Bible in 90 Days

Chapter 29

Consecration of the Priests. ¹ “You shall observe this rite to consecrate them as my priests: Take a bull and two rams without defect, ² and unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers with oil spread on them. You shall make them of fine wheat flour. ³ Put them in one basket and bring them and offer them together with the young bull and the two rams.

⁴ “Then have Aaron and his sons approach the entrance to the meeting tent and wash them with water. ⁵ Take the garments and clothe Aaron in the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastplate. Wrap the skillfully woven band of the ephod around him. ⁶ Place the turban on his head and put the holy crown over the turban. ⁷ Then pour the anointing oil on his head and anoint him.

⁸ “As for his sons, make them draw near and clothe them in their tunics, ⁹ wrap their sashes around them, and tie their caps on them. They will participate in the priesthood by an eternal statute. This is how you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons.

¹⁰ The Offering of the Sacrifices.“Then have the young bull brought in front of the meeting tent. Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. ¹¹ Kill the bull before the Lord, at the entrance to the meeting tent. ¹² Take part of its blood and with a finger put it on the horns of the altar. The rest of the blood shall be poured out at the base of the altar.

¹³ “Take the fat that surrounds its entrails, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat that surrounds them, and burn them as a sacrifice on the altar. ¹⁴ But the meat of the bull, its skin and its dung, you must burn outside the camp. It is a sin offering.

¹⁵ “Then take one of the rams. Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. ¹⁶ Kill the ram and gather its blood and pour it around the altar. ¹⁷ Cut the ram into pieces. Wash the entrails and the legs and put them with the pieces and the head. ¹⁸ Then burn the entire ram on the altar. It is a pleasing fragrance^[a] to the Lord, a burnt offering to the Lord.

¹⁹ “Take the second ram. Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head, ²⁰ and you shall kill it. Take part of its blood and place it on the right ear lobe of Aaron and the right ear lobes of his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Then pour out the blood around the altar. ²¹ Take some of the blood on the altar and some anointing oil and sprinkle Aaron and his vestments, the sons of Aaron and their vestments. Thus, he shall be consecrated with his vestments together with his sons and their vestments.

²² “Take the fat of the ram: the tail, the fat that covers the entrails, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and their fat, and the right thigh, for it is a ram of consecration. ²³ Also take a round loaf of bread, a cake of bread mixed with oil, and an unleavened wafer from the basket of unleavened breads placed before the altar. ²⁴ Put all of it into the hands of Aaron and the hands of his sons. They shall wave it as an offering before the Lord.^{[b] 25} Take everything from their hands and burn it on the altar. It shall be a pleasant fragrance to the Lord, a burnt offering to the Lord.

²⁶ “Take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s consecration and wave it as an offering before the Lord. It shall be your portion. ²⁷ Consecrate the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the offering and wave it. It is offered from the ram of the consecration, and it is for Aaron and his sons. ²⁸ It is to belong to Aaron and his sons as the portion reserved to them. This shall be an eternal statute for the children of Israel. It will be the priests’ portion to be offered by the children of Israel from their peace offerings, an offering unto the Lord.

²⁹ The Transmission of the Sacred Vestments.“The sacred vestments of Aaron shall belong to his sons after him. They shall be anointed and consecrated in them. ³⁰ Those descendants of Aaron who succeed him in the priesthood and who enter into the meeting tent to minister in the sanctuary shall wear these vestments for seven days.

³¹ The Sacred Food of the Priests.“Take the ram of consecration and cook its meat in a holy place. ³² At the entrance to the meeting tent, Aaron and his sons shall eat the meat of the ram and the bread of the basket. ³³ They shall eat those things with which atonement was obtained. No outsider can eat them, for they are holy things. ³⁴ If any of the meat of consecration or the bread is left over in the morning, you shall burn whatever is left over with fire; it shall not be eaten, for it is holy. ³⁵ Do to Aaron and to his sons what I have commanded you to do. For seven days you shall consecrate them.

³⁶ The Consecrated Altar and the Daily Sacrifice.“For each of seven days you shall offer a young bull as a sin offering for atonement. You shall also make a sin offering for the atonement for the altar, and shall anoint it to consecrate it. ³⁷ For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. It shall thus become a most holy thing, and whatever touches the altar will become holy.^[c]

³⁸ “Now this is what you shall offer up on the altar every day and forever: two lambs, a year old. ³⁹ You shall offer one of these lambs in the morning and the second lamb in the evening. ⁴⁰ With the first lamb you shall offer a tenth of a measure of fine flour mixed with a fourth of a hin of olive oil and a fourth of a hin of wine as a libation. ⁴¹ Offer the second lamb in the evening with the same offering and libation as in the morning. It will be a pleasant fragrance to the Lord, a burnt offering to the Lord.

⁴² “It shall be a perpetual burnt offering throughout all your generations at the entrance to the meeting tent, in the presence of the Lord, where I will meet you to speak with you.

⁴³ “I will meet with the children of Israel in this place that will be consecrated to my glory. ⁴⁴ I will consecrate the meeting tent and the altar. I will also consecrate Aaron and his sons to be my priests. ⁴⁵ I will live in the midst of the children of Israel and I will be their God. ⁴⁶ They shall know that I am the Lord, their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I, the Lord, their God, might live in their midst.

