Our Father Calls for an Offering
25 1 Then our Father spoke to Moses, saying:
2 Tell Israel's people to collect an offering for me. Take my offering from everyone whose heart prompts them. 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. a a 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. b b 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: forty-five inches long, twenty-seven wide, and twenty-seven high. 11 Overlay it with pure gold, inside and out overlay it, and make a gold molding around it. 12 Cast four gold rings for it and put them on its four feet: two rings on one side, two rings on the other. 13 You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 Insert the poles into the rings on the ark's sides 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.
17 Make a cover of atonement from pure gold — forty-five inches long and twenty-seven inches wide. 18 Make two cherubim of hammered gold at the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub on one end and one cherub on the other end, of one piece with the mercy seat, on its two ends. 20 The cherubim shall spread their wings upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, faces toward each other, toward the mercy seat. 21 Put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark put the testimony I will give you. 22 I will meet you there and speak with you above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim on the ark of the testimony—all I command for Israel's people.
The Table of the Presence
23 Make a table of acacia wood: three feet long, eighteen inches wide, twenty-seven inches high. 24 You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a molding of gold around it. 25 Make a rim around it, three inches wide, and a gold molding around the rim. 26 Make four gold rings for it, and put them on 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 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold; the table will be carried by them. 29 Make its plates, incense pans, jars, and bowls for pouring drink offerings — all of pure gold. 30 And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me always.
The Golden Lampstand
31 Make a lampstand of pure gold, hammered out — its base, shaft, cups, buds, and blossoms one piece with it. 32 Six branches will extend from its sides—three lampstand branches from one side, three lampstand branches from the other. 33 Three almond-shaped cups, each with bud and flower, on one branch, and three more, each with bud and flower, on the other—so for the six branches extending from the lampstand. 34 On the lampstand itself: four almond-blossom cups, with their buds and flowers. 35 and a bud of one piece from it under each pair of the six branches extending from the lampstand. 36 Its buds and branches shall be one piece with it, all of it one hammered piece of pure gold. 37 Make seven lamps for it, and light them to shine 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.
