Old/New Testament
The Altar for the Burnt Offerings
27 “Make an altar of acacia wood, ·four and one-half feet [L three cubits] high. It should be square—·seven and one-half feet [L five cubits] long and ·seven and one-half feet [L five cubits] wide. 2 Make each of the four corners of the altar stick out like a horn [C significance uncertain, but refers to rounded projections on each corner of top; 29:10–12; Lev. 4:18–21; 1 Kin. 2:28–34], in such a way that the corners with their horns are all one piece. Then ·cover [overlay] the whole altar with bronze.
3 “Use bronze to make all ·the tools and dishes that will be used on the altar [L its utensils]: the pots to remove the ashes, the shovels, the ·bowls for sprinkling blood [L basins], the meat forks, and the ·pans for carrying the burning wood [firepans].
4 “Make a large bronze screen to hold the burning wood, and put a bronze ring at each of the four corners of it. 5 Put the screen inside the altar, under its ·rim [ledge], halfway up from the bottom [L of the altar].
6 “Make poles of acacia wood for the altar, and ·cover [overlay] them with bronze. 7 Put the poles through the rings on both sides of the altar to carry it. 8 Make the altar out of boards and leave the inside hollow. Make it as you were shown on the mountain [25:9].
The Courtyard of the Holy Tent
9 “Make ·a wall of curtains to form a courtyard around the Holy Tent [L the court of the Tabernacle]. The south side should have a wall of fine linen curtains ·one hundred fifty feet [L one hundred cubits] long. 10 Hang the curtains with silver hooks and bands on twenty bronze ·posts [pillars] with twenty bronze bases. 11 The north side must also be ·one hundred fifty feet [L one hundred cubits] long. Hang its curtains on silver hooks and bands on twenty bronze ·posts [pillars] with twenty bronze bases.
12 “The west end of the courtyard must have a wall of curtains ·seventy-five feet [L fifty cubits] long, with ten ·posts [pillars] and ten bases on that wall. 13 The [L front on the] east end of the courtyard must also be ·seventy-five feet [L fifty cubits] long. 14 On one side of the entry, there is to be a wall of curtains ·twenty-two and one-half feet [L fifteen cubits] long, held up by three ·posts [pillars] on three bases. 15 On the other side of the entry, there is also to be a wall of curtains ·twenty-two and one-half feet [L fifteen cubits] long, held up by three ·posts [pillars] on three bases.
16 “The ·entry [L gate] to the courtyard is to be a ·curtain [screen] ·thirty feet [L twenty cubits] wide, made of fine linen with blue, purple, and ·red [scarlet] thread. ·Someone who can sew well is to sew designs on it [L …embroidered with needlework]. It is to be held up by four ·posts [pillars] on four bases. 17 All the ·posts [pillars] around the courtyard must have silver bands and hooks and bronze bases. 18 The courtyard must be ·one hundred fifty feet [L one hundred cubits] long and ·seventy-five feet [L fifty cubits] wide, with a wall of curtains around it ·seven and one-half feet [L five cubits] high, made of fine linen. The bases in which the ·posts [pillars] are set must be bronze. 19 All the ·things used in the Holy Tent [utensils of the Tabernacle] and all the tent pegs for the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle] and the wall around the courtyard must be made of bronze.
Oil for the Lamp
20 “Command the ·people [L sons/T children] of Israel to bring you pure olive oil, made from ·pressed [or pounded] olives, to keep the lamps on the lampstand burning [L regularly; or continually]. 21 Aaron and his sons must keep the lamps burning before the Lord from evening till morning. This will be in the Meeting Tent, outside the curtain which is in front of the ·Ark [Covenant; Testimony; Treaty]. The Israelites and their descendants must obey this ·rule [statute; ordinance; requirement] ·from now on [L throughout their generations].
