Exodus 36

The Tabernacle Underwritten

¹“Now Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skillful person in whom the Lord has put skill and understanding to know how to perform all the work in the construction of the sanctuary, shall perform in accordance with everything that the Lord has commanded.”

²Then Moses called Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skillful person in whom the Lord had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him, to come to the work to perform it. ³They received from Moses every contribution which the sons of Israel had brought to perform the work in the construction of the sanctuary. And they still continued bringing to him voluntary offerings every morning. ⁴And all the skillful people who were performing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work which they were performing, ⁵and they said to Moses, “The people are bringing much more than enough for the construction work which the Lord commanded us to perform.” ⁶So Moses issued a command, and circulated a proclamation throughout the camp, saying, “No man or woman is to perform work any longer for the contributions of the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing any more. ⁷For the material they had was sufficient and more than enough for all the work, to perform it.

Construction Begins

⁸All the skillful people among those who were performing the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine twisted linen and violet, purple, and scarlet material, with cherubim, the work of a skilled embroiderer, Bezalel made them. ⁹The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains had the same measurements. ¹⁰He joined five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he joined to one another. ¹¹And he made loops of violet on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set; he did likewise on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the second set. ¹²He made fifty loops in the one curtain, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second set; the loops were opposite each other. ¹³He also made fifty clasps of gold, and joined the curtains to one another with the clasps, so that the tabernacle was a unit.

¹⁴Then he made curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; he made eleven curtains in all. ¹⁵The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits was the width of each curtain; the eleven curtains had the same measurements. ¹⁶He joined five curtains by themselves, and the other six curtains by themselves. ¹⁷Moreover, he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the first set, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the second set. ¹⁸He also made fifty clasps of bronze to join the tent together so that it would be a unit. ¹⁹And he made a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering of fine leather above.

²⁰Then he made the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing upright. ²¹Ten cubits was the length of each board, and one and a half cubits the width of each board. ²²There were two tenons for each board, fitted to one another; he did this to all the boards of the tabernacle. ²³So he made the boards for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side; ²⁴and he made forty bases of silver under the twenty boards; two bases under one board for its two tenons, and two bases under another board for its two tenons. ²⁵Then for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty boards, ²⁶and their forty bases of silver; two bases under one board, and two bases under another board. ²⁷And for the back of the tabernacle, to the west, he made six boards. ²⁸He made two boards for the corners of the tabernacle at the back. ²⁹They were double beneath, and together they were complete to its top, to the first ring; he did this with both of them for the two corners. ³⁰There were eight boards with their bases of silver, sixteen bases, two bases under every board.

³¹Then he made bars of acacia wood, five for the boards of one side of the tabernacle, ³²and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the back side to the west. ³³And he made the middle bar to pass through in the center of the boards from end to end. ³⁴Then he overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold as holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.

³⁵Moreover, he made the veil of violet, purple, and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen; he made it with cherubim, the work of a skilled embroiderer. ³⁶And he made four pillars of acacia for it, and overlaid them with gold, with their hooks of gold; and he cast four bases of silver for them. ³⁷He also made a curtain for the doorway of the tent, of violet, purple, and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen, the work of a weaver; ³⁸and he made its five pillars with their hooks, and he overlaid their tops and their bands with gold; but their five bases were of bronze.