Exodus chapter 25
English Standard Version
1The Lord said to Moses, 2"Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. 3And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, 4blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats ' hair, 5tanned rams ' skins, goatskins, acacia wood, 6oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. 8And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. 9Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.
10"They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 11You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it. 12You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. 13You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. 15The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. 16And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you.
17"You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. 18And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. 19Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. 20The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. 21And 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. 22There 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 all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.
23"You shall make a table of acacia wood. Two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 24You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a molding of gold around it. 25And you shall make a rim around it a handbreadth wide, and a molding of gold around the rim. 26And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs. 27Close to the frame the rings shall lie, as holders for the poles to carry the table. 28You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these. 29And you shall make its plates and dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold. 30And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly.
31"You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. 32And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; 33three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch — so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. 34And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, 35and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand. 36Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. 37You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it. 38Its tongs and their trays shall be of pure gold. 39It shall be made, with all these utensils, out of a talent of pure gold. 40And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.
New International Version
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 ; acacia wood; 6olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; 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.
10"Have them make an ark of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. 11Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. 12Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. 13Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. 15The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed. 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.
23"Make a table of acacia wood—two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high. 24Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it. 25Also make around it a rim a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim. 26Make four gold rings for the table and fasten them to the four corners, where the four legs are. 27The rings are to be close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. 28Make the poles of acacia wood, overlay them with gold and carry the table with them. 29And make its plates and dishes of pure gold, as well as its pitchers and bowls for the pouring out of offerings. 30Put the bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times.
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 of pure gold is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories. 40See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.
New American Standard Bible
1Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2Tell the sons of Israel to take a contribution for Me; from everyone whose heart moves him you shall take My contribution. 3This is the contribution which you are to take from them: gold, silver, and bronze, 4violet, purple, and scarlet material, fine linen, goat hair, 5rams’ skins dyed red, fine leather, acacia wood, 6oil for lighting, balsam oil for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastpiece. 8Have them construct a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them. 9According to all that I am going to show you as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, so you shall construct it.
10Now they shall construct an ark of acacia wood two and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. 11You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and you shall make a gold molding around it. 12You shall also cast four gold rings for it and fasten them on its four feet; two rings shall be on one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. 13And you shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them. 15The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it. 16You shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you.
17And you shall make an atoning cover of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. 18You shall make two cherubim of gold; make them of hammered work at the two ends of the atoning cover. 19Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim of one piece with the atoning cover at its two ends. 20And the cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the atoning cover with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be turned toward the atoning cover. 21Then you shall put the atoning cover on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you. 22There I will meet with you; and from above the atoning cover, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about every commandment that I will give you for the sons of Israel.
23You shall also make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long and one cubit wide, and one and a half cubits high. 24You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a gold border around it. 25And you shall make for it a rim of a hand width around it; and you shall make a gold border for the rim around it. 26You shall also make four gold rings for it and put rings on the four corners which are on its four legs. 27The rings shall be close to the rim, as holders for the poles to carry the table. 28And you shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, so that with them the table may be carried. 29You shall also make its dishes, its pans, its jars, and its libation bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold. 30And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before Me continually.
31Then you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand, its base and its shaft, are to be made of hammered work; its cups, its bulbs, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. 32Six branches shall go out from its sides; three branches of the lampstand from its one side and three branches of the lampstand from its other side. 33Three cups shall be shaped like almond blossoms on the one branch, a bulb and a flower, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms on the other branch, a bulb and a flower—the same for six branches going out from the lampstand; 34and on the lampstand four cups shaped like almond blossoms, its bulbs and its flowers. 35A bulb shall be under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. 36Their bulbs and their branches shall be of one piece with it; all of it shall be one piece of hammered work of pure gold. 37Then you shall make its lamps seven in number; and they shall mount its lamps so as to shed light on the space in front of it. 38Its tongs and its trays shall be of pure gold. 39It shall be made from a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils. 40See that you make them by the pattern for them, which was shown to you on the mountain.
Christian Standard Bible
1The Lord spoke to Moses: 2"Tell the Israelites to take an offering for me. You are to take my offering from everyone who is willing to give. 3This is the offering you are to receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze; 4blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen and goat hair; 5ram skins dyed red and fine leather; acacia wood; 6oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; 7and onyx along with other gemstones for mounting on the ephod and breastpiece.
8"They are to make a sanctuary for me so that I may dwell among them. 9You must make it according to all that I show you—the pattern of the tabernacle as well as the pattern of all its furnishings.
