Exodus 25

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

Yahweh said to Moses/me, “There [are many things that I want] you to tell to the Israeli people.

2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, so that they may take the first-fruits to me. You shall accept these from every man who offers of his own accord.

Tell them that they must give offerings/gifts to me. Receive from the people every offering/gift that they want to give to me.

3 Now these are the things that you must accept: Gold, and silver, and brass,

These are the things that they may offer/give: Gold, silver, bronze,

4 hyacinth and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine linen, the hair of goats,

blue, purple, and scarlet yarn/wool, fine (linen/white cloth), goats’ hair for making [cloth],

5 and the skins of rams, dyed red, and skins of violet, and setim wood,

rams’ skins that have been (tanned/dyed red), goatskins, [hard] wood from acacia [trees],

6 oil to prepare lights, aromatics as ointments and sweet-smelling incense,

olive oil [to burn] in the lamps, spices to [put in] the olive oil for anointing [the priests] and in the sweet-smelling incense,

7 onyx stones and gems to adorn the ephod as well as the breastplate.

[expensive quartz] stones [called] onyx, and other expensive stones to be fastened [to the priest’s vest] and put on the pouches [that are to be fastened to the vest].

8 And they shall make a sanctuary for me, and I will live in their midst.

Tell the people to make a big Sacred Tent for me, so that I can live in it among them.

9 According to exact likeness of the tabernacle, and all of the vessels for its rituals, that I will reveal to you, so shall you make it.

They must make the Sacred Tent and all the things that will be used inside it according to the plan/model that I will show you.”

10 Join together an ark of setim wood, whose length shall hold two and one half cubits; the width, one and one half cubits; the height, likewise, one and one half cubits.

“[Tell the people to] make a [sacred] chest from acacia wood. It is to be (45 in./110 cm.) long, (27 in./66 cm.) wide, and (27 in./66 cm.) high.

11 And you shall overlay it with the finest gold, inside and out. And over it, you shall fashion a gold crown all around,

Cover it with pure gold inside and outside, and put a gold border around the top of it.

12 and four gold rings, which you shall set into the four corners of the ark. Let two rings be on one side and two on the other.

[They must] make/cast four rings from gold and fasten them to the legs of the chest. Put two rings on each side of the chest.

13 Likewise, you shall make bars of setim wood and cover them with gold.

[They must] make [two] poles from acacia wood, and they must cover them with gold.

14 And you shall put them through the rings that are in the sides of the ark, so that it may be carried on them.

[They must] put the poles into the rings on the sides of the chest, so that the chest can be carried by the poles.

15 These must always be in the rings, neither shall they ever be drawn out of them.

The poles must always be left in the rings; they must not take the poles out [of the rings].

16 And you shall place the testimony, which I will give to you, in the ark.

Put inside the chest the [two stone slabs that I will give you, on which] I have written my commandments.

17 You shall also make a propitiatory of the finest gold. Its length shall hold two and one half cubits, and the width, one and one half cubits.

[Tell them to] make a lid for the chest from pure gold. [It will be the place where I will] forgive people’s sins. It [also] is to be (45 in./110 cm.) long and (27 in./66 cm.) wide.

18 Likewise, you shall make two Cherubim of formed gold, on both sides of the oracle.

[Tell them to] hammer [huge lump of] gold into the form of two creatures that have wings.

19 Let one Cherub be on the one side, and the other be on the other.

One of these is to be put at each end of the chest, but the gold [from which] they [are made] must be joined to the gold from which the lid [is made].

20 And let them cover both sides of the propitiatory, spreading their wings and covering the oracle, and let them look out toward one another, their faces being turned toward the propitiatory, with which the ark is to be covered,

[Tell them to place the] winged creatures so that their wings touch each other and spread out over the lid.

21 in which you will place the testimony that I will give to you.

Put inside the chest the stone slabs that I will give you. Then fasten the lid onto the top of the chest.

22 From there, I will warn you and speak to you, above the propitiatory and from the middle of the two Cherubim, which will be over the ark of the testimony, about everything that I will command of the sons of Israel through you.

