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The Tabernacle
"Make the Tabernacle-tent from ten colored sheets of fine-twined linen, forty-two feet long and six feet wide, dyed blue, purple, and scarlet, with cherubim embroidered on them. Join five sheets end to end for each side of the tent, forming two long pieces, one for each side. Use loops at the edges to join these two long pieces together side by side. There are to be fifty loops on each side, opposite each other. Then make fifty golden clasps to fasten the loops together, so that the Tabernacle, the dwelling place of God, becomes a single unit.
"The roof of the Tabernacle is made of goat's hair tarpaulins. There are to be eleven of these tarpaulins, each forty-five feet across and six feet wide. Connect five of these tarpaulins into one wide section; and use the other six for another wide section. (The sixth tarpaulin will hang down to form a curtain across the front of the sacred tent.) Use fifty loops along the edges of each of these two wide pieces, to join them together with fifty bronze clasps. Thus the two widths become one. There will be a 1½-foot length of this roof-covering hanging down from the back of the tent, and a 1½-foot length at the front. On top of these blankets is placed a layer of rams' skins, dyed red, and over them a top layer of goatskins. This completes the roof-covering.
"The framework of the sacred tent shall be made from acacia wood, each frame-piece being fifteen feet high and 2¼ feet wide, standing upright, with grooves on each side to mortise into the next upright piece. Twenty of these frames will form the south side of the sacred tent, with forty silver bases for the frames to fit into--two bases under each piece of the frame. On the north side there will also be twenty of these frames, with their forty silver bases, two bases for each frame, one under each edge. On the west side there will be six frames, and two frames at each corner. These corner frames will be connected at the bottom and top with clasps. So, in all, there will be eight frames on that end of the building with sixteen silver bases for the frames--two bases under each frame.
"Make bars of acacia wood to run across the frames, five bars on each side of the Tabernacle. Also five bars for the rear of the building, facing westward. The middle bar, halfway up the frames, runs all the way from end to end of the Tabernacle. Overlay the frames with gold, and make gold rings to hold the bars; and also overlay the bars with gold. Set up this Tabernacle-tent in the manner I showed you in the mountain.
"For inside the Tabernacle, make a veil from blue, purple, and scarlet cloth, the fine-twined linen, with cherubim embroidered into the cloth. Hang this upon four acacia pillars overlaid with gold, with four golden hooks. The pillars are to rest in four silver bases. Hang the curtain from the hooks. Behind this curtain place the Ark containing the stone tablets engraved with God's laws. The curtain will separate the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.
"Now install the mercy place--the golden lid of the Ark--in the Most Holy Place. Place the table and lampstand across the room from each other on the outer side of the veil. The lampstand will be on the south side of the Holy Place and the table on the north side.
"As a screen for the door of the sacred tent, make another curtain from skillfully embroidered blue, purple, and scarlet fine-twined linen. Hang up this curtain on five acacia wood posts, overlaid with gold, with hooks of gold, and a bronze socket for each pillar."
TEXT SOURCE:
(Exodus 26:1-37) The Children's Living Bible, ©1970 Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton Illinois 60187
TITLE SOURCE: The New Student Bible, ©1992 Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids Michigan
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