Clothes for the Priests
28 “·Tell your brother Aaron to come [L Bring near your brother Aaron] to you, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ·Separate them from the other Israelites to [L …to] serve me as priests. 2 Make holy ·clothes [garments; vestments] for your brother Aaron to give him ·honor [glory] and ·beauty [splendor]. 3 Tell all the ·skilled craftsmen to whom I have given wisdom [L the wise of heart whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom; C wisdom here is a practical knowledge, a skill] to make ·special clothes [garments; vestments] for Aaron—clothes to show that he ·belongs to me [is consecrated/set apart/ holy] so that he may serve me as a priest. 4 These are the clothes they must make: a ·chest covering [breastpiece], a ·holy vest [ephod], an outer robe, a ·woven inner [or checkered] robe, a turban, and a ·cloth belt [sash]. They must make these ·holy [sacred] clothes for your brother Aaron and his sons. Then they may serve me as priests. 5 They must use gold and blue, purple and ·red [scarlet] thread, and fine linen.
The Holy Vest
6 “Use gold and blue, purple and ·red [scarlet] thread, and fine linen to make the ·holy vest [ephod]; ·skilled craftsmen are to make it [skillfully worked]. 7 At each top corner of it there will be a pair of shoulder straps tied together over each shoulder.
8 “·The craftsmen will very carefully weave a belt [L The embroidered waistband] on the ·holy vest that is [L ephod will be] made with the same materials—gold and blue, purple and ·red [scarlet] thread, and fine linen.
9 “Take two onyx stones and write the names of the twelve sons of Israel on them, 10 six on one stone and six on the other. Write the names in order, ·from the oldest son to the youngest [according to the order of their birth]. 11 ·Carve [Engrave] the names of the sons of Israel on these stones in the same way a person ·carves words and designs on a seal [engraves a seal/signet]. Put gold [L filigree] around the stones to hold them on the ·holy vest [ephod]. 12 Then put the two stones on the two straps of the ·holy vest [ephod] as reminders of the twelve sons of Israel. Aaron is to ·wear [bear] their names on his shoulders in the presence of the Lord as reminders of the sons of Israel. 13 Make ·two gold pieces to hold the stones [settings of gold filigree] 14 and two chains of pure gold, twisted together like a rope. Attach the chains to the ·two gold pieces that hold the stones [L settings].
The Chest Covering
15 “Make a ·chest covering to help in making decisions [L breastpiece of judgment; C so called because it contained the Urim and Thummim used to discern God’s will; 28:30]. ·The craftsmen should make it as they made the holy vest [L …of skilled work like the ephod], using gold and blue, purple and ·red [scarlet] thread, and fine linen. 16 It must be square—·nine inches [L a span] long and ·nine inches [L a span] wide—and ·folded double to make a pocket [L doubled]. 17 Put four rows of ·beautiful gems [L stones] on it: The first row must have a ·ruby [or carnelian], ·topaz [or chrysolite], and ·yellow quartz [or emerald]; 18 the second must have turquoise, a ·sapphire [or lapis], and an ·emerald [or moonstone]; 19 the third must have a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 the fourth must have a chrysolite [or beryl], an onyx, and a jasper [C the exact identity of some of these stones is unclear]. Put gold [L filigree] around these ·jewels [stones] to attach them to it. 21 There must be twelve ·jewels on the chest covering [L stones]—one ·jewel [stone] for each of the names of the sons of Israel. ·Carve [Engrave] the name of one of the twelve tribes on each of the stones as you would ·carve [engrave] a ·seal [signet].
22 “Make chains of pure gold, twisted together like rope, for the ·chest covering [breastpiece]. 23 Make two gold rings and put them on the two upper corners of the chest covering. 24 Attach the two gold chains to the two rings at the upper corners of the ·chest covering [breastpiece]. 25 Attach the other ends of the two chains to the two ·gold pieces [or settings] on the shoulder straps in the front of the ·holy vest [ephod].
