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Exodus 27-28
Easy-to-Read Version

The Altar for Burning Offerings

27 “Use acacia wood and build an altar. The altar should be square. It must be 5 cubits[a] long, 5 cubits wide, and 3 cubits[b] high. 2 Make a horn for each of the four corners of the altar. Join each horn to its corner so that everything is one piece. Then cover the altar with bronze.

3 “Use bronze to make all the tools and dishes that will be used on the altar. Make pots, shovels, bowls, forks, and pans. These will be used for cleaning ashes from the altar. 4 Make a grating for the altar. This grating will be shaped like a net. And make a bronze ring at each of the four corners of the grating. 5 Put the grating under the ledge at the bottom of the altar. The grating will go halfway up into the altar from below.

6 “Use acacia wood to make poles for the altar, and cover them with bronze. 7 Put the poles through the rings on both sides of the altar. Use these poles for carrying the altar. 8 Make the altar like an empty box with the sides made from boards. Make the altar just as I showed you on the mountain.

The Courtyard Around the Holy Tent

9 “Make a courtyard for the Holy Tent. The south side should have a wall of curtains 100 cubits[c] long. These curtains must be made from fine linen. 10 Use 20 posts and 20 bronze bases under the posts. The hooks for the posts and the curtain rods[d] should be made from silver. 11 The north side must also have a wall of curtains 100 cubits long. It must have 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The hooks for the posts and the curtain rods must be made from silver.

12 “On the west side of the courtyard there must be a wall of curtains 50 cubits[e] long. There must be ten posts and ten bases. 13 The east side of the courtyard must also be 50 cubits long. 14 Here at the entrance to the courtyard, one side must have curtains 15 cubits[f] long. There must be three posts and three bases on this side. 15 The other side of the entrance must also have curtains 15 cubits long. There must be three posts and three bases on that side.

16 “Make a curtain 20 cubits[g] long to cover the entrance to the courtyard. Make that curtain from fine linen and blue, purple, and red yarn. Weave designs into that curtain. There must be four posts and four bases for that curtain. 17 All the posts around the courtyard must be joined with silver curtain rods. The hooks on the posts must be made from silver, and the bases for the posts must be bronze. 18 The courtyard should be 100 cubits long and 50 cubits wide. The wall of curtains around the courtyard should be 5 cubits high. The curtains must be made from fine linen. The bases under the posts must be bronze. 19 All the tools, tent pegs, and other things used in the Holy Tent must be made from bronze. And all the pegs for the curtains around the courtyard must be made from bronze.

Oil for the Lamp

20 “Command the Israelites to bring their best olive oil for the lamp that must be lit each evening. 21 This lamp is in the first room of the Meeting Tent, outside the curtain for the room where the Agreement is. Aaron and his sons will make sure this lamp is burning before the Lord every day from evening until morning. The Israelites and their descendants must obey this law forever.

Clothes for the Priests

28 “Tell your brother Aaron and his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to come to you from the Israelites. These men will serve me as priests.

2 “Make special clothes for your brother Aaron. These clothes will give him honor and respect. 3 I have given special wisdom to some of the skilled men. Tell them to make the clothes for Aaron. These clothes will show that he serves me in a special way. Then he can serve me as a priest. 4 These are the clothes the men should make: the judgment pouch, the ephod, a blue robe, a white woven robe, a turban, and a cloth belt. They must make these special clothes for your brother Aaron and his sons. Then Aaron and his sons can serve me as priests. 5 Tell the men to use gold thread, fine linen, and blue, purple, and red yarn.

The Ephod and the Cloth Belt

6 “Use gold thread, fine linen, and blue, purple, and red yarn to make the ephod. This must be the work of a very skilled person. 7 At each shoulder of the ephod, there should be a shoulder piece. These shoulder pieces should be tied to the two corners of the ephod.

8 “The men will very carefully weave a cloth belt for the ephod. This belt must be made the same way as the ephod—use gold threads, fine linen, and blue, purple, and red yarn.

9 “Take two onyx stones. Write the names of the twelve sons of Israel on these jewels. 10 Write six names on one jewel and six names on the other jewel. Write the names in order, from the oldest son to the youngest. 11 Cut the names of the sons of Israel into these stones. Do this the way a worker makes a seal. Put the jewels in gold settings. 12 Then put these two jewels on the shoulder pieces of the ephod. Aaron will wear this special coat when he stands before the Lord. And the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel will be on the ephod. These jewels will cause the Lord to remember the Israelites. 13 Use fine gold to hold the stones on the ephod. 14 Twist chains of pure gold together like a rope. Make two of these gold chains and fasten them to the gold settings.

The Judgment Pouch

15 “Make the judgment pouch for the high priest. Skilled workers should make this pouch just as they made the ephod. They must use gold threads, fine linen, and blue, purple, and red yarn. 16 The judgment pouch should be folded double to make a square pocket. It should be 1 span[h] long and 1 span wide. 17 Put four rows of beautiful jewels on the judgment pouch. The first row of jewels should have a ruby, a topaz, and a beryl. 18 The second row should have a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald. 19 The third row should have a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst. 20 The fourth row should have a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper. Set all these jewels in gold. 21 There will be twelve jewels on the judgment pouch—one stone for each of the sons of Israel. Each stone will be like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes cut into it.

