Bible in 90 Days
Make Aaron and His Sons Priests(A)
29 ⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “Now, this is what you must do in order to set Aaron and his sons apart to serve me as priests:
“Take a young bull that has no defects and two rams that have no defects. 2 Use the finest wheat flour, but no yeast, and bake some loaves of bread, some rings of bread made with olive oil, and some wafers brushed with olive oil. 3 Put the bread in a basket, and bring the basket along with the young bull and the two rams.
4 “Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and wash them. 5 Take the clothes, and put them on Aaron—the linen robe, the ephod and the robe that is worn with it, and the breastplate. Use the belt to tie it on him tightly. 6 Put his turban on him, and fasten the holy crown to it. 7 Take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him.
8 “Have his sons come forward. Dress them in their linen robes, 9 and put turbans on them. Tie belts around the waists of Aaron and his sons. They alone are to be priests; this is a permanent law. In this way you will ordain Aaron and his sons.
10 “Then bring the young bull to the front of the tent of meeting. Aaron and his sons will place their hands on its head. 11 Slaughter the bull in the Lord’s presence at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 12 Take some of the bull’s blood, and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger. Pour the rest of it out at the bottom of the altar.
13 “Then take all the fat that covers the internal organs, the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar. 14 But burn the bull’s meat, skin, and excrement outside the camp. It is an offering for sin.
15 “Take one of the rams. Then Aaron and his sons will place their hands on its head. 16 Slaughter it, take the blood, and throw it against the altar on all sides. 17 Cut the ram into pieces, wash the internal organs and legs, and put them with the other pieces and the head. 18 Then burn the whole ram on the altar. It’s a burnt offering, a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord.
19 “Take the other ram. Then Aaron and his sons will place their hands on its head. 20 Slaughter it, take some of the blood, and put it on the right ear lobes of Aaron and his sons, on their right thumbs, and on the big toes of their right feet. Throw the ⌞rest of the⌟ blood against the altar on all sides. 21 Take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his clothes and on his sons and their clothes. In this way Aaron, his sons, and their clothes will be holy.
22 “From this ⌞same⌟ ram take the fat, the fat from the tail, the fat that covers the internal organs, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh. (This is the ram for the ordination.) 23 From the basket of unleavened bread which is in the Lord’s presence, take a round loaf of bread, a ring of bread made with olive oil, and a wafer. 24 Put all of these in the hands of Aaron and his sons, who will offer them to the Lord. 25 Then take them from their hands, and burn them on the altar on top of the burnt offering. It’s a soothing aroma in the Lord’s presence, an offering by fire to the Lord.
26 “Take the breast from the ram used for Aaron’s ordination, and present it to the Lord. This will be your share. 27 Set apart as holy the breast that is offered to the Lord and the thigh that is the contribution. Both will come from the ram used for the ordination. They both belong to Aaron and his sons. 28 It is a permanent law that the Israelites give this portion to Aaron and his sons as a contribution. This will also be their contribution to the Lord from the fellowship offerings.
29 “Aaron’s holy clothes will belong to his descendants so that they can be anointed and ordained in them. 30 The son who succeeds him as priest—the one who goes into the tent of meeting to serve in the holy place—will wear them for seven days.
31 “Take the ram used for the ordination, and boil its meat in a holy place. 32 At the entrance to the tent of meeting, Aaron and his sons will eat the meat of the ram and the bread ⌞left⌟ in the basket. 33 They will eat those offerings through which they made peace with the Lord at their ordination and installation. No one else may eat them because the offerings are holy. 34 If any meat or bread from the ordination is left over until morning, burn it up. It must not be eaten because it is holy.
35 “Do this with Aaron and his sons exactly as I have commanded you. Take seven days to ordain them. 36 Each day sacrifice a young bull as an offering to make peace with the Lord. Sacrifice this offering for sin on the altar in order to pay for its sins. Then anoint it ⌞with olive oil⌟ in order to dedicate it. 37 For seven days at the altar make peace with the Lord and set the altar apart for its holy purpose. Then the altar will be most holy. Anything that touches the altar will become holy.
38 “This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly every day: two one-year-old lambs. 39 Offer one in the morning and the other at dusk. 40 With the first lamb make an offering of eight cups of flour mixed with one quart of virgin olive oil. Make a wine offering of one quart of wine. 41 Offer the other lamb at dusk, and with it make the same grain offering and wine offering as in the morning. This is a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord.
42 “For generations to come this will be the daily burnt offering ⌞made⌟ in the Lord’s presence at the entrance to the tent of meeting. There I will meet with you to speak to you. 43 I will also meet with the Israelites there, and my glory will make this place holy. 44 I will dedicate the tent of meeting and the altar for their holy purposes. I will set Aaron and his sons apart for their holy duties of serving me as priests.
45 “Then I will live among the Israelites and be their God. 46 They will know that I am the Lord their God. I brought them out of Egypt so that I might live among them. I am the Lord their God.”
The Altar for Incense(B)
30 ⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “Build an altar out of acacia wood for burning incense. 2 Make it 18 inches square and 36 inches high. The horns and altar must be made out of one piece ⌞of wood⌟. 3 Cover all of it with pure gold—the top, the sides, and the horns. Put a gold molding around it. 4 Make two gold rings, and put them below the molding on opposite sides to hold the poles for carrying it. 5 Make the poles out of acacia wood, and cover them with gold. 6 Put the altar in front of the canopy which ⌞hangs⌟ over the ark containing the words of my promise. I will meet with you there in front of the throne of mercy that is on the ark.