26 “Make two gold rings and put them at the two lower corners of the ·chest covering [breastpiece], on the inside edge next to the ·holy vest [ephod]. 27 Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the shoulder straps in the front of the ·holy vest [ephod]. Put them close to the seam above the ·woven belt [L embroidered waistband] of the ·holy vest [ephod]. 28 Join the rings of the ·chest covering [breastpiece] to the rings of the ·holy vest [ephod] with blue ·ribbon [cord], connecting it to the ·woven belt [embroidered waistband] so the ·chest covering [breastpiece] will not ·swing out [get loose] from the ·holy vest [ephod].
29 “When Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will wear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart, on the ·chest covering that helps in making decisions [breastpiece of judgment; 28:15]. This will be a continual reminder before the Lord. 30 And put the Urim and Thummim [C devices, probably lots, that were used to discern God’s will; the name means “light and truth”] inside the ·chest covering [breastpiece] so that they will be on Aaron’s heart when he goes before the Lord. They will help in making decisions for the Israelites. So Aaron will always carry them with him when he is before the Lord.
31 “Make the outer robe ·to be worn under the holy vest [L of the ephod], ·using only blue cloth [L all of blue]. 32 Make ·a hole [an opening] in the center for ·Aaron’s [L the] head, with a woven collar ·with an oversewn edge [L like a coat of mail; C the Hebrew is obscure] around the ·hole [opening] so it will not tear. 33 Make balls like pomegranates of blue, purple, and ·red [scarlet] thread, and hang them around the bottom of the outer robe with gold bells between them. 34 All around the bottom of the outer robe there should be a gold bell and a pomegranate ball, a gold bell and a pomegranate ball. 35 Aaron must wear this robe when he ·serves as priest [ministers]. ·The ringing of the bells [L Their sound] will be heard when he enters and leaves the Holy Place before the Lord so that he will not die.
36 “Make a ·strip [rosette; medallion; plate; L flower] of pure gold and ·carve [engrave] these words on it as you would ·carve [engrave] a ·seal [signet]: ‘Holy to the Lord.’ 37 Use blue ·ribbon [cord] to tie it to the turban; put it on the front of the turban. 38 Aaron must wear this on his forehead. In this way, he will ·be blamed [L carry/bear the guilt] if anything is wrong with the ·gifts [holy offerings] of the Israelites. ·Aaron must always wear this on his head [L It will always be on his forehead] so the Lord will ·accept the gifts of the people [L be favorable toward them].
39 “·Make [or Weave] the ·woven [or checkered] inner robe of fine linen, and make the turban of fine linen also. Make the ·cloth belt [sash] ·with designs sewn on it [embroidered with needlework]. 40 Also make ·woven [or checkered] inner robes, ·cloth belts [sashes], and ·headbands [headdresses] for Aaron’s sons, to give them honor [glory] and beauty [splendor]. 41 Put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons, and ·pour olive oil on their heads to appoint them as priests [L anoint them]. ·Make them belong to me [Ordain them; L Fill their hand] so they may be ·set apart [consecrated] and serve me as priests.
42 “Make for them linen underclothes to cover ·them [L their naked flesh] from the ·waist [hip] to the ·upper parts of the legs [thigh]. 43 Aaron and his sons must wear these underclothes when they enter the Meeting Tent and anytime they come near the altar to ·serve as priests [L minister] in the Holy Place. ·If they do not wear these clothes, they will be guilty of wrong, and they will [L …so they do not bear guilt and] die. This will be a ·law [statute; ordinance; requirement] that will last from now on for Aaron and all his ·descendants [L seed].
Jesus Enters Jerusalem as a King(A)
21 As Jesus and his ·followers [disciples] ·were coming closer to [approached] Jerusalem, they ·stopped at [L came to] Bethphage ·at [or on] the Mount of Olives. From there Jesus sent two of his ·followers [disciples] 2 and said to them, “Go to the town ·you can see there [ahead of you; or opposite you]. When you enter it, you will ·quickly [immediately] find a donkey tied there with its colt. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone asks you ·why you are taking the donkeys [L anything], say that ·the Master [the Lord; or its Owner] needs them, and ·he will send them at once [or the Lord will return it soon; see Mark 11:3].”