Chapter 30

The Altar of Incense. ¹ “You shall build an altar upon which to burn incense. Make it of acacia wood, ² one cubit long and one cubit wide. It shall be square, and two cubits high; and its horns shall all be one piece with it. ³ Cover its top, its sides, and its horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it. ⁴ You shall also make two golden rings below its molding on its two sides. Place them on opposite sides. They shall be used to insert poles with which to carry it. ⁵ You shall make the poles out of acacia wood and cover them with gold. ⁶ And you shall place the altar in front of the veil that hides the Ark of Testimony, in front of the seat of atonement that is upon it, where I will meet you.

⁷ “Aaron shall burn fragrant incense upon the altar. He shall burn it each morning when he trims the lamps, ⁸ and also in the evening when he refills the lamps. There shall be perpetual incense before the Lord throughout all your generations. ⁹ Do not offer any unholy incense upon it, nor burnt offerings nor sacrifices nor libations. ¹⁰ Once a year Aaron shall perform an atonement ritual upon it, upon its horns. He shall make atonement upon it with the blood of your sin offering once a year throughout all your generations. It is something most holy to the Lord.”

¹¹ The Temple Tax. The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ¹² “When you take a census of the number of the children of Israel, each man will offer a ransom for his life to the Lord, when you number them, lest there be a plague among them when you number them. ¹³ Each person counted in the census will give half a shekel according to the measure of the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs). The half shekel will be an offering to the Lord. ¹⁴ Everyone who is counted in the census, from twenty years old and up, will give the Lord’s offering. ¹⁵ The rich will not give more and the poor will not give less than half a shekel, when you give the Lord’s offering, in order to ransom your life. ¹⁶ You shall take the money of this ransom of the children of Israel and designate it for the needs of the meeting tent. It shall be a memorial before the Lord for the children of Israel, for the ransom of your lives.”

¹⁷ The Basin for Washing. The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁸ “You shall make a basin out of bronze, with a base of bronze, for ablutions. Place it between the meeting tent and the altar and fill it with water. ¹⁹ Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in it.^{[d] 20} When they enter the meeting tent, they shall perform an ablution with water, lest they die. Thus, whenever they approach the altar to minister, to burn an offering unto the Lord with fire, ²¹ they shall wash their hands and their feet so that they might not die. This shall be a perpetual statute for him and his sons, for all their generations.”

²² The Anointing Oil. The Lord said to Moses, ²³ “Take the finest spices: five hundred shekels of flowing myrrh, half that amount of sweet-smelling cinnamon, namely two hundred and fifty shekels of it, two hundred and fifty shekels of aromatic cane, ²⁴ five hundred shekels of cassia, all according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. ²⁵ Make a holy anointing oil out of them using the craft of the perfumer who blends oils. It shall be a holy anointing oil. ²⁶ With it you are to anoint the meeting tent, the Ark of Testimony, ²⁷ the table and all its accessories, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, ²⁸ the altar of burnt offerings and all of its accessories, and the basin and its base. ²⁹ You shall consecrate these things, and they shall become most holy. Whatever touches them will be holy.

³⁰ “You shall also anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so that they may serve me as priests. ³¹ Say to the children of Israel: ‘This shall be my holy anointing oil for all your generations. ³² You shall not pour it out on anyone’s body, nor shall you make anything else like it. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you.’

³³ “Anyone who makes anything like it, or who pours it on an outsider, shall be cut off from his people.”

³⁴ The Incense. The Lord said to Moses, “Gather sweet spices, gum of stacte, onycha, resin of galbanum, equal measures of sweet spices and pure frankincense, ³⁵ and make an incense using the skill of the perfumer. It is to be salted, pure and holy. ³⁶ Beat some of it very fine and put it before the Testimony in the meeting tent where I shall meet with you. It shall be most holy to you.

³⁷ “You shall not make for yourselves anything like this incense according to its composition. You shall consider it to be holy to the Lord. ³⁸ Whoever makes anything like it to use for its sweet odor shall be cut off from his people.”

Chapter 31

The Choice of Craftsmen for the Tabernacle. ¹ The Lord spoke to Moses and said to him, ² “Behold, I have chosen Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. ³ I have filled him with the Spirit of God^[e] so that he possesses wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and is expert in every kind of craft ⁴ to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, ⁵ to know how to cut stones for settings and how to carve wood. He is expert in every craft. ⁶ And behold, I have sent Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan to him. I have also given all skillful men their ability, so that they may make all that I have commanded you to make: ⁷ the meeting tent, the Ark of Testimony, the seat of atonement over it, and all the accessories of the tent, ⁸ the table with its accessories, the pure lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, ⁹ the altar of burnt offerings with all of its accessories, the basin and its base, ¹⁰ the finely crafted vestments, the sacred vestments for Aaron and the vestments for his sons, for their priestly ministry, ¹¹ the oil of anointing, and the fragrant incense for the sanctuary. They shall produce all that I have commanded you.”

¹² The Sabbath.^[f] The Lord said to Moses, ¹³ “Say to the children of Israel, ‘You shall observe my Sabbaths, for the Sabbath is a sign between me and you for all your generations, so that you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.

¹⁴ “ ‘Therefore, you shall observe the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Whoever profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever works on that day shall be cut off from his people. ¹⁵ Six days you shall work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of sacred rest for you, holy to the Lord. Whoever works on the Sabbath shall be put to death. ¹⁶ The children of Israel shall observe the Sabbath, celebrating the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. ¹⁷ This is a perpetual sign between me and the children of Israel, for the Lord made the heavens and the earth in six days, but on the seventh he ceased and rested.’ ”

¹⁸ Moses Receives the Tablets of the Law. When the Lord had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of Testimony, the stone tablets, written with the finger of God.