7 “Aaron must burn sweet-smelling incense on this altar every morning when he takes care of the lamps. 8 Also, when Aaron lights the lamps at dusk, he must burn incense. For generations to come an incense offering must burn constantly in the Lord’s presence.
9 “Never burn any unauthorized incense on this altar or any burnt offerings or grain offerings. Never pour a wine offering on it. 10 Once a year Aaron must make peace with the Lord by putting blood on its horns. Once a year—for generations to come—blood from the offering must be placed on the altar to make peace with the Lord. It is most holy to the Lord.”
Counting the Israelites
11 Then the Lord said to Moses, 12 “When you take a census of the Israelites, each person must pay the Lord a ransom for his life when he is counted. Then no plague will happen to them when they are counted. 13 As each person is counted, he must give one-fifth of an ounce of silver using the standard weight of the holy place.[a] This one-fifth of an ounce of silver is a contribution to the Lord. 14 Everyone counted who is at least 20 years old must give this contribution to the Lord. 15 The rich must not give more than one-fifth of an ounce of silver, and the poor must not give less. This contribution is given to make peace with the Lord and make your lives acceptable to the Lord. 16 Take the money the Israelites give to make peace with the Lord, and use it to pay the expenses of the tent of meeting. It will be a reminder for the Israelites in the Lord’s presence that the sins in their lives are removed.”
The Bronze Basin(C)
17 The Lord said to Moses, 18 “Make a bronze basin with a bronze stand for washing. Put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and fill it with water. 19 Aaron and his sons will use it for washing their hands and feet. 20 Before they go into the tent of meeting, they must wash so that they will not die. Before they come near the altar to serve as priests and burn an offering by fire to the Lord, 21 they will wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This will be a permanent law for him and his descendants for generations to come.”
The Oil for Anointing
22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Take the finest spices: 12½ pounds of powdered [b] myrrh; half as much, that is, 6¼ pounds of fragrant cinnamon; 6¼ pounds of fragrant cane; 24 12½ pounds of cassia—all weighed using the standard weight of the holy place—and 4 quarts of olive oil. 25 Have a perfumer make these into a holy oil, a fragrant mixture, used only for anointing. This will be the holy oil used for anointing.
26 “Use it to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark containing the words of my promise, 27 the table and all the dishes, the lamp stand and all the utensils, the altar for incense, 28 the altar for burnt offerings and all its accessories, and the basin with its stand. 29 In this way you will dedicate them for their holy purpose. Then they will be most holy, and anything that touches them will become holy. 30 Anoint Aaron and his sons as well. In this way you will set them apart for their holy duties of serving me as priests.
31 “Say to the Israelites, ‘For generations to come, this will be my holy oil used only for anointing. 32 It must never be poured on the bodies of other people. Never make any perfumed oil using this formula. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy. 33 Whoever prepares a perfume like this or puts it on anyone who is not a priest must be excluded from the people.’ ”
The Incense for Use in the Tent
34 The Lord said to Moses, “Take one part fragrant spices (two kinds of gum resin and aromatic mollusk shells), and mix them with one part pure frankincense. 35 Have a perfumer make it into fragrant incense, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. 36 Grind some of it into a fine powder, and put it in front of ⌞the ark containing⌟ the words of my promise in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with you. You must treat it as most holy. 37 Never make any incense for yourselves using this formula. Treat it as holy to the Lord. 38 Whoever prepares anything like it for his own enjoyment must be excluded from his people.”
The Craftsmen for the Tent(D)
31 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “I have chosen Bezalel, son of Uri and grandson of Hur, from the tribe of Judah. 3 I have filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, making him highly skilled, resourceful, and knowledgeable in all trades. 4 He’s a master artist familiar with gold, silver, and bronze. 5 He knows how to cut and set stones and how to work with wood. He’s an expert in all trades. 6 Also, I have appointed Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan, to help him. I have given every craftsman the skill necessary to make everything I have commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting, the ark containing the words of my promise with the throne of mercy on it, and all the ⌞other⌟ furnishings for the tent, 8 the table and the dishes, the pure ⌞gold⌟ lamp stand and all its utensils, the altar for incense, 9 the altar for burnt offerings and all its accessories, the basin with its stand, 10 the special clothes—the holy clothes for the priest Aaron and the clothes for his sons when they serve as priests, 11 the anointing oil, and the sweet-smelling incense for the holy place. They will make all these things as I commanded you.”
The Sign between the Lord and His People
12 The Lord said to Moses, 13 “Say to the Israelites, ‘Be sure to observe my days of rest as holy days. This will be a sign between me and you for generations to come so that you will know that I am the Lord who makes you holy.
14 “ ‘Observe the day of rest because it is holy to you. Whoever treats it like any other day must be put to death. Whoever works on that day must be excluded from the people. 15 You may work for six days, but the seventh day is a day of rest—a holy day, a day when you don’t work. It is holy to the Lord. Whoever works on that day must be put to death. 16 The Israelites must observe this day of rest as a holy day, celebrating it for generations to come as a permanent reminder of my promise.[c] 17 It will be a permanent sign between me and the Israelites, because the Lord made heaven and earth in six days, and on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed.’ ”
18 The Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai. Then he gave him the two tablets with his words on them, stone tablets inscribed by God himself.
