The Tabernacle Underwritten

1“Now Bezalel, Oholiab, and every [a]skillful person in whom the LORD has put [b]skill and understanding to know how to perform all the work [c]in the construction of the sanctuary, shall perform in accordance with everything that the LORD has commanded.”

2Then Moses called Bezalel, Oholiab, and every [d]skillful person in [e]whom the LORD had put [f]skill, everyone whose heart stirred him, to come to the work to perform it. 3They received from Moses every [g]contribution which the sons of Israel had brought to perform [h]the work [i]in the construction of the sanctuary. And they still continued bringing to him [j]voluntary offerings every morning. 4And all the [k]skillful people who were performing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from [l]the work which they were performing, 5and they said to [m]Moses, “The people are bringing much more than enough for the [n]construction work which the LORD commanded us to [o]perform.” 6So Moses issued a command, and circulated a [p]proclamation throughout the camp, saying, “No man or woman is to perform work any longer for the [q]contributions of the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing any more. 7For the [r]material they had was sufficient and more than enough for all the work, to perform it.

Construction Begins

8All the [s]skillful people among those who were performing the work made the [t]tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine twisted linen and [u]violet, purple, and scarlet material, with cherubim, the work of a skilled embroiderer, [v]Bezalel made them. 9The length of each curtain was [w]twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains had [x]the same measurements. 10He [y]joined five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he [z]joined to one another. 11And he made loops of violet on the edge of the [aa]outermost curtain in the first [ab]set; he did likewise on the edge of the curtain that was [ac]outermost in the second [ad]set. 12He made fifty loops in the one curtain, and he made fifty loops on the [ae]edge of the curtain that was in the second [af]set; the loops were opposite each other. 13He also made fifty clasps of gold, and [ag]joined the curtains to one another with the clasps, so that the tabernacle was [ah]a unit.

14Then he made curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; he [ai]made eleven curtains in all. 15The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits was the width of each curtain; the eleven curtains had [aj]the same measurements. 16He [ak]joined five curtains by themselves, and the other six curtains by themselves. 17Moreover, he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the first [al]set, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the second [am]set. 18He also made fifty clasps of [an]bronze to [ao]join the tent together so that it would be [ap]a unit. 19And he made a covering for the tent of rams’ skins [aq]dyed red, and a covering of [ar]fine leather above.

20Then he made the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing upright. 21Ten cubits was the length of [as]each board, and one and a half cubits the width of each board. 22There were two tenons for each board, [at]fitted to one another; he did this to all the boards of the tabernacle. 23So he made the boards for the tabernacle: twenty boards [au]for the south side; 24and he made forty bases of silver under the twenty boards; two bases under one board for its two tenons, and two bases under another board for its two tenons. 25Then for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty boards, 26and their forty bases of silver; two bases under one board, and two bases under another board. 27And for the [av]back of the tabernacle, to the west, he made six boards. 28He made two boards for the corners of the [aw]tabernacle at the [ax]back. 29They were double beneath, and together they were complete to its [ay]top, [az]to the first ring; he did this with both of them for the two corners. 30There were eight boards with their bases of silver, sixteen bases, two bases under every board.

31Then he made bars of acacia wood, five for the boards of one side of the tabernacle, 32and five bars for the boards of the [ba]other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the [bb]back side to the west. 33And he made the middle bar to pass through in the [bc]center of the boards from end to end. 34Then he overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold as holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.

35Moreover, he made the veil of violet, purple, and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen; he made it with cherubim, the work of a skilled embroiderer. 36And he made four pillars of acacia for it, and overlaid them with gold, with their hooks of gold; and he cast four bases of silver for them. 37He also made a curtain for the doorway of the tent, of violet, purple, and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen, the work of a [bd]weaver; 38and he made its five pillars with their hooks, and he overlaid their tops and their [be]bands with gold; but their five bases were of [bf]bronze.

[a] 1 Lit man wise of heart
[b] 1 Lit wisdom
[c] 1 Or connected with the service of; lit of the service of
[d] 2 Lit man wise of heart
[e] 2 Lit whose heart
[f] 2 Lit wisdom
[g] 3 Or uplifted offering
[h] 3 Lit it for the work
[i] 3 Lit of the service of
[j] 3 Or freewill offering
[k] 4 Lit wise
[l] 4 Lit his
[m] 5 Lit Moses, saying,
[n] 5 Lit service for the work
[o] 5 Lit perform it
[p] 6 Lit voice
[q] 6 Or uplifted offering
[r] 7 Lit work
[s] 8 Lit wise of heart
[t] 8 Lit dwelling place
[u] 8 Or bluish; LXX hyacinth in color, and so throughout the ch
[v] 8 Lit he
[w] 9 About 42 ft. long and 6 ft. wide or 13 m and 1.8 m
[x] 9 Lit one measure
[y] 10 Or coupled
[z] 10 Or coupled
[aa] 11 Lit one curtain from the end in the coupling
[ab] 11 Lit coupling
[ac] 11 Lit one curtain from the end in the coupling
[ad] 11 Lit coupling
[ae] 12 Lit end
[af] 12 Lit coupling
[ag] 13 Or coupled
[ah] 13 Lit one
[ai] 14 Lit made them
[aj] 15 Lit one measure
[ak] 16 Or coupled
[al] 17 Lit tie
[am] 17 Lit tie
[an] 18 Or copper
[ao] 18 Or couple
[ap] 18 Lit one
[aq] 19 Or tanned
[ar] 19 Meaning of the Heb uncertain
[as] 21 Lit the
[at] 22 Lit bound
[au] 23 Lit to the side of the Negev, to the south
[av] 27 Lit far parts
[aw] 28 Lit dwelling place
[ax] 28 Lit far parts
[ay] 29 Or head
[az] 29 Or with reference to
[ba] 32 Or second
[bb] 32 Lit far parts
[bc] 33 Lit midst
[bd] 37 Lit variegator; i.e., a weaver in colors
[be] 38 Or rings
[bf] 38 Or copper