The Golden Calf and the Renewal of the Covenant

Chapter 32

The Golden Calf. ¹ When the people saw that Moses delayed coming down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and told him, “Make a god to walk before us, because we do not know what has happened to Moses, the one who brought us out of the land of Egypt.”

² Aaron answered them, “Take the gold earrings off your wives and sons and daughters and bring them to me.” ³ All the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron. ⁴ He took the gold from their hands and fashioned it with a chisel and made a molten calf.^[g] They said, “Behold your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” ⁵ Seeing this, Aaron built an altar before the calf and proclaimed, “Tomorrow shall be a feast in honor of the Lord.” ⁶ The following day they rose early, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings. The people sat down and ate and drank. They then rose to divert themselves.

⁷ The Lord said to Moses, “Leave, go down, because your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have become perverse. ⁸ They have quickly departed from the way that I have commanded them. They have made a molten calf for themselves, and have bowed down before it. They have offered sacrifices and said, ‘Behold your God, Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’ ”

⁹ The Lord also said to Moses, “I have observed this people, and I have seen that it is a stubborn people. ¹⁰ Now let me be, so that my rage can blaze out against them and destroy them. I will then make you a great nation.”

¹¹ The Prayer of Moses. But Moses entreated the Lord, his God, and said, “Why, O Lord, will you let your rage blaze out against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? ¹² Why should the Egyptians be able to say about them, ‘He brought them out for evil purposes, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn back your wrath and change your mind about harming your people. ¹³ Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by yourself and said, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of the heavens. All this land, of which I have spoken, I will give to your descendants as their possession forever.’ ” ¹⁴ Then the Lord changed his mind and decided not to harm his people.

¹⁵ Moses Shatters the Tablets of the Law. Moses left and went down the mountain with the two tablets of Testimony in his hands, tablets written on both sides. They were written on one side and the other. ¹⁶ The tablets were made by God, and the writing on them was God’s writing.

¹⁷ Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, and he cried out to Moses, “There are battle sounds coming from the camp!” ¹⁸ But Moses answered, “It is not the shout of victory, nor the sound of defeat. It is the sound of singing that I hear.”

¹⁹ When they drew near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. Moses became very angry. He flung down the tablets, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. ²⁰ He then seized the calf that they had made and burned it with fire. He ground it down until it was a powder and scattered it on water that he made the children of Israel drink.

²¹ The Zeal of the Levites. Moses said to Aaron, “What has this people done to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” ²² But Aaron answered, “Let my lord not be angry, for you know this people and that they are set on evil. ²³ They said to me, ‘Make a god to walk before us, because we do not know what has happened to Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt.’ ²⁴ I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, take it off.’ They gave it to me, and I threw it in the fire, and out came this calf.”

²⁵ Moses saw that the people had lost control of themselves (for Aaron had let them run so wild that their enemies mocked them). ²⁶ So he stood at the gate to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!” All the sons of Levi gathered around him. ²⁷ He cried out to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Each man strap a sword to his side. Then pass back and forth in the camp from one gate to another and slay your brother, your companion, and your neighbor.”

²⁸ The sons of Levi did as Moses had commanded them. On that day three thousand men from among the people perished. ²⁹ Moses then said, “Today you have consecrated yourself to the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of his son or his brother, that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.”

³⁰ Moses Intercedes for His People. The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. Today I will climb up to the Lord. Perhaps I will obtain pardon for your sin.”

³¹ Moses returned to the Lord and said, “This people has committed a great sin. They made a god out of gold for themselves.^{[h] 32} But now, if you will, pardon their sin—if not, I pray, blot me out of the book that you have written.”^[i]

³³ The Lord said to Moses, “I will blot out of my book only him who has sinned against me. ³⁴ Now go, lead the people to the place about which I told you. Behold, my angel will go before you. But on the day of reckoning, I will punish them for their sin.”

³⁵ The Lord smote his people because they had made the calf that Aaron had fashioned.

Chapter 33

The Israelites Are Ordered To Depart. ¹ The Lord said to Moses, “Get up and leave this place, you and the people whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, to go to the land that I have promised with an oath to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’ ² I will send an angel before you to drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. ³ Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go up in your midst, lest I destroy you along the way, for you are an obstinate people.”

⁴ The people heard this sad news and they mourned. No one put on his ornaments.

⁵ The Lord said to Moses, “Say this to the children of Israel, ‘You are an obstinate people. If I were to go up with you for a single moment, I would surely destroy you. Now, take off your ornaments so that I may know what to do with you.’ ”

⁶ The children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.

A Provisional Tent for the Colloquy between God and Moses. ⁷ Moses took the tent and pitched it quite a distance outside of the camp, calling it the meeting tent. Anyone who sought the Lord would go to the meeting tent that was outside the camp.^{[j] 8} Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose up and each one stood in the door to his tent. They watched Moses pass by until he entered the tent. ⁹ When Moses entered the tent, a column of cloud descended and remained at the entrance to the tent, and the Lord spoke with Moses. ¹⁰ The whole people saw the column of cloud that stood at the entrance to the tent, and they all got up and worshiped at the doors to their tents. ¹¹ Thus the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. He then returned to the camp while his servant Joshua, son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the tent.^[k]

¹² The Prayer of Moses. Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, you commanded me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you did not tell me whom you would send with me. You even said, ‘I know you by name,^[l] and you have found favor with me.’ ¹³ Now, therefore, I beseech you, if I have found favor with you, show me your ways, so that I may know you and stay in your favor. Keep in mind that this people is your people.”

