to serve me as priest. ⁴ The workers must make a chest cloth, a linen apron and an outer robe. They must also make an inner robe, a turban and a belt. They must make sacred clothes for your brother Aaron and his sons. Then they will serve me as priests. ⁵ Have the workers use thin gold wire, and blue, purple and bright red yarn, and fine linen.

The Linen Apron

⁶ “Make the linen apron out of thin gold wire, and out of blue, purple and bright red yarn, and out of finely twisted linen. Have a skilled worker make it. ⁷ It must have two shoulder straps joined to two of its corners. ⁸ Its skillfully made waistband must be like the apron. The waistband must be part of the apron itself. Make the waistband out of thin gold wire, and out of blue, purple and bright red yarn, and out of finely twisted linen.

⁹ “Get two onyx stones. Carve the names of the sons of Israel on them. ¹⁰ Arrange them in the order of their birth. Carve six names on one stone and six on the other. ¹¹ Carve the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a jewel cutter would carve them. Then put the stones in fancy gold settings. ¹² Connect them to the shoulder straps of the linen apron. The stones will stand for the sons of Israel. Aaron must carry the names on his shoulders as a constant reminder while he is serving the Lord. ¹³ Make fancy gold settings. ¹⁴ Make two braided chains out of pure gold. Make them like ropes. Join the chains to the settings.

The Chest Cloth

¹⁵ “Make a chest cloth that will be used for making decisions. Have a skilled worker make it. Make it like the linen apron. Use thin gold wire, and blue, purple and bright red yarn, and finely twisted linen. ¹⁶ Make it nine inches square. Fold it in half. ¹⁷ Put four rows of valuable jewels on it. Put carnelian, chrysolite and beryl in the first row. ¹⁸ Put turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald in the second row. ¹⁹ Put jacinth, agate and amethyst in the third row. ²⁰ And put topaz, onyx and jasper in the fourth row. Put them in fancy gold settings. ²¹ Use a total of 12 stones. Use one for each of the names of the sons of Israel. Each stone must be carved with the name of one of the 12 tribes.

²² “Make braided chains out of pure gold for the chest cloth. Make them like ropes. ²³ Make two gold rings for the chest cloth. Connect them to two corners of it. ²⁴ Join the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the chest cloth. ²⁵ Join the other ends of the chains to the two settings. Join them to the shoulder straps on the front of the linen apron. ²⁶ Make two gold rings. Connect them to the other two corners of the chest cloth. Put them on the inside edge next to the apron. ²⁷ Make two more gold rings. Connect them to the bottom of the shoulder straps on the front of the apron. Put them close to the seam. Put them right above the waistband of the apron. ²⁸ The rings of the chest cloth must be tied to the rings of the apron. Tie them to the waistband with blue cord. Then the chest cloth will not swing out from the linen apron.

²⁹ “When Aaron enters the Holy Room, he will carry the names of the sons of Israel over his heart. Their names will be on the chest cloth of decision. They will be a continuing reminder while he is serving the Lord. ³⁰ Also put the Urim and Thummim into the chest cloth. Then they will be over Aaron’s heart when he comes to serve the Lord. In that way, Aaron will always have what he needs to make decisions for the people of Israel. He will carry the Urim and Thummim over his heart while he is serving the Lord.

More Clothes for the Priests

³¹ “Make the outer robe of the linen apron completely out of blue cloth. ³² In the center of the robe, make an opening for the head of the priest. Make an edge like a collar around the opening. Then it will not tear. ³³ Make pomegranates out of blue, purple and bright red yarn. Sew them around the hem of the robe. Sew gold bells between them. ³⁴ Sew a gold bell between every two pomegranates all around the hem of the robe. ³⁵ Aaron must wear the robe when he serves as priest. The bells will jingle when he enters the Holy Room while he is serving the Lord. And they will jingle when he goes out. Then he will not die.

³⁶ “Make a plate out of pure gold. Carve words on it as if it were an official seal. Carve the words

Set Apart for the Lord.

³⁷ Tie the plate to the front of the turban with a blue cord. ³⁸ Aaron must wear this plate on his forehead all the time. He will be held responsible for all the sacred gifts the Israelites set apart. Then the Lord will accept the gifts.

