CHAPTER 38
The Altar for Burnt Offerings. 1The altar for burnt offeringsa was made of acacia wood, on a square, five cubits long and five cubits wide; its height was three cubits. 2At the four corners horns were made that sprang directly from the altar. It was then plated with bronze. 3All the utensils of the altar, the pots, shovels, basins, forks and fire pans, were likewise made of bronze. 4A grating, a bronze network, was made for the altar and placed around it, on the ground, half as high as the altar itself. 5Four rings were cast for the four corners of the bronze grating, as holders for the poles, 6which were made of acacia wood and plated with bronze. 7The poles were put through the rings on the sides of the altar for carrying it. The altar was made in the form of a hollow box.
8The bronze basin,b with its bronze stand, was made from the mirrors of the women who served* at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
The Court of the Tabernacle. 9c The court was made as follows. On the south side the hangings of the court were of fine linen twined, a hundred cubits long, 10with twenty columns and twenty pedestals of bronze, the hooks and bands of the columns being of silver. 11On the north side there were similar hangings, a hundred cubits long, with twenty columns and twenty pedestals of bronze; the hooks and bands of the columns were of silver. 12On the west side there were hangings, fifty cubits long, with ten columns and ten pedestals; the hooks and bands of the columns were of silver. 13On the east side the court was fifty cubits. 14On one side there were hangings to the extent of fifteen cubits, with three columns and three pedestals; 15on the other side, beyond the gate of the court, there were likewise hangings to the extent of fifteen cubits, with three columns and three pedestals. 16The hangings on all sides of the court were woven of fine linen twined. 17The pedestals of the columns were of bronze, while the hooks and bands of the columns were of silver; the capitals were silver-plated, and all the columns of the court were banded with silver.
18At the gate of the court there was a variegated curtain, woven of violet, purple, and scarlet yarn and of fine linen twined, twenty cubits long and five cubits wide, in keeping with the hangings of the court. 19There were four columns and four pedestals of bronze for it, while their hooks were of silver, and their capitals and their bands silver-plated. 20All the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the court around it were of bronze.
Amount of Metal Used. 21The following is an account of the various amounts used on the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the covenant, drawn up at the command of Moses by the Levites under the direction of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest. 22However, it was Bezalel, son of Uri,d son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, who made all that the LORD commanded Moses, 23and he was assisted by Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, who was an engraver, an embroiderer, and a weaver of variegated cloth of violet, purple, and scarlet yarn and of fine linen.
24All the gold used in the entire construction of the sanctuary, having previously been given as an offering, amounted to twenty-nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels, according to the standard of the sanctuary shekel. 25The silver of those of the community who were enrolled was one hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels, according to the standard of the sanctuary shekel; 26one bekah apiece, that is, a half-shekel, according to the standard of the sanctuary shekel, was received from everyone who was enrolled, of twenty years or more, namely, six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty men.e 27One hundred talents of silver were used for casting the pedestals of the sanctuary and the pedestals of the veil, one talent for each pedestal, or one hundred talents for the one hundred pedestals. 28The remaining one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels were used for making the hooks on the columns, for plating the capitals, and for banding them with silver. 29The bronze, given as an offering, amounted to seventy talents and two thousand four hundred shekels. 30With this were made the pedestals at the entrance of the tent of meeting, the bronze altar with its bronze gratings, and all the utensils of the altar, 31the pedestals around the court, the pedestals at the gate of the court, and all the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the court around it.
* [38:8] The reflecting surface of ancient mirrors was usually of polished bronze. The women who served: cf. 1 Sm 2:22.
a. [38:1–7] Ex 27:1–8; 2 Chr 1:5.
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