Amplified Bible (AMP)

The Golden Calf

1 Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, they gathered together before Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us agod who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

2 So Aaron replied to them, “Take off the gold rings that are in the ears of your wives, your sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”

3 So all the people took off the gold rings that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron.

4 And he tookthe goldfrom their hands, and fashioned it with an engraving tool and made it into a moltencalf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.”

5 Now when Aaron saw the molten calf, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation, and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord!”

6 So they got up early the next day and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; then the people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to play [shamefully–without moral restraint].

7 Then the Lordsaid to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.

8 They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’”

9 The Lordsaid to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked (stubborn, rebellious) people.

10 Now therefore, let Me aloneanddo not interfere, so that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you (your descendants) a great nation.”

Moses’ Entreaty

11 But Moses appeasedandentreated the Lordhis God, and said, “Lord, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?

12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil [intent] their God brought them out to kill them in the mountains and destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn away from Your burning anger and change Your mind about harming Your people.

13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Jacob), Your servants to whom You swore [an oath] by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’”

14 So the Lordchanged His mind about the harm which He had said He would do to His people.

15 Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hand; tablets that were written on both sides–they were written on one side and on the other.

16 The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets.

17 Now when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a sound of battle in the camp.”

18 But Moses said,

“It is not the sound of the cry of victory,

Nor is it the sound of the cry of defeat;

But I hear the sound of singing.”

Moses’ Anger

19 And as soon as he approached the camp and he saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned; and he threw the tablets from his hands and smashed them at the foot of the mountain.

20 Then Moses took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it on the surface of the water and made the Israelites drink it.

21 Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought so great a sin on them?”

22 Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, that they are prone to evil.

23 For they said to me, ‘Make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’

24 I said to them, ‘Let whoever has gold [jewelry], take it off.’ So they gave it to me; then I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”

25 Now when Moses saw that the people were out of control–for Aaron had let them get out of control to the point of being an object of mockery among their enemies–

26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the Lord’sside, come to me!” And all the sons of Levi [the priestly tribe] gathered together to him.

27 He said to them, “Thus says the LordGod of Israel, ‘Every man strap his sword on his thigh and go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and every man kill his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor [all who continue pagan worship].’”

28 So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people [of Israel] were killed that day.

29 Then Moses said [to the Levites], “Dedicate yourselves today to the Lord–for each man has been against his own son and his own brother [in his attempt to escape execution]–so that He may restoreandbestow His blessing on you this day.”

30 Then the next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. Now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”

31 So Moses returned to the Lord, and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin [against You], and have made themselves a god of gold.

32 Yet now, if You will, forgive their sin–and if not, please blot me out of Your book which You have written (kill me)!”

33 But the Lordsaid to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book [not you].

34 But now go, lead the people [to the place] where I have told you. Behold, MyAngel shall go before you; nevertheless, in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin!”

35 So the Lordstruck the people with a plague, because of what they had done with the calf which Aaron had made [for them].

The Journey Resumed

1 The Lordspoke to Moses, saying, “Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought from the land of Egypt, to the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel), saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’

2 I will send an Angel before you and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.

3 Go up to a land [of abundance]flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, because you are a stiff-necked (stubborn, rebellious) people, and I might destroy you on the way.”

4 When the people heard this sad word, they mourned, and none of them put on his ornaments.

5 For the Lordhad said to Moses, “Say to the sons of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked (stubborn, rebellious) people! If I should come among you for one moment, I would destroy you. Now therefore, [penitently] take off your ornaments, so that I may know what to do with you.’”

6 So the Israelites left off all their ornaments [in repentance], from Mount Horeb (Sinai)onward.

7 Now Moses used to take his own tent and pitch it outside the camp, far away from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting [of God with His own people]. And everyone who sought the Lordwould go out to the [temporary] tent of meeting which was outside the camp.

8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise and stand, each at his tent door, and look at Moses until he entered the tent.

9 Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the doorway of the tent; and the Lordwould speak with Moses.

10 When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tent door, all the people would rise and worship, each at his tent door.

