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Exodus 26

1“Make the dwelling with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue, purple, and crimson yarn. Make them with cherubim, the work of a skilled designer. 2Each curtain is to be twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide. All the curtains are to have the same measure. 3Five curtains are to be joined to one another, and the other five curtains joined to one another. 4Make loops of blue yarn along the edge of the end curtain of the first set; do the same along the edge of the end curtain in the second set. 5Make fifty loops on the one curtain and fifty loops along the edge of the curtain in the second set, with the loops opposite one another. 6Make fifty gold clasps, and join the curtains to one another with the clasps, so that the dwelling is one.

7“Make curtains of goats' hair for a tent over the dwelling; make eleven curtains. 8Each curtain is to be thirty cubits long and four cubits wide. The eleven curtains are to have the same measure. 9Join five curtains by themselves and six curtains by themselves, and fold the sixth curtain double at the front of the tent. 10Make fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in the first set, and fifty loops along the edge of the curtain in the second set. 11Make fifty bronze clasps, put the clasps into the loops, and join the tent together so that it is one. 12The overhanging remainder of the tent curtains, the extra half curtain, is to hang over the back of the dwelling. 13The cubit on this side and the cubit on that side remaining in the length of the tent curtains are to hang over the sides of the dwelling, on this side and on that side, to cover it. 14Make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of tahash skins above it.

15“Make the frames for the dwelling of acacia wood, standing upright. 16Each frame is to be ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 17There are to be two tenons on each frame, fitted in relation to one another. Do this for all the frames of the dwelling. 18Make the frames for the dwelling, twenty frames for the south side, facing south. 19Make forty silver sockets beneath the twenty frames, two sockets beneath one frame for its two tenons and two sockets beneath the next frame for its two tenons. 20For the dwelling's other side, facing north, make twenty frames, 21with their forty silver sockets, two sockets beneath one frame and two sockets beneath the next frame. 22For the rear of the dwelling, westward, make six frames. 23Make two frames for the corners of the dwelling at the rear. 24They are to be paired below, and together they are to be complete at the top, at the one ring. It is to be the same for both of them; they are to form the two corners. 25There are to be eight frames with their silver sockets, sixteen sockets, two sockets beneath one frame and two sockets beneath the next frame.

26“Make bars of acacia wood, five for the frames on one side of the dwelling, 27five bars for the frames on the dwelling's other side, and five bars for the frames on the rear side of the dwelling, westward. 28The middle bar, in the middle of the frames, is to run from end to end. 29Overlay the frames with gold, and make their rings of gold as holders for the bars; overlay the bars with gold. 30Set up the dwelling according to its prescribed form, which you were shown on the mountain.

31“Make a veil of blue, purple, and crimson yarn and fine twisted linen. It is to be made with cherubim, the work of a skilled designer. 32Hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with their hooks of gold, on four silver sockets. 33Hang the veil under the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony there, inside the veil. The veil is to separate for you the holy place from the most holy place. 34Put the atonement cover on the ark of the testimony in the most holy place. 35Place the table outside the veil and the lampstand opposite the table, on the south side of the dwelling; put the table on the north side. 36Make a screen for the entrance of the tent of blue, purple, and crimson yarn and fine twisted linen, the work of an embroiderer. 37Make five pillars of acacia for the screen and overlay them with gold. Their hooks are to be gold, and cast five bronze sockets for them.

Translation notes 5

26:1–14 — Dwelling and tent. The fine-linen curtains form the dwelling, and the goats' hair curtains form a tent over it. The translation distinguishes the Hebrew nouns rather than calling every layer “tabernacle.” The repeated pairing expressions literally use a woman and her sister for the feminine nouns; they mean one component joined to another, not female persons pictured in the fabric.

26:14 — Tahash skins. The Hebrew term's animal or leather identification is uncertain. The translation retains its name rather than selecting badger, dolphin, or another species without sufficient evidence.

26:15–25 — Frames and sockets. The frame term is also translated boards or planks. The exact framework construction is uncertain. “Tenons” renders a technical use of the word for hands, the projections that fit into the sockets.

26:24 — Corner joining. This difficult description can be understood as paired, doubled, or matched components meeting at an upper ring. “The one ring” may also mean the first ring. The translation preserves the joining instructions without claiming that every construction detail can be reconstructed with certainty.

26:31–37 — Veil and screen. The inner veil separates the holy place from the most holy place, literally the holy of holies. The entrance screen is a different furnishing with five pillars and bronze sockets, in contrast to the veil's four pillars and silver sockets.