³⁹ “Make the inner robe out of fine linen. And make the turban out of fine linen. The belt must be made by a person who sews skillfully. ⁴⁰ Make inner robes, belts and caps for Aaron’s sons. When they are wearing them, people will honor his sons. They will also have respect for them. ⁴¹ Put all these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons. Then pour olive oil on them and prepare them to serve me. Set them apart to serve me as priests.

⁴² “Make linen underwear that reaches from the waist to the thigh. ⁴³ Aaron and the priests in his family line must wear it when they enter the tent of meeting. They must also wear it when they approach the altar to serve in the Holy Room. Then they will not be found guilty and die.

“For all time to come, that will be a law for Aaron and the priests in his family line.

Directions for Setting Apart the Priests

29 “Here is what you must do to set apart Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. Get a young bull and two rams. They must not have any flaws. ² Get the finest wheat flour. Make round loaves of bread that do not have yeast in them. Make thick loaves of bread that do not have yeast in them. Mix olive oil into the thick loaves of bread. Also make thin loaves of bread that do not have yeast in them. Brush the thin loaves with olive oil. ³ Put everything in a basket. Offer them along with the bull and the two rams. ⁴ Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting. Wash them with water. ⁵ Take the inner robe, the outer robe of the linen apron, the apron itself and the chest cloth. Dress Aaron in them. Take the skillfully made waistband and tie the apron on him with it. ⁶ Put the turban on his head. Connect the sacred plate to the turban. ⁷ Take the anointing oil and pour it on his head. ⁸ Bring his sons and dress them in their inner robes. ⁹ Put caps on their heads. Tie belts on Aaron and his sons. The work of the priests belongs to them. This is my law that will last for all time to come.

“Then you must prepare Aaron and his sons to serve me.

¹⁰ “Bring the bull to the front of the tent of meeting. Have Aaron and his sons place their hands on its head. ¹¹ Kill it in front of the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ¹² Dip your finger into some of the bull’s blood. Put it on the horns that stick out from the upper four corners of the altar. Pour the rest of it out at the base of the altar. ¹³ Then take all the fat on the inside parts. Take the long part of the liver. Get both kidneys with the fat on them. And burn all of it on the altar. ¹⁴ But burn the bull’s meat, hide and guts outside the camp. It is a sin offering.

¹⁵ “Get one of the rams. Have Aaron and his sons place their hands on its head. ¹⁶ Kill it. Take the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar. ¹⁷ Cut the ram into pieces. Wash the inside parts and the legs. Put them with the head and the other pieces. ¹⁸ Then burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to me. It has a pleasant smell. It is a food offering presented to the Lord.

¹⁹ “Get the other ram. Have Aaron and his sons place their hands on its head. ²⁰ Kill it. Put some of its blood on the right earlobes of Aaron and his sons. Put some on the thumbs of their right hands. Also put some on the big toes of their right feet. Then splash the blood against the sides of the altar. ²¹ Get some of the blood from the altar. Also get some of the anointing oil. Sprinkle both of them on Aaron and his clothes and on his sons and their clothes. Then he and his sons and their clothes will be set apart to serve the Lord.

²² “Here is what you must take from this second ram. Take the fat, the fat tail and the fat around the inside parts. Take the long part of the liver. Also take both kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh. It is the ram you must use when you prepare the priests to serve the Lord. ²³ Get one round loaf of bread and one thick loaf of bread with olive oil mixed in. Also get one thin loaf of bread. Take them from the basket of bread made without yeast. It is the one in front of the Lord. ²⁴ Put all these things in the hands of Aaron and his sons. Tell them to lift them up and wave them in front of the Lord as a wave offering. ²⁵ Then take all these things from their hands. Burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering. Its smell pleases the Lord. It is a food offering presented to the Lord. ²⁶ Get the breast of the ram used when you prepare Aaron to serve the Lord. Wave it in front of the Lord as a wave offering. It will be your share of the meat.

²⁷ “Here are the parts of the second ram that belong to Aaron and his sons. You must set apart the breast that was waved and the thigh that was offered. ²⁸ It will be the regular share from the Israelites for Aaron and his sons. The people must give it to the Lord from their friendship offerings.