11 And so the Lordused to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his attendant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

Moses Intercedes

12 Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’

13 Now therefore, I pray you, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways so that I may know You [becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with You, recognizing and understanding Your ways more clearly] and that I may find graceandfavor in Your sight. And consider also, that this nation is Your people.”

14 And the Lordsaid, “My presence shall gowith you,and I will give you rest [by bringing you and the people into the promised land].”

15 And Moses said to Him, “If Your presence does not go [with me], do not lead us up from here.

16 For how then can it be known that Your people and I have found favor in Your sight? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we are distinguished, Your people and I, from all the [other] people on the face of the earth?”

17 The Lordsaid to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have asked; for you have found favor (lovingkindness, mercy) in My sight and I have known you [personally] by name.”

18 Then Moses said, “Please, show me Your glory!”

19 And God said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the Name of the Lordbefore you; for I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion (lovingkindness) on whom I will show compassion.”

20 But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man shall see Me and live!”

21 Then the Lordsaid, “Behold, there is a place beside Me, and you shall stand there on the rock;

22 and while My glory is passing by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock andprotectivelycover you with My hand until I have passed by.

23 Then I will take away My hand and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”

The Two Tablets Replaced

1 Then the Lordsaid to Moses, “Cut two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you smashed [when you learned of Israel’s idolatry].

2 So be ready by morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain.

3 No man is to come up with you, nor let any man be seen anywhere on the mountain; nor let flocks or herds feed in front of that mountain.”

4 So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and he got up early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lordhad commanded him, and tookthe two tablets of stone in his hand.

5 Then the Lorddescended in the cloud and stood there with Moses as he proclaimed the Name of the Lord.

6 Then the Lordpassed by in front of him, and proclaimed, “The Lord, the LordGod, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth (faithfulness);

7 keeping mercyandlovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; but He will by no means leavethe guiltyunpunished, visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers upon the children and the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers].”

8 Moses bowed to the earth immediately and worshiped [the Lord].

9 And he said, “If now I have found favorandlovingkindness in Your sight, O Lord, let the Lord, please, go in our midst, though it is a stiff-necked (stubborn, rebellious) people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your possession.”

The Covenant Renewed

10 Then God said, “Behold, I am going to make a covenant. Before all your people I will do wondrous works (miracles) such as have not been createdorproduced in all the earth nor among any of the nations; and all the people among whom you live shall see the working of the Lord, for it is a fearfulandawesome thing that I am going to do with you.

11 “Be sure to observe what I am commanding you this day: behold, I am going to drive out the Amorite before you, and the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.

12 Watch yourself so that you do not make a covenant (solemn agreement, treaty) with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a [dangerous] trap among you.

13 But you shall tear downanddestroy their [pagan] altars, smash in pieces their [sacred] pillars (obelisks, images) and cut down theirAsherim

14 –for you shall not worship any other god; for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous (impassioned) God [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely His]–

15 otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the prostitute with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone might invite youto eat his sacrifice (meal),

16 and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters would play the prostitute with their gods and cause your sons also to play the prostitute (commit apostasy) with their gods [that is, abandon the true God for man-made idols].

17 You shall make for yourselves no molten gods.

18 “You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover). For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I have commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Abib; for in the month of Abib you came out of Egypt.

19 “All the firstborn males among your livestock belong to Me, whether cattle or sheep.

20 You shall redeem the firstborn of a donkey with a lamb; but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. You shall redeem all the firstborn of your sons. None of you are to appear before Me empty-handed.

21 “You shall work for six days, but on the seventh day you shall rest; [even] in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest [on the Sabbath].

22 You shall observeandcelebrate the Feast of Weeks (Harvest, First Fruits, or Pentecost), the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering (Booths or Tabernacles) at the year’s end.

23 Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LordGod, the God of Israel.

24 For I will drive outanddispossess nations before you and enlarge your borders; nor shall any man covet (actively seek for himself) your land when you go up to appear before the Lordyour God three times a year.

25 “You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread, nor shall the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover (Unleavened Bread) be left over until morning.

26 “You shall bring the very first of the first fruits of your ground to the house of the Lordyour God.

“You shall notboil a young goat in his mother’s milk [as some pagans do].”