¹⁴ The Lord answered, “I will walk with you and give you rest.” ¹⁵ Moses replied, “If you will not go with us, then do not make us go up from here, ¹⁶ for how will it then be known if I have found favor with you, I and your people? Is it not in your journeying with us, with me and your people, that we are marked out as being distinct from all the other peoples who are upon the face of the earth?”

¹⁷ The Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this very thing that you have said, for you have found favor with me and I know you by name.”

¹⁸ So Moses said to him, “Show me your glory!”

¹⁹ He answered, “I will make all my splendor pass in front of you and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, before you. I will show favor to those to whom I show favor and I will have mercy on those on whom I have mercy.” ²⁰ He continued, “But you cannot see my face, for no one can see my face and live.” ²¹ And the Lord continued, “There is a place near me. You will stand upon the rock. ²² When my glory passes by, I will place you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand until I will have passed by. ²³ Then I will take away my hand and you will see my back, but you cannot see my face.”

Chapter 34

The New Tablets of the Law. ¹ The Lord said to Moses, “Cut two stone tablets like the first ones. I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets, the ones you broke. ² Be ready in the morning. Tomorrow morning you must climb up Mount Sinai and remain on the summit of the mountain with me. ³ No one is to climb up with you. No one should be on the summit of the mountain nor anywhere on the mountain. Even the flocks and the herds are not to graze in front of that mountain.”

⁴ Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first ones. He arose early in the morning and climbed up Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, with the two stone tablets in his hands.

⁵ The Lord came down in a cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord. ⁶ The Lord passed in front of him proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and fidelity, ⁷ who shows mercy to thousands. He forgives iniquity and transgression and sin, but will by no means forgive the iniquity of the fathers, visiting it upon their sons and their sons’ sons, to the third and fourth generation.”

⁸ Moses quickly bowed down to the ground and worshiped. ⁹ He said, “If I have found favor with you, my Lord, let the Lord walk in our midst. Yet, it is an obstinate people. Pardon our iniquity and sin and take us for your own inheritance.”

¹⁰ A New Book of the Law.^[m] The Lord said, “Behold, I am going to establish a covenant with you. I will perform marvelous deeds before all your people, things that have never been done before anywhere on the earth or among any people. All the people in whose midst you dwell will see the work of the Lord, for it is a wondrous thing that I will do with you.

¹¹ “Observe what I command you today. I will drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. ¹² Take care not to make any covenants with the inhabitants of the land that you are about to enter, lest it become a snare to you. ¹³ You are to tear down their altars, smash their pillars, and cut down their sacred trees.^{[n] 14} You must not worship any other god, for the Lord is called Jealous, for he is a jealous God.

¹⁵ “Do not make a covenant with the people of that land lest, when they commit fornication for their gods and perform sacrifices to their gods, they invite you and you eat of their sacrifice.^{[o] 16} Do not take their daughters as wives for your sons lest, when their daughters commit fornication to their gods, they cause your sons to commit fornication with their gods as well.

¹⁷ “Do not make any molten gods for yourselves.

¹⁸ “Observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days eat unleavened bread at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for it was in the month of Abib that you came out of Egypt.

¹⁹ “Every creature that is the firstborn from its mother’s womb belongs to me: every firstborn bull, every firstborn cattle and sheep. ²⁰ The firstborn of a donkey will be redeemed with a lamb. If you do not redeem it, you are to break its neck. All of your firstborn sons are to be redeemed.

“None is to appear before me empty-handed.

²¹ “For six days you may work, but on the seventh you must rest. Even during plowing season and the harvest, you must rest.

²² “You shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, that is, the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and also the Harvest Feast at the year’s end.

²³ “Three times a year all your men will appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel, ²⁴ for I will cast out your enemies before you and enlarge your borders. Neither will any man desire your land, when you go up three times a year to appear before the Lord, your God. ²⁵ You shall not sacrifice the blood of my sacrificial victim with leavened bread, neither shall you let the sacrificial victim of the Passover remain until the morning.

²⁶ “You will bring the best of the firstfruits of the land to the house of the Lord, your God.

“You shall not cook a kid goat in its mother’s milk.”

²⁷ The Lord said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with them I have established a covenant with you and with Israel.”

²⁸ Moses remained with the Lord for forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments, on the tablets.

²⁹ The Radiant Face of Moses.^[p] When Moses went down from Mount Sinai, he had the two tablets of Testimony in his hands, while he descended the mountain. He did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant, for he had been speaking with the Lord. ³⁰ But when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses and that the skin of his face had become radiant, they were afraid to approach him. ³¹ Moses therefore called to them, to Aaron and all the heads of the community, and they went over to him. Moses spoke to them. ³² All the children of Israel then drew near after them, and he commanded them to do all that the Lord had told him on Mount Sinai. ³³ When Moses was finished speaking to them, he put on a veil to cover his face. ³⁴ Whenever Moses came before the Lord to speak with him, Moses took off the veil until he went outside. When he went outside, he told the children of Israel all that had been commanded them. ³⁵ The children of Israel saw that the skin of his face had become radiant. Then he put the veil on over his face again, until he went in to speak with the Lord again.

The Construction and Furnishing of the Sanctuary^[q]

Chapter 35

Sabbath Regulations. ¹ Moses assembled the whole community of the children of Israel and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do: ² For six days you shall work, but the seventh shall be a holy day for you, a day of absolute rest, sacred to the Lord. Whoever works on that day shall be put to death. ³ You shall light no fires on the Sabbath in all of your dwellings.”

