Day 26: Exodus 35-37
The Sabbath, the Offerings, the Skilled Craftsmen, and the Construction of the Tabernacle
Exodus 35
The Sabbath Commanded
1 Moses assembled all the congregation of the children of Israel, and said to them, “These are the words which Yahweh has commanded, that you should do them. 2 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of solemn rest to Yahweh. Whoever does any work in it shall be put to death. 3 You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations on the Sabbath day.”
Offerings for the Tabernacle
4 Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which Yahweh commanded, saying, 5 ‘Take an offering from among you for Yahweh. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, Yahweh’s offering: gold, silver, brass, 6 blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats’ hair, 7 rams’ skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood, 8 oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense, 9 onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate.
10 “‘Let every wise-hearted man among you come, and make all that Yahweh has commanded: 11 the tabernacle, its tent, its covering, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; 12 the ark, and its poles, the mercy seat, the veil of the screen; 13 the table, and its poles, and all its vessels, and the show bread; 14 the lampstand also for the light, its vessels, its lamps, and the oil for the light; 15 and the incense altar, and its poles, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, the screen for the door at the entrance of the tabernacle; 16 the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of brass, its poles, and all its vessels, the basin and its base; 17 the hangings of the court, its pillars, their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court; 18 the pins of the tabernacle, the pins of the court, and their cords; 19 the finely worked garments, for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office.’”
20 All the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. 21 They came, everyone whose heart stirred him up, and everyone whom his spirit made willing, and brought Yahweh’s offering, for the work of the Tent of Meeting, and for all of its service, and for the holy garments.
22 They came, both men and women, as many as were willing-hearted, and brought brooches, earrings, signet rings, and armlets, all jewels of gold; even every man who offered an offering of gold to Yahweh.
23 Everyone with whom was found blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats’ hair, rams’ skins dyed red, and sea cow hides brought them. 24 Everyone who offered an offering of silver and brass brought Yahweh’s offering; and everyone with whom was found acacia wood for any work of the service brought it.
25 All the women who were wise-hearted spun with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, the blue, the purple, the scarlet, and the fine linen. 26 All the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun the goats’ hair.
27 The rulers brought the onyx stones and the stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate; 28 and the spice, and the oil for the light, for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.
29 The children of Israel brought a free will offering to Yahweh; every man and woman whose heart made them willing to bring for all the work, which Yahweh had commanded to be made by Moses.
Bezalel and Oholiab
30 Moses said to the children of Israel, “Behold, Yahweh has called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 31 He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of workmanship; 32 and to make skillful works, to work in gold, in silver, in brass, 33 in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all kinds of skillful workmanship. 34 He has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35 He has filled them with wisdom of heart, to work all kinds of workmanship, of the engraver, of the skillful workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of those who do any workmanship, and of those who make skillful works.
Exodus 36
The People Bring More Than Enough
1 “Bezalel and Oholiab shall work with every wise-hearted man, in whom Yahweh has put wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that Yahweh has commanded.”
2 Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab, and every wise-hearted man, in whose heart Yahweh had put wisdom, even everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to the work to do it. 3 They received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, with which to make it. They brought yet more free will offerings to him every morning. 4 All the wise men, who performed all the work of the sanctuary, each came from his work which he did. 5 They spoke to Moses, saying, “The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which Yahweh commanded to make.”
6 Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, “Let neither man nor woman make anything else for the offering for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing. 7 For the stuff they had was sufficient to do all the work, and too much.
The Tabernacle Curtains
8 All the wise-hearted men among those who performed the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, with cherubim. They made them the work of a skillful workman. 9 The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains were one measure. 10 He coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another. 11 He made loops of blue on the edge of the one curtain from the edge in the coupling. Likewise he made in the edge of the curtain that was outmost in the second coupling. 12 He made fifty loops in the one curtain, and he made fifty loops in the edge of the curtain that was in the second coupling. The loops were opposite one to another. 13 He made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains to one another with the clasps. So the tabernacle was one.
