Exodus 27
1 “You are to build an altar of acacia wood. The altar must be square, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high.
“Tell them to make an altar from acacia wood. It is to be square, (7-1/2 feet/2.2 meters) on each side, and make it (4-1/2 feet/1.3 meters) high.
2 Make a horn on each of its four corners, so that the horns are of one piece, and overlay it with bronze.
[They] must make [a projection that looks like] a horn on each of the top corners. The projections must be carved from the same block of wood as the altar. [Tell them to] cover the whole altar with gold.
3 Make all its utensils of bronze—its pots for removing ashes, its shovels, its sprinkling bowls, its meat forks, and its firepans.
[They must] make pans in which to put the [greasy] ashes [from the animal sacrifices]. Also [they must] make shovels for cleaning out the ashes, basins and forks for turning the meat as it cooks, and buckets for carrying hot coals/ashes. All of these things must be made from bronze.
4 Construct for it a grate of bronze mesh, and make a bronze ring at each of the four corners of the mesh.
Also [tell them to] make a bronze grating to hold the wood and burning coals. They must fasten to each of the corners of the altar a bronze ring for carrying the altar.
5 Set the grate beneath the ledge of the altar, so that the mesh comes halfway up the altar.
[They must] put the grating under the rim that is around the altar. [They must] make it so that it is [inside the altar], halfway down.
6 Additionally, make poles of acacia wood for the altar and overlay them with bronze.
For [carrying] the altar, [they must] make poles from acacia wood and cover them with bronze.
7 The poles are to be inserted into the rings so that the poles are on two sides of the altar when it is carried.
[They must] put the poles through the rings on each side of the altar. The poles are for carrying the altar.
8 Construct the altar with boards so that it is hollow. It is to be made just as you were shown on the mountain.
The altar will be like a box, made from boards [of acacia wood]. [They must] make it according to these instructions that I am giving you [here] on [this] mountain.”
9 You are also to make a courtyard for the tabernacle. On the south side of the courtyard make curtains of finely spun linen, a hundred cubits long on one side,
“Around the Sacred Tent there is to be a courtyard. To form the courtyard, [tell them to] make curtains of fine linen. On the south side, the curtain is to be (50 yards/44 meters) long.
10 with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, and silver hooks and bands on the posts.
[To support/hang the curtain], [tell them to] make twenty bronze posts, and one bronze base for each post. To fasten the curtains to the posts, [they must] make silver hooks, and [metal] rods [covered with] silver [to fasten the curtains to the hooks].
11 Likewise there are to be curtains on the north side, a hundred cubits long, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, and with silver hooks and bands on the posts.
[They must] make the same kind of curtains for the north side of the courtyard.
12 The curtains on the west side of the courtyard shall be fifty cubits wide, with ten posts and ten bases.
On the west side [of the courtyard] they must make a curtain (25 yards/22 meters) long. The curtains are to be supported by ten posts, with a base under [each] post.
13 The east side of the courtyard, toward the sunrise, is to be fifty cubits wide.
On the east side, [where the entrance is], the courtyard must also be (25 yards/22 meters) wide.
14 Make the curtains on one side fifteen cubits long, with three posts and three bases,
[Tell them to] make a curtain (22-1/2 feet/6.6 meters) wide for each side of the entrance [to the courtyard].
15 and the curtains on the other side fifteen cubits long, with three posts and three bases.
16 The gate of the courtyard shall be twenty cubits long, with a curtain embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. It shall have four posts and four bases.
They must make a curtain (30 feet/9 meters) long for the entrance. A skilled weaver must embroider it with blue, purple, and red yarn/thread. It must be (supported by/hung from) four posts, each one with a base under it.
17 All the posts around the courtyard shall have silver bands, silver hooks, and bronze bases.
All the posts around the courtyard must be connected with metal rods covered with silver. The clasps/fasteners must be made of silver, and the bases must be made of bronze.
18 The entire courtyard shall be a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide, with curtains of finely spun linen five cubits high, and with bronze bases.
The whole courtyard, [from the east entrance to the west end], must be (50 yards/44 meters) long, and the curtains that enclose it must be (7-1/2 feet/2.3 meters) high. All the curtains must be made of fine linen, and all the bases [under the posts] must be made of bronze.
19 All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, including all its tent pegs and the tent pegs of the courtyard, shall be made of bronze.
All the things [that are not made of gold] that are to be used inside the Sacred Tent and in the courtyard, and all the tent pegs to support the Sacred Tent and the curtains, must be made of bronze.
20 And you are to command the Israelites to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually.
“Command the Israeli people that they must bring to you the best kind of olive oil to [burn in] the lamps. [They must bring this oil to you continually], in order that the lamps can burn continually.
21 In the Tent of Meeting, outside the veil that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to tend the lamps before the LORD from evening until morning. This is to be a permanent statute for the Israelites for the generations to come.
They must put the lampstand outside of the curtain which is in front of [the sacred chest which contains the stone slabs on which I have written] my commandments. Aaron must take care of the lamps. [After he dies], his descendants must do this work. The lamps are to burn every night, from evening until morning. The Israeli people must obey this regulation throughout all future generations.”