22 “Make chains of pure gold for the judgment pouch. These chains must be braided like a rope. 23 Make two gold rings and put them on two corners of the judgment pouch. 24 Put the two golden chains through the two rings at the corners of the judgment pouch. 25 Fasten the other ends of the gold chains to the two settings. This will fasten them to the two shoulder pieces of the ephod on the front. 26 Make two more gold rings and put them on the other two corners of the judgment pouch. This will be on the inside edge of the judgment pouch next to the ephod. 27 Make two more gold rings and put them on the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod. Put the gold rings above the cloth belt of the ephod. 28 Use blue ribbon to tie the rings of the judgment pouch to the rings of the ephod. In this way the judgment pouch will rest close to the cloth belt and will be held against the ephod.

29 “When Aaron enters the Holy Place, he must wear the judgment pouch. In this way he will wear the names of the twelve sons of Israel over his heart. And the Lord will always be reminded of them. 30 Put the Urim and Thummim inside the judgment pouch. They will be over Aaron’s heart when he goes before the Lord. So Aaron will always carry with him a way of judging for the Israelites when he is before the Lord.

Other Clothes for the Priests

31 “Make a blue robe for the ephod. 32 Make a hole in the center for the head. And sew a piece of cloth around the edge of this hole. This cloth will be like a collar that keeps the hole from tearing. 33 Use blue, purple, and red yarn to make cloth pomegranates. Hang these pomegranates around the bottom edge of the robe, and hang gold bells between the pomegranates. 34 So around the bottom edge of the robe there should be bells and pomegranates. There should be a bell following each pomegranate. 35 Aaron will wear this robe when he serves as a priest. The bells will ring as Aaron goes into the Holy Place to stand before the Lord, and the bells will ring as he leaves the Holy Place. This way Aaron will not die.

36 “Make a strip of pure gold and carve these words into the gold like the writing on a seal: holy to the lord.[i] 37 Fasten the gold strip to a blue ribbon. Tie the blue ribbon around the turban. The gold strip should be on the front of the turban. 38 Aaron will wear this on his head. In this way he will remove the guilt if anything is wrong with the gifts that the Israelites[j] give to God. Aaron will always wear this on his head so that the Lord will accept the gifts of the people.

39 “Use fine linen to make the white woven robe and the turban. The cloth belt should have designs sewn into it. 40 Also make coats, belts, and cloth caps for Aaron’s sons. This will give them honor and respect. 41 Put the clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons. Then pour the special oil on them to make them priests. This will make them holy, and they will serve me as priests.

42 “Use linen to make underclothes for the priests. These underclothes will cover them from the waist to the thighs. 43 Aaron and his sons must wear these clothes whenever they enter the Meeting Tent. They must wear these clothes when they come near to the altar to serve as priests in the Holy Place. If they don’t wear these clothes, they will be guilty of wrong and will have to die. All this should be a law that continues forever for Aaron and all his family after him.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 27:1 5 cubits 8' 6" (2.6 m). Also in verse 18.
  2. Exodus 27:1 3 cubits 5' 1 3/16" (1.55 m).
  3. Exodus 27:9 100 cubits 170' 5/8" (51.83 m). Also in verse 18.
  4. Exodus 27:10 curtain rods These were either rods that joined the posts together or grommets (rings) sewn into the curtains.
  5. Exodus 27:12 50 cubits 85' 5/16" (25.92 m). Also in verse 18.
  6. Exodus 27:14 15 cubits 25' 6 1/16" (7.77 m).
  7. Exodus 27:16 20 cubits 34' 1/8" (10.37 m).
  8. Exodus 28:16 1 span The distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger, about 9" (23 cm).
  9. Exodus 28:36 Holy to the Lord These words were written on everything that was used in the Temple. This showed that these things belonged to the Lord and that they could be used only for special purposes. Dishes with this label could be used only by the priests in a holy place.
  10. Exodus 28:38 In this way … Israelites Literally, “It will keep him holy when he bears the guilt from the gifts of the Israelites.”
Listen to Exodus 27-28
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Exodus 27-28
New International Version

The Altar of Burnt Offering(A)

27 “Build an altar(B) of acacia wood, three cubits[a] high; it is to be square, five cubits long and five cubits wide.[b] 2 Make a horn(C) at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece, and overlay the altar with bronze. 3 Make all its utensils of bronze—its pots to remove the ashes, and its shovels, sprinkling bowls,(D) meat forks and firepans.(E) 4 Make a grating for it, a bronze network, and make a bronze ring at each of the four corners of the network. 5 Put it under the ledge of the altar so that it is halfway up the altar. 6 Make poles of acacia wood for the altar and overlay them with bronze.(F) 7 The poles are to be inserted into the rings so they will be on two sides of the altar when it is carried.(G) 8 Make the altar hollow, out of boards. It is to be made just as you were shown(H) on the mountain.

