Exodus 37

1 Then Bezalel made the [sacred] chest from acacia wood. It was (45 in./110 cm.) long, (27 in./66 cm.) wide, and (27 in./66 cm.) high.

Now Bezalel also made the ark from setim wood, having two and one half cubits in length, and one and one half cubits in width, and the height was also one and one half cubits. And he clothed it with the purest gold, inside and out.

2 He covered it with pure gold inside and outside the chest, and he made a gold border around the top of it.

And for it he made a crown of gold all around,

3 He made/cast four rings from gold [and fastened them] to the legs of the chest. He put two rings on each side of the chest.

casting four gold rings at its four corners: two rings on one side, and two on the other.

4 He made [two] poles from acacia wood, and covered them with gold.

Likewise, he made bars from setim wood, which he clothed with gold,

5 He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the chest, in order that the chest could be carried [by means of the poles].

and he placed them into the rings, which were at the sides of the ark, to carry it.

6 He made a lid for the chest. That was [the place where Yahweh would] forgive people’s sins. It [also] was (45 in./110 cm.) long and (27 in./66 cm.) wide.

He also made the propitiatory, that is, the oracle, from the finest gold, two and one half cubits in length, and one and one half cubits in width,

7 He made two winged creatures from hammered gold.

and then two Cherubim of ductile gold, which he positioned at the two sides of the propitiatory:

8 One of these was put at each end of the chest. The gold [with which they were made] was joined to the gold from which the lid [was made].

one Cherub at the top of one side, and the other Cherub at the top of the other side. The two Cherubim were at each end of the propitiatory,

9 [He placed] the winged creatures facing each other so that their wings touched each other and spread out over the lid.

spreading their wings, and protecting the propitiatory, and gazing toward it and toward one another.

10 Bezalel made a table from acacia wood. It was (36 in./88 cm.) long, (18 in./44 cm.) wide, and (27 in./66 cm.) high.

He also made the table from setim wood, with a length of two cubits, and a width of one cubit, which had a height of one and one half cubits.

11 He covered it with pure gold, and he put a gold border around it.

And he surrounded it with the finest gold, and for it he made a ledge of gold all around,

12 He made a rim all around it, (3 in./7 cm.) wide. He put a gold border around the rim.

and for the ledge itself he made a polished crown of gold, four fingers high, and upon the same, another crown of gold.

13 He made/cast four rings from gold and fastened the rings to the four corners of the table, one ring close to each leg [of the table].

And he cast four gold rings, which he set at the four corners at each foot of the table,

14 The rings were fastened to the table near the rim.

opposite the crown. And he placed the bars into them, so that the table could be carried.

15 He made two poles from acacia wood and covered them with gold. These poles for carrying the table were then inserted into the rings.

Likewise, the bars themselves he made from setim wood, and he surrounded them with gold.

16 He also made from pure gold all the things to be put on the table. He made the plates, the cups, and the jars and bowls to be used [when the priests] poured out wine [as an offering to Yahweh].

And he made vessels for the diverse uses of the table, as well as the little cups, and bowls, and measuring cups, and the censers, from pure gold, in which the libations would be offered.

17 [He] made the lampstand from pure gold. Its base and its shaft were hammered from [one large lump of] gold. [The branches of the lampstand], the cups for holding the oil, the flower buds and the petals [that decorated the branches of the lamp, the base, and the shaft were all hammered from] one [big] lump of gold.

He also made the lampstand, formed from the finest gold. The branches, bowls, and little spheres, as well as the lilies, proceeded from its bar:

18 There were six branches on the lampstand, three on each side [of the shaft].

six on the two sides, three branches on one side, and three on the other.

19 Each of the branches had on it three [gold decorations that looked like] almond blossoms. These decorations also had flower buds and [flower] petals.

Three bowls, the size of a nut, were on each branch, with little spheres and lilies, and three bowls, in the likeness of a nut, were on the other branch, with the little spheres together with the lilies. The workmanship of the six branches, which proceeded from the shaft of the lampstand, was equal.

20 On the [shaft of the] lampstand there were four [gold decorations that also looked like] almond blossoms, each one with flower buds and [flower] petals.

Now on the shaft itself were four bowls, the size of a nut, and little spheres together with each one, and lilies,

21 On each side, beneath and extending from each of the branches, there was one [flower] bud.

and little spheres under two branches in three places, which together made six branches proceeding from one bar.

22 All these [flower] buds and branches, along with the shaft, were hammered from one large lump of pure gold.

Thus, both the little spheres and the branches were from the same thing: all hand-worked from the purest gold.

23 Bezalel also made seven small cups [for holding oil. He put one cup on top of the shaft and he put the others on top of the branches]. He made from pure gold the tongs [for removing the burned wicks] and the trays [in which to put the burned wicks].

He also made the seven lamps with their candle snuffers, and the vessels where the candles would be extinguished, from the finest gold.

24 He used (75 pounds/35 kg.) of pure gold to make the lampstand and all the things that were used to take care of it.

The lampstand with all its vessels weighed a talent of gold.

25 From acacia wood, Bezalel made the altar [for burning] incense. It was square, (18 in./45 cm.) on each side. It was (3 ft./90 cm.) high. He made [a projection that looked like] a horn on each of the top corners. The projections were carved from the same block of wood that the altar was made of.

He also made the altar of incense from setim wood, having one cubit on each of four sides, and in height, two. From its corners proceeded horns.

26 He covered the top and the four sides, including the projections, with pure gold. He put a gold border around the altar, [near the top].

And he clothed it with the purest gold, with its grating, as well as the sides and the horns.

27 He made two gold rings for carrying the altar. Then he attached them to the altar below the border, one on each side of the altar. The poles by means of which the altar was to be carried were to be inserted into those rings.

And for it he made a crown of gold all around, and two gold rings under the crown at each side, so that the bars might be put into them, and the altar could be carried.

28 He made those [two] poles from acacia wood and covered them with gold.

Now the bars themselves he also made from setim wood, and he covered them with layers of gold.

29 He also made the sacred oil for anointing and the pure sweet-smelling incense. He mixed the incense together as a skilled perfumer would.

He also composed the oil for the ointment of sanctification, and the incense, from the purest aromatics, with the skill of a perfumer.