Our Father Calls for an Offering
25 1 Then our Father spoke to Moses, saying:
From Willing Hearts
2 "Tell the people of Israel to take up a contribution for me. From every person whose heart moves them you shall receive my contribution. 3 And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, 4 blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, fine linen, goats' hair, 5 tanned rams' skins, fine leather, and acacia wood, 6 oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7 onyx stones, and stones for setting in the ephod and the breastpiece. 1 1 v7 The ephod was the high priest's sacred vest; the breastpiece was a pouch worn over it, set with twelve gemstones representing Israel's twelve tribes. 8 And let them make me a sanctuary, so that I may live among them. 2 2 v8 The whole sanctuary exists for one reason: so our Father can live among his children — the longing of his heart that he later fulfilled by coming to dwell with us himself. 9 Make the tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I show you.
The Ark of Acacia and Gold
10 They shall make an ark of acacia wood — about forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high.
Overlaid With Pure Gold
11 You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold all around. 12 You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side and two rings on the other side. 13 You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. 15 The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. 16 And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you.
The Mercy Seat
17 You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold — about forty-five inches long and twenty-seven inches wide. 3 3 v17 The mercy seat was the solid-gold lid of the ark — the place where our Father promised to be present and where the high priest offered blood on the Day of Atonement. 18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them, at the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat you shall make the cherubim on its two ends. 20 The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces toward one another and looking down toward the mercy seat. 21 And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. 22 There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about everything I will command you for the people of Israel.
The Table of the Presence
23 You shall make a table of acacia wood — about three feet long, eighteen inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high.
Gold Molding and Carrying Rings
24 You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a molding of gold around it. 25 And you shall make a rim around it about three inches wide, and a molding of gold around the rim. 26 And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs. 27 The rings shall be close to the rim, to hold the poles used to carry the table. 28 You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these. 29 And you shall make its plates and dishes for incense, and its pitchers and bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold. 30 And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me always.
The Golden Lampstand
31 You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its buds, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it.
Six Branches, One Piece
32 And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side; 33 three cups made like almond blossoms, each with bud and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with bud and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. 34 And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their buds and flowers, 35 and a bud of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand. 36 Their buds and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. 37 You shall make seven lamps for it. Set them up to light the area in front of it. 38 Its tongs and their trays shall be of pure gold. 39 It shall be made, with all these utensils, out of about seventy-five pounds of pure gold. 40 Make sure you make everything according to the pattern being shown to you on the mountain.