The Bible

The Bible › Exodus

Exodus 25

1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel, so that they take a contribution for me. From every person whose heart moves him freely you are to take my contribution. 3This is the contribution you are to take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; 4blue, purple, and crimson yarn, fine linen, and goats' hair; 5rams' skins dyed red, tahash skins, and acacia wood; 6oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; 7onyx stones and stones for setting in the ephod and the breastpiece. 8They are to make me a sanctuary, so that I may dwell among them. 9According to everything I show you—the pattern of the dwelling and the pattern of all its equipment—so you are to make it.

10“They are to make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. 11Overlay it with pure gold; inside and outside you are to overlay it. Make a gold molding around it. 12Cast four gold rings for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on its other side. 13Make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14Put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them. 15The poles are to remain in the ark's rings; they must not be removed from it. 16Put into the ark the testimony that I will give you.

17“Make an atonement cover of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 18Make two cherubim of gold; make them of hammered work at the two ends of the atonement cover. 19Make one cherub at this end and one cherub at that end. From the atonement cover itself you are to make the cherubim at its two ends. 20The cherubim are to spread their wings upward, sheltering the atonement cover with their wings. Their faces are to be toward one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be toward the atonement cover. 21Put the atonement cover on top of the ark, and into the ark put the testimony that I will give you. 22I will meet with you there and speak with you from above the atonement cover, from between the two cherubim on the ark of the testimony, about everything that I will command you for the sons of Israel.

23“Make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long, a cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high. 24Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it. 25Make a rim a handbreadth wide around it, and make a gold molding around its rim. 26Make four gold rings for it and put the rings on the four corners at its four legs. 27The rings are to be close to the rim, as holders for the poles to carry the table. 28Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold; the table is to be carried with them. 29Make its dishes and its ladles, its pitchers and its bowls with which drink offerings are poured. You are to make them of pure gold. 30Put the bread of the Presence on the table before me continually.

31“Make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand is to be made of hammered work; its base and its shaft, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers are to be of one piece with it. 32Six branches are to come out from its sides: three branches of the lampstand from one side, and three branches of the lampstand from its other side. 33Three cups shaped like almond blossoms are to be on one branch, a calyx and a flower, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms on the next branch, a calyx and a flower; so for the six branches coming out from the lampstand. 34On the lampstand itself there are to be four cups shaped like almond blossoms, with its calyxes and its flowers. 35A calyx is to be under the first pair of branches coming from it, a calyx under the next pair of branches coming from it, and a calyx under the last pair of branches coming from it, for the six branches coming out from the lampstand. 36Their calyxes and their branches are to be of one piece with it; all of it is to be one hammered piece of pure gold. 37Make its seven lamps, and set up its lamps so that they give light in front of it. 38Its tongs and its trays are to be of pure gold. 39A talent of pure gold is to be used to make it, with all these utensils. 40See that you make them according to their pattern, which you are being shown on the mountain.

Translation notes 7

25:2–5 — Contributions and materials. “Whose heart moves him freely” describes willingness, not a compulsory payment. “Yarn” and “hair” clarify the materials implied by the color words and “goats.” The precise shades of the ancient dyes are uncertain. “Tahash” preserves an unidentified Hebrew term for the skins; proposals include different animals and a kind of processed leather. No particular species is established here.

25:8–9 — Sanctuary and dwelling. “Dwelling” renders mishkan, traditionally “tabernacle,” and keeps its connection with God's dwelling among the people. “Sanctuary” names the holy place. The pattern is given to Moses rather than devised by the contributors.

25:10–12 — Ark, cubits, and feet. An ark is a chest, here for the testimony. A cubit is an ancient length measure based on the forearm; exact modern conversions vary. The term rendered “feet” can also denote corners or supports, and the rings' precise structural placement remains uncertain. “Sides” is also the Hebrew word for ribs; it does not by itself settle a construction diagram.

25:16–22 — Testimony and atonement cover. The testimony refers to the covenant testimony, subsequently identified with the tablets. The cover is associated with atonement, not merely a decorative lid; “mercy seat” is the familiar traditional rendering. This wording does not insert a physical chair into the instructions.

25:18–20 — Cherubim. These are winged sacred figures. The text specifies their wings and facing direction but does not provide a complete account of their appearance. They should not be imagined simply as the infants familiar in later art.

25:25–30 — Table and bread. A handbreadth is a small ancient length measure. The exact functions of some named vessels are uncertain. “Bread of the Presence” is literally bread of the face, kept before Yahweh; “showbread” is a familiar older name.

25:31–39 — Lampstand. This is an oil-lamp stand, not a candleholder. A calyx is the cup-like part associated with a flower; the Hebrew decorative term is also rendered knob or bulb. “Of one piece” expresses the repeated command that its parts come from it. A talent is a weight measure, not a coin denomination.