10"They are to make an ark of acacia wood, forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. 11Overlay it with pure gold; overlay it both inside and out. Also make a gold molding all around it. 12Cast four gold rings for it and place them on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. 13Make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry the ark with them. 15The poles are to remain in the rings of the ark; they must not be removed from it. 16Put the tablets of the testimony that I will give you into the ark. 17Make a mercy seat of pure gold, forty-five inches long and twenty-seven inches wide. 18Make two cherubim of gold; make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. 19Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end. At its two ends, make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat. 20The cherubim are to have wings spread out above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and are to face one another. The faces of the cherubim should be toward the mercy seat. 21Set the mercy seat on top of the ark and put the tablets of the testimony that I will give you into the ark. 22I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony; I will speak with you from there about all that I command you regarding the Israelites.
23"You are to construct a table of acacia wood, thirty-six inches long, eighteen inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. 24Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding all around it. 25Make a three-inch frame all around it and make a gold molding for it all around its frame. 26Make four gold rings for it, and attach the rings to the four corners at its four legs. 27The rings should be next to the frame as holders for the poles to carry the table. 28Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, and the table can be carried by them. 29You are also to make its plates and cups, as well as its pitchers and bowls for pouring drink offerings. Make them out of pure gold. 30Put the Bread of the Presence on the table before me at all times.
31"You are to make a lampstand out of pure, hammered gold. It is to be made of one piece: its base and shaft, its ornamental cups, and its buds and petals. 32Six branches are to extend from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from one side and three branches of the lampstand from the other side. 33There are to be three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a bud and petals, on one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a bud and petals, on the next branch. It is to be this way for the six branches that extend from the lampstand. 34There are to be four cups shaped like almond blossoms on the lampstand shaft along with its buds and petals. 35For the six branches that extend from the lampstand, a bud must be under the first pair of branches from it, a bud under the second pair of branches from it, and a bud under the third pair of branches from it. 36Their buds and branches are to be of one piece. All of it is to be a single hammered piece of pure gold.
37"Make its seven lamps, and set them up so that they illuminate the area in front of it. 38Its snuffers and firepans must be of pure gold. 39The lampstand with all these utensils is to be made from seventy-five pounds of pure gold. 40Be careful to make them according to the pattern you have been shown on the mountain.
New Living Translation
1The Lord said to Moses, 2Tell the people of Israel to bring me their sacred offerings. Accept the contributions from all whose hearts are moved to offer them.
3Here is a list of sacred offerings you may accept from them: gold, silver, and bronze; 4blue, purple, and scarlet thread; fine linen and goat hair for cloth; 5tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather; acacia wood; 6olive oil for the lamps; spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense; 7onyx stones, and other gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece.
8Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them. 9You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you.
10Have the people make an Ark of acacia wood — a sacred chest 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high. 11Overlay it inside and outside with pure gold, and run a molding of gold all around it. 12Cast four gold rings and attach them to its four feet, two rings on each side. 13Make poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 14Insert the poles into the rings at the sides of the Ark to carry it. 15These carrying poles must stay inside the rings; never remove them. 16When the Ark is finished, place inside it the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, which I will give to you.
17Then make the Ark’s cover — the place of atonement — from pure gold. It must be 45 inches long and 27 inches wide. 18Then make two cherubim from hammered gold, and place them on the two ends of the atonement cover. 19Mold the cherubim on each end of the atonement cover, making it all of one piece of gold. 20The cherubim will face each other and look down on the atonement cover. With their wings spread above it, they will protect it. 21Place inside the Ark the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, which I will give to you. Then put the atonement cover on top of the Ark. 22I will meet with you there and talk to you from above the atonement cover between the gold cherubim that hover over the Ark of the Covenant. From there I will give you my commands for the people of Israel.
23Then make a table of acacia wood, 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high. 24Overlay it with pure gold and run a gold molding around the edge. 25Decorate it with a 3-inch border all around, and run a gold molding along the border. 26Make four gold rings for the table and attach them at the four corners next to the four legs. 27Attach the rings near the border to hold the poles that are used to carry the table. 28Make these poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 29Make special containers of pure gold for the table — bowls, ladles, pitchers, and jars — to be used in pouring out liquid offerings. 30Place the Bread of the Presence on the table to remain before me at all times.
31Make a lampstand of pure, hammered gold. Make the entire lampstand and its decorations of one piece — the base, center stem, lamp cups, buds, and petals. 32Make it with six branches going out from the center stem, three on each side. 33Each of the six branches will have three lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. 34Craft the center stem of the lampstand with four lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. 35There will also be an almond bud beneath each pair of branches where the six branches extend from the center stem. 36The almond buds and branches must all be of one piece with the center stem, and they must be hammered from pure gold. 37Then make the seven lamps for the lampstand, and set them so they reflect their light forward. 38The lamp snuffers and trays must also be made of pure gold. 39You will need 75 pounds of pure gold for the lampstand and its accessories.
