< Exodus 31 >
1 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].
And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,
3 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.
and have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in every work,
4 He can engrave skillful designs in gold, silver, and bronze.
to devise artistic work — to work in gold, and in silver, and in copper,
5 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.
and in cutting of stones, for setting, and for carving of timber — to work in all manner of work.
6 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].
And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the heart of every one that is wise-hearted have I given wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee —
7 That includes the Sacred Tent, the sacred chest and its lid, all the other things that will be inside the Sacred Tent,
the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy-seat that is thereupon, and all the utensils of the tent,
8 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,
and the table and its utensils, and the pure lamp-stand and all its utensils, and the altar of incense;
9 the altar for offering sacrifices that will be burned and all the things that will be used with it, the washbasin and its base,
and the altar of burnt-offering and all its utensils, and the laver and its stand;
10 all the beautiful sacred clothes for Aaron and his sons to wear when they work as priests,
and the garments of service, both the holy garments of Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to serve as priests;
11 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.”
and the anointing oil, and the incense of fragrant drugs for the sanctuary: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.
12 Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
13 “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.
And thou, speak thou unto the children of Israel, saying, Surely my sabbaths shall ye keep; for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that ye may know that it is I, Jehovah, who do hallow you.
14 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.
Keep the sabbath, therefore; for it is holy unto you; every one that profaneth it shall certainly be put to death: yea, whoever doeth work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his peoples.
15 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].
Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, holy to Jehovah: whoever doeth work on the sabbath day shall certainly be put to death.
16 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.
And the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations — [it is] an everlasting covenant.
17 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.’”
It shall be a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever; for [in] six days Jehovah made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
18 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.
And he gave to Moses, when he had ended speaking with him on mount Sinai, the two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.