Materials for the Tabernacle. ⁴ Moses told the whole community of the children of Israel, “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do: ⁵ Take up an offering from among yourselves for the Lord. Whoever is generous, let him bring the offering to the Lord: gold, silver, and bronze, ⁶ blue, purple, and scarlet material, fine twisted linen, goat hair, ⁷ rams’ skins dyed red, sheep skins, acacia wood, ⁸ oil for lamps, balsam for anointing, and oil for fragrant incense, ⁹ onyx stones and stones for setting in the ephod and the breastplate.

¹⁰ “All the artisans among you shall come and make what the Lord has commanded: ¹¹ the tabernacle, its tent, its covering, its hooks, its boards, its bars, its pillars, its bases; ¹² the Ark and its poles, the seat of atonement, and the veil of the screen; ¹³ the table with its poles and all its accessories, the bread of the Presence; ¹⁴ the lampstand that provides light and its accessories, the lamps, and the oil for light; ¹⁵ the altar of incense with its poles, the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense; the screen for the door at the entrance to the tabernacle; ¹⁶ the altar of burnt offerings with its bronze grate, its poles, and all its accessories; the basin and its base; ¹⁷ the drapes for the courtyard, their columns, and their bases, and the screen for the gate of the courtyard; ¹⁸ the pegs for the tabernacle and the pegs for the courtyard and their cords; ¹⁹ the carefully prepared cloths for ministering in the sanctuary, the sacred vestments for Aaron the priest and the vestments for his sons to exercise their priesthood.”

²⁰ All the community of the children of Israel left the presence of Moses. ²¹ Then those whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits moved them came and brought the Lord’s offerings to be used for the construction of the meeting tent and for all its service and for the sacred vestments. ²² Men and women came forward, those whose hearts were willing, and they brought brooches and earrings and rings and armlets, all kinds of golden objects, and each man dedicated his gold unto the Lord.

²³ All those who had blue or purple or scarlet cloth, or fine linen, or goat hair, or rams’ skins dyed red, or sheep skins brought them. ²⁴ Those who could make an offering of silver or bronze offered it to the Lord. Likewise, those who had acacia wood for some purpose brought it.

²⁵ Furthermore, all the skilled women spun with their hands and brought the blue, purple, and scarlet cloth and the fine linen they had spun. ²⁶ All the women whose hearts were moved by wisdom spun goat hair. ²⁷ The leaders brought onyx stones and stones for setting in the ephod and the breastplate, ²⁸ balsam and oil for light, oil of anointing, and fragrant incense. ²⁹ Thus, all the men and women whose hearts moved them to bring something for the construction that the Lord had commanded them to build through Moses brought it. The children of Israel brought their freewill offerings to the Lord.

³⁰ The Artisans. Moses said to the children of Israel, “Behold, the Lord has summoned Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, by name. ³¹ He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with ability in every type of craft, ³² to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, ³³ to know how to cut stones for settings and how to carve wood. He is expert in every craft. ³⁴ He has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. ³⁵ He has filled them with the skill needed to do the work of the engraver, the designer, and the embroiderer, to work with blue and purple and scarlet cloth and fine linen, and to weave. They can do the work of any craftsman or designer.

Chapter 36

¹ “Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the skilled craftsmen whom the Lord has gifted with wisdom and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary are to do everything just as the Lord has commanded.”

Magnificence of the Gifts. ² Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the skilled craftsmen in whose hearts the Lord had placed wisdom, everyone whose heart moved him to come to do the work. ³ They received from Moses all the offerings that the children of Israel had brought for the construction of the sanctuary. But every morning they continued to bring more offerings. ⁴ All the craftsmen who were building the sanctuary left the work they were doing ⁵ and came to Moses and said, “The people are bringing more than is needed for the work that the Lord has commanded.”

⁶ Moses, therefore, commanded and had proclaimed in the camp, “Let neither man nor woman bring anything more for the construction of the sanctuary.” He thus stopped the people from bringing more offerings, ⁷ for what the people had already given was sufficient, and indeed even more than enough for the work.

The Curtains. ⁸ All the craftsmen among them made the tabernacle with its ten curtains of twisted linen, blue, purple, and scarlet cloth, and cherubim skillfully crafted. ⁹ Each curtain was twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide. All the curtains were the same size. ¹⁰ Five of the curtains were joined to one another, and the other five curtains were joined to one another. ¹¹ Loops of blue cloth were made on the outside edge of the first set, and likewise on the outside edge of the second set. ¹² Fifty loops were made in the first set and fifty loops in the edge of the second set. The loops were symmetrical. ¹³ Then fifty gold clasps were made and attached the sets of curtains to each other to form the tabernacle.

¹⁴ Curtains of goat hair were made to build a tent over the tabernacle—eleven altogether. ¹⁵ The curtains were thirty cubits long and four cubits wide; all eleven curtains were the same size. ¹⁶ Five of the curtains were joined on one side and six curtains on the other side. ¹⁷ Fifty loops were made in the outside edge of the first set, and fifty loops in the edge of the second set. ¹⁸ Fifty bronze clasps were made to join the tent together and make it a single structure. ¹⁹ Then a covering was made for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and over it a covering of sheep skin.