²⁹ “Aaron’s sacred clothes will belong to his sons who will come after him. Then they can wear them when you anoint them and prepare them to serve the Lord. ³⁰ The son who comes after Aaron as priest must wear them seven days. He will come and serve in the Holy Room in the tent of meeting.

³¹ “Get the ram sacrificed when you prepare Aaron and his sons to serve the Lord. Cook the meat in a sacred place. ³² Aaron and his sons must eat the ram’s meat. And they must eat the bread in the basket. They must eat all of it at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ³³ These are the offerings to pay for their sins. They must eat them. The offerings must be made when Aaron and his sons are set apart and prepared to serve the Lord. No one else can eat them. They are sacred. ³⁴ When you prepare Aaron and his sons to serve me, you will sacrifice the ram and the bread. If any parts of the ram or bread are left until morning, burn them up. They must not be eaten. They are sacred.

³⁵ “Do everything I have commanded you to do for Aaron and his sons. Take seven days when you prepare them to serve the Lord. ³⁶ Sacrifice a bull each day. It is a sin offering to pay for their sins. Make the altar pure. Pour olive oil on it to set it apart. ³⁷ Take seven days to make the altar pure. Set it apart. Then the altar will be a very holy place. Anything that touches it will be holy.

³⁸ “Every day sacrifice on the altar two lambs that are a year old. ³⁹ Sacrifice one in the morning and the other one when the sun goes down. ⁴⁰ Along with the first lamb, offer three and a half pounds of fine flour. Mix it with a quart of oil made from pressed olives. Along with that, sacrifice a quart of wine as a drink offering. ⁴¹ Sacrifice the other lamb when the sun goes down. Sacrifice it along with the same grain offering and its drink offering as you do in the morning. It has a pleasant smell. It is a food offering presented to the Lord.

⁴² “For all time to come, this burnt offering must be sacrificed regularly. Sacrifice it at the entrance to the tent of meeting in front of the Lord. There I will meet with you and speak to you. ⁴³ There I will also meet with the people of Israel. My glory will make the place holy.

⁴⁴ “So I will set apart the tent of meeting and the altar. And I will set apart Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. ⁴⁵ Then I will live among the people of Israel. And I will be their God. ⁴⁶ They will know that I am the Lord their God. They will know that I brought them out of Egypt so I could live among them. I am the Lord their God.

The Altar for Burning Incense

30 “Make an altar for burning incense. Make it out of acacia wood. ² It must be one and a half feet square and three feet high. Make a horn stick out from each of its upper four corners. ³ Cover the top, sides and horns with pure gold. Put a strip of gold around it. ⁴ Make two gold rings for the altar below the strip. Put the rings across from each other. They will hold the poles that are used to carry it. ⁵ Make the poles out of acacia wood. Cover them with gold. ⁶ Put the altar in front of the curtain that hangs in front of the ark. The ark is where the tablets of the covenant law are kept. The ark will have a cover. It will be the place where sin is paid for. There I will meet with you.

⁷ “Aaron must burn sweet-smelling incense on the altar. He must do it every morning when he takes care of the lamps. ⁸ He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at sunset. Incense must be burned regularly in front of the Lord. Do it for all time to come. ⁹ Do not burn any other incense on the altar. Do not use the altar for burnt offerings or grain offerings. And do not pour drink offerings on it. ¹⁰ Once a year Aaron must put the blood of a sin offering on the horns of the altar. He must do this to make the altar pure. He must do this on the day Israel’s sin is paid for. Do this for all time to come. The altar is a very holy place to me.”

Money to Pay for the People’s Lives

¹¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, ¹² “Make a list of the Israelites and count them. When you do, each one must pay the Lord for his life at the time he is counted. Then a plague will not come on them when you count them. ¹³ Each one counted must pay a fifth of an ounce of silver. It must be weighed out in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. The payment is an offering to the Lord. ¹⁴ Each one counted must be 20 years old or more. He must give an offering to the Lord. ¹⁵ When you make the offering, rich people must not give more than a fifth of an ounce of silver. And poor people must not give less. The offering you give to the Lord will pay for your lives. ¹⁶ Receive the money from the people of Israel. Use it for any purpose in the tent of meeting. It will remind the people that they are paying me for their lives.”