I will set times to talk with you there. From above the lid of the chest, between the two winged creatures, I will tell to you all my laws that [you must tell] to the Israeli people.”

23 You shall also make a table of setim wood, having two cubits of length, and one cubit in width, and one cubit and one half cubits in height.

“[Tell them to] make a table from acacia wood. It is to be (36 in./88 cm.) long, (18 in./66 cm.) wide, and (27 in./66 cm.) high.

24 And you shall overlay it with the purest gold. And you shall make it with a gold lip all around,

[Tell them to] cover it with pure gold and put a gold border around it.

25 and for the lip itself an engraved crown, four fingers high, and above it another little gold crown.

[Tell them to] make a rim all around it, (3 in./7.5 cm.) wide, and put a gold border around the rim.

26 Likewise, you shall prepare four gold rings and set them in the four corners of the same table, over each foot.

[Tell them to] make/cast four rings from gold and fasten the rings to the four corners of the table, one ring close to each leg [of the table].

27 Under the crown, there shall be gold rings, so that the bars may be put through them and the table may be carried.

The rings should be fastened to the table near the rim.

28 Likewise, the bars themselves you shall make of setim wood, and surround them with gold, to lift up the table.

Make two poles from acacia wood and cover them with gold. The poles for carrying the table are to be inserted in the rings.

29 You shall also prepare small cups, as well as bowls, censers, and measuring cups, with which the libations shall be offered, out of the purest gold.

Also [tell them to] make plates, cups, jars, and bowls to be used [when the priests] pour out wine [to offer to me]. They must all be made from pure gold.

30 And you shall place upon the table the bread of the presence, in my sight always.

On the table, in front of the chest, there must always be the loaves of sacred bread [that the priests have offered] to me.”

31 You shall also make a lampstand, formed from the finest gold, along with its stem and arms, its bowl and little spheres, as well as the lilies proceeding from it.

“[Tell them to] make a lampstand from pure gold. They must hammer [one large lump of] gold to make its base and its shaft. [The branches of the lampstand], the cups for holding the oil, the flower buds and the [flower] petals [that decorate the branches of the lamp, the base, and the shaft are all to be hammered from] one [big] lump of gold.

32 Six branches shall go out from the sides: three out of one side and three out of the other.

There are to be six branches on the lampstand, three on each side [of the shaft].

33 Three bowls, the size of nuts, shall be on each branch, and a little sphere with it, and a lily. And three similar bowls, in the likeness of nuts, shall be on the other branch, and a little sphere with it, and a lily. This shall be the form of the six branches, which are to proceed from the stem.

Each of the branches is to have on it three [gold decorations that will look like] almond blossoms. These decorations must also have flower buds and [flower] petals.

34 Then, in the lampstand itself, there shall be four bowls, the size of nuts, and each with little spheres and lilies.

On the [shaft of the] lampstand there are to be four [gold decorations that also look like] almond blossoms, each one with flower buds and petals.

35 Little spheres under two branches in three places, which together make six, shall proceed from one of the stems.

On each side, there is to be one [flower] bud beneath each of the branches.

36 Thus both the little spheres and the branches shall be made out of the same thing: entirely formed from the purest gold.

All these buds and branches, along with the shaft, are to be hammered from one large lump of pure gold.

37 You shall also make seven lamps, and you shall place them upon the lampstand, so that they may give light in every direction.

Also [tell them to] make seven small cups [for holding oil. One is to be put on top of the shaft and the others are to be put on top of the branches]. Place these cups so that [when the lamps are lit], the light will shine toward the (front of the lampstand/entrance).

38 Likewise, the candle snuffers, and the place where the candles will be extinguished, shall be made from the purest gold.

[Tell them to] make tongs from pure gold, [to remove the burned wicks] and trays [in which to put the burned wicks].

39 The entire weight of the candlestick, with all its parts, shall hold one talent of the purest gold.

[Tell them to] use (75 pounds/35 kg.) of pure gold to make the lampstand and the tongs and the trays.

40 Observe, and then make it according to the example that was shown to you on the mountain.”

Make sure that they make these things according to the instructions that I am giving you [here] on [this] mountain.”