The Gold Calf
32 When the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. They said to him, “We don’t know what has happened to this Moses, who led us out of Egypt. Make gods who will lead us.”
2 Aaron said to them, “Have your wives, sons, and daughters take off the gold earrings they are wearing, and bring them to me.”
3 So all the people took off their gold earrings and handed them to Aaron. 4 After he had worked on the gold with a tool, he made it into a statue of a calf.
Then they said, “Israel, here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt.”
5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of it and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival in the Lord’s honor.”
6 Early the next day the people sacrificed burnt offerings and brought fellowship offerings. Afterward, they sat down to a feast, which turned into an orgy.
7 The Lord said to Moses, “Go back down there. Your people whom you brought out of Egypt have ruined ⌞everything⌟. 8 They’ve already turned from the way I commanded them to live. They’ve made a statue of a calf for themselves. They’ve bowed down to it and offered sacrifices to it. They’ve said, ‘Israel, here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt.’ ”
9 The Lord added, “I’ve seen these people, and they are impossible to deal with. 10 Now leave me alone. I’m so angry with them I am going to destroy them. Then I’ll make you into a great nation.”
11 But Moses pleaded with the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why are you so angry with your people whom you brought out of Egypt using your great power and mighty hand? 12 Don’t let the Egyptians say, ‘He was planning all along to kill them in the mountains and wipe them off the face of the earth. That’s why he brought them out ⌞of our land⌟.’ Don’t be so angry. Reconsider your decision to bring this disaster on your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. You took an oath, swearing on yourself. You told them, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. I will give to your descendants all the land I spoke of. It will be their permanent possession.’ ”
14 So the Lord reconsidered his threat to destroy his people.
15 Moses turned and went down the mountain carrying the two tablets with God’s words. They were written on both sides, front and back. 16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was God’s writing inscribed on the tablets.
17 Then Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting. He said to Moses, “It’s the sound of war in the camp!”
18 Moses replied,
“It’s not the sound of winners shouting.
It’s not the sound of losers crying.
It’s the sound of a wild celebration that I hear.”
19 When he came near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. In a burst of anger Moses threw down the tablets and smashed them at the foot of the mountain. 20 Then he took the calf they had made, burned it, ground it into powder, scattered it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.
21 Moses asked Aaron, “What did these people do to you that you encouraged them to commit such a serious sin?”
22 “Don’t be angry, sir,” Aaron answered. “You know that these people are evil. 23 They said to me, ‘We don’t know what’s happened to this Moses who brought us out of Egypt. Make gods for us. They will lead us.’ 24 So I told them to take off any gold they were wearing. They gave it to me. I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”
25 Aaron had let the people get out of control, and they became an object of ridicule to their enemies. When Moses saw this, 26 he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “If you’re on the Lord’s side, come over here to me!” Then all the Levites gathered around him.
27 He said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: Each of you put on your sword. Go back and forth from one end of the camp to the other, and kill your relatives, friends, and neighbors.”
28 The Levites did what Moses told them, and that day about 3,000 people died.
29 Moses said, “Today you are ordained as the Lord’s priests. God gave you a blessing today because each of you fought with your own sons and brothers.”[d]
Moses Begs the Lord to Spare the People
30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a serious sin. Now I will go up the mountain to the Lord. Maybe I will be able to make a payment for your sin and make peace with the Lord for your sin.”
31 So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “These people have committed such a serious sin! They made gods out of gold for themselves. 32 But will you forgive their sin? If not, please wipe me out of the book you have written.”
33 The Lord answered Moses, “I will wipe out of my book whoever sins against me. 34 Now, go! Lead the people to the place I told you about. My Messenger will go ahead of you. But when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.”
35 So the Lord killed people because they had Aaron make the calf.
The Lord Assures Moses That He Will Have Mercy on Israel
33 Then the Lord said to Moses, “You and the people you brought out of Egypt must leave this place. Go to the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with an oath, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ 2 I will send a Messenger ahead of you, and I will force out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 3 Go to that land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not be with you, because you are impossible to deal with, and I would destroy you on the way.”
4 When the people heard this bad news, they acted as if someone had died. No one wore any jewelry. 5 The Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are impossible to deal with. If I were with you, I might destroy you at any time. Now take off your jewelry, and I’ll decide what to do with you.’ ” 6 After they left Mount Horeb, the Israelites no longer wore their jewelry.
7 Now, Moses used to take a tent and set it up far outside the camp. He called it the tent of meeting. Anyone who was seeking the Lord’s will used to go outside the camp to the tent of meeting. 8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise and stand at the entrances to their tents and watch Moses until he went in. 9 As soon as Moses went into the tent, the column of smoke would come down and stay at the entrance to the tent while the Lord spoke with Moses. 10 When all the people saw the column of smoke standing at the entrance to the tent, they would all bow with their faces touching the ground at the entrance to their own tents. 11 The Lord would speak to Moses personally, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would come back to the camp, but his assistant, Joshua, son of Nun, stayed inside the tent.