27 Then the Lordsaid to Moses, “Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”

28 Moses was there with the Lordforty days and forty nights; he ate no bread and drank no water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

Moses’ Face Shines

29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hand, he did not know that the skin of his face was shining [with a unique radiance] because he had been speaking with God.

30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to approach him.

31 But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him; and he spoke to them.

32 Afterward all the Israelites approached him, and he commanded them to do everything that the Lordhad said to him on Mount Sinai.

33 When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.

34 But whenever Moses went in before the Lordto speak with Him,he would take off the veil until he came out. When he came out and he told the Israelites what he had been commanded [by God],

35 the Israelites would see the face of Moses, how his skin shone [with a unique radiance]. So Moses put the veil on his face again until he went in to speak with God.

The Sabbath Emphasized

1 Moses gathered all the congregation of the sons of Israel together, and said to them, “These are the things which the Lordhas commanded you to do:

2 “For six days work may be done, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of complete rest to the Lord; whoever does any kind of work on that day shall be put to death.

3 You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day.”

4 And Moses said to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, “This is the thing which the Lordhas commanded:

5 ‘Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whoever has a willing heart, let him bring it as the Lord’soffering: gold, silver, and bronze,

6 blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, fine linen, goats’hair,

7 andrams’ skins dyed red, and skins ofporpoises, and acacia wood,

8 and [olive] oil for the lighting, and balsam for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense,

9 andonyx stones and other stones to be set for the ephod and the breastpiece.

Tabernacle Workmen

10 ‘Let every skilledandtalented man among you come, and make everything that the Lordhas commanded:

11 the tabernacle (sacred dwelling of God), its tent and its covering, its hooks, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets;

12 the ark [of the covenant] and its carrying poles, with themercy seat and the veil (partition curtain) of the screen [to hang between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies];

13 the table and its carrying poles, and all its utensils, and the bread of the [divine] Presence (showbread);

14 the lampstand also for the light and its utensils and its lamps, and the oil for the light;

15 and the altar of incense and its carrying poles, the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, the screen (curtain) for the doorway at the entrance of the tabernacle;

16 the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its carrying poles, and all its utensils, the wash basin and its base (stand);

17 the court’s curtains, its support poles and their sockets, and the curtain for the gate of the courtyard;

18 the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court and their cords;

19 the finely-woven garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons, to minister as priests.’”

Gifts Received

20 Then all the congregation of the Israelites left Moses’ presence.

21 Everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit moved him came and brought the Lord’soffering to be used for the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments.

22 Then all whose hearts moved them, both men and women, came and brought brooches, earringsornose rings, signet rings, and necklaces, all jewels of gold; everyone bringing an offering of gold to the Lord.

23 Every man who had in his possession blue or purple or scarlet fabric, and fine linen, and goats’hair, andrams’ skins dyed red andporpoise skins, brought them.

24 Everyone who could make an offering of silver or bronze brought it as the Lord’soffering; every man who had in his possession acacia wood for any work of the service brought it.

25 All the skilledandtalented women spun thread with their hands, and brought what they had spun, blue and purple and scarlet fabric and fine linen.

26 All the women whose heart stirred with a skill spun the goats’hair.

27 The leaders brought onyx stones and other stones to be put in settings for the ephod and for the breastpiece,

28 and spice and [olive] oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense.

29 The Israelites, all the men and women whose heart moved them to bringmaterialfor all the work which the Lordhad commanded through Moses to be done, brought a freewill (voluntary) offering to the Lord.

30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lordcalled by name Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;

31 and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdomandskill, with intelligenceandunderstanding, and with knowledge in all [areas of] craftsmanship,

32 to devise artistic designs to work in gold, silver, and bronze,

33 and in the cutting of stones for setting and in the carving of wood, for work in every skilled craft.

34 He has also put in Bezalel’s heart [the willingness] to teach [others the same skills], both he and Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.

35 He has filled them with skill to do the work of an engraver, of a designer, and of an embroiderer, in blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and in fine linen, and of a weaver; makers of every work and embroiderers of [excellent] designs.

The Tabernacle Underwritten

1 “Bezalel and Oholiab, and every skilled person in whom the Lordhas put ability and understanding to know how to do all the work in the construction of the sanctuary, shall work according to all that the Lordhas commanded.”

