Exodus 25

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

And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

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

Speak to the sons of Israel, that they take for me an offering; of every man whose heart makes him willing ye shall take my offering.

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

And this is the offering which ye shall take of them: gold, and silver, and brass,

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

and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,

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

and rams' skins dyed red, and certain skins, and acacia wood,

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

oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense,

7 [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].

onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate.

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

And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.

9 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.”

According to all that I show thee: the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the furniture of it, even so shall ye make it.

10 “[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.

And they shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it.

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

And thou shall overlay it with pure gold. Inside and outside thou shall overlay it, and shall make upon it a crown of gold round about.

12 [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.

And thou shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four feet of it. And two rings shall be on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.

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

And thou shall make staves of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.

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

And thou shall put the staves into the rings on the sides of the ark, with which to bear the ark.

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

The staves shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it.

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

And thou shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.

17 [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.

And thou shall make a mercy-seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it.

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

And thou shall make two cherubim of gold; of beaten work shall thou make them, at the two ends of the mercy-seat.

19 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].

And make one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end; of one piece with the mercy-seat ye shall make the cherubim on the two ends of it.

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

And the cherubim shall spread out their wings on high, covering the mercy-seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy-seat.

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

And thou shall put the mercy-seat above upon the ark. And in the ark thou shall put the testimony that I shall give thee.

22 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.”

And there I will meet with thee. And I will commune with thee from above the mercy-seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment to the sons of Israel.

23 “[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.

And thou shall make a table of acacia wood, two cubits the length of it, and a cubit the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it.

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

And thou shall overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.

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

And thou shall make to it a border of a handbreadth round about, and thou shall make a golden crown to the border of it round about.

26 [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].

And thou shall make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet of it.

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

The rings shall be close by the border, for places for the staves to bear the table.

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

And thou shall make the staves of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.

29 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.

And thou shall make the dishes of it, and the spoons of it, and the pitchers of it, and the bowls of it, with which to pour out, of pure gold thou shall make them.

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

And thou shall set upon the table showbread before me always.

31 “[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.

And thou shall make a lampstand of pure gold. Of beaten work shall the lampstand be made, even its base, and its shaft, its cups, its knobs, and its flowers, shall be of one piece with it.

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

And there shall be six branches going out of the sides of it, three branches of the lampstand out of the one side of it, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it:

33 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.

three cups made like almond-blossoms in one branch, a knob and a flower, and three cups made like almond-blossoms in the other branch, a knob and a flower, so for the six branches going out of the lampstand,

34 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.

and in the lampstand four cups made like almond-blossoms, the knobs of it, and the flowers of it.

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

And a knob under two branches of one piece with it, and a knob under two branches of one piece with it, and a knob under two branches of one piece with it, for the six branches going out of the lampstand.

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

Their knobs and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it one beaten work of pure gold.

37 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).

And thou shall make the lamps of it, seven. And they shall light the lamps of it, to give light in front of it.

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

And the snuffers of it, and the snuff dishes of it, shall be of pure gold.

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

Of a talent of pure gold shall it be made, with all these vessels.

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

And see that thou make them according to their pattern that has been shown thee on the mountain.