12 Moses said to the Lord, “You’ve been telling me to lead these people, but you haven’t let me know whom you’re sending with me. You’ve also said, ‘I know you by name, and I’m pleased with you.’ 13 If you really are pleased with me, show me your ways so that I can know you and so that you will continue to be pleased with me. Remember: This nation is your people.”
14 The Lord answered, “My presence will go ⌞with you,⌟ and I will give you peace.”
15 Then Moses said to him, “If your presence is not going ⌞with us⌟, don’t make us leave this place. 16 How will anyone ever know you’re pleased with your people and me unless you go with us? Then we will be different from all other people on the face of the earth.”
17 The Lord answered Moses, “I will do what you have asked, because I am pleased with you, and I know you by name.”
18 Then Moses said, “Please let me see your glory.”
19 The Lord said, “I will let all my goodness pass in front of you, and there I will call out my name ‘the Lord.’ I will be kind to anyone I want to. I will be merciful to anyone I want to. 20 But you can’t see my face, because no one may see me and live.”
21 Then the Lord said, “Look, there’s a place near me. Stand by this rocky cliff. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a crevice in the cliff and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take my hand away, and you’ll see my back, but my face must not be seen.”
The Lord Meets with Moses on the Mountain
34 The Lord said to Moses, “Cut two ⌞more⌟ stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets which you smashed. 2 Be ready in the morning. Then come up on Mount Sinai, and stand in my presence on the top of the mountain. 3 No one may come with you or even be seen anywhere on the mountain. Even the flocks and herds may not graze in front of this mountain.”
4 So Moses cut two ⌞more⌟ stone tablets like the first ones. Early the next morning he went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, carrying the two stone tablets.
5 The Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him and called out his name “the Lord.”
6 Then he passed in front of Moses, calling out, “The Lord, the Lord, a compassionate and merciful God, patient, always faithful and ready to forgive. 7 He continues to show his love to thousands of generations, forgiving wrongdoing, disobedience, and sin. He never lets the guilty go unpunished, punishing children and grandchildren for their parents’ sins to the third and fourth generation.”
8 Immediately, Moses knelt, bowing with his face touching the ground. 9 Then he said, “Lord, please go with us! Even though we are impossible to deal with, forgive our sin and the wrong we have done, and accept us as your own people.”
The Lord Makes His Promise with Israel Again
10 The Lord said, “I’m making my promise [e] again. In front of all your people I will perform miracles that have never been done in any other nation in all the world. All the people around you will see how awesome these miracles are that I will perform for you. 11 Do everything that I command today. Then I will force the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites out of your way. 12 Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you’re going. This will prove to be a trap to you. 13 But tear down their altars, crush their sacred stones, and cut down their poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah. 14 (Never worship any other god, because the Lord is a God who does not tolerate rivals. In fact, he is known for not tolerating rivals.) 15 Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in that land. When they chase after their gods as though they were prostitutes and sacrifice to them, they may invite you to eat the meat from their sacrifices with them. 16 Then your sons will end up marrying their daughters. When their daughters chase after their gods as though they were prostitutes, they’ll lead your sons to do the same thing.
17 “Never make an idol.
18 “You must celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you must eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, because in that month you came out of Egypt.
19 “Every first male offspring is mine, even the firstborn males of all your livestock, whether cattle, sheep, or goats. 20 It will cost you a sheep or a goat to buy back the firstborn donkey. If you don’t buy it back, then you must break the donkey’s neck. You must buy back every firstborn of your sons.
“No one may come into my presence without an offering.
21 “You may work six days, but on the seventh day you must not work. Even during the time of plowing or harvesting you must not work ⌞on this day⌟.
22 “You must celebrate the Festival of Weeks with the first grain from your wheat harvest, and the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the season.
23 “Three times a year all your men must come into the presence of the Master, the Lord God of Israel. 24 I will force nations out of your way and will expand ⌞your country’s⌟ borders. No one will want to take away your land while you’re gone three times a year to the Lord’s festivals.
25 “Never offer the blood of a sacrifice to me at the same time you offer anything containing yeast. No part of the sacrifice at the Passover Festival should be left over in the morning.
26 “You must bring the first and best of the produce harvested from your soil to the house of the Lord your God.
“Never cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”
27 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write down these words, because on the basis of these words I’m making a promise to Israel and to you.”
28 Moses was there with the Lord 40 days and 40 nights without food or water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the promise, the ten commandments.
Moses Returns to the People
29 Moses came down from Mount Sinai, carrying the two tablets with God’s words on them. His face was shining from speaking with the Lord, but he didn’t know it.
30 When Aaron and all the Israelites looked at Moses and saw his face shining, they were afraid to come near him. 31 Moses called to them, so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him. Then Moses spoke to them. 32 After that, all the other Israelites came near him, and he commanded them to do everything the Lord told him on Mount Sinai. 33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever Moses went into the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he took off the veil until he came out. Whenever he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 they would see that Moses’ face was shining. Then Moses would put the veil back on until he went in again to speak with the Lord.
Rules about the Day of Rest
35 Moses assembled the whole Israelite community and said to them, “These are the things the Lord has commanded you to do: 2 You may work for six days, but the seventh day is a holy day of rest, a day when you don’t work. It is dedicated to the Lord. Whoever does any work on this day should be put to death. 3 Never light a fire in any of your homes on this day of rest.”