2 So Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person in whom the Lordhad put ability, everyone whose heart stirred him, to come to do the work.

3 They received from Moses all the offerings which the Israelites had brought for the construction of the sanctuary, to prepare it for service. And they continued to bring him freewill (voluntary) offerings every morning.

4 And all the skilled men who were doing all the work on the sanctuary came, each one from the work which he was doing,

5 and they said to Moses, “The people are bringing much more than enough for the construction work which the Lordcommanded us to do.”

6 So Moses issued a command, and it was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the sanctuary offering.” So the people were restrained from bringinganything more;

7 for the material they had was sufficient and more than enough to do all the work.

Construction Proceeds

8 All the skilled men among them who were doing the work on the tabernacle made ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, with cherubim [worked into them], the work of an embroiderer, Bezalel made them.

9 Each curtain was twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide; all the curtains were one size.

10 Bezalel joined five curtains one to another, and [the other] five curtains he joined one to another.

11 He made loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set; he also did this on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the second set.

12 He made fifty loops in the one curtain [of the first set] and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain which was in the second set; the loops were opposite one another.

13 He made fifty gold hooks and joined the curtains together with the hooks, so that the tabernacle became a unit.

14 Then he made curtains of goats’hairfor a tent over the tabernacle; he made eleven curtains in all.

15 Each curtain was thirty cubits long and four cubits wide; the eleven curtains were of equal size.

16 Bezalel joined five curtains by themselves and [the other] six curtains by themselves.

17 He made fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain in thefirstset, and he made fifty loops on the edge of theoutermostcurtain of the second set.

18 He made fifty bronze hooks to join the tent together into a unit.

19 He made a [third] covering for the tent of rams’skins dyed red, and above it a [fourth] covering ofporpoise skins.

20 Bezalel made boards of acacia wood for the upright framework of the tabernacle.

21 Each board was ten cubits long and one and a half cubits wide.

22 Each board had two tenons (dovetails), fitted to one another; he did this for all the boards of the tabernacle.

23 And [this is how] he made the boards [for frames] for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side;

24 and he made under the twenty boards forty silver sockets; two sockets under one board for its two tenons (dovetails), and two sockets under another board for its two tenons.

25 For the other side of the tabernacle, the north side, he made twenty boards,

26 and their forty silver sockets; two sockets under [the end of] each board.

27 And for the rear of the tabernacle, to the west, he made six [frame] boards.

28 And he made two boards for each corner of the tabernacle in the rear.

29 They were separate below, but linked together at the top with one ring; thus he made both of them in both corners.

30 There were eight boards with sixteen silver sockets, and under [the end of] each board two sockets.

31 Bezalel made bars of acacia wood, five for the [frame] boards of the one side of the tabernacle,

32 and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle’s other side, and five bars for the boards at the rear side to the west.

33 And he made the middle bar pass through [horizontally] halfway up the boards from one end to the other.

34 He overlaid the boards and the bars with gold and made their rings of gold as holders for the bars.

35 Further, Bezalel made the veil of blue and purple and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen; he made it with cherubim, the work of an embroiderer.

36 For the veil (partition curtain) he made four support poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold; their hooks were gold, and he cast for them four silver sockets.

37 He made a screen (curtain) for the doorway of the tent, of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen, the work of an embroiderer;

38 and [he made] the five support poles with their hooks, and overlaid their [ornamental] tops and connecting rings with gold; but their five sockets were bronze.

Construction Continues

1 Bezalel made the ark [of the covenant] of acacia wood–it was two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high.

2 And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and out, and made a molding (border) of gold to go all around [the top of it].

3 He cast four rings of gold for it on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side.

4 He made carrying poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

5 He put the carrying poles through the rings at the sides of the ark, to carry it.

6 Bezalel made the mercy seat of pure gold; it was two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide.

7 He made two cherubim of hammered gold; he made them at the two ends of the mercy seat,

8 one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; he made the cherubim [of one piece] with the mercy seat at the two ends.

9 The cherubim spread out their wings upward, coveringandprotecting the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward each other; the faces of the cherubim were [looking downward] toward the mercy seat.

