Making the Ark

37 Bezalel(A) made the ark of acacia wood, forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high.[a] He overlaid it with pure gold inside and out and made a gold molding all around it. He cast four gold rings for it, for its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. He inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark for carrying the ark.

He made a mercy seat of pure gold, forty-five inches long and twenty-seven inches wide.[b] He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat, one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end. At each end, he made a cherub of one piece with the mercy seat. They had wings spread out. They faced each other and covered the mercy seat with their wings. The faces of the cherubim were looking toward the mercy seat.

Making the Table

10 He(B) constructed the table of acacia wood, thirty-six inches long, eighteen inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high.[c] 11 He overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold molding all around it. 12 He made a three-inch[d] frame all around it and made a gold molding all around its frame. 13 He cast four gold rings for it and attached the rings to the four corners at its four legs. 14 The rings were next to the frame as holders for the poles to carry the table. 15 He made the poles for carrying the table from acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 16 He also made the utensils that would be on the table out of pure gold: its plates and cups, as well as its bowls and pitchers for pouring drink offerings.

Making the Lampstand

17 Then(C) he made the lampstand out of pure hammered gold. He made it all of one piece: its base and shaft, its ornamental cups, and its buds and petals. 18 Six branches extended from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from one side and three branches of the lampstand from the other side. 19 There were three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a bud and petals, on one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a bud and petals, on the next branch. It was this way for the six branches that extended from the lampstand. 20 There were four cups shaped like almond blossoms on the lampstand shaft along with its buds and petals. 21 For the six branches that extended from it, a bud was under the first pair of branches from it, a bud under the second pair of branches from it, and a bud under the third pair of branches from it. 22 Their buds and branches were of one piece with it. All of it was a single hammered piece of pure gold. 23 He also made its seven lamps, snuffers, and firepans of pure gold. 24 He made it and all its utensils of seventy-five pounds[e] of pure gold.

Making the Altar of Incense

25 He(D) made the altar of incense out of acacia wood. It was square, eighteen inches long and eighteen inches wide; it was thirty-six inches high.[f] Its horns were of one piece with it. 26 He overlaid it, its top, all around its sides, and its horns with pure gold. Then he made a gold molding all around it. 27 He made two gold rings for it under the molding on two of its sides; he put these on opposite sides of it to be holders for the poles to carry it with. 28 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

29 He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant, and expertly blended incense.(E)

Footnotes

  1. 37:1 Lit two and a half cubits its length, one and a half cubits its width, and one and a half cubits its height
  2. 37:6 Lit two and a half cubits its length and one and a half cubits its width
  3. 37:10 Lit two cubits its length, one cubit its width, and one and a half cubits its height
  4. 37:12 Lit a handbreadth
  5. 37:24 Lit a talent
  6. 37:25 Lit a cubit its length, a cubit its width, and two cubits its height

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