The People Contribute Their Wealth(E)
4 Then Moses said to the whole Israelite community, “This is what the Lord has commanded: 5 Choose something of your own to give as a special contribution to the Lord. Let everyone who is willing bring this kind of contribution to the Lord: gold, silver, and bronze, 6 violet, purple, and bright red yarn, fine linen, goats’ hair, 7 rams’ skins dyed red, fine leather, acacia wood, 8 olive oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet-smelling incense, 9 onyx stones, and other precious stones to be set in the ⌞chief priest’s⌟ ephod [f] and breastplate.
The Craftsmen for the Tent(F)
10 “Have all the skilled craftsmen among you come and make everything the Lord has commanded: 11 the inner tent, the outer tent, and cover, along with the fasteners, frames, crossbars, posts, and sockets, 12 the ark with its poles, the throne of mercy and the canopy over it, 13 the table with its poles, all the dishes, the bread of the presence, 14 the lamp stand used for the light with its utensils, its lamps and the olive oil for the lamps, 15 the altar for incense with its poles, the anointing oil, the sweet-smelling incense, the screen for the entrance to the tent, 16 the altar for burnt offerings with its bronze grate, its poles, and all its accessories, the basin with its stand, 17 the curtains for the courtyard, the posts, bases, and the screen for the entrance to the courtyard, 18 the pegs for the tent and the courtyard with their ropes, 19 the special clothes worn for official duties in the holy place—both the holy clothes for Aaron the priest and the clothes for his sons when they serve as priests.”
20 Then the whole Israelite community left Moses. 21 Those who were willing and whose hearts moved them came and brought their contributions to the Lord. The gifts were used to construct the tent of meeting, to pay other expenses, and to make the holy clothes. 22 All who were willing—men and women alike—came and brought all kinds of gold jewelry: pins, earrings, signet rings, and pendants. They took these gifts of gold and offered them to the Lord. 23 Those who had violet, purple, or bright red yarn, fine linen, goats’ hair, rams’ skins dyed red, or fine leather brought them. 24 Those who could give silver or bronze brought it as their contribution to the Lord. Those who had acacia wood that could be used in the construction brought it. 25 All the women who were skilled in spinning yarn brought violet, purple, and bright red yarn, and fine linen, which they had made by hand. 26 All the women who were willing and had the skill spun the goats’ hair. 27 The leaders brought onyx stones and other precious stones to be set in the ⌞chief priest’s⌟ ephod and breastplate. 28 They also brought the spices and the olive oil for the lamps, the anointing oil, and the sweet-smelling incense. 29 Every Israelite man and woman who was willing brought all these items to the Lord as a freewill offering. They brought these items to be used to make everything the Lord had commanded through Moses.
30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, “The Lord has chosen Bezalel, son of Uri and grandson of Hur, from the tribe of Judah. 31 The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, making him highly skilled, resourceful, and knowledgeable in all trades. 32 He’s a master artist familiar with gold, silver, and bronze. 33 He knows how to cut and set stones and how to work with wood. He’s an expert in all trades. 34 Also, the Lord has given Bezalel and Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan the ability to teach others. 35 The Lord has made these men highly skilled in all trades. They can do the work of jewelers, carpenters, and designers. They know how to embroider violet, purple and bright red yarn on fine linen. They know how to weave yarn on a loom. They can do all kinds of trades. They are master artists.”
36 ⌞Moses continued,⌟ “So Bezalel and Oholiab will do the work as the Lord has commanded. They will do this with the help of every other craftsman to whom the Lord has given the necessary skills and talents. They will know how to do all the work for constructing the holy place.”
2 Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every other craftsman to whom the Lord had given these skills and who was willing to come and do the work.
Excess Contributions
3 Moses turned over to them all the contributions the Israelites had brought for the work of constructing the holy place. But the people still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning. 4 Finally, all the skilled craftsmen who were working on the holy place stopped what they were doing. They all came to Moses. 5 They said, “The people are bringing much more than we need for doing the work the Lord commanded us to do.”
6 So Moses gave instructions to have the following message announced all over camp: “No man or woman needs to make anything more to give as their special contribution to the holy place.” Then the people stopped bringing gifts. 7 The material they had was more than enough to do the job.
The Tent(G)
8 All the skilled craftsmen among the workers made the inner tent with ten sheets made from fine linen yarn and violet, purple, and bright red yarn. An angel [g] design was creatively worked into the fabric. 9 Each sheet was 42 feet long and 6 feet wide—all the same size. 10 Five of the sheets were sewn together, and the other five were also sewn together. 11 Then they made 50 violet loops along the edge of the end sheet in each set, 12 placing the loops opposite each other. 13 They also made 50 gold fasteners. They used them to link the ⌞two sets of⌟ sheets together so that the inner tent was a single unit.
14 They made 11 sheets of goats’ hair to form an outer tent over the inner tent. 15 Each of the 11 sheets was 45 feet long and 6 feet wide. 16 Five of the sheets were sewn together into one set, and the remaining six into another set. 17 Then they made 50 loops along the edge of the end sheet in each set. 18 They also made 50 bronze fasteners to link the inner tent together as a single unit. 19 They made a cover out of rams’ skins that had been dyed red for the outer tent, and over that they put a cover made of fine leather.
