Exodus

Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.

1Make my tent, called the tabernacle, with ten curtains. Use fine linen thread in blue, purple, and red. Skilled workers must sew cherubim, which are winged heavenly beings, into the cloth.

2The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure.

2Each curtain must be twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide. All ten curtains must be the same size.

NoteA cubit is an old way to measure length. It is about eighteen inches, or the length of a grown-up's forearm.

3The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another.

3Sew five of the curtains together into one big piece. Sew the other five together the same way.

4And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.

4Make loops of blue cloth along the edge of the end curtain. Do the same on the edge of the other big piece.

5Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second; that the loops may take hold one of another.

5Make fifty loops on one piece and fifty loops on the other. The loops must line up right across from each other.

6And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the taches: and it shall be one tabernacle.

6Make fifty gold clasps. Use them to hook the two pieces together. Then the tabernacle will be one whole thing.

NoteThe King James Bible calls these 'taches.' They are clasps, like big hooks that hold two things together.

7And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.

7Then make curtains out of goat hair to go over the tabernacle. Make eleven of these curtains.

8The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and the eleven curtains shall be all of one measure.

8Each of these curtains must be thirty cubits long and four cubits wide. All eleven must be the same size.

9And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle.

9Sew five of them together into one piece and six into another. Fold the sixth curtain double at the front of the tent.

10And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.

10Make fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain of one piece. Make fifty more along the edge of the other piece.

11And thou shalt make fifty taches of brass, and put the taches into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one.

11Make fifty bronze clasps. Put them through the loops to hook the tent together as one whole thing.

12And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle.

12There will be extra cloth left over. Let that extra half curtain hang down over the back of the tabernacle.

13And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it.

13The goat hair curtains will also be one cubit longer on each side. Let the extra hang down over both sides to cover them.

14And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers’ skins.

14Then make a cover for the tent out of ram skins dyed red. Over that, put a cover of fine leather.

NoteThe King James Bible says 'badgers' skins.' Nobody today knows for sure which animal this means. Most people think it was a strong, fine leather.

15And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up.

15Make upright frames for the tabernacle out of acacia wood. They will stand up like walls.

NoteThe King James Bible says 'shittim wood.' That is acacia wood, a hard wood from a desert tree.

16Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of one board.

16Each frame must be ten cubits tall and one and a half cubits wide.

17Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in order one against another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle.

17Each frame must have two pegs at the bottom, side by side. Make every frame of the tabernacle this same way.

18And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward.

18Make twenty frames for the south side of the tabernacle.

19And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.

19Make forty silver bases to go under those twenty frames. Each frame gets two bases, one under each peg.

20And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty boards:

20For the other side, the north side, make twenty more frames.

21And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.

21Make forty silver bases for them too, two bases under each frame.

22And for the sides of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards.

22For the back of the tabernacle, the west end, make six frames.

23And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.

23Make two more frames for the two back corners of the tabernacle.

24And they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of it unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners.

24The corner frames must be joined together from the bottom all the way to the top. Each pair fits into one ring. Do this for both corners.

25And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.

25So there will be eight frames at the back, with sixteen silver bases. Each frame gets two bases.

26And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,

26Also make crossbars out of acacia wood. Make five bars for the frames on one side of the tabernacle.

27And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward.

27Make five bars for the frames on the other side. Make five more for the frames at the back, the west end.

28And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end.

28The middle bar must run along the center of the frames. It reaches all the way from one end to the other.

29And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold.

29Cover the frames with gold. Make gold rings to hold the crossbars. Cover the crossbars with gold too.

30And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount.

30Set up the tabernacle exactly like the plan God showed you on the mountain.

31And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:

31Make a thick curtain of blue, purple, and red thread with fine linen. Skilled workers must sew cherubim into it.

32And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.

32Hang this curtain on four posts of acacia wood covered with gold. The hooks must be gold. The posts stand on four silver bases.

33And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.

33Hang the curtain under the clasps. Behind it, put the ark, the gold box that holds God's laws. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

34And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.

34Put the mercy seat, the gold lid, on top of the ark in the Most Holy Place.

35And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.

35Put the table outside the curtain, on the north side of the tabernacle. Put the lampstand across from it, on the south side.

36And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework.

36For the door of the tent, make a screen of blue, purple, and red thread with fine linen. It must be sewn with needlework.

37And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.

37Make five posts of acacia wood for that screen. Cover them with gold and give them gold hooks. Make five bronze bases for them.