10 Bezalel made the table [for the bread] of acacia wood; it was two cubits long, a cubit wide, and one and a half cubits high.

11 He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a border of gold for it all around [its top].

12 He made a rim for it [just under the top] a hand width wide all around, and a border of gold around its rim.

13 He cast four rings of gold for it and fastened the rings to the four corners that were at its four legs.

14 Close by the rim were the rings, the holders for the poles [to pass through] to carry the table.

15 Bezalel made the carrying poles of acacia wood to carry the table and overlaid them with gold.

16 He made the utensils which were to be on the table, its dishes and its pans [for bread], its bowls and its jars for pouring drink offerings, of pure gold.

17 Then he made the lampstand (menorah) of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its [center] shaft; its cups, itscalyxes, and its flowers wereall of one piecewith it.

18 There were six branches coming out of the sides of the lampstand, three branches from one side ofthe center shaftand three branches from the other side of it;

19 three cups shaped like almondblossoms, a calyx and a flower in one branch, and three cups shaped like almondblossoms,a calyx and a flower in the opposite branch–so for the six branches coming out ofthe center shaft ofthe lampstand.

20 Onthe center shaft ofthe lampstand there were four cups shaped like almondblossoms,with calyxes and flowers [one at the top];

21 and a calyx was under thefirstpair of branchescomingout of it, and a calyx under thesecondpair of branches,comingout of it, and a calyx under thethirdpair of branchescomingout of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand.

22 Their calyxes and their branches wereof one piecewith it; all of it was a single hammered work of pure gold.

23 He made its seven lamps with its snuffers and its trays of pure gold.

24 He made the lampstand and all its utensils from a talent of pure gold.

25 Then Bezalel made the incense altar of acacia wood; its top was a cubit square and it was two cubits high; the horns wereof one piecewith it.

26 He overlaid it with pure gold, its top, its sides all around and its horns; he also made a rim of gold around it.

27 He made two rings of gold for it under its rim, on its two opposite sides, as holders for the poles [to pass through] to carry it.

28 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

29 He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense of spices, the work of a perfumer.

The Tabernacle Completed

1 Then Bezalel made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood; its top was square, five cubits long and five cubits wide, and three cubits high.

2 And he made its horns (horn-shaped projections) on the four corners of it; the horns wereof one piecewith it, and he overlaid it with bronze.

3 He made all the utensilsandvessels of the altar [of burnt offering], the pots, shovels, basins [to catch the blood of the sacrificed animal], meat hooks and the firepans [to store live coals]. He made all its utensils of bronze.

4 He made for the altar a grating of bronze mesh under its rim, extending halfway up it.

5 He cast four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating as holders for the carrying poles.

6 And he made the carrying poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze.

7 He put the poles through the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it; he made it hollow with planks.

8 Bezalel made the basin and its base of bronze from the mirrors of the attending women who servedandministered at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting.

9 Then he made the court: for the south side the curtains of the court were of fine twisted linen, a hundred cubits;

10 their twenty support poles, and their twenty bronze sockets; the hooks of the support poles and their connecting rings were silver.

11 And for the north side [of the court the curtains were also] a hundred cubits; their twenty support poles and their twenty bronze sockets; the hooks of the support poles and their connecting rings were silver.

12 For the west side [of the court] there were curtains of fifty cubits with their ten support poles and their ten sockets; the hooks of the support poles and their connecting rings were silver.

13 For the east side [the front of the courtyard, there were curtains of] fifty cubits.

14 The curtains for one sideof the court gate werefifteen cubits, with their three support poles and their three sockets;

15 andthe samefor the other side [of the court gate]. Left and right of the court gate there were curtains of fifteen cubits; with their three support poles and their three sockets.

16 All the curtains around the court were of fine twisted linen.

17 The sockets for the support poles weremade ofbronze, the hooks of the support poles and their connecting rings weremade ofsilver; and silver overlaid their tops. All the support poles of the court had silver connecting rings.

18 The screen (curtain) for the gate of the courtyard [on the east side] was the work of an embroiderer, in blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen; it was twenty cubits long and five cubits high, corresponding to the curtains of the court.