20 They made a framework out of acacia wood for the inner tent. 21 Each frame was 15 feet long and 27 inches wide, 22 with two identical pegs. They made all the frames for the inner tent this same way. 23 They made 20 frames for the south side of the inner tent. 24 Then they made 40 silver sockets at the bottom of the 20 frames, two sockets at the bottom of each frame for the two pegs. 25 For the north side of the inner tent ⌞they made⌟ 20 frames 26 and 40 silver sockets, two at the bottom of each frame. 27 They made six frames for the far end, the west side. 28 They made two frames for ⌞each of⌟ the corners at the far end of the inner tent. 29 They were held together at the bottom and held tightly at the top by a single ring.[h] Both corner frames were made this way. 30 There were eight frames with 16 silver sockets, two at the bottom of each frame.
31 They also made crossbars out of acacia wood. Five were for the frames on one side of the inner tent, 32 five were for those on the other side, and five were for the frames on the far side of the inner tent, the west side. 33 They made the middle crossbar so that it ran from one end to the other, halfway up the frames. 34 They covered the frames with gold and made gold rings to hold the crossbars. They also covered the crossbars with gold.
35 They made the canopy out of violet, purple, and bright red yarn and fine linen yarn. An angel design was creatively worked into the fabric. 36 They made four posts of acacia wood for it and covered them with gold. They made gold hooks for the posts, and they cast four silver bases for them.
37 They made a screen out of fine linen yarn for the entrance to the outer tent. It was embroidered with violet, purple, and bright red yarn. 38 They also made five posts with hooks for ⌞hanging⌟ the screen. They covered the tops of the posts and the bands with gold, but the five bases for the posts were made of bronze.
The Ark(H)
37 Bezalel made the ark out of acacia wood 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high. 2 He covered it with pure gold inside and out and put a gold molding around it. 3 He cast four gold rings for its four feet, two rings on each side. 4 Then he made poles out of acacia wood and covered them with gold. 5 He put them through the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry it.
6 He made the throne of mercy out of pure gold 45 inches long and 27 inches wide. 7 Then he made two angels [i] out of hammered gold for the two ends of the throne of mercy, 8 one on each end. He formed the angels and the throne of mercy out of one piece ⌞of gold⌟. 9 The angels had their wings spread above the throne of mercy, overshadowing it. They faced each other, looking at the throne of mercy.
The Table(I)
10 He made the table out of acacia wood 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high. 11 He covered it with pure gold and put a gold molding around it. 12 He made a rim 3 inches wide around it and put a gold molding around the rim. 13 He cast four gold rings for it and fastened the rings to the four corners, where the four legs were. 14 The rings were put close to the rim to hold the poles for carrying the table. 15 These poles were made out of acacia wood and were covered with gold. 16 For the table he made plates, dishes, bowls, and pitchers to be used for pouring wine offerings. All of them were made out of pure gold.
The Lamp Stand(J)
17 He made the lamp stand out of pure gold. The lamp stand, its base, and its shaft, as well as the flower cups, buds, and petals were hammered out of one piece ⌞of gold⌟. 18 Six branches came out of its sides, three branches on one side and three on the other. 19 Each of the six branches coming out of the lamp stand had three flower cups shaped like almond blossoms, with buds and petals. 20 The lamp stand itself had four flower cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a bud and petals. 21 There was a bud under each of the three pairs of branches coming out of the lamp stand. 22 The buds and branches were hammered out of the same piece of pure gold as the lamp stand.
23 He made the seven lamps, the tongs, and the incense burners out of pure gold. 24 The lamp stand and all the utensils were made out of 75 pounds of pure gold.
The Altar for Incense(K)
25 He made an altar out of acacia wood for burning incense. It was 18 inches square and 36 inches high. The horns and altar were made out of one piece ⌞of wood⌟. 26 He covered all of it with pure gold—the top, the sides, and the horns—and he put a gold molding around it. 27 He made two gold rings and put them below the molding on opposite sides to hold the poles for carrying it. 28 He made the poles out of acacia wood and covered them with gold.
29 He also had a perfumer make the holy oil to be used for anointing and for the pure, sweet-smelling incense.
The Altar for Burnt Offerings(L)
38 He made the altar for burnt offerings out of acacia wood 7½ feet square and 4½ feet high. 2 He made a horn at each of its four corners. He made the four horns and the altar out of one piece ⌞of wood⌟ covered with bronze.
3 He made all the utensils out of bronze: pots, shovels, bowls, forks, and incense burners.
4 He made a grate for the altar out of bronze mesh, ⌞and put it⌟ under the ledge, halfway up the altar. 5 He cast four rings to hold the poles (one for each of the four corners of the bronze grate). 6 He made the poles out of acacia wood and covered them with bronze. 7 He put the poles through the rings on the sides of the altar to carry it. He made the altar out of boards so that it was hollow inside.
The Bronze Basin(M)
8 He made the basin and stand out of the bronze mirrors given by the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
The Courtyard(N)
9 He also made the courtyard. The south side of the courtyard was 150 feet long and had curtains made out of fine linen yarn, 10 ⌞hung⌟ on 20 posts ⌞set in⌟ 20 bronze bases. The hooks and bands on the posts were made of silver. 11 The north side was also 150 feet long with 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The hooks and bands on the posts were made of silver.
