Exodus 24:1-30:38
View Full ChapterThe Covenant Confirmed 1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance,
2but Moses alone is to approach the LORD ; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him.” 3When Moses went and told the people all the LORD ’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the LORD has said we will do.”
4Moses then wrote down everything the LORD had said. He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. 5Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the LORD . 6Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed against the altar.
7Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey.”
8Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.” 9Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up 10and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky.
11But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.
12The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.” 13Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God.
14He said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute can go to them.” 15When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, 16and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. 17To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. 18Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Offerings for the Tabernacle
1The LORD said to Moses,
2“Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give.
3These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze;
4blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair;
5ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather
7and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. 8“Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.
9Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.
The Ark
10“Have them make an ark
16Then put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law, which I will give you. 17“Make an atonement cover of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 18And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. 19Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. 20The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. 21Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law that I will give you.
22There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.
The Table
23“Make a table of acacia wood—two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high.
30Put the bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times.
The Lampstand 31“Make a lampstand of pure gold. Hammer out its base and shaft, and make its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them. 32Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other. 33Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. 34And on the lampstand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. 35One bud shall be under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair—six branches in all.
36The buds and branches shall all be of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold.
37“Then make its seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it.
38Its wick trimmers and trays are to be of pure gold.
39A talent
The Tabernacle
1“Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim woven into them by a skilled worker.
2All the curtains are to be the same size—twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide.
6Then make fifty gold clasps and use them to fasten the curtains together so that the tabernacle is a unit.
7“Make curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle—eleven altogether.
8All eleven curtains are to be the same size—thirty cubits long and four cubits wide.
14Make for the tent a covering of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of the other durable leather.
25So there will be eight frames and sixteen silver bases—two under each frame. 26“Also make crossbars of acacia wood: five for the frames on one side of the tabernacle, 27five for those on the other side, and five for the frames on the west, at the far end of the tabernacle. 28The center crossbar is to extend from end to end at the middle of the frames.
29Overlay the frames with gold and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. Also overlay the crossbars with gold.
30“Set up the tabernacle according to the plan shown you on the mountain. 31“Make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim woven into it by a skilled worker. 32Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases. 33Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the covenant law behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. 34Put the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant law in the Most Holy Place.
35Place the table outside the curtain on the north side of the tabernacle and put the lampstand opposite it on the south side. 36“For the entrance to the tent make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen—the work of an embroiderer. 37Make gold hooks for this curtain and five posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold. And cast five bronze bases for them.
The Altar of Burnt Offering
1“Build an altar of acacia wood, three cubits
8Make the altar hollow, out of boards. It is to be made just as you were shown on the mountain.
The Courtyard
9“Make a courtyard for the tabernacle. The south side shall be a hundred cubits
11The north side shall also be a hundred cubits long and is to have curtains, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts.
12“The west end of the courtyard shall be fifty cubits
15and curtains fifteen cubits long are to be on the other side, with three posts and three bases.
16“For the entrance to the courtyard, provide a curtain twenty cubits
19All the other articles used in the service of the tabernacle, whatever their function, including all the tent pegs for it and those for the courtyard, are to be of bronze.
Oil for the Lampstand 20“Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning. 21In the tent of meeting, outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the LORD from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come.
The Priestly Garments 1“Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests. 2Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor. 3Tell all the skilled workers to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest. 4These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests.
5Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.
The Ephod 6“Make the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen—the work of skilled hands. 7It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to two of its corners, so it can be fastened.
8Its skillfully woven waistband is to be like it—of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen. 9“Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel 10in the order of their birth—six names on one stone and the remaining six on the other. 11Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings 12and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders as a memorial before the LORD . 13Make gold filigree settings
14and two braided chains of pure gold, like a rope, and attach the chains to the settings.
The Breastpiece
15“Fashion a breastpiece for making decisions—the work of skilled hands. Make it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen.
16It is to be square—a span
21There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes. 22“For the breastpiece make braided chains of pure gold, like a rope. 23Make two gold rings for it and fasten them to two corners of the breastpiece. 24Fasten the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece, 25and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. 26Make two gold rings and attach them to the other two corners of the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod. 27Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod.
28The rings of the breastpiece are to be tied to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband, so that the breastpiece will not swing out from the ephod. 29“Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the LORD .
30Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the LORD . Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the LORD .
