Exodus 25

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

Yahweh said to Moses,

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.

“Tell the Israelites to take an offering for me from every person who is motivated by a willing heart. You must receive these offerings for me.

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

These are the offerings that you must receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze;

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

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

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

ram skins dyed red and sea cow hides; 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 sanctuary lamps; spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant 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 other precious stones to be set for the ephod and breastpiece.

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

Let them make me a sanctuary so that I may live 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.”

You must make it exactly as I will show you in the plans for the tabernacle and for all its equipment.

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.

They are to make an ark of acacia wood. Its length must be two and a half cubits; its width will be one cubit and a half; and its height will be one cubit and a half.

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

You must cover it inside and out with pure gold, and you must make on it a border of gold around its top.

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.

You must cast four rings of gold for it, and put them on the ark's four feet, with two rings on one side of it, and two rings on the other side.

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

You must make poles of acacia wood and cover 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.

You must put the poles into the rings on the ark's sides, in order to carry the ark.

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

The poles must remain in the rings of the ark; they must 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.

You must put into the ark the covenant decrees that I will give you.

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.

You must make an atonement lid of pure gold. Its length must be two and a half cubits, and its width must be a cubit and a half.

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

You must make two cherubim of hammered gold for the two ends of the atonement lid.

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].

Make one cherub for one end of the atonement lid, and the other cherub for the other end. They must be made as one piece with the atonement lid.

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

The cherubim must spread out their wings upward and overshadow the atonement lid with them. The cherubim must face one another and look toward the center of the atonement lid.

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

You must put the atonement lid on top of the ark, and you must put into the ark the covenant decrees that I am giving you.

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.”

It is at the ark that I will meet with you. I will speak with you from my position above the atonement lid. It will be from between the two cherubim over the ark of the testimony that I will speak to you about all the commands I will give you for the Israelites.

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.

You must make a table of acacia wood. Its length must be two cubits; its width must be one cubit, and its height must be a cubit and a half.

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

You must cover it with pure gold and put a border of gold around the top.

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

You must make a surrounding frame for it one handbreadth wide, with a surrounding border of gold for the frame.

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].

You must make for it four rings of gold and attach the rings to the four corners, where the four feet were.

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

The rings must be attached to the frame to provide places for the poles, in order to carry 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.

You must make the poles out of acacia wood and cover them with gold so that the table may be carried 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.

You must make the dishes, spoons, pitchers, and bowls to be used to pour out drink offerings. You must make them of pure gold.

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.”

You must regularly set the bread of the presence on the table before me.

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.

You must make a lampstand of pure hammered gold. The lampstand is to be made with its base and shaft. Its cups, its leafy bases, and its flowers are to be all made of one piece with it.

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

Six branches must extend out from its sides—three branches must extend from one side, and three branches of the lampstand must extend from the other side.

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.

The first branch must have three cups made like almond blossoms, with a leafy base and a flower, and three cups made like almond blossoms in the other branch, with a leafy base and a flower. It must be the same for all six branches extending out from 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.

On the lampstand itself, the central shaft, there must be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their leafy bases and the flowers.

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

There must be a leafy base under the first pair of branches—made as one piece with it, and a leafy base under the second pair of branches—also made as one piece with it. In the same way there must be a leafy base under the third pair of branches, made as one piece with it. It must be the same for all six branches extending out from the lampstand.

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

Their leafy bases and branches must all be one piece with it, one beaten piece of 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).

You must make the lampstand and its seven lamps, and set up its lamps for them to give light from it.

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

The tongs and their trays must be made 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.

Use one talent of pure gold to make the lampstand and its accessories.

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

Be sure to make them after the pattern that you are being shown on the mountain.