Offerings to Build the Tabernacle

Exodus 25

YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, “You are to tell the children of Israel to take an offering for me. From everyone whose heart is willing y’all are to take my offering. This is the offering which y’all are to take from them: gold, silver, bronze, blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goat hair, ram skins dyed red, durable leather, acacia wood, oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense, onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate. Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. Y’all are to make it according to all that I show you, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all of its furniture.

Instructions for the Ark

“They are to make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long,+25:10 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters. a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. You are to overlay it with pure gold; overlay it inside and outside and make a gold molding around it. You are to cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four feet. Two rings are to be on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. You are to make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. You are to put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark. The poles are to be in the rings of the ark. They are to not be taken from it. You are to put the covenant which I will give you into the ark. You are to make a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide. You are to make two cherubim of hammered gold. You are to make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. Your are to make one cherub at the one end and one cherub at the other end. From the two ends, y’all are to make the cherubim one piece with the mercy seat. The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one another. The faces of the cherubim are to be toward the mercy seat. You are to put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you are to put the covenant that I will give you. There I will meet with you, and I will tell you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the covenant, all that I command you for the children of Israel.

Instructions for the Table

“You are to make a table of acacia wood: two cubits long, one wide, one and a half cubits high. You are to overlay it with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it. You are to make a rim of a hand width around it. You are to make a golden molding on its rim around it. You are to make four rings of gold for it, and put the rings in the four corners that are on its four feet. The rings are to be close to the rim, for places for the poles to carry the table. You are to make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be carried with them. You are to make its dishes, its spoons, its ladles, and its bowls with which to pour out offerings. You are to make them of pure gold. You are to set bread of the presence on the table before me always.

Instructions for the Lampstand

“You are to make a lamp stand of pure gold. The lamp stand is to be made of hammered work. Its base, its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its flowers are to be of one piece with it. There are to be six branches going out of its sides: three branches of the lamp stand out of its one side, and three branches of the lamp stand out of its other side; three cups made like almond blossoms in one branch, a bud and a flower; and three cups made like almond blossoms in the other branch, a bud and a flower, so for the six branches going out of the lamp stand; and in the lamp stand four cups made like almond blossoms, its buds and its flowers; and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, for the six branches going out of the lamp stand. Their buds and their branches are to be of one piece with it, all of it one beaten work of pure gold. You are to make its seven lamps and set the lamps to give light to the space in front of it. Its snuffers and its snuff dishes are to be of pure gold. It is to be made of a talent+25:39 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces of pure gold, with all these accessories. See that you make them after their pattern, which has been shown to you on the mountain.