19 Their four support poles and their four sockets were bronze; their hooks were silver, and silver overlaid their tops and their connecting rings.

20 All the pegs for the tabernacle and the court were bronze.

The Cost of the Tabernacle

21 This is the sum of the things for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the Testimony, as counted according to the command of Moses, for the work of the Levites, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

22 Now Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything that the Lordcommanded Moses.

23 With him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and a skillful craftsman and an embroiderer in blue and in purple and in scarlet fabric, and in fine linen.

24 All the gold that was used for the work, in all the buildingandfurnishing of the sanctuary, the gold from the wave offering, was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

25 The silver from those of the congregation who were assembledandcounted was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary;

26 a beka for each man (that is, half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary) for everyone who was counted, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men.

27 The hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary and the sockets of the veil (partition curtain); a hundred sockets for the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.

28 Of the 1,775shekels,he made hooks for the support poles and overlaid their tops and made connecting rings for them.

29 The bronze of the wave offering was seventy talents and 2,400 shekels.

30 With it Bezalel made the sockets for the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, and the bronze altar and its bronze grating, and all the utensils of the altar,

31 and the sockets of the court all around and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pegs of the tabernacle and all the pegs around the court.

The Priestly Garments

1 Moreover, from the blue and purple and scarlet fabric, they made finely woven garments for servingandministering in the Holy Place; they made the holy garments for Aaron, just as the Lordhad commanded Moses.

2 Bezalel made the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen.

3 Then Bezalel and Oholiab hammered the gold [into thin sheets] and cut it into threads to work into the blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and into the fine linen, the work of a skilled craftsman.

4 They made attaching shoulder pieces for the ephod; it was attached at its two [upper] edges.

5 The skillfully woven sash with which to bind it, which was on the ephod [to hold it in place], was like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold and of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen, just as the Lordhad commanded Moses.

6 They made the onyx stones, set in settings of gold filigree; they were engraved as signets are engraved, with the names of [the twelve tribes of] the sons of Israel.

7 And he put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod to be memorial stones (a remembrance) for the sons of Israel (Jacob), just as the Lordhad commanded Moses.

8 Bezalel made the breastpiece, the work of a skillful craftsman, like the workmanship of the ephod: of gold and of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen.

9 It was square; they made the breastpiece folded double, a [hand’s] span long and a [hand’s] span wide when folded double.

10 And they mounted four rows of stones on it. The first row was a row of ruby, topaz, and emerald;

11 and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond;

12 and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;

13 and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper; they were mounted in settings of gold filigree.

14 The stones corresponded to the names of the sons of Israel; they were twelve [in all], corresponding to their names, engraved like a signet, each with its name, for the twelve tribes.

15 And they made on the breastpiece twisted chains like cords of pure gold.

16 They made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece.

17 Then they put the two twisted cords of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastpiece.

18 They put the [other] two ends of the two cords on the two filigree settings, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front of it.

19 They made two rings of gold and put them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inner edge which was next to the ephod.

20 Furthermore, they made two [other] gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at the front of it, close to the place where it is joined, above the woven sash of the ephod.

21 They bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it would lie on the woven sash of the ephod, and so that the breastpiece would not come loose from the ephod, just as the Lordcommanded Moses.

22 Then Bezalel made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue;

23 there was an opening [for the head] in the middle of the robe, like the opening in a coat of armor, with a hem around it, so that it would not be frayedortorn.

24 On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen.

25 They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates around the hem of the robe;

26 a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all [the way] around the hem of the robe, for serviceandministering, just as the Lordcommanded Moses.

27 And they made tunics of finely woven linen for Aaron and his sons,

28 and the turban of fine linen, and the ornamental caps of fine linen, and the linen undergarments of fine twisted linen,

29 and the sash of fine twisted linen, and blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, the work of an embroiderer, just as the Lordcommanded Moses.

30 They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription, like the engravings of a signet, “Holy to the Lord.”

31 They tied a blue cord to it, to fasten it on the turban above, just as the Lordcommanded Moses.

32 Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting was finished; and the Israelites did according to all that the Lordhad commanded Moses; that is what they did.