²⁰ The Boards. Upright frames were made of acacia wood for the tent. ²¹ Each board was ten cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. ²² Each board had two joints to fit them together. This is how all the boards of the tabernacle were made. ²³ Thus twenty boards were made for the south side of the tabernacle ²⁴ and forty silver bases under the twenty boards, two bases for each of the two joints on each board. ²⁵ Twenty boards were made for the other side of the tabernacle, the north side, ²⁶ along with their forty bases of silver, two bases under one board and two bases under the next board. ²⁷ For the rear of the tabernacle facing toward the west six boards were made. ²⁸ Two boards formed the corner of the tabernacle in the rear. ²⁹ They were doubled together below and joined together above into one ring. The two of them formed the two corners. ³⁰ There were thus eight boards with their silver bases, sixteen bases, two bases under one board and two bases under the next board.

³¹ Also made were bars out of acacia wood: five bars for the boards of one side of the tabernacle ³² and five boards for the other side of the tabernacle and five bars for the boards of the rear, toward the west. ³³ The middle bar was made to pass half way up the boards, running from end to end. ³⁴ The boards were covered with gold, and rings were made in which the bars were inserted out of gold; the bars were also covered in gold.

³⁵ The Inner Veil and the Entry Curtain. The veil was made of blue and purple and scarlet cloth and fine twisted linen. Cherubim were made in the cloth, the work of skillful craftsmen. ³⁶ Four columns were made for it out of acacia wood and covered in gold. The hooks were also made of gold and their four bases were made of silver.

³⁷ A screen was made for the door to the tent out of blue and purple and scarlet cloth and fine twisted linen, covered with embroidery. ³⁸ Five columns were made for the screen with their hooks. The columns and their hooks were covered in gold and their five bases were made out of bronze.

Chapter 37

The Ark of the Covenant. ¹ Bezalel made the Ark out of acacia wood. It was two cubits and a half long, one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. ² He covered it with pure gold, inside and out, and put a gold molding on it. ³ He cast four golden rings for it and attached them to its four legs, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. ⁴ He made poles out of acacia wood and covered them with gold. ⁵ He put the poles into the rings on the two sides of the Ark so that they might carry the Ark with them.

⁶ He made the seat of atonement of pure gold. It was two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. ⁷ He made two cherubim out of gold. They were hammered works for the two sides of the seat of atonement, ⁸ one cherub on one side and one cherub on the other side. He made the cherubim all of one piece at the two ends of the seat of atonement. ⁹ The cherubim had two wings spreading out, covering the seat of atonement. They were facing one another and the faces of the cherubim were turned toward the seat of atonement.

¹⁰ The Table of the Bread for the Offering. He made a table out of acacia wood. It was two cubits long, one cubit wide, and one and a half cubits high. ¹¹ It was covered in pure gold and had a molding of gold. ¹² He made a frame a handswidth wide and placed a molding of gold around it. ¹³ He made four golden rings and placed them at the four corners that are its four legs. ¹⁴ The rings were alongside the borders and held the poles used to carry the table. ¹⁵ He made poles out of acacia wood and covered them in gold. ¹⁶ He also made the accessories for the table: dishes and plates and flagons and jars to pour out libations. He made them out of pure gold.

¹⁷ The Golden Lampstand. He made a lampstand out of pure gold. It was a hammered work. Its base and its shaft and its bowls and knobs and flowers were all one piece. ¹⁸ Six of the branches of the lampstand came out of its sides: three from one side of the lampstand and three from the other side of the lampstand. ¹⁹ There were three cups shaped like almond blossoms, with bud and flower, on one branch. And there were three cups shaped like almond blossoms, with bud and flower, on the next branch. Thus, there were six branches that rose out of the lampstand. ²⁰ The shaft of the lampstand had four cups shaped like almond blossoms with bud and flower. ²¹ One bud was under the first set of two branches coming out of it, and one bud under the second set of two branches coming out of it, and one bud under the third set of two branches coming out of it. Thus, there were six branches coming out of the lampstand. ²² The buds and their respective branches were all of one piece. All of it was one piece of pure gold that had been beaten into shape. ²³ He made seven lamps, their snuffers and their trays out of pure gold. ²⁴ The lampstand and all of its accessories required a talent of pure gold.

²⁵ The Altar of Incense. He made an altar for burning incense out of acacia wood. It was one cubit long and one cubit wide; it was a square. It was two cubits high and its horns were all one piece with it. ²⁶ Its top, its sides, and its horns were covered with pure gold and it had a gold molding around it. ²⁷ He made two golden rings below its molding on its two sides. They were on opposite sides and were used to insert poles with which it could be carried. ²⁸ He made the poles out of acacia wood and covered them with gold. ²⁹ He prepared the sacred oil of anointing and the pure fragrant incense to burn, making use of the skills of the perfumer.

Chapter 38

The Altar of Burnt Offering. ¹ He made an altar out of acacia wood. It was five cubits long and five cubits wide and three cubits high. ² It had horns on its four corners and they were all one piece with it. It was covered with bronze. ³ He also made the accessories for the altar: vessels to take away its ashes, shovels, basins, forks, and firepans. All of its utensils were made out of bronze. ⁴ He made a grating for the altar, a network of bronze. He placed it under the edge of the altar so that the net hung halfway down the altar. ⁵ He made four rings of bronze and placed them at the four corners of the bronze grating so that poles could be inserted. ⁶ He made poles out of acacia wood and covered them with bronze. ⁷ He placed the poles through the rings on the sides of the altar so it could be carried. He made the altar out of boards, hollow in the middle.

