the Fourth Week of Advent
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Read the Bible
Easy-to-Read Version
Exodus 31
Bezalel and Oholiab
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 "I have chosen a man from the tribe of Judah to do some special work for me. His name is Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur. 3 I have filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God—I have given him the skill and knowledge to do all kinds of things. 4 He is a very good designer. And he can make things from gold, silver, and bronze. 5 He can cut and set beautiful jewels. And he can work with wood. He can do all kinds of work. 6 I have also chosen Oholiab to work with him. Oholiab is the son of Ahisamach from the tribe of Dan. And I have given skills to all the other workers so that they can make everything that I have commanded you:
7 the Meeting Tent;
the Box of the Agreement;
the mercy-cover that is on it;
8 the table and everything on it;
the pure gold lampstand and everything used with it;
the altar for burning incense;
9 the altar for burning offerings and the things used at the altar;
the bowl and the base under it;
10 the special clothes for Aaron the priest;
the special clothes for Aaron's sons when they serve as priests;
11 the sweet-smelling anointing oil;
the sweet-smelling incense for the Holy Place.
These workers must make everything the way that I have commanded you."
The Sabbath
12 Then the Lord said to Moses, 13 "Tell the Israelites this: ‘You must follow the rules about my special days of rest. You must do this because they will be a sign between you and me for all generations. This will show you that I, the Lord, have made you my special people.
14 "‘Make the Sabbath a special day. If someone treats the Sabbath like any other day, that person must be killed. Whoever works on the Sabbath day must be separated from their people. 15 There are six other days in the week for working. But the seventh day is a very special day of rest. That is the special day to honor the Lord. Anyone who works during the Sabbath must be killed. 16 The Israelites must remember the Sabbath and make it a special day. They must continue to do this forever. It is an agreement between them and me that will continue forever. 17 The Sabbath will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever.'" (The Lord worked six days and made the sky and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and relaxed.)
18 When God finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets of the agreement. God had written on the stones with his finger.