12 The west side was 75 feet long and had curtains ⌞hung⌟ on 10 posts ⌞set in⌟ 10 bases. The hooks and bands on the posts were made of silver. 13 The east side, facing the rising sun, was 75 feet ⌞wide⌟.
14-15 Each side of the entrance to the courtyard was 22½ feet wide with curtains ⌞hung⌟ on three posts ⌞set in⌟ three bases. 16 All the curtains around the courtyard were made out of fine linen yarn. 17 The bases for the posts were made of bronze. The hooks and bands on the posts were made of silver. The tops of the posts were covered with silver. And the bands on all the posts of the courtyard were made of silver.
18 The screen for the entrance to the courtyard was made of violet, purple, and bright red yarn embroidered on ⌞fabric made from⌟ fine linen yarn. It was 30 feet long and 7½ feet high, just like the curtains of the courtyard. 19 It was hung on four posts ⌞set in⌟ four bronze bases. The hooks and bands on the posts were made of silver. The tops of the posts were covered with silver.
20 All the pegs for the tent and the surrounding courtyard were made of bronze.
The Amount of Gold, Silver, and Bronze Used
21 This is the amount of material that was used for the tent (the tent of the words of God’s promise). An inventory was ordered by Moses and carried out by the Levites under the direction of Ithamar, son of the priest Aaron.
22 Now Bezalel, son of Uri and grandson of Hur, from the tribe of Judah, made everything the Lord had commanded Moses. 23 He was a jeweler, carpenter, designer, and he knew how to embroider violet, purple, and bright red yarn on fine linen. His assistant was Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan.
24 The total amount of gold from the offerings presented to the Lord used in building the holy place weighed over 2,193 pounds, using the standard weight of the holy place.
25 The silver collected when the census of the community was taken weighed 7,544 pounds, using the standard weight of the holy place. 26 This came to one-fifth of an ounce per person, for everyone counted who was at least 20 years old: 603,550 people. 27 He used 7,500 pounds of silver to cast the 100 bases for the holy place and the canopy. This was 75 pounds per base. 28 He used 44 pounds of silver to make the hooks and bands for the posts and the coverings for the tops of the posts.
29 The bronze from the offerings presented to the Lord weighed 5,310 pounds. 30 With this he made the bases for the entrance to the tent of meeting, the bronze altar with its bronze grate and all its accessories, 31 the bases all around the courtyard, the bases for the entrance to the courtyard, all the pegs for the tent, and all the pegs for the surrounding courtyard.
The Holy Clothes(O)
39 From the violet, purple, and bright red yarn they made special clothes worn for official duties in the holy place. They also made the holy clothes for Aaron. They followed the Lord’s instructions to Moses.
The Ephod(P)
2 They made the ephod out of fine linen yarn and gold, violet, purple, and bright red yarn. 3 They hammered the gold into thin sheets and cut them up. They twisted the gold into threads, which they creatively worked into each strand of the violet, purple, and bright red yarn, and throughout the fine linen. 4 They made two shoulder straps attached at the ⌞top⌟ corners so that the ephod could be fastened. 5 They made the belt that is attached to the ephod out of the same fabric. They followed the Lord’s instructions to Moses. 6 They mounted the onyx stones in gold settings, and engraved on them the names of the sons of Israel. 7 Then they fastened them on the shoulder straps of the ephod as a reminder of who the Israelites are. They followed the Lord’s instructions to Moses.
The Breastplate(Q)
8 They made the breastplate as creatively as they made the ephod. It was made out of gold, violet, purple, and bright red yarn, and of fine linen yarn. 9 It was folded in half and was 9 inches square. 10 They fastened four rows of precious stones on it. In the first row they put red quartz, topaz, and emerald. 11 In the second row they put turquoise, sapphire, and crystal. 12 In the third row they put jacinth, agate, and amethyst. 13 In the fourth row they put beryl, onyx, and gray quartz. The stones were mounted in gold settings. 14 They corresponded to the 12 sons of Israel, by name, each stone engraved (like a signet ring) with the name of one of the 12 tribes.
15 For the breastplate they made chains out of pure gold, twisted like ropes. 16 They made two gold settings and two gold rings and attached the two rings to the ⌞top⌟ two corners of the breastplate. 17 They fastened the two gold ropes to the rings at the ⌞top⌟ corners of the breastplate. 18 They fastened the other ends of the ropes to the two settings on the shoulder straps of the ephod ⌞so that the breastplate hung⌟ in front of it. 19 They made two gold rings and fastened them to the other two corners of the breastplate on the inside edge next to the ephod. 20 They made two ⌞more⌟ gold rings and fastened them to the bottom of the shoulder straps on the front of the ephod. This was close to the seam just above the belt of the ephod. 21 Then they fastened the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a violet cord. So the breastplate was attached just above the belt of the ephod and was held in place. They followed the Lord’s instructions to Moses.
Other Clothes for Aaron and His Sons(R)
22 They made the robe that is worn with the ephod, woven entirely of violet yarn. 23 The opening in the center of the robe had a finished edge (like a leather collar) all around it to keep it from tearing. 24 On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of violet, purple, and bright red yarn, and fine yarn. 25 They made bells out of pure gold and fastened them in between the pomegranates all around the hem of the robe. 26 A gold bell alternated with a pomegranate all around the hem of the robe that is worn by Aaron when he serves as priest. They followed the Lord’s instructions to Moses.
