Exodus 37

And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:

1Bezalel made the ark. It was a special chest built from strong acacia wood. It was two and a half cubits long. It was a cubit and a half wide and a cubit and a half high.

NoteA cubit was about 18 inches, or the length of a grown-up's arm from elbow to fingertip. The KJV says "shittim wood," which is the wood of the acacia tree.

2And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about.

2He covered it with pure gold, inside and outside. He put a gold rim all around the top edge.

3And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be set by the four corners of it; even two rings upon the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it.

3He made four gold rings and fastened them near the four feet. Two rings went on one side, and two on the other side.

4And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.

4He made poles out of acacia wood. He covered the poles with gold.

5And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.

5He slid the poles through the rings on the sides of the ark. That way people could carry it.

6And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

6He made the ark's lid out of pure gold. It was two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.

NoteThe KJV calls this lid the "mercy seat." It was not a chair. It was the solid gold cover that went on top of the ark.

7And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat;

7He made two golden cherubim. Cherubim are angel-like beings with wings. He hammered them out of gold, one at each end of the lid.

8One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof.

8One was at one end, and one was at the other end. They were made from the same one piece of gold as the lid.

9And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims.

9Their wings spread up high and covered the lid. They faced each other, and they looked down toward the lid.

10And he made the table of shittim wood: two cubits was the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof:

10He also made the table out of acacia wood. It was two cubits long, one cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high.

11And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereunto a crown of gold round about.

11He covered the table with pure gold. He put a gold rim all around it.

12Also he made thereunto a border of an handbreadth round about; and made a crown of gold for the border thereof round about.

12He added a border around the table as wide as a hand. He put a gold rim around that border too.

13And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings upon the four corners that were in the four feet thereof.

13He made four gold rings for the table. He fastened them to the four corners, by the four legs.

14Over against the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table.

14The rings sat close to the border. They held the poles used to carry the table.

15And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table.

15He made the poles out of acacia wood and covered them with gold. The poles were for carrying the table.

16And he made the vessels which were upon the table, his dishes, and his spoons, and his bowls, and his covers to cover withal, of pure gold.

16He made the things that went on the table out of pure gold. These were its plates, its dishes, its bowls, and its pitchers for pouring out drink offerings.

17And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same:

17He made the lampstand out of pure gold. He hammered it into shape. Its base, its stem, its cups, its buds, and its flowers were all one piece.

18And six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof:

18Six branches came out from its sides. Three branches came out one side, and three came out the other side.

19Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower: so throughout the six branches going out of the candlestick.

19Each branch had three cups shaped like almond blossoms, with a bud and a flower. All six branches were made this way.

20And in the candlestick were four bowls made like almonds, his knops, and his flowers:

20The center stem itself had four cups shaped like almond blossoms, with buds and flowers.

21And 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 going out of it.

21One bud sat under the first pair of branches. Another bud sat under the second pair. Another bud sat under the third pair.

22Their knops and their branches were of the same: all of it was one beaten work of pure gold.

22The buds and branches were all part of the same piece. The whole lampstand was hammered from pure gold.

23And he made his seven lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuffdishes, of pure gold.

23He made its seven lamps out of pure gold. He also made its little tools for trimming the wicks, and its trays.

24Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.

24He made the lampstand and all its tools from one talent of pure gold.

NoteA talent was a weight of about 75 pounds. That is heavier than most fifth graders.

25And he made the incense altar of shittim wood: the length of it was a cubit, and the breadth of it a cubit; it was foursquare; and two cubits was the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same.

25He made the incense altar out of acacia wood. Incense is a mix of spices that smells sweet when burned. The altar was square, one cubit long and one cubit wide, and two cubits high. Its four horn-shaped corners were part of the same wood.

26And he overlaid it with pure gold, both the top of it, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it: also he made unto it a crown of gold round about.

26He covered the top, all the sides, and the horns with pure gold. He put a gold rim all around it.

27And he made two rings of gold for it under the crown thereof, by the two corners of it, upon the two sides thereof, to be places for the staves to bear it withal.

27He made two gold rings and put them under the rim, on opposite sides. The rings held the poles used to carry it.

28And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.

28He made the poles out of acacia wood and covered them with gold.

29And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the apothecary.

29He also made the holy oil for anointing, which is oil poured on people or things to set them apart for God. And he made the pure incense from sweet spices. He mixed them the way a skilled perfume maker would.