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The Covenant Box

37 Bezalel used acacia wood to make the Covenant Box.[a] It was 1 metre long, 75 centimetres wide and 75 centimetres high. He covered it with gold, inside and outside. He built up the edges of the box with gold. He made four gold rings for it and he fixed them to its four feet. He fixed two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. He used acacia wood to make two poles. He also covered them with gold. He pushed the poles through the rings on the sides of the Covenant Box, to carry it.

He used pure gold to make the special lid for the Covenant Box. It was 1 metre long and 75 centimetres wide. He used gold to make images of two cherubs. He used a hammer to make them the right shape. He made them to stand at the two ends of the lid. One cherub stood at one end of the lid and one cherub stood at the other end. He made the two cherubs and the lid from one piece of gold. The cherubs looked at each other and they watched over the lid. Their wings touched each other over the top of the lid.

The special table

10 Bezalel used acacia wood to make the special table. It was 1 metre long, 50 centimetres wide and 75 centimetres high. 11 He covered the wood with gold. He built up the edges of the table with gold. 12 He fixed an extra piece of wood around its edge. It was 7 centimetres wide. He built up the edges of this piece with gold. 13 He made four gold rings for the table. He fixed them to the four corners, one beside each leg of the table. 14 The rings were near to the extra piece of wood. They would hold the poles to carry the table. 15 He used acacia wood to make the poles and he covered them with gold. They would use the poles to carry the table. 16 He used pure gold to make the things that would be on the table. He made plates, big spoons, jars and bowls. They would use those things to pour out drink offerings.

The lampstand

17 Bezalel used one piece of pure gold to make the lampstand. He used a hammer to make it the right shape. He used the gold to make its base, its middle pole and the cups to hold the oil. The cups were like open flowers and closed flowers. 18 There were six branches on the lampstand, three branches on each side of the middle pole. 19 Three cups in the shape of almond flowers and their leaves were on each branch. Each of the six branches of the lampstand had three cups like that.

20 On the lampstand itself there were four cups in the shape of almond flowers and their leaves. 21 There was one closed flower under the first pair of branches. There was a second closed flower under the second pair of branches. There was a third closed flower under the third pair of branches. So there were three closed flowers for the six branches. 22 He made the flowers and the branches from the same piece of pure gold as the lampstand. He used a hammer to make the gold into the right shape.

23 He used pure gold to make seven lamps for the lampstand, as well as the small tools and dishes to take care of the lamps. 24 He used 34 kilograms of pure gold to make the lampstand and all its tools.

The altar for incense

25 Bezalel used acacia wood to make the altar for incense. It was square, 45 centimetres long, 45 centimetres wide and 90 centimetres high. The altar's horns were part of it, made from one piece of wood. 26 He covered all the altar with gold: its top, its sides and the horns. He built up an edge of gold around the four sides. 27 He made two gold rings for the altar. He fixed them below the gold edge, on two opposite sides. They would hold the poles to carry the altar. 28 He used acacia wood to make the poles and he covered them with gold.

29 He also made the special oil that would make things holy. He also made the incense with a sweet smell, like perfume.

Footnotes

  1. 37:1 Bezalel was the leader of the work but he did not do everything himself. He could teach other people to do it. See Exodus 35:34.

The Ark(A)

37 Bezalel(B) made the ark(C) of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.[a] He overlaid it with pure gold,(D) both inside and out, and made a gold molding around it. He cast four gold rings for it and fastened them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. Then he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. And he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it.

He made the atonement cover(E) of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. Then he made two cherubim(F) out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. He made one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; at the two ends he made them of one piece with the cover. The cherubim had their wings spread upward, overshadowing(G) the cover with them. The cherubim faced each other, looking toward the cover.(H)

The Table(I)

10 They[b] made the table(J) of acacia wood—two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high.[c] 11 Then they overlaid it with pure gold(K) and made a gold molding around it. 12 They also made around it a rim a handbreadth[d] wide and put a gold molding on the rim. 13 They cast four gold rings for the table and fastened them to the four corners, where the four legs were. 14 The rings(L) were put close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. 15 The poles for carrying the table were made of acacia wood and were overlaid with gold. 16 And they made from pure gold the articles for the table—its plates and dishes and bowls and its pitchers for the pouring out of drink offerings.

The Lampstand(M)

17 They made the lampstand(N) of pure gold. They hammered out its base and shaft, and made its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them. 18 Six branches extended from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other. 19 Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on one branch, three on the next branch and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. 20 And on the lampstand were four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. 21 One bud was under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair—six branches in all. 22 The buds and the branches were all of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold.(O)

23 They made its seven lamps,(P) as well as its wick trimmers and trays, of pure gold. 24 They made the lampstand and all its accessories from one talent[e] of pure gold.

The Altar of Incense(Q)

25 They made the altar of incense(R) out of acacia wood. It was square, a cubit long and a cubit wide and two cubits high[f]—its horns(S) of one piece with it. 26 They overlaid the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and made a gold molding around it. 27 They made two gold rings(T) below the molding—two on each of the opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it. 28 They made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.(U)

29 They also made the sacred anointing oil(V) and the pure, fragrant incense(W)—the work of a perfumer.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 37:1 That is, about 3 3/4 feet long and 2 1/4 feet wide and high or about 1.1 meters long and 68 centimeters wide and high; similarly in verse 6
  2. Exodus 37:10 Or He; also in verses 11-29
  3. Exodus 37:10 That is, about 3 feet long, 1 1/2 feet wide and 2 1/4 feet high or about 90 centimeters long, 45 centimeters wide and 68 centimeters high
  4. Exodus 37:12 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters
  5. Exodus 37:24 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms
  6. Exodus 37:25 That is, about 1 1/2 feet long and wide and 3 feet high or about 45 centimeters long and wide and 90 centimeters high