27 They wove inner robes out of fine linen for Aaron and his sons. 28 They also made the chief priest’s turban and the other beautiful turbans out of fine linen. They made the undergarments and belt out of fine linen yarn. 29 The belt was embroidered with violet, purple, and bright red yarn. They followed the Lord’s instructions to Moses.
30 They made the flower-shaped medallion (the holy crown) out of pure gold and engraved on it (as on a signet ring): Holy to the Lord. 31 They fastened a violet cord to it and tied it on top of the turban. They followed the Lord’s instructions to Moses.
The Tent Is Brought to Moses
32 So all the work on the inner tent (the tent of meeting) was now done. The Israelites followed all the Lord’s instructions to Moses. 33 Then they brought everything to Moses—the inner tent, the outer tent and all its furnishings, the fasteners, frames, crossbars, posts, sockets, 34 the cover made of rams’ skins dyed red, the cover made of fine leather, the canopy over ⌞the ark⌟, 35 the ark containing the words of God’s promise with its poles and the throne of mercy, 36 the table with all the dishes, the bread of the presence, 37 the pure ⌞gold⌟ lamp stand with its lamps in a row and all its utensils, the olive oil for the lamps, 38 the gold altar, the anointing oil, the sweet-smelling incense, the screen for the entrance to the tent, 39 the bronze altar with its bronze grate, its poles, and all its accessories, the basin with its stand, 40 the curtains for the courtyard, the posts, bases, and screen for the entrance to the courtyard, the ropes and pegs—all the equipment needed for the service of the inner tent (the tent of meeting)— 41 the special clothes worn when serving as priests in the holy place—both the holy clothes for the priest Aaron and the clothes for his sons when serving as priests. 42 The Israelites had done all the work following the Lord’s instructions to Moses.
43 Moses inspected all the work and saw that they had followed the Lord’s instructions. So Moses blessed them.
Instructions for Setting Up the Tent
40 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Set up the tent (the tent of meeting) on the first day of the first month of the year. 3 Place the ark containing the words of my promise inside it, and hang the canopy over the ark. 4 Bring in the table, and arrange everything on it. Bring in the lamp stand, and set up the lamps. 5 Put the gold altar for incense in front of the ark. Put up the screen at the entrance to the tent.
6 “Put the altar for burnt offerings in front of the entrance to the tent of meeting. 7 Put the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8 Set up the surrounding courtyard, and put up the screen at the entrance to the courtyard. 9 Take the anointing oil, and anoint the tent and everything in it. In this way you will dedicate it and all its furnishings. Then it will be holy. 10 Anoint the altar for burnt offerings and all the utensils. In this way you will dedicate the altar, and it will be most holy. 11 Anoint the basin and stand, and they will be dedicated.
12 “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and wash them. 13 Then dress Aaron in the holy clothes, and anoint him. In this way you will dedicate him to serve me as priest. 14 Have his sons come forward, and dress them in their linen robes. 15 Anoint them to serve me as priests, as you anointed their father. Their anointing will begin a permanent priesthood for them for generations to come.”
Moses Sets Up the Tent
16 Moses did everything as the Lord commanded him. 17 So the tent was set up on the first day of the first month of the second year ⌞after the Israelites had left Egypt⌟. 18 When Moses set up the tent, he put the sockets in place, put up the frames, inserted the crossbars, and set up the posts. 19 He spread the outer tent over the inner tent and put the cover on top. Moses followed the Lord’s instructions.
20 He took the words of God’s promise and put them in the ark. He put the poles on the ark and placed the throne of mercy on top of the ark. 21 Then he brought the ark into the tent and hung the canopy over it to mark off where the ark was. Moses followed the Lord’s instructions.
22 Moses put the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tent outside the canopy. 23 He arranged the bread on the table in the Lord’s presence, following the Lord’s instructions. 24 He placed the lamp stand in the tent of meeting opposite the table, on the south side of the tent. 25 He set up the lamps in the Lord’s presence, following the Lord’s instructions.
26 Moses put the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the canopy. 27 He burned sweet-smelling incense on it, following the Lord’s instructions. 28 Then he put up the screen at the entrance to the tent.
29 He put the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance to the tent (the tent of meeting). He sacrificed burnt offerings and grain offerings on it. Moses followed the Lord’s instructions.
30 He put the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing. 31 Moses, Aaron, and his sons used this water to wash their hands and feet. 32 They would wash whenever they went into the tent of meeting or whenever they approached the altar. Moses followed the Lord’s instructions.
33 He set up the courtyard around the tent and the altar and put up the screen at the entrance to the courtyard. Finally, Moses finished the work.
The Lord Comes to the Tent
34 Then the ⌞column of⌟ smoke covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tent. 35 Moses couldn’t go into the tent of meeting, because the smoke settled on it and the glory of the Lord filled the tent.
36 In all their travels, whenever the ⌞column of⌟ smoke moved from the tent, the Israelites would break camp. 37 But if the column didn’t move, they wouldn’t break camp. 38 So the Lord’s column stayed over the tent during the day, and there was fire in the smoke at night. In this way all the Israelites could see the column throughout their travels.
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