The Basin for Washing. ⁸ He made the basin of bronze and its base of bronze from the mirrors^[r] of the women who ministered at the door to the meeting tent.

The Courtyard. ⁹ He made the courtyard. On the south side of the courtyard there was a drape of fine twisted linen, one hundred cubits long. ¹⁰ There were twenty columns with twenty bronze bases. The hooks of the pillars and their rings were made out of silver. ¹¹ Likewise on the north side there was a drape one hundred cubits long. There were twenty columns with twenty bronze bases. The hooks of the pillars and their rings were made out of silver. ¹² On the west side there were fifty cubits of drapes with ten columns and ten bases. The hooks of the pillars and their rings were made out of silver. ¹³ On the east side there were fifty cubits. ¹⁴ There was fifteen cubits of draping with three columns and three bases on one side. ¹⁵ On the other side of the entrance to the courtyard, there was fifteen cubits of draping with three columns and three bases. ¹⁶ All of the drapes that formed the courtyard were made of fine twisted linen. ¹⁷ The bases of the columns were made out of bronze. The hooks of the columns and the rings were made out of silver. The overlaying of their capitals and the columns of the courtyard were filleted with silver.

¹⁸ The screen for the entrance to the courtyard was made of needlework of blue, purple, and scarlet cloth and fine twisted linen. It was twenty cubits long and five cubits high, that is, wide, like the drapes of the courtyard. ¹⁹ It had four columns with their four bases out of bronze. Their hooks and the overlaying of their capitals and their bars were made out of silver. ²⁰ All the pegs of the tabernacle and of the surrounding courtyard were made out of bronze.

²¹ The Materials Used.^[s] These are the expenses for the tabernacle, the dwelling place of the Testimony, that Moses ordered the Levites to calculate under the direction of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest. ²² Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, completed what the Lord had commanded Moses to do. ²³ He did this together with Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, who was an engraver and a skillful craftsman, and a weaver of blue, purple, and scarlet cloth and fine twisted linen.

²⁴ All the gold that was used in the work—that is, for all the work of the sanctuary, which was the gold from the offering—was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels, measured by the shekel of the sanctuary. ²⁵ The silver of the assembly was measured to be one hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels, measured by the shekel of the sanctuary. ²⁶ Every person who was counted in the census twenty years old and up gave a bekah, which is worth a half-shekel according to the measure of the sanctuary. There were six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty men. ²⁷ The one hundred talents were used to make the bases of the sanctuary and the bases for the veil. One hundred talents were used for the one hundred bases, or one talent for each base. ²⁸ The one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels were used for the hooks for the pillars, and for overlaying and filleting their tops. ²⁹ The bronze presented in the offering amounted to seventy talents and two thousand four hundred shekels. ³⁰ With it were made the bases for the entrance to the meeting tent, the altar of bronze with the netting of bronze, and all the accessories for the altar, ³¹ the bases for the courtyard, the bases for the gate to the courtyard, and all the pegs of the tabernacle and all the pegs of the surrounding courtyard.

Chapter 39

The Priestly Vestments. ¹ With the blue, purple, and scarlet cloth were made the finely woven vestments for ministering in the sanctuary, as well as the sacred vestments for Aaron as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Ephod. ² He made the ephod of gold and blue, purple, and scarlet cloth and fine twisted linen. ³ The gold was beaten into fine plates and cut into wires and was interwoven into the blue, purple, and scarlet cloth and the linen with skilled craftsmanship. ⁴ Two shoulder pieces were made for the ephod that were attached to its two ends so that it might be joined together. ⁵ The skillfully woven band to bind it together that was placed over it was of the same workmanship and the same materials, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet cloth and twisted linen, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁶ The onyx stones were prepared and set into settings of gold filigree. They were engraved with the names of the children of Israel, like an engraver engraves a signet ring. ⁷ The two stones were set on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as stones of remembrance for the children of Israel, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Breastplate. ⁸ He made the breastplate like the ephod, with fine workmanship. It was made of gold, blue, purple and scarlet cloth and fine twisted linen. ⁹ It was square and doubled over, a span in length and a span in width. ¹⁰ They covered it with settings of precious stones arranged in four rows. The first row had a ruby, a topaz, and an emerald. ¹¹ The second row had a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond. ¹² The third row had a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst. ¹³ The fourth row had a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were set in gold filigree settings. ¹⁴ The stones corresponded to the names of the children of Israel. There were twelve, standing for their names. They were engraved like the engraving of a signet ring, each name corresponding to a name of one of the twelve tribes.

¹⁵ They made chains of pure gold on the breastplate in the shape of twisted cords. ¹⁶ They also made two filigree settings of gold and two golden rings and placed the two rings at the two edges of the breastplate. ¹⁷ They attached the two golden chains to the two rings at the edges of the breastplate. ¹⁸ They attached the other ends of the chains to the two filigree settings and they thus attached it to the front part of the shoulder pieces of the ephod. ¹⁹ They made two other golden rings and placed them on the two edges of the breastplate, on its inside edge, next to the ephod. ²⁰ They made two other golden rings and placed them on the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at their bottom on the front side, next to the place where it is attached to the skillfully woven band of the ephod.