Other Priestly Garments
31“Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth,
32with an opening for the head in its center. There shall be a woven edge like a collar
35Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the LORD and when he comes out, so that he will not die. 36“Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD . 37Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban.
38It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and he will bear the guilt involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be on Aaron’s forehead continually so that they will be acceptable to the LORD . 39“Weave the tunic of fine linen and make the turban of fine linen. The sash is to be the work of an embroiderer. 40Make tunics, sashes and caps for Aaron’s sons to give them dignity and honor.
41After you put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests. 42“Make linen undergarments as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh. 43Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the tent of meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they will not incur guilt and die. “This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants.
Consecration of the Priests 1“This is what you are to do to consecrate them, so they may serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without defect. 2And from the finest wheat flour make round loaves without yeast, thick loaves without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves without yeast and brushed with olive oil. 3Put them in a basket and present them along with the bull and the two rams. 4Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 5Take the garments and dress Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself and the breastpiece. Fasten the ephod on him by its skillfully woven waistband. 6Put the turban on his head and attach the sacred emblem to the turban. 7Take the anointing oil and anoint him by pouring it on his head. 8Bring his sons and dress them in tunics
9and fasten caps on them. Then tie sashes on Aaron and his sons.
14But burn the bull’s flesh and its hide and its intestines outside the camp. It is a sin offering.
18Then burn the entire ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the LORD . 19“Take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. 20Slaughter it, take some of its blood and put it on the lobes of the right ears of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Then splash blood against the sides of the altar.
21And take some blood from the altar and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Then he and his sons and their garments will be consecrated. 22“Take from this ram the fat, the fat tail, the fat on the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, both kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh. (This is the ram for the ordination.) 23From the basket of bread made without yeast, which is before the LORD, take one round loaf, one thick loaf with olive oil mixed in, and one thin loaf. 24Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and have them wave them before the LORD as a wave offering. 25Then take them from their hands and burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering for a pleasing aroma to the LORD, a food offering presented to the LORD .
26After you take the breast of the ram for Aaron’s ordination, wave it before the LORD as a wave offering, and it will be your share. 27“Consecrate those parts of the ordination ram that belong to Aaron and his sons: the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented.
28This is always to be the perpetual share from the Israelites for Aaron and his sons. It is the contribution the Israelites are to make to the LORD from their fellowship offerings. 29“Aaron’s sacred garments will belong to his descendants so that they can be anointed and ordained in them.
30The son who succeeds him as priest and comes to the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place is to wear them seven days. 31“Take the ram for the ordination and cook the meat in a sacred place. 32At the entrance to the tent of meeting, Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread that is in the basket. 33They are to eat these offerings by which atonement was made for their ordination and consecration. But no one else may eat them, because they are sacred.
34And if any of the meat of the ordination ram or any bread is left over till morning, burn it up. It must not be eaten, because it is sacred. 35“Do for Aaron and his sons everything I have commanded you, taking seven days to ordain them. 36Sacrifice a bull each day as a sin offering to make atonement. Purify the altar by making atonement for it, and anoint it to consecrate it.
37For seven days make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will be most holy, and whatever touches it will be holy.
38“This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day: two lambs a year old.
39Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight.
40With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah
41Sacrifice the other lamb at twilight with the same grain offering and its drink offering as in the morning—a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the LORD . 42“For the generations to come this burnt offering is to be made regularly at the entrance to the tent of meeting, before the LORD . There I will meet you and speak to you;
43there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory. 44“So I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. 45Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. 46They will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God.
The Altar of Incense
1“Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense.
2It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high
6Put the altar in front of the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law—before the atonement cover that is over the tablets of the covenant law—where I will meet with you. 7“Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. 8He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the LORD for the generations to come. 9Do not offer on this altar any other incense or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it.
10Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering
Atonement Money
11Then the LORD said to Moses,
12“When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the LORD a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them.
13Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel,
16Receive the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will be a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD, making atonement for your lives.”
Basin for Washing 17Then the LORD said to Moses, 18“Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 19Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it. 20Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the LORD,
21they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”
Anointing Oil
22Then the LORD said to Moses,
23“Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels
29You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy. 30“Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests. 31Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come. 32Do not pour it on anyone else’s body and do not make any other oil using the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred.
33Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from their people.’ ”
Incense 34Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, 35and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred. 36Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. 37Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the LORD . 38Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from their people.”