King James Version
1And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. 3And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, 4And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, 5And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood, 6Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, 7Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. 8And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. 9According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. 10And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. 11And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. 12And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it. 13And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. 14And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them. 15The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it. 16And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
17And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. 18And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. 19And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. 20And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. 21And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. 22And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. 23Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. 24And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about. 25And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about. 26And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof. 27Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table. 28And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them. 29And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them. 30And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway. 31And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same. 32And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side: 33Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick. 34And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers. 35And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick. 36Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.
37And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it. 38And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold. 39Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels. 40And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.
New King James Version
1Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2“Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering. 3And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; 4blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; 5ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; 6oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; 7onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate. 8And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. 9According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.
10“And they shall make an ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits shall be its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 11And you shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and shall make on it a molding of gold all around. 12You shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four corners; two rings shall be on one side, and two rings on the other side. 13And you shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 14You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, that the ark may be carried by them. 15The poles shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. 16And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you.
17“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width. 18And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. 19Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. 20And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. 21You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. 22And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.
23“You shall also make a table of acacia wood; two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 24And you shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a molding of gold all around. 25You shall make for it a frame of a handbreadth all around, and you shall make a gold molding for the frame all around. 26And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners that are at its four legs. 27The rings shall be close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table. 28And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be carried with them. 29You shall make its dishes, its pans, its pitchers, and its bowls for pouring. You shall make them of pure gold. 30And you shall set the showbread on the table before Me always.
31“You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and flowers shall be of one piece. 32And six branches shall come out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side. 33Three bowls shall be made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower—and so for the six branches that come out of the lampstand. 34On the lampstand itself four bowls shall be made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower. 35And there shall be a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches that extend from the lampstand. 36Their knobs and their branches shall be of one piece; all of it shall be one hammered piece of pure gold. 37You shall make seven lamps for it, and they shall arrange its lamps so that they give light in front of it. 38And its wick-trimmers and their trays shall be of pure gold. 39It shall be made of a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils. 40And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.
What does Exodus chapter 25 mean?
When Israel left Egypt (Exodus 12:40–41), they took great wealth with them. This came from the Egyptians (Exodus 11:2–3) who urged their former slaves to go (Exodus 12:35–36). Three months later (Exodus 19:1), Israel has arrived at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:2). The Lord has begun to deliver the laws of His covenant (Exodus 19:5–6). Here, He calls for voluntary donations so the people can build a portable temple.The sanctuary will be in the form of a large tent, also called a "tabernacle." The tabernacle and its sacred objects will require a wide range of materials. Among these are precious metals, wood, animal skins, textiles, oils, spices, and gemstones. Yet God does not demand anything an Israelite is not willing to give. God designs the sanctuary, and Israel is to follow His instructions carefully (Exodus 25:1–9).
Among the most famous religious objects in history is the "ark of the covenant." The English word "ark" has been used to translate two different Hebrew terms. One, used in relation to Noah (Genesis 6:14) and Moses' infancy (Exodus 2:3), refers to a floating basket or container. The other, used here, means "chest" or "box." The ark of the covenant is a large wooden trunk overlaid with gold. One of its main purposes is to store stone tablets recording the Mosaic covenant. The ark has a decorative border and rings so it can be carried by gilded poles (Exodus 25:10–16).
The ark's lid is made of solid metal. On this are figures of two cherubim. These are angel-like beings seen elsewhere with four wings and four faces (Ezekiel 1:5–6, 15; 10:2–3). The lid itself is named using a unique Hebrew word associated with atonement. The most common English translation for this is "mercy seat." Priests will sprinkle blood there for an important ritual (Leviticus 16:14–16). God will speak to Moses from the space between the mercy seat and the cherubim's wings (Exodus 25:17–22).
Another important piece of furniture for the tabernacle is a sacred table. This is slightly shorter and narrower than the ark, though just as high, and includes a decorative rim. On this, priests will place a series of solid gold containers. They will also stack twelve loaves of ceremonial bread (Leviticus 24:5–7; Numbers 4:7). Only priests are allowed to eat these (Leviticus 24:8–9). However, centuries after Moses, David would take this bread during an emergency (1 Samuel 21:4–6; Mark 2:25–26). Like the ark, the table features rings so it can be carried using poles covered in gold (Exodus 25:23–30).
The menorāh is one of the most famous symbols of Judaism. Here, the Lord gives designs for this ornate lampstand. The object is to be made of solid gold. It includes seven lamps. These are held by the central shaft and six branches, three from each side. Below the lamp-holders are a series of almond blossoms. Most depictions of this show an arrangement of three half-circles, but some suggest the branches were to be straight, making the lampstand triangular. The menorah and its utensils are not wood covered in gold, but solid. This requires around seventy-five pounds, or thirty-four kilograms, of metal (Exodus 25:31–40).
The Lord intends all these instructions to be followed carefully. The rest of the book of Exodus is mostly a record of these designs and Israel's careful obedience to them (Exodus 31:1–11). The next chapters will focus on tent materials, sacred garments, and altars.