4 This was to ·bring about [fulfill] what ·the prophet had said [L had been spoken through the prophet]:
5 “Tell ·the people of Jerusalem [L the daughter of Zion; C a metaphor for Israel],
‘[L Look; T Behold,] Your king is coming to you.
He is ·gentle [humble] and ·riding [mounted] on a donkey,
on the colt of a donkey [Is. 62:11; Zech. 9:9].’”
6 [So] The ·followers [disciples] went and did what Jesus ·told them to do [instructed; commanded]. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt to Jesus and laid their ·coats [cloaks] on them, ·and Jesus sat on them. 8 ·Many people [A very large crowd; or Most of the crowd] spread their coats on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The ·people [crowds] were walking ahead of Jesus and ·behind [following] him, shouting,
“·Praise [L Hosanna! C a Hebrew word originally used in praying for help, but by this time a joyful shout of praise to God] to the Son of David [C a title for the Messiah]!
·God bless [Blessed is] the One who comes in the name of the Lord [Ps. 118:26]!
·Praise to God in heaven [L Hosanna in the highest; C either “in highest heaven” or “to the Most High God”]!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, all the city was ·filled with excitement [stirred up; in an uproar]. The people asked, “Who is this man?”
11 The crowd said, “This man is Jesus, the prophet from the town of Nazareth in Galilee.”
Jesus Goes to the Temple(B)
12 Jesus went into the ·Temple [temple complex; C the large temple area, not the inner building where only the priests could go] and ·threw [drove] out all the people who were buying and selling there. He turned over the tables of ·those who were exchanging different kinds of money [L the moneychangers], and he upset the benches of those who were selling doves [or pigeons; C moneychangers provided particular coins needed for the temple tax; doves or pigeons were sold for sacrifices; Lev. 5:7]. 13 Jesus said to ·all the people there [L them], “It is written in the Scriptures, ‘My ·Temple [L House] will be called a house for prayer [Is. 56:7].’ But you are ·changing [making] it into a ·hideout for robbers [T den of thieves; Jer. 7:11].”
14 The blind and ·crippled people [lame] came to Jesus in the Temple [courts; v. 12], and he healed them. 15 [L But when] The ·leading [T chief] priests and the ·teachers of the law [scribes] saw that Jesus was doing wonderful things and that the children were praising him in the Temple [courts; v. 12], saying, “·Praise [L Hosanna; v. 9] to the Son of David [C a title for the Messiah; v. 9].” All these things made the priests and the ·teachers of the law [scribes] ·very angry [indignant].
16 They asked Jesus, “Do you hear the things these children are saying?”
Jesus answered, “Yes. Haven’t you read in the Scriptures, ·‘You have taught children and babies to sing praises’ [L ‘From the mouths of infants and nursing babes you have prepared/created praise’; Ps. 8:2 LXX]?”
17 Then Jesus left and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
The Power of Faith(C)
18 Early the next morning, as Jesus was going back to the city, he became hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree beside the road, Jesus went to it, but ·there were no figs [L he found nothing] on the tree, only leaves [Is. 5:1–7]. So Jesus said to the tree, “·You will [May you] never again have fruit.” The tree immediately ·dried up [withered].
20 When his ·followers [disciples] saw this, they were amazed. They asked, “How did the fig tree ·dry up [wither] ·so quickly [immediately]?”
21 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will be able to do what I did to this tree and even more. You will be able to say to this mountain, ‘·Go, fall [L Be lifted up and thrown] into the sea.’ And if you have faith, it will ·happen [be done]. 22 If you ·believe [have faith], you will get anything you ask for in prayer.”
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.