Exodus 37

1 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Its length was two and a half cubits, and its width a cubit and a half, and a cubit and a half its height.

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.

2 He overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold for it around it.

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

3 He cast four rings of gold for it in its four feet—two rings on its one side, and two rings on its other side.

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.

4 He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

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

5 He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.

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].

6 He made a mercy seat of pure gold. Its length was two and a half cubits, and a cubit and a half its width.

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.

7 He made two cherubim of gold. He made them of beaten work, at the two ends of the mercy seat:

He made two winged creatures from hammered gold.

8 one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end. He made the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends.

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].

9 The cherubim spread out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one another. The faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.

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

10 He made the table of acacia wood. Its length was two cubits, and its width was a cubit, and its height was a cubit and a half.

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.

11 He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a gold molding around it.

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

12 He made a border of a hand’s width around it, and made a golden molding on its border around it.

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

13 He cast four rings of gold for it, and put the rings in the four corners that were on its four feet.

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].

14 The rings were close by the border, the places for the poles to carry the table.

The rings were fastened to the table near the rim.

15 He made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table.

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

16 He made the vessels which were on the table, its dishes, its spoons, its bowls, and its pitchers with which to pour out, of pure gold.

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].

17 He made the lamp stand of pure gold. He made the lamp stand of beaten work. Its base, its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its flowers were of one piece with it.

[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.

18 There were six branches going out of its sides: three branches of the lamp stand out of its one side, and three branches of the lamp stand out of its other side:

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

19 three cups made like almond blossoms in one branch, a bud and a flower, and three cups made like almond blossoms in the other branch, a bud and a flower; so for the six branches going out of the lamp stand.

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

20 In the lamp stand were four cups made like almond blossoms, its buds and its flowers;

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.

21 and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, for the six branches going out of it.

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

22 Their buds and their branches were of one piece with it. The whole thing was one beaten work of pure gold.

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

23 He made its seven lamps, and its snuffers, and its snuff dishes, of pure gold.

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].

24 He made it of a talent of pure gold, with all its vessels.

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.

25 He made the altar of incense of acacia wood. It was square: its length was a cubit, and its width a cubit. Its height was two cubits. Its horns were of one piece with it.

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.

26 He overlaid it with pure gold: its top, its sides around it, and its horns. He made a gold molding around it.

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].

27 He made two golden rings for it under its molding crown, on its two ribs, on its two sides, for places for poles with which to carry it.

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.

28 He made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold.

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

29 He made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices, after the art of the perfumer.

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