Study Desk

Moses^(m) then said to the Israelites: "Look, the Lord has appointed by name Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.

He has filled him with God's Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every kind of craft

to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze,

to cut gemstones for mounting, and to carve wood for work in every kind of artistic craft.

He has also given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others.

He has filled them with skill^[f] to do all the work⁽ⁿ⁾ of a gem cutter; a designer; an embroiderer in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen; and a weaver. They can do every kind of craft and design artistic designs.

¹Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the skilled^[a] people are to work based on everything the Lord has commanded. The Lord has given them wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work of constructing the sanctuary."^(a)

So Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled^[b] person in whose heart the Lord had placed wisdom, everyone whose heart moved him,^(b) to come to the work and do it.

They took from Moses' presence all the contributions that the Israelites had brought for the task of making the sanctuary. Meanwhile, the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning.

Then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work for the sanctuary came one by one from the work they were doing

and said to Moses, "The people are bringing more than is needed^(c) for the construction of the work the Lord commanded to be done."

After Moses gave an order, they sent a proclamation throughout the camp: "Let no man or woman make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary." So the people stopped.

The materials were sufficient for them to do all the work. There was more than enough.

All^(d) the skilled craftsmen^[c] among those doing the work made the tabernacle with 10 curtains. Bezalel made them of finely spun linen, as well as blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, with a design of cherubim worked into them.

The length of each curtain was 42 feet,^[d] and the width of each curtain six feet;^[e] all the curtains had the same measurements.

He joined five of the curtains to each other, and the other five curtains he joined to each other.

He made loops of blue yarn on the edge of the last curtain in the first set and did the same on the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set.

He made 50 loops on the one curtain and 50 loops on the edge of the curtain in the second set, so that the loops lined up with each other.

He also made 50 gold clasps and joined the curtains to each other, so that the tabernacle became a single unit.

He made curtains of goat hair for a tent over the tabernacle; he made 11 of them.

The length of each curtain was 45 feet,^[f] and the width of each curtain six feet.^[g] All 11 curtains had the same measurements.

He joined five of the curtains together, and the other six together.

He made 50 loops on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set and 50 loops on the edge of the corresponding curtain in the second set.

He made 50 bronze clasps to join the tent together as a single unit.

He also made a covering for the tent from ram skins dyed red and a covering of manatee skins^[h] on top of it.

He^(e) made upright planks^[i] of acacia wood for the tabernacle.

The length of each plank was 15 feet,^[j] and the width of each was 27 inches.^[k]

There were two tenons connected to each other for each plank. He did the same for all the planks of the tabernacle.

He made planks for the tabernacle as follows: 20 for the south side,

and he made 40 silver bases to put under the 20 planks, two bases under the first plank for its two tenons, and two bases under each of the following planks for their two tenons;

for the second side of the tabernacle, the north side, he made 20 planks,

with their 40 silver bases, two bases under the first plank and two bases under each of the following ones;

and for the west side of the tabernacle he made six planks.

He also made two additional planks for the two back corners of the tabernacle.

They were paired at the bottom and joined together^[l] at the^[m] top in a single ring. This is what he did with both of them for the two corners.

So there were eight planks with their 16 silver bases, two bases under each one.

He made five crossbars of acacia wood for the planks on one side of the tabernacle,

five crossbars for the planks on the other side of the tabernacle, and five crossbars for those at the back of the tabernacle on the west.

He made the central crossbar run through the middle of the planks from one end to the other.

He overlaid them with gold and made their rings out of gold as holders for the crossbars. He also overlaid the crossbars with gold.

Then^(f) he made the veil with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. He made it with a design of cherubim worked into it.

He made four posts of acacia wood for it and overlaid them with gold; their hooks were of gold. And he cast four silver bases for the posts.

He made a screen embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen for the entrance to the tent,

together with its five posts and their hooks. He overlaid the tops of the posts and their bands with gold, but their five bases were bronze.

Bezalel^(a) made the ark of acacia wood, 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high.^[a]

He overlaid it with pure gold inside and out and made a gold molding all around it.

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

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

He inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark for carrying the ark.

He made a mercy seat of pure gold, 45 inches long and 27 inches wide.^[b]

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

one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end. At each end, he made a cherub of one piece with the mercy seat.

They had wings spread out. They faced each other and covered the mercy seat with their wings. The faces of the cherubim were looking toward the mercy seat.

He^(b) constructed the table of acacia wood, 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high.^[c]

He overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold molding all around it.

He made a three-inch^[d] frame all around it and made a gold molding all around its frame.

He cast four gold rings for it and attached the rings to the four corners at its four legs.

The rings were next to the frame as holders for the poles to carry the table.

He made the poles for carrying the table from acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

He also made the utensils that would be on the table out of pure gold: its plates and cups, as well as its bowls and pitchers for pouring drink offerings.

Then^(c) he made the lampstand out of pure hammered gold. He made it all of one piece: its base and shaft, its ornamental cups, and its calyxes^[e] and petals.

Six branches extended from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from one side and three branches of the lampstand from the other side.

There were three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a calyx and petals, on the first branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a calyx and petals, on the next branch. It was this way for the six branches that extended from the lampstand.

On the lampstand shaft there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms with its calyxes and petals.

For the six branches that extended from it, a calyx was under the first pair of branches from it, a calyx under the second pair of branches from it, and a calyx under the third pair of branches from it.

Their calyxes and branches were of one piece.^[f] All of it was a single hammered piece of pure gold.

He also made its seven lamps, snuffers, and firepans of pure gold.

He made it and all its utensils of 75 pounds^[g] of pure gold.

He^(d) made the altar of incense out of acacia wood. It was square, 18 inches long and 18 inches wide; it was 36 inches high.^[h] Its horns were of one piece.^[i]

He overlaid it, its top, all around its sides, and its horns with pure gold. Then he made a gold molding all around it.

He made two gold rings for it under the molding on two of its sides; he put these on opposite sides of it to be holders for the poles to carry it with.

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

He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant, and expertly blended incense.^(e)