The Large Bowl for Washing

¹⁷ Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, ¹⁸ “Make a large bronze bowl for washing. Make a bronze stand to put it on. Place the bowl between the tent of meeting and the altar. Put water in it. ¹⁹ Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet with water from it. ²⁰ When they enter the tent of meeting, they must wash with water so that they will not die. They will come to the altar to serve me. They will bring a food offering to the Lord. ²¹ When they do, they must wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. For all time to come, that will be a law for Aaron and the priests in his family line.”

Anointing Oil

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, ²³ “Get some fine spices. Get 12 pounds eight ounces of liquid myrrh. Get six pounds four ounces of sweet-smelling cinnamon and the same amount of sweet-smelling calamus. ²⁴ Also get 12 pounds eight ounces of cassia. All the spices must be weighed out in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. And get a gallon of olive oil. ²⁵ Have a person who makes perfume mix everything into a sacred anointing oil. It will smell sweet. ²⁶ Then use it to anoint the tent of meeting and the ark where the tablets of the covenant law are kept. ²⁷ Anoint the table for the holy bread and all its things. Anoint the lampstand and the things that are used with it. Anoint the altar for burning incense. ²⁸ Anoint the altar for burnt offerings and all its tools. And anoint the large bowl together with its stand. ²⁹ You must set them apart so that they will be very holy. Anything that touches them will be holy.

³⁰ “Anoint Aaron and his sons. Set them apart so that they can serve me as priests. ³¹ Say to the people of Israel, ‘This will be my sacred anointing oil for all time to come. ³² Do not pour it on anyone else’s body. Do not make any other oil in the same way. It is sacred. So you must think of it as sacred. ³³ Suppose a person makes perfume in the same way. And suppose that person puts it on someone who is not a priest. Then that person must be separated from their people.’ ”

Incense

³⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get some sweet-smelling spices. Get some gum resin, onycha and galbanum. Also get some pure frankincense. Make sure everything is in equal amounts. ³⁵ Have a person who makes perfume mix it all up into a sweet-smelling incense. It must have salt in it. It will be pure and sacred. ³⁶ Grind some of it into powder. Place it in front of the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting. There I will meet with you. The incense will be very holy to you. ³⁷ Do not make any incense for yourselves in the same way. Think of it as holy to the Lord. ³⁸ Whoever makes incense in the same way to enjoy its sweet smell must be separated from their people.”

Bezalel and Oholiab

31 Then the Lord spoke to Moses. ² He said, “I have chosen Bezalel, the son of Uri. Uri is the son of Hur. Bezalel is from the tribe of Judah. ³ I have filled him with the Spirit of God. I have filled Bezalel with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skill. ⁴ He can make beautiful patterns in gold, silver and bronze. ⁵ He can cut and set stones. He can work with wood. In fact, he can work in all kinds of crafts. ⁶ I have also appointed Oholiab, the son of Ahisamak, to help him. Oholiab is from the tribe of Dan.

“I have given ability to all the skilled workers. They can make everything I have commanded you to make. Here is the complete list.

“The skilled workers must make them just as I commanded you.”

The Sabbath Day

¹² Then the Lord spoke to Moses. ¹³ He said, “Tell the people of Israel, ‘You must always keep my Sabbath days. That will be the sign of the covenant I have made between me and you for all time to come. Then you will know that I am the Lord. I am the one who makes you holy.

¹⁴ “ ‘Keep the Sabbath day. It is holy to you. Those who misuse it must be put to death. Those who do any work on that day must be separated from their people. ¹⁵ Do your work in six days. But the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest. You must rest on it. It is set apart for the Lord. Those who work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. ¹⁶ The Israelites must keep the Sabbath day. They must celebrate it for all time to come. It will be a covenant that lasts forever. ¹⁷ It will be the sign of the covenant I have made between me and the Israelites forever. The Lord made the heavens and the earth in six days. But on the seventh day he did not work. He rested.’ ”