33 They brought the tabernacle to Moses [for him to inspect]: the tent and all its furnishings, its hooks, its [frame] boards, its bars, its support poles, its socketsorbases;

34 and the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and the covering ofporpoise skins, and the veil (partition) of the screen (curtain);

35 the ark of the Testimony, its carrying poles and the mercy seat;

36 the table and all its utensils and the bread of the Presence (showbread);

37 the puregoldlampstand and its lamps, with the lamps placed in order, all its utensils, and the oil for the light;

38 the golden altar [of incense], the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the [hanging] veil for the doorway of the tent;

39 the bronze altar [of burnt offering] and its grating of bronze, its poles and all its utensils, the basin and its base;

40 the curtains of the courtyard, its support poles and sockets, and the screen (curtain) for the courtyard gate, its cords and pegs, and all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the Tent of Meeting [of God with His people];

41 the [finely] woven garments for servingandministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons to minister as priests.

42 So the Israelites did all the work according to all that the Lordhad commanded Moses.

43 And Moses [carefully] inspected all the work, and behold, they had done it; just as the Lordhad commanded, so had they done it. So Moses blessed them.

The Tabernacle Erected

1 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

2 “On the first day of the first month (Abib) you shall set up the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting [of God with you].

3 You shall place the ark of the Testimony there, and you shall screen off the ark [from the Holy Place of God’s Presence] with the veil (partition curtain).

4 You shall bring in the table [for the bread] and arrange its setting; you shall bring in the lampstand and mountandlight its lamps.

5 You shall set the golden altar of incense in front of the ark of the Testimony [outside the veil], and put the [hanging] veil at the doorway of the tabernacle.

6 You shall set the [bronze] altar of burnt offering in front of the doorway of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting.

7 You shall set the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar [of burnt offering], and put water in it.

8 You shall set up the courtyard [curtains] all around and hang up the screen (curtain) for the gateway of the courtyard.

9 Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture; and it shall be holy (declared sacred, separated from secular use).

10 You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, and the altar shall be most holy.

11 You shall anoint the basin and its base, and consecrate it.

12 Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water.

13 You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve as a priest to Me.

14 You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them;

15 you shall anoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may serve as priests to Me; and their anointing shall qualify them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.”

16 Thus Moses did; in accordance with all that the Lordcommanded him, so he did.

17 Now it happened on the first day of the first month (Abib) in the second year [after the exodus from Egypt], that the tabernacle was erected.

18 Moses erected the tabernacle, laid its sockets, set up its boards, put in its bars and erected its support poles.

19 He spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, just as the Lordhad commanded him.

20 He took the Testimony [the stones inscribed with the Ten Commandments] and put it into the ark [of the covenant], and placed the poles [through the rings] on the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark.

21 Moses brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up a veil (partition) for the screen (curtain), and screened off the ark of the Testimony, just as the Lordhad commanded him.

22 Then he put the table in the Tent of Meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil.

23 He set the bread [of the Presence] in order on it before the Lord, just as the Lordhad commanded him.

24 Then he put the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle.

25 Moses mountedandlighted the lamps [on the lampstand] before the Lord, just as the Lordcommanded him.

26 He put the golden altar [of incense] in the Tent of Meeting in front of the veil;

27 he burned fragrant incense [as a symbol of prayer] on it, just as the Lordcommanded him.

28 Then he set up the screen (curtain) at the doorway of the tabernacle.

29 He set the altar of burnt offering before the doorway of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, just as the Lordcommanded him.

30 He placed the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar [of burnt offering], and put water in it for washing.

31 Then from it Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet.

32 When they entered the Tent of Meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, just as the Lordcommanded Moses.

33 And he erected the courtyard all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung the screen (curtain) at the gateway of the courtyard. So Moses finished the work.

The Glory of the Lord

34 Then the cloud [the Shekinah, God’s visible, dwelling presence] covered the Tent of Meeting, and the gloryandbrilliance of the Lordfilled the tabernacle.

35 Moses was not able to enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud remained on it, and the gloryandbrilliance of the Lordfilled the tabernacle.

36 In all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out;

37 but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey on until the day when it was taken up.

38 For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the Lordwas on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.