Gifts for the Lord

25 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel] to bring me ·gifts [tribute]. Receive for me the ·gifts [tribute] ·each person wants [^Lfrom each one whose heart moves them] to give. ³ ·These are the gifts [This is the tribute] that you should receive from them: gold, silver, bronze; ⁴ blue, purple, and ·red [scarlet] thread; fine linen, goat hair, ⁵ ·sheepskins [or ramskins] that are dyed red; ·fine leather [or sea cow/porpoise hide]; acacia wood; ⁶ olive oil to burn in the lamps; spices for sweet-smelling incense, and the special olive oil ·poured on a person’s head to make him a priest [^Lfor anointing; Ps. 133]; ⁷ onyx stones, and other jewels to be put on the ·holy vest [ephod; 28:6–14] and the ·chest covering [breastpiece; 28:15–30].

⁸ “The people must build a ·holy place [sanctuary] for me so that I can live among them. ⁹ Build this ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle] and ·everything in it [all its furniture] by the ·plan [pattern] I will show you [^Cevery detail reflects a heavenly reality].

The Ark of the Covenant

¹⁰ “·Use acacia wood and build an Ark [^LThey will make an Ark of acacia wood; ^Cthe Ark, considered the footstool of God’s throne, was a powerful symbol of God’s presence; 1 Sam. 4] ·forty-five inches [^Ltwo and a half cubits] long, ·twenty-seven inches [^La cubit and a half] wide, and ·twenty-seven inches [^La cubit and a half] high. ¹¹ ·Cover the Ark [^LOverlay it] inside and out with pure gold, and put a gold ·strip [molding] all around it. ¹² ·Make [Cast] four gold rings for the Ark and attach them to its four feet, two rings on ·each [one side and two rings on the other] side. ¹³ Then make poles from acacia wood and ·cover [cast; overlay] them with gold. ¹⁴ Put the poles through the rings on the sides of the Ark, and use these poles to carry it. ¹⁵ These poles must always stay in the rings of the Ark. Do not take them out. ¹⁶ Then put in the Ark the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty; ^LTestimony] which I will make with you [^Ca reference to the tablets of the Ten Commandments].

¹⁷ “Then make the ·lid of the Ark [mercy seat; atonement cover] of pure gold. Make it ·forty-five inches [^Ltwo and a half cubits] long and ·twenty-seven inches [^Lone and a half cubits] wide. ¹⁸ ·Then hammer gold to make two creatures with wings [Make two cherubim of hammered gold], and put one on each end of the ·lid [mercy seat; atonement cover]. ¹⁹ Attach one ·creature [cherub] on one end of the ·lid [mercy seat; atonement cover] and the other ·creature [cherub] on the other end. Make them to be one piece with the ·lid [mercy seat; atonement cover] at the ends. ²⁰ The ·creatures’ [cherubim’s] wings should be spread upward, covering the ·lid [mercy seat; atonement cover], and the ·creatures [cherubim] are to face each other across the ·lid [mercy seat; atonement cover]. ²¹ Put this ·lid [mercy seat; atonement cover] on top of the Ark, and put in the Ark the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty; ^LTestimony] which I will make with you. ²² I will meet with you there, above the ·lid [mercy seat; atonement cover] between the two ·winged creatures [cherubim] on the Ark of the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty; ^LTestimony]. There I will give you all my commands for the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel].

The Table

²³ “Make a table out of acacia wood, ·thirty-six inches [^Ltwo cubits] long, ·eighteen inches [^Lone cubit] wide, and ·twenty-seven inches [^Lone and a half cubits] high. ²⁴ ·Cover [Overlay] it with pure gold, and put a gold ·strip [molding] around it. ²⁵ Make a ·frame [rim] ·three inches [^La handbreadth] high ·that stands up all around the edge, and put a gold ·strip [molding] around it. ²⁶ Then make four gold rings. Attach them to the four corners of the table where the four legs are. ²⁷ Put the rings close to the ·frame [rim] around the top of the table, because they will hold the poles for carrying it. ²⁸ Make the poles out of acacia wood, ·cover [overlay] them with gold, and carry the table with these poles. ²⁹ Make the plates and bowls for the table, as well as the jars and cups, out of pure gold. They will be used for pouring out the drink offerings [Ezra 1:9–11; Dan. 1:2; 5:1–4]. ³⁰ On this table put the ·bread that shows you are in my presence [Bread of Presence] so that it is always there in front of me.

The Lampstand

³¹ “Hammer pure gold to make a ·lampstand [^Lmenorah]. Its base, ·stand [shaft], flower-like cups, buds, and petals must all be joined together in one piece [^Cits tree shape suggests that the Tabernacle represented Eden where God and humans lived in harmony]. ³² The lampstand must have six branches going out from its sides—three on one side and three on the other. ³³ Each branch must have three cups shaped like almond flowers on it. Each cup must have a bud and a petal. Each of the six branches going out from the lampstand must be the same. ³⁴ And there must be four more cups made like almond flowers on the lampstand itself. These cups must also have buds and petals. ³⁵ Put a bud under each pair of branches that goes out from the lampstand. Each of the six branches going out from the lampstand must be the same. ³⁶ The branches, buds, and lampstand must be made of one piece, hammered out of pure gold.

³⁷ “Then make seven ·small oil lamps [^Llamps for it] and put them on the lampstand so that they give light to the area in front of it. ³⁸ The ·wick trimmers [snuffers] and trays must be made of pure gold. ³⁹ Use ·seventy-five pounds [^Lone talent] of pure gold to make the lampstand and everything with it. ⁴⁰ Be very careful to make them by the ·plan [pattern] I showed you on the mountain [25:9].