Old/New Testament
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[a] 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.[b] 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 23
Portrait of the Scribes and Pharisees.[a] 1 Then Jesus addressed the crowds and his disciples: 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore, be careful to do whatever they tell you, but do not follow their example, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy burdens that are difficult to bear and lay them on the shoulders of others, but they will not lift a finger to be of assistance.
5 “Everything they do is meant to attract the attention of others. They widen their phylacteries[b] and lengthen their tassels. 6 They love to have places of honor at banquets and the best seats in synagogues, 7 and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be addressed as ‘Rabbi.’
Do Not Be Called Teacher.[c] 8 “But do not allow yourselves to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master, and you are all brethren. 9 Call no one on earth your father, for you have but one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 You must not be called ‘teacher,’ for you have only one Teacher, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you must be your servant. 12 All those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all those who humble themselves will be exalted.
13 Woe to You, Teachers of the Law.[d]“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the entrance to the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor do you allow others to enter.
[14 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you devour the houses of widows, while for the sake of appearance you recite lengthy prayers. As a result, you will receive the severest possible condemnation.][e]
15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You journey over sea and land to make a single convert,[f] and then you make that convert twice as worthy of Gehenna as you are.
16 [g]“Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If someone swears by the temple, that is not binding, but if someone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
18 “And you say, ‘If someone swears by the altar, that is not binding, but if someone swears by the offering that lies on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind fools! Which is of greater value—the offering, or the altar that makes the offering sacred?
20 “The one who swears by the altar swears both by it and by everything that lies upon it. 21 The one who swears by the temple swears both by it and by the one who dwells within it. 22 And the one who swears by heaven swears both by the throne of God and by the One who is seated upon it.
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