Exodus 26

1 “[Tell the people to] make the Sacred Tent using ten long strips of fine linen. They must take blue, purple, and red thread (OR, weave the strips from blue, purple, and red thread), and [a skilled craftsman] must embroider these strips with [designs that represent] the winged creatures [that are above the chest].

“You are to construct the tabernacle itself with ten curtains of finely spun linen, each with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and cherubim skillfully worked into them.

2 Each strip is to be (14 yards/twelve meters) long and (2 yards/1.8 meters) wide.

Each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide —all curtains the same size.

3 [Tell them to] sew five strips together to make one set, and sew the other five strips together to make another set.

Five of the curtains are to be joined together, and the other five joined as well.

4 For each set, [they must] make loops of blue [cloth] and fasten them along the outer edge of the strip, at the end of each set.

Make loops of blue material on the edge of the end curtain in the first set, and do the same for the end curtain in the second set.

5 [They must] put 50 loops on the edge of the first set, and 50 loops on the edge of the second set.

Make fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the second set, so that the loops line up opposite one another.

6 [Tell them to] make 50 gold clasps/fasteners, to fasten both of the sets together. As a result, the inside of the Sacred Tent will be [as though it was] one piece.

Make fifty gold clasps as well, and join the curtains together with the clasps, so that the tabernacle will be a unit.

7 Also, [tell them to] make a cover for the Sacred Tent from eleven pieces of cloth made from goats’ hair.

You are to make curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle—eleven curtains in all.

8 Each piece of cloth is to be (15 yards/13.5 meters) long and (2 yards/1.8 meters) wide.

Each of the eleven curtains is to be the same size—thirty cubits long and four cubits wide.

9 [Tell them to] sew five of these pieces of cloth together to make one set, and sew the other six pieces of cloth together to make another set. [They] must fold the sixth piece [of cloth] in half to make it double over the front of the Sacred Tent.

Join five of the curtains into one set and the other six into another. Then fold the sixth curtain over double at the front of the tent.

10 [Tell them to] make 100 loops [of blue cloth], and to fasten 50 of them to the outer edge of the one set and fasten 50 to the outer edge of the other set.

Make fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in the first set, and fifty loops along the edge of the corresponding curtain in the second set.

11 [Tell them to] make fifty bronze clasps/fasteners and put them in the cloth loops to join the two sets together. As a result, the cover for the Sacred Tent will be [as though it was] one piece.

Make fifty bronze clasps and put them through the loops to join the tent together as a unit.

12 [Let] the extra part of the cover, the part that extends beyond [the linen cloth], hang over the back of the Sacred Tent.

As for the overlap that remains of the tent curtains, the half curtain that is left over shall hang down over the back of the tabernacle.

13 The extra half yard/meter of each cover, the part that extends beyond [the linen cloth] on each side, must hang over the two sides of the Sacred Tent, to protect the sides.

And the tent curtains will be a cubit longer on either side, and the excess will hang over the sides of the tabernacle to cover it.

14 [Tell them to] make two more covers for the Sacred Tent. One is to be made from rams’ skins that have been (tanned/dyed red), and the top cover is to be made from goatskin leather.”

Also make a covering for the tent out of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of fine leather.

15 “[Tell them to] make frames from acacia wood, frames that will be set up [from which to hang the Sacred Tent covers].

You are to construct upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle.

16 Each frame is to be (five yards/four meters) long and (27 in./66 cm.) wide.

Each frame is to be ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.

17 [They] must make two projections at the bottom of each frame. These will be to fasten the frames to the bases underneath them. They must make these projections at the bottom of each frame.

Two tenons must be connected to each other for each frame. Make all the frames of the tabernacle in this way.

18 Make 20 frames for the south side of the Sacred Tent.

Construct twenty frames for the south side of the tabernacle,

19 [Tell them to] make 40 silver bases to go underneath them. Two bases will go under each frame. The projections [at the bottom] of each frame are [to be made] to fit into the bases.

with forty silver bases under the twenty frames—two bases for each frame, one under each tenon.

20 [Similarly], [tell them to] make twenty frames for the north side of the Sacred Tent.

For the second side of the tabernacle, the north side, make twenty frames

21 [They] must make 40 silver bases for them also, with two bases to be put under each frame.

and forty silver bases—two bases under each frame.

22 For the rear of the Sacred Tent, on the west side, [tell them to] make six frames.

Make six frames for the rear of the tabernacle, the west side,

23 Also, [tell them to] make two extra frames, one for each corner of the rear of the Sacred Tent, [to provide extra support].

and two frames for the two back corners of the tabernacle,

24 The two corner frames must be joined from the bottom to the top (OR, joined at both the bottom and the top). At the top of each of the two corner frames there must be a gold ring for holding the crossbar.

coupled together from bottom to top and fitted into a single ring. These will serve as the two corners.

25 In that way, [for the rear of the Sacred Tent] there will be eight frames, and there will be 16 bases, two under each frame.

So there are to be eight frames and sixteen silver bases—two under each frame.

26 [Tell them to] make 15 crossbars from acacia wood.

You are also to make five crossbars of acacia wood for the frames on one side of the tabernacle,

27 Five of them will be for the frames on the north side of the Sacred Tent, five will be for the south side, and five for the frames at the rear of the Sacred Tent, the west side.

five for those on the other side, and five for those on the rear side of the tabernacle, to the west.

28 Tell them to fasten the crossbars on the north, south, and west sides of the Sacred Tent to the middle of the frames. The two long ones must extend from one end of the Sacred Tent to the other, and the crossbar on the west side must extend from one side of the Sacred Tent to the other.

The central crossbar in the middle of the frames shall extend from one end to the other.

29 [Tell them to] cover the frames with gold, and make gold rings to fasten the crossbars to the frames. The crossbars must [also] be covered with gold.

Overlay the frames with gold and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. Also overlay the crossbars with gold.

30 Erect the Sacred Tent in the way that I have shown you [here] on [this] mountain.”

So you are to set up the tabernacle according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.

31 “[Tell them to] make a curtain from fine linen. A skilled craftsman must embroider it with blue, purple, and red yarn/thread, making [designs to represent] the winged creatures [that are above the chest].

Make a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen, with cherubim skillfully worked into it.

32 [Tell them to] suspend/hang the curtain from four posts made from acacia wood and covered with gold. Set [each] post in a silver base.

Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood, overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases.

33 [They] must suspend/hang the [top of the] curtain by hooks that are fastened to the roof of the Sacred Tent. Behind the curtain, in the [room called the] Very Holy Place, [they] must put the chest containing the [two stone slabs on which I have written my] commandments. That curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Very Holy Place.

And hang the veil from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the veil. So the veil will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

34 On top of the chest in the Very Holy Place [they] must put the lid which will be the place where [blood will be sprinkled to] forgive people’s sins.

Put the mercy seat on the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy Place.

35 [In the room that is] outside of the Very Holy Place, [they] must put the table [for the sacred] bread on the north side, and put the lampstand on the south side.

And place the table outside the veil on the north side of the tabernacle, and put the lampstand opposite the table, on the south side.

36 [Tell them to] make a curtain to [cover] the entrance of the Sacred Tent. They must make it from fine linen, and a skilled weaver must embroider it with blue, purple, and red yarn/thread.

For the entrance to the tent, you are to make a curtain embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen.

37 To hold up this curtain, [they] must make five posts from acacia wood. [They] must cover them with gold, and fasten gold clasps/fasteners to them. Also [they] must make a bronze base for each of these posts.”

Make five posts of acacia wood for the curtain, overlay them with gold hooks, and cast five bronze bases for them.