26
The Tent
(Exodus 36:8–38)
⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “Make the inner tent with ten sheets made from fine linen yarn. Take violet, purple, and bright red yarn, and creatively work an angel * design into the fabric. Each sheet will be 42 feet long and 6 feet wide—all the same size. Five of the sheets must be sewn together, and the other five must also be sewn together. Make 50 violet loops along the edge of the end sheet in each set, placing the loops opposite each other. Make 50 gold fasteners. Use them to link the ⌞two sets of⌟ sheets together so that the tent is a single unit.
“Make 11 sheets of goats’ hair to form an outer tent over the inner tent. Each of the 11 sheets will be 45 feet long and 6 feet wide. Sew five of the sheets together into one set and the remaining six into another set. Fold the sixth sheet in half ⌞to hang⌟ in front of the tent. 10 Make 50 loops along the edge of the end sheet in each set. 11 Make 50 bronze fasteners, and put them through the loops to link the inner tent together as a single unit. 12 The remaining half-sheet should hang over the back of the inner tent. 13 There will be 18 inches left over on each side because of the length of the outer tent’s sheets. That part should hang over each side in order to cover the inner tent. 14 Make a cover of rams’ skins that have been dyed red for the outer tent. Over that put a cover made of fine leather.
15 “Make a framework out of acacia wood for the inner tent. 16 Each frame is to be 15 feet long and 27 inches wide, 17 with two identical pegs. Make all the frames for the inner tent the same way. 18 Make 20 frames for the south side of the inner tent. 19 Then make 40 silver sockets at the bottom of the 20 frames, two sockets at the bottom of each frame for the two pegs. 20 For the north side of the inner tent ⌞make⌟ 20 frames 21 and 40 silver sockets, two at the bottom of each frame. 22 Make six frames for the far end, the west side. 23 Make two frames for ⌞each of⌟ the corners at the far end of the inner tent. 24 These will be held together at the bottom and held tightly at the top by a single ring. Both corner frames will be made this way. 25 There will be eight frames with 16 silver sockets, two at the bottom of each frame.
26 “Make crossbars out of acacia wood: five for the frames on one side of the inner tent, 27 five for those on the other side, and five for the frames on the far end of the inner tent, the west side. 28 The middle crossbar will run from one end to the other, halfway up the frames. 29 Cover the frames with gold, make gold rings to hold the crossbars, and cover the crossbars with gold.
30 “Set up the inner tent according to the plans you were shown on the mountain.
31 “Make a canopy of violet, purple, and bright red yarn. Creatively work an angel design into fine linen yarn. 32 Use gold hooks to hang it on four posts of acacia wood covered with gold, standing in four silver sockets. 33 Hang the canopy from the fasteners in the ceiling, and put the ark containing the words of my promise under it. The canopy will mark off the most holy place from the holy place. 34 Put the throne of mercy that is on the ark in the most holy place.
35 “Place the table outside the canopy on the north side of the inner tent, and put the lamp stand opposite the table on the south side.
36 “For the entrance of the outer tent, make a screen out of fine linen yarn, embroidered with violet, purple, and bright red yarn. 37 Make five posts of acacia wood for the screen and cover them with gold. Make gold hooks for this screen. Cast five bronze bases for the posts.”
* 26:1 Or “a cherubim.” 26:24 Or “These are to be separated at the bottom but held together at the top by a single ring.”