Exodus

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

1The LORD spoke to Moses. This is what he said.

2Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.

2Tell the people of Israel to bring me a gift. Take gifts only from people who give gladly.

3And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,

3Here are the gifts you may take from them: gold, silver, and bronze.

4And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,

4Also blue, purple, and red yarn. Also fine cloth called linen, and goat hair.

5And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood,

5Also ram skins dyed red, and fine leather, and strong wood from acacia trees.

NoteThe KJV says "badgers' skins." No one is sure what animal is meant. Most translations today say fine leather.

6Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,

6Also olive oil for the lamps. Also spices for the holy oil and for sweet-smelling incense.

7Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.

7Also onyx stones and other fine stones. They will be set into the priest's vest and chest piece.

8And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

8Have them build me a holy place. Then I will live among them.

9According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

9Build the tent and everything inside it just like the plan I show you.

10And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

10Have them build a chest of acacia wood. Make it two and a half cubits long. Make it one and a half cubits wide and high.

NoteA cubit was about 18 inches, roughly the length of a grown man's forearm.

11And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.

11Cover it with pure gold, inside and outside. Put a gold trim all around it.

12And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.

12Make four gold rings. Attach them to its four feet, two rings on each side.

13And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.

13Make poles out of acacia wood. Cover the poles with gold.

14And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.

14Slide the poles through the rings on the sides. Then people can carry the chest.

15The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.

15The poles must stay in the rings. No one may take them out.

16And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.

16Put the Testimony inside the chest. That is the law I will give you.

17And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

17Make a cover of pure gold for the chest. Make it two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide.

18And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.

18Make two gold cherubim for the two ends of the cover. Cherubim are winged creatures. Hammer them out of gold.

19And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.

19Put one winged creature on each end. Make them from one piece with the cover.

20And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.

20Their wings must spread up and reach over the cover. They must face each other and look down at it.

21And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

21Set the cover on top of the chest. Put the Testimony that I give you inside.

22And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

22I will meet you there, above the cover. I will speak with you from between the two winged creatures. I will tell you my commands for Israel.

23Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

23Also make a table of acacia wood. Make it two cubits long, one cubit wide, and one and a half cubits high.

24And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.

24Cover the table with pure gold. Put a gold trim all around it.

25And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about.

25Make a rim around it as wide as a hand. Put a gold trim on the rim too.

26And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.

26Make four gold rings for the table. Attach them at the four corners, by the legs.

27Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.

27Put the rings close to the rim. They will hold the poles that carry the table.

28And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.

28Make the poles from acacia wood and cover them with gold. They are for carrying the table.

29And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.

29Also make plates, dishes, jars, and bowls for pouring out drink gifts. Make them all of pure gold.

30And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.

30Always keep the special bread on the table in front of me.

NoteThe KJV calls this "shewbread." It means bread set out where God can see it. Fresh loaves were placed there each week.

31And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.

31Make a lampstand of pure gold. Hammer it from one piece. Its base, stem, cups, buds, and flowers are all part of it.

32And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:

32Six branches must come out from its sides. Three branches on one side, and three on the other.

33Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.

33Put three cups shaped like almond flowers on each branch. Each cup has a bud and a flower. Do this for all six branches.

34And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.

34The middle stem has four cups shaped like almond flowers, with their buds and flowers.

35And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.

35Put one bud under each pair of branches. That gives three buds for the six branches.

36Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.

36The buds and branches must be one piece with the lampstand. Hammer it all from pure gold.

37And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.

37Make seven lamps for it. Set them up so they shine light out in front.

38And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.

38Make the tools for trimming the wicks, and their little trays, out of pure gold.

39Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.

39Use one talent of pure gold to make the lampstand and all its tools.

NoteA talent was a weight of about 75 pounds.

40And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

40Be careful to make everything just like the plan I showed you on the mountain.