Exodus 31:1-18

The Skilled Craftsmen

1Now the LORD said to Moses, 2“See, I have called by name Bezalel, son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom and skill, in understanding and intelligence, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, 4to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, 5and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, to work in all kinds of craftsmanship. 6And behold, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; to all who are wise-hearted I have given the skill and ability to make everything that I have commanded you: 7the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony, the mercy seat that is upon it, all the furnishings of the tent— 8the table [for the bread] and its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the [golden] altar of incense, 9the [bronze] altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, the basin and its base— 10the finely worked garments, the holy garments for Aaron the [high] priest and the garments for his sons to minister as priests, 11and the anointing oil and the sweet and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them according to all that I have commanded you.”

The Sign of the Sabbath 12And the LORD said to Moses, 13“But as for you, say to the Israelites, ‘You shall most certainly observe My Sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, so that you may know [without any doubt] and acknowledge that I am the LORD who sanctifies you and sets you apart [for Myself]. 14‘Therefore, you shall keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it must be put to death; for whoever does work on the Sabbath, that person (soul) shall be cut off from among his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them]. 15‘For six days work may be done, but the seventh is the Sabbath of complete rest, sacred to the LORD; whoever does work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. 16‘So the Israelites shall observe the Sabbath, to celebrate the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.’ 17“It is a sign between Me and the Israelites forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He ceased and was refreshed.”

18When He had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.