Exodus 31
1 Then spake Yahweh unto Moses, saying:
Yahweh [also] said to Moses/me, “Note that I have chosen Bezalel, the son of Uri and grandson of Hur, from the tribe of Judah, [for special tasks].
2 See, I have called by name, Bezaleel, son of Uri, son of Hur of the tribe of Judah;
3 and have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and in understanding, and in knowledge and in all manner of workmanship;
I have caused him to be completely controlled/empowered by my Spirit, and I have given him special ability [to make things] and have enabled him to know how to do very skilled work.
4 to devise skilful designs, to work in gold and in silver, and in bronze;
He can engrave skillful designs in gold, silver, and bronze.
5 and in the cutting of stones for setting, and in the carving of wood, —to work in all manner of workmanship,
He can cut (jewels/valuable stones) and enclose them [in tiny gold settings/frames]. He can carve things from wood and do other skilled work.
6 I myself, therefore, lo! I have given with him Oholiab, son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan, and in the heart of every one that is wise-hearted, have I put wisdom, —so shall they make all that I have commanded thee—
Note that I have also appointed Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan, to work with him. I have also given special ability to other men, in order that they can make all the things that I have commanded you [to be made].
7 the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony; and the propitiatory which is thereupon, and all the utensils of the tent;
That includes the Sacred Tent, the sacred chest and its lid, all the other things that will be inside the Sacred Tent,
8 and the table, and its utensils, and the pure lampstand, and all its utensils, —and the incense altar;
the table and all the things that are used with it, the pure gold lampstand and all the things that are used to take care of it, the altar [for burning] incense,
9 and the altar for the ascending-sacrifice, and all its utensils, and the laver, and its stand;
the altar for offering sacrifices that will be burned and all the things that will be used with it, the washbasin and its base,
10 and the cloths of variegated stuff, and the holy garments, for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, for ministering as priests;
all the beautiful sacred clothes for Aaron and his sons to wear when they work as priests,
11 and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the holy place, according to all which I have commanded thee, shall they do.
the oil for anointing, and the sweet-smelling incense for the Holy Place. [The skilled workers] must make all these things exactly as I have told you to do.”
12 Then spake Yahweh unto Moses saying—
Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
13 Thou thyself, therefore, speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, Surely, my sabbaths, shall ye keep, for, a sign it is betwixt me and you to your generations, that ye may know that I Yahweh do hallow you.
“Tell the Israeli people, ‘Obey my instructions regarding the (rest days/Sabbath days). Those days will remind you [and your descendants], throughout all future generations, that I, Yahweh, have (set you apart/chosen you) to be my people.
14 Therefore shall ye keep the sabbath, for holy, it is unto you, he that profaneth it shall be surely put to death; verily whosoever doeth therein any work that soul shall be cut off from the midst of its people:
You must obey [my rules about] the Sabbath days because they are holy/sacred. Those who treat those days in an irreverent way by working on those days must be executed [to show that] I no longer consider them to belong to my people.
15 Six days, shall work be done, but on the seventh day, is a holy sabbath-keeping of rest unto Yahweh, —whosoever doeth work on the sabbath day, shall be, surely put to death.
You may work for six days [each week], but the seventh day [of each week] is a solemn day of rest, dedicated to me, Yahweh. Anyone who does any work on a day of rest is to be executed [because I no longer want them to be able to associate with my people].
16 Therefore shall the sons of Israel keep the sabbath, —by making it a Day of Rest to your generations, as an age-abiding covenant:
You Israeli people must respect the rest day, and you [and your descendants] must (celebrate it/keep it holy) throughout all future generations. [It will remind you] of the agreement that I have made with you that will last forever.
17 between me and the sons of Israel, a sign it is unto times age-abiding, —for in six days, did Yahweh make the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day, he rested, and was refreshed.
It will remind you Israeli people and remind me [of that agreement] because I, Yahweh, created the heavens and the earth in six days, and on the seventh day I stopped doing that work and relaxed.’”
18 Then gave he unto Moses, as he finished speaking with him in Mount Sinai, the two tables of the testimony, —tables of stone, written with the finger of God,
When Yahweh finished talking with Moses/me on the top of Sinai Mountain, he gave him/me the two stone slabs on which he had engraved his commandments with his own fingers.
