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Exodus 26
New Catholic Bible
Exodus 26
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 26
The Tabernacle. 1 “As for the tabernacle, you shall make it out of ten curtains of fine twisted linen, blue and purple and scarlet, with cherubim sewn on them by skillful craftsmen.[a] 2 The curtains shall be twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide, each curtain being the same size. 3 Five curtains shall be joined together, and the other five curtains shall be joined together. 4 Make loops of blue cloth on the outside edge of the first set, and likewise loops on the outside edge of the second set. 5 Make fifty loops in the first set and make fifty loops in the edge of the second set. The loops should be symmetrical. 6 Then make fifty golden clasps and attach the sets of curtains to each other to form the tabernacle.
7 “You shall then make curtains of goats hair to build a tent over the tabernacle, eleven curtains in all. 8 The curtains shall be thirty cubits long and four cubits wide. Each curtain shall be the same size. 9 You shall join five of the curtains on one side and six curtains on the other side. Fold back the sixth curtain to double it over on the front of the tent. 10 You shall make fifty loops in the outside edge of the first set, and fifty loops in the edge of the second set. 11 You shall make fifty bronze clasps and put the clasps into the loops to join the tent together and make it a single structure.
12 “The overlapping part of the curtain, the half curtain that is left over, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle. 13 The cubit that is left over on the one side, like the cubit that is left over on the other side, of what is remaining in the length of the curtain of the tent, shall hang over the two sides of the tabernacle to cover one side and the other.
14 “You shall make a covering for the tent out of rams’ skins dyed red, and over it shall be a covering of sheep skin.
15 The Linear Structure of the Tabernacle.“You shall make upright frames for the tent of acacia wood. 16 Each board shall be ten cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. 17 Each board shall have two joints in it to fit them together. All the boards of the tabernacle are to be made this way. 18 This is how you shall make all the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards being on the southern side. 19 You shall also make forty silver bases for the twenty boards, two bases for each of the joints on one board, and two bases for each of the joints on the next board. 20 On the second side of the tabernacle, toward the north, there shall be twenty boards 21 as well as their forty silver bases, two bases under one board, and two bases under the next board. 22 For the rear of the tabernacle facing the west you shall make six boards, 23 and two boards for the corners of the tabernacle in the rear. 24 They shall be doubled together below and likewise joined together above into one ring. The two of them will form two corners. 25 Thus, there shall be eight boards with their silver bases, sixteen bases in all, with two bases under one board and two bases under the next board.
26 “You shall also make bars of acacia wood, five for the boards of one side of the tabernacle 27 and five bars for the boards for the other side of the tabernacle and five bars for the boards of the rear, toward the west. 28 The middle bar shall pass half way up the boards, reaching from end to end. 29 Cover the boards with gold, and make their rings gold in which the bars are inserted, and also cover the bars in gold.
30 “You shall build the tabernacle according to the plan that you were shown on the mountain.
31 The Inner Veil.“You shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet cloth and fine twisted linen, with cherubim sewn upon it by skillful craftsmen. 32 You shall hang it on four columns of acacia wood covered in gold, with hooks of gold and standing upon four bases of silver. 33 Hang the veil from the clasps, and place the Ark of Testimony inside the veil. The veil shall serve you as the separation between the Holy and the Holy of Holies. 34 Place the seat of atonement on the Ark of Testimony in the Holy of Holies. 35 Set the table outside of the veil and the lampstand opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle. You are to put the table on the north side.
36 The Entry Curtain.“You shall make a curtain for the door to the tent of blue and purple and scarlet cloth and fine twisted linen that is covered with embroidery. 37 You shall make five columns of acacia wood covered in gold for the curtain. Their hooks are to be made out of gold and you shall cast five bronze bases.
Footnotes
- Exodus 26:1 It is not easy to picture the exact shape of the tabernacle or dwelling (in Latin, tabernaculum, “tent”), even though it is described in such detail.
It seems to be a structure that could be disassembled, something like a Bedouin tent, about 16 feet wide, 16 feet long, and 16 feet high.
Inside, the curtain (v. 31) separates “The Holy Place” from “the Most Holy Place,” where the throne of God stood in darkness. See Lev 16; Mk 15:38; Heb 6:19; 9:6-14.
Exodus 26
New International Version
Exodus 26
New International Version
The Tabernacle(A)
26 “Make the tabernacle(B) with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim(C) woven into them by a skilled worker. 2 All the curtains are to be the same size(D)—twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide.[a] 3 Join five of the curtains together, and do the same with the other five. 4 Make loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in one set, and do the same with the end curtain in the other set. 5 Make fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the other set, with the loops opposite each other. 6 Then make fifty gold clasps and use them to fasten the curtains together so that the tabernacle is a unit.(E)
7 “Make curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle—eleven altogether. 8 All eleven curtains are to be the same size(F)—thirty cubits long and four cubits wide.[b] 9 Join five of the curtains together into one set and the other six into another set. Fold the sixth curtain double at the front of the tent. 10 Make fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in one set and also along the edge of the end curtain in the other set. 11 Then make fifty bronze clasps and put them in the loops to fasten the tent together as a unit.(G) 12 As for the additional length of the tent curtains, the half curtain that is left over is to hang down at the rear of the tabernacle. 13 The tent curtains will be a cubit[c] longer on both sides; what is left will hang over the sides of the tabernacle so as to cover it. 14 Make for the tent a covering(H) of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of the other durable leather.[d](I)
15 “Make upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle. 16 Each frame is to be ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide,[e] 17 with two projections set parallel to each other. Make all the frames of the tabernacle in this way. 18 Make twenty frames for the south side of the tabernacle 19 and make forty silver bases(J) to go under them—two bases for each frame, one under each projection. 20 For the other side, the north side of the tabernacle, make twenty frames 21 and forty silver bases(K)—two under each frame. 22 Make six frames for the far end, that is, the west end of the tabernacle, 23 and make two frames for the corners at the far end. 24 At these two corners they must be double from the bottom all the way to the top and fitted into a single ring; both shall be like that. 25 So 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, 27 five for those on the other side, and five for the frames on the west, at the far end of the tabernacle. 28 The center crossbar is to extend from end to end at the middle of the frames. 29 Overlay the frames with gold and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. Also overlay the crossbars with gold.
30 “Set up the tabernacle(L) according to the plan(M) shown you on the mountain.
31 “Make a curtain(N) of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim(O) woven into it by a skilled worker. 32 Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases.(P) 33 Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the covenant law behind the curtain.(Q) The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.(R) 34 Put the atonement cover(S) on the ark of the covenant law in the Most Holy Place. 35 Place the table(T) outside the curtain on the north side of the tabernacle and put the lampstand(U) opposite it on the south side.
36 “For the entrance to the tent make a curtain(V) of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen—the work of an embroiderer.(W) 37 Make gold hooks for this curtain and five posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold. And cast five bronze bases for them.
Footnotes
- Exodus 26:2 That is, about 42 feet long and 6 feet wide or about 13 meters long and 1.8 meters wide
- Exodus 26:8 That is, about 45 feet long and 6 feet wide or about 13.5 meters long and 1.8 meters wide
- Exodus 26:13 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters
- Exodus 26:14 Possibly the hides of large aquatic mammals (see 25:5)
- Exodus 26:16 That is, about 15 feet long and 2 1/4 feet wide or about 4.5 meters long and 68 centimeters wide
New International Version (NIV) 
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