Exodus 26

1 "Make The Dwelling itself from ten panels of tapestry woven from fine twisted linen, blue and purple and scarlet material, with an angel-cherubim design. A skilled craftsman should do it.
2 The panels of tapestry are each to be forty-six feet long and six feet wide.
3 Join five of the panels together, and then the other five together.
4 Make loops of blue along the edge of the outside panel of the first set and the same on the outside panel of the second set.
5 Make fifty loops on each panel.
6 Then make fifty gold clasps and join the tapestries together so that The Dwelling is one whole.
7 "Next make tapestries of goat hair for a tent that will cover The Dwelling. Make eleven panels of these tapestries.
8 The length of each panel will be forty-five feet long and six feet wide.
9 Join five of the panels together, and then the other six. Fold the sixth panel double at the front of the tent.
10 Now make fifty loops along the edge of the end panel and fifty loops along the edge of the joining panel.
11 Make fifty clasps of bronze and connect the clasps with the loops, bringing the tent together.
12 "Hang half of the overlap of the tapestry panels over the rear of The Dwelling.
13 The eighteen inches of overlap on either side will cover the sides of the tent.
14 Finally, make a covering for the tapestries of tanned rams' skins dyed red and over that a covering of dolphin skins.
15 "Frame The Dwelling with planks of acacia wood,
16 each section of frame fifteen feet long and two and one-quarter feet wide,
17 with two pegs for securing them. Make all the frames identical:
18 twenty frames for the south side
19 with forty silver sockets to receive the two pegs from each of the twenty frames;
22 for the rear of The Dwelling, which faces west, make six frames
23 with two additional frames for the rear corners.
24 Both of the two corner frames need to be double in thickness from top to bottom and fit into a single ring
25 - eight frames altogether with sixteen sockets of silver, two under each frame.
26 "Now make crossbars of acacia wood, five for the frames on one side of The Dwelling,
27 five for the other side, and five for the back side facing west.
28 The center crossbar runs from end to end halfway up the frames.
29 Cover the frames with a veneer of gold and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. And cover the crossbars with a veneer of gold.
30 Then put The Dwelling together, following the design you were shown on the mountain.
31 "Make a curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. Have a design of angel-cherubim woven into it by a skilled craftsman.
32 Fasten it with gold hooks to four posts of acacia wood covered with a veneer of gold, set on four silver bases.
33 After hanging the curtain from the clasps, bring the Chest of The Testimony in behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Holy-of-Holies.
34 Now place the Atonement-Cover lid on the Chest of The Testimony in the Holy-of-Holies.
35 Place the Table and the Lampstand outside the curtain, the Lampstand on the south side of The Dwelling and the Table opposite it on the north side.
36 "Make a screen for the door of the tent. Weave it from blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen.
37 Frame the weaving with five poles of acacia wood covered with a veneer of gold and make gold hooks to hang the weaving. Cast five bronze bases for the poles.

Exodus 26 Commentaries

Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.