Exodus 25-27

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.