14 He made curtains of goats’ hair for a covering over the tabernacle. He made them eleven curtains. 15 The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits the width of each curtain. The eleven curtains were one measure. 16 He coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. 17 He made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was outmost in the one coupling, and fifty loops he made on the edge of the curtain which was outmost in the second coupling. 18 He made fifty clasps of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be one. 19 He made a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering of sea cow hides above.
The Frames of the Tabernacle
20 He made the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing upright. 21 The length of each board was ten cubits, and a cubit and a half the width of each board. 22 Each board had two tenons, joined to one another. He made all the boards of the tabernacle this way. 23 He made the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side southward. 24 He made forty sockets of silver to put under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for its two tenons, and two sockets under another board for its two tenons. 25 For the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty boards, 26 and their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. 27 For the far part of the tabernacle westward he made six boards. 28 He made two boards for the corners of the tabernacle in the far part. 29 They were double beneath, and in the same way they were undivided above to one ring. He did so to both of them at the two corners. 30 There were eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under every board.
31 He made bars of acacia wood, five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, 32 and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the far part westward. 33 He made the middle bar to pass through in the middle of the boards from end to end. 34 He overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold for places for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.
The Veil and the Screen
35 He made the veil of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. He made it the work of a skillful workman. 36 He made four pillars of acacia for it, and overlaid them with gold, with their hooks of gold; and he cast four sockets of silver for them.
37 He made a screen for the door of the Tent, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the embroiderer; 38 and its five pillars with their hooks. He overlaid their capitals and their fillets with gold, and made their five sockets of brass.
Exodus 37
The Ark
1 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Its length was two and a half cubits, and its width a cubit and a half, and its height a cubit and a half. 2 He overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold around it. 3 He cast four rings of gold for it, in its four feet, even two rings on its one side, and two rings on its other side. 4 He made poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. 5 He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark.
6 He made a mercy seat of pure gold. Its length was two and a half cubits, and its width a cubit and a half. 7 He made two cherubim of gold. He made them of beaten work at the two ends of the mercy seat, 8 one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end. He made the cherubim at the two ends of one piece with the mercy seat. 9 The cherubim spread out their wings upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one another. The faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.
The Table
10 He made the table of acacia wood. Its length was two cubits, and its width a cubit, and its height a cubit and a half. 11 He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a gold molding around it. 12 He made a rim around it of a handbreadth, and made a golden molding on its rim around it. 13 He cast four rings of gold for it, and put the rings on the four corners of its four feet. 14 The rings were close to the rim, for places for the poles to carry the table. 15 He made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table. 16 He made the vessels which were on the table, its dishes, its cups, its bowls, and its ladles with which to pour out offerings, of pure gold.
The Lampstand
17 He made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of beaten work, its base, its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its flowers, were of one piece with it. 18 There were six branches going out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of its one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of its other side. 19 Three cups made like almond blossoms in one branch, a bud and a flower; and three cups made like almond blossoms in the other branch, a bud and a flower; so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. 20 In the lampstand were four cups made like almond blossoms, its buds and its flowers; 21 and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, for the six branches going out of the lampstand. 22 Their buds and their branches were of one piece with it. The whole thing was one beaten work of pure gold.
23 He made its seven lamps, and its snuffers, and its snuff dishes, of pure gold. 24 He made it of a talent of pure gold, with all its vessels.
The Altar of Incense
25 He made the altar of incense of acacia wood. Its length was a cubit, and its width a cubit, square; and its height was two cubits. Its horns were of one piece with it. 26 He overlaid it with pure gold, its top, its sides around it, and its horns. He made a gold molding around it. 27 He made two golden rings for it under its molding, on its two ribs, on its two sides, for places for poles with which to carry it. 28 He made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold.
29 He made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices, after the art of the perfumer.
Scripture: World English Bible (WEB), public domain.