²¹ Other Priestly Vestments. They then tied the breastplate with its rings to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue material so that it might lie upon the skillfully woven band of the ephod and that the breastplate might not pull away from the ephod, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

²² The Robe. He made a robe of the ephod all in blue ²³ with an opening in the middle and a woven border around the opening so that it might not be torn. ²⁴ They made a design of pomegranates on the hem of the garment with blue, purple, and scarlet cloth and fine twisted linen. ²⁵ They also made bells out of pure gold and placed the bells in between the pomegranates all around the hem of the robe. ²⁶ There was a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe used for ministering, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

²⁷ Other Vestments. They also wove tunics from fine linen for Aaron and his sons, ²⁸ a turban of fine linen, caps of fine linen, and undergarments of fine twisted linen, ²⁹ and a sash of fine twisted linen, of blue, purple, and scarlet cloth, embroidered with fine needlework, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

³⁰ The Turban. They made the plate of the holy crown out of pure gold and they wrote on it as an engraver would engrave a signet ring, “Holy to the Lord.” ³¹ They attached it with a blue cord to the front part of the turban, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

³² Moses Inspects the Tabernacle. Thus, all of the work of the tabernacle, of the tent of meeting, was finished. The children of Israel had done everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ³³ They then brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its accessories, its clasps, boards, bars, columns, and bases, ³⁴ the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, the covering of sheep skins, the veil of the screen; ³⁵ the Ark of Testimony with its poles, and the seat of atonement, ³⁶ the table with all its accessories and the bread of the Presence, ³⁷ the lampstand made of pure gold with its lamps, that is, the lamps that were to be placed on top of it, with all its accessories, the oil for light, ³⁸ the altar of gold, the oil of anointing, the fragrant incense; the screen for the entrance to the tent, ³⁹ the altar of bronze with its bronze grating, its poles and all its accessories, the basin and its base, ⁴⁰ the drapes for the courtyard, their columns, their bases, and the screen for the gate to the courtyard, their cords, their pegs, and all the utensils for ministering in the tabernacle, for the meeting tent; ⁴¹ the finely woven vestments for ministering in the sanctuary, the holy vestments for Aaron the priest, and the vestments for his sons in their priestly ministry. ⁴² Whatever the Lord had commanded Moses, this is how the children of Israel did all their work. ⁴³ Moses examined all the work, and behold, it was done as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them.

Chapter 40

God Commands Moses To Consecrate the Tabernacle and the Priests. ¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said to him, ² “On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle, the meeting tent. ³ Put the Ark of Testimony inside, and in front of the Ark hang the veil. ⁴ Bring in the table and arrange its accessories. Then bring in the lampstand and put on its lamps. ⁵ Place the altar of gold for incense before the Ark of Testimony and set up the screen at the entrance to the tent.

⁶ “Set the altar of burnt offerings in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the meeting tent. ⁷ Place the basin between the meeting tent and the altar, and pour water into it. ⁸ Set up the courtyard all around, and put up the screen for the entrance to the courtyard.

⁹ “Take the oil of anointing and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it. Consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will become holy. ¹⁰ Also anoint the altar of burnt offerings and all its accessories. Consecrate the altar, and it will become most holy. ¹¹ Also anoint the basin and its base and consecrate them.

¹² “Then have Aaron and his sons approach the entrance to the meeting tent and wash them with water. ¹³ Put the holy vestments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him so that he might serve me as a priest. ¹⁴ Also have his sons approach and put their tunics on them. ¹⁵ Anoint them, like their father, so that they might exercise my priesthood. In this way their anointing will confer upon them an eternal priesthood, for all their generations.”

¹⁶ Moses Carries Out the Orders Received from God. Moses did everything as the Lord had commanded him. ¹⁷ Thus, in the second year, the first day of the first month, the tabernacle was set up. ¹⁸ Moses erected the tabernacle. He laid its bases and set up its boards. He fixed the bars and raised the columns. ¹⁹ He then extended the tent over the tabernacle and over that he placed the covering for the tent, just as the Lord had commanded him.

²⁰ He took the Testimony and placed it inside the Ark. He attached the poles to the Ark and put the seat of atonement on the Ark. ²¹ He then placed the Ark in the tabernacle, setting up the veil as a screen and hanging it in front of the Testimony, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

²² Moses placed the table in the meeting tent, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil. ²³ He set up rows of bread upon it before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him.

²⁴ He set up the lampstand in the meeting tent, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle. ²⁵ He placed the lamps on it before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him.

²⁶ Moses then placed the golden altar in the meeting tent, in front of the veil, ²⁷ and he burned fragrant incense upon it, just as the Lord had commanded him. ²⁸ He placed the screen at the entrance to the tabernacle.

²⁹ He then placed the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the tabernacle, the meeting tent, and he offered burnt offerings and grain offerings upon it, just as the Lord had commanded him.

³⁰ He placed the basin between the meeting tent and the altar and he put water in it for ablutions. ³¹ Moses, Aaron, and his sons then washed their hands and their feet with it. ³² Whenever they entered the meeting tent and approached the altar, they washed themselves, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

³³ Finally, Moses erected the courtyard around the tabernacle and the altar and put up the screen to the entrance of the courtyard. Thus Moses finished the work.

³⁴ The Glory of God Fills the Tabernacle. Then a cloud covered the tent and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.^{[t] 35} Moses could not enter the meeting tent, for the cloud had settled upon it and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

³⁶ The Guiding Cloud. Throughout their journeys, whenever the cloud would be taken up and leave the tabernacle, the children of Israel would break camp. ³⁷ If the cloud did not go up, they did not leave until it had gone up. ³⁸ Throughout their journeys the cloud of the Lord remained in the tabernacle during the day, and during the night there was a fire in it, visible to all the households of Israel.