The Daily Audio Bible

Making the Ark

37 Bezalel^(A) made the ark of acacia wood, forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high.^{[a] 2} He overlaid it with pure gold inside and out and made a gold molding all around it. ³ He cast four gold rings for it, for its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. ⁴ He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. ⁵ He inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark for carrying the ark.

⁶ He made a mercy seat of pure gold, forty-five inches long and twenty-seven inches wide.^{[b] 7} He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat, ⁸ one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end. At each end, he made a cherub of one piece with the mercy seat. ⁹ They had wings spread out. They faced each other and covered the mercy seat with their wings. The faces of the cherubim were looking toward the mercy seat.

Making the Table

¹⁰ He^(B) constructed the table of acacia wood, thirty-six inches long, eighteen inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high.^{[c] 11} He overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold molding all around it. ¹² He made a three-inch^[d] frame all around it and made a gold molding all around its frame. ¹³ He cast four gold rings for it and attached the rings to the four corners at its four legs. ¹⁴ The rings were next to the frame as holders for the poles to carry the table. ¹⁵ He made the poles for carrying the table from acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. ¹⁶ He also made the utensils that would be on the table out of pure gold: its plates and cups, as well as its bowls and pitchers for pouring drink offerings.

Making the Lampstand

¹⁷ Then^(C) he made the lampstand out of pure hammered gold. He made it all of one piece: its base and shaft, its ornamental cups, and its buds and petals. ¹⁸ Six branches extended from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from one side and three branches of the lampstand from the other side. ¹⁹ There were 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 was this way for the six branches that extended from the lampstand. ²⁰ There were four cups shaped like almond blossoms on the lampstand shaft along with its buds and petals. ²¹ For the six branches that extended from it, a bud was 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. ²² Their buds and branches were of one piece with it. All of it was a single hammered piece of pure gold. ²³ He also made its seven lamps, snuffers, and firepans of pure gold. ²⁴ He made it and all its utensils of seventy-five pounds^[e] of pure gold.

Making the Altar of Incense

²⁵ He^(D) made the altar of incense out of acacia wood. It was square, eighteen inches long and eighteen inches wide; it was thirty-six inches high.^[f] Its horns were of one piece with it. ²⁶ He overlaid it, its top, all around its sides, and its horns with pure gold. Then he made a gold molding all around it. ²⁷ He made two gold rings for it under the molding on two of its sides; he put these on opposite sides of it to be holders for the poles to carry it with. ²⁸ He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

²⁹ He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant, and expertly blended incense.^(E)

Making the Altar of Burnt Offering

38 Bezalel^(F) constructed the altar of burnt offering from acacia wood. It was square, 7½ feet long and 7½ feet wide,^[g] and was 4½ feet^[h] high. ² He made horns for it on its four corners; the horns were of one piece with it. Then he overlaid it with bronze.

³ He made all the altar’s utensils: the pots, shovels, basins, meat forks, and firepans; he made all its utensils of bronze. ⁴ He constructed for the altar a grate of bronze mesh under its ledge,^[i] halfway up from the bottom. ⁵ He cast four rings at the four corners of the bronze grate as holders for the poles. ⁶ He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. ⁷ Then he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar in order to carry it with them. He constructed the altar with boards so that it was hollow.

Making the Bronze Basin

⁸ He made the bronze basin and its stand from the bronze mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.^(G)

Making the Courtyard

⁹ Then^(H) he made the courtyard. The hangings on the south side of the courtyard were of finely spun linen, 150 feet^[j] long, ¹⁰ including their twenty posts and their twenty bronze bases, with silver hooks and silver bands^[k] for the posts. ¹¹ The hangings on the north side were also 150 feet long, including their twenty posts and twenty bronze bases. The hooks and bands of the posts were silver. ¹² The hangings on the west side were 75 feet^[l] long, including their ten posts and their ten bases, with silver hooks and silver bands for the posts. ¹³ And for the east side toward the sunrise, 75 feet long, ¹⁴ the hangings on one side of the gate were 22½ feet,^[m] including their three posts and their three bases. ¹⁵ It was the same for the other side of the courtyard gate. The hangings were 22½ feet, including their three posts and their three bases. ¹⁶ All the hangings around the courtyard were of finely spun linen. ¹⁷ The bases for the posts were bronze; the hooks and bands of the posts were silver; and the plating for the tops of the posts was silver. All the posts of the courtyard were banded with silver.

¹⁸ The screen for the gate of the courtyard was made of finely spun linen, expertly embroidered^[n] with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. It was 30 feet^[o] long, and like the hangings of the courtyard, 7½ feet^[p] high.^{[q] 19} It had four posts with their four bronze bases. Their hooks were silver, and their top plating and their bands were silver. ²⁰ All the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the surrounding courtyard were bronze.

Inventory of Materials

²¹ This is the inventory for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony,^(I) that was recorded at Moses’s command. It was the work of the Levites under the direction of^[r] Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.^{(J) 22} Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything that the Lord commanded Moses. ²³ With him was Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, a gem cutter, a designer, and an embroiderer with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.

²⁴ All the gold of the presentation offering that was used for the project in all the work on the sanctuary, was 2,193 pounds,^[s] according to the sanctuary shekel.^{(K) 25} The silver from those of the community who were registered was 7,544 pounds,^[t] according to the sanctuary shekel— ²⁶ one-fifth of an ounce^[u] per man, that is, half a shekel according to the sanctuary shekel, from everyone twenty years old or more who had crossed over to the registered group, 603,550 men. ²⁷ There were 7,500 pounds^[v] of silver used to cast the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the curtain—one hundred bases from 7,500 pounds, 75 pounds^[w] for each base.^{(L) 28} With the remaining 44 pounds^[x] he made the hooks for the posts, overlaid their tops, and supplied bands for them.

²⁹ The bronze of the presentation offering totaled 5,310 pounds.^{[y] 30} He made with it the bases for the entrance to the tent of meeting, the bronze altar and its bronze grate, all the utensils for the altar, ³¹ the bases for the surrounding courtyard, the bases for the gate of the courtyard, all the tent pegs for the tabernacle, and all the tent pegs for the surrounding courtyard.

Resurrection Morning

28 After the Sabbath,^(A) as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb. ² There was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it.^{(B) 3} His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow.^{(C) 4} The guards were so shaken by fear of him that they became like dead men.

⁵ The angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.^{(D) 6} He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.^{(E) 7} Then go quickly and tell his disciples,^(F) ‘He has risen from the dead and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there.’ Listen, I have told you.”^(G)

⁸ So, departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to tell his disciples the news. ⁹ Just then^[a] Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” They came up, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.^{(H) 10} Then Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”^(I)

The Soldiers Bribed to Lie

¹¹ As they were on their way, some of the guards came into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. ¹² After the priests^[b] had assembled with the elders and agreed on a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money ¹³ and told them, “Say this, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him while we were sleeping.’ ¹⁴ If this reaches the governor’s ears, we will deal with^[c] him and keep you out of trouble.”^{(J) 15} They took the money and did as they were instructed, and this story has been spread among Jewish people to this day.^(K)

The Great Commission

¹⁶ The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them.^{(L) 17} When they saw him, they worshiped,^[d] but some doubted. ¹⁸ Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.^{(M) 19} Go, therefore, and make disciples^(N) of^[e] all nations,^(O) baptizing^(P) them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember,^[f] I am with you always,^[g] to the end of the age.”^(Q)