The Courtyard(I)

9 “Make a courtyard(J) for the tabernacle. The south side shall be a hundred cubits[c] long and is to have curtains of finely twisted linen, 10 with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts. 11 The north side shall also be a hundred cubits long and is to have curtains, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts.

12 “The west end of the courtyard shall be fifty cubits[d] wide and have curtains, with ten posts and ten bases. 13 On the east end, toward the sunrise, the courtyard shall also be fifty cubits wide. 14 Curtains fifteen cubits[e] long are to be on one side of the entrance, with three posts and three bases, 15 and curtains fifteen cubits long are to be on the other side, with three posts and three bases.

16 “For the entrance to the courtyard, provide a curtain(K) twenty cubits[f] long, of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen—the work of an embroiderer(L)—with four posts and four bases. 17 All the posts around the courtyard are to have silver bands and hooks, and bronze bases. 18 The courtyard shall be a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide,[g] with curtains of finely twisted linen five cubits[h] high, and with bronze bases. 19 All the other articles used in the service of the tabernacle, whatever their function, including all the tent pegs for it and those for the courtyard, are to be of bronze.

Oil for the Lampstand(M)

20 “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil(N) of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning. 21 In the tent of meeting,(O) outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law,(P) Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps(Q) burning before the Lord from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance(R) among the Israelites for the generations to come.

The Priestly Garments

28 “Have Aaron(S) your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu,(T) Eleazar and Ithamar,(U) so they may serve me as priests.(V) 2 Make sacred garments(W) for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor.(X) 3 Tell all the skilled workers(Y) to whom I have given wisdom(Z) in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest. 4 These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece,(AA) an ephod,(AB) a robe,(AC) a woven tunic,(AD) a turban(AE) and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests. 5 Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.(AF)

The Ephod(AG)

6 “Make the ephod(AH) of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen—the work of skilled hands. 7 It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to two of its corners, so it can be fastened. 8 Its skillfully woven waistband(AI) is to be like it—of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen.

9 “Take two onyx stones and engrave(AJ) on them the names of the sons of Israel 10 in the order of their birth—six names on one stone and the remaining six on the other. 11 Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings 12 and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders(AK) as a memorial(AL) before the Lord. 13 Make gold filigree settings 14 and two braided chains of pure gold, like a rope, and attach the chains to the settings.

The Breastpiece(AM)

15 “Fashion a breastpiece(AN) for making decisions—the work of skilled hands. Make it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. 16 It is to be square—a span[i] long and a span wide—and folded double. 17 Then mount four rows of precious stones(AO) on it. The first row shall be carnelian, chrysolite(AP) and beryl; 18 the second row shall be turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald; 19 the third row shall be jacinth, agate and amethyst; 20 the fourth row shall be topaz, onyx and jasper.[j] Mount them in gold filigree settings. 21 There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel,(AQ) each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.(AR)

22 “For the breastpiece make braided chains of pure gold, like a rope. 23 Make two gold rings for it and fasten them to two corners of the breastpiece. 24 Fasten the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece, 25 and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. 26 Make two gold rings and attach them to the other two corners of the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod. 27 Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod. 28 The rings of the breastpiece are to be tied to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband, so that the breastpiece will not swing out from the ephod.

29 “Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place,(AS) he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord. 30 Also put the Urim and the Thummim(AT) in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.

Other Priestly Garments(AU)

31 “Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, 32 with an opening for the head in its center. There shall be a woven edge like a collar[k] around this opening, so that it will not tear. 33 Make pomegranates(AV) of blue, purple and scarlet yarn around the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. 34 The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe. 35 Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he comes out, so that he will not die.

36 “Make a plate(AW) of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: holy to the Lord.(AX) 37 Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban. 38 It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and he will bear the guilt(AY) involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be on Aaron’s forehead continually so that they will be acceptable(AZ) to the Lord.

39 “Weave the tunic(BA) of fine linen and make the turban(BB) of fine linen. The sash is to be the work of an embroiderer. 40 Make tunics, sashes and caps for Aaron’s sons(BC) to give them dignity and honor.(BD) 41 After you put these clothes(BE) on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint(BF) and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.(BG)

42 “Make linen undergarments(BH) as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh. 43 Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the tent of meeting(BI) or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place,(BJ) so that they will not incur guilt and die.(BK)

“This is to be a lasting ordinance(BL) for Aaron and his descendants.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 27:1 That is, about 4 1/2 feet or about 1.4 meters
  2. Exodus 27:1 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters long and wide
  3. Exodus 27:9 That is, about 150 feet or about 45 meters; also in verse 11
  4. Exodus 27:12 That is, about 75 feet or about 23 meters; also in verse 13
  5. Exodus 27:14 That is, about 23 feet or about 6.8 meters; also in verse 15
  6. Exodus 27:16 That is, about 30 feet or about 9 meters
  7. Exodus 27:18 That is, about 150 feet long and 75 feet wide or about 45 meters long and 23 meters wide
  8. Exodus 27:18 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters
  9. Exodus 28:16 That is, about 9 inches or about 23 centimeters
  10. Exodus 28:20 The precise identification of some of these precious stones is uncertain.
  11. Exodus 28:32 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
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Exodus 26
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