Willing Hearts Build God's Dwelling Place

1. Moses assembled all the congregation of the children of Israel, and said to them, “These are the words which Yahweh has commanded, that you should do them. 2. ‘Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of solemn rest to Yahweh: whoever does any work in it shall be put to death. 3. You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations on the Sabbath day.’” 4. Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which Yahweh commanded, saying, 5. ‘Take from among you an offering to Yahweh. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, Yahweh’s offering: gold, silver, brass, 6. blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats’ hair, 7. rams’ skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood, 8. oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense, 9. onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate. 10. “‘Let every wise-hearted man among you come, and make all that Yahweh has commanded: 11. the tabernacle, its outer covering, its roof, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; 12. the ark, and its poles, the mercy seat, the veil of the screen; 13. the table with its poles and all its vessels, and the show bread; 14. the lamp stand also for the light, with its vessels, its lamps, and the oil for the light; 15. and the altar of incense with its poles, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle; 16. the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of brass, it poles, and all its vessels, the basin and its base; 17. the hangings of the court, its pillars, their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court; 18. the pins of the tabernacle, the pins of the court, and their cords; 19. the finely worked garments, for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office.’” 20. All the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. 21. They came, everyone whose heart stirred him up, and everyone whom his spirit made willing, and brought Yahweh’s offering, for the work of the Tent of Meeting, and for all of its service, and for the holy garments. 22. They came, both men and women, as many as were willing-hearted, and brought brooches, earrings, signet rings, and armlets, all jewels of gold; even every man who offered an offering of gold to Yahweh. 23. Everyone, with whom was found blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats’ hair, rams’ skins dyed red, and sea cow hides, brought them. 24. Everyone who offered an offering of silver and brass brought Yahweh’s offering; and everyone, with whom was found acacia wood for any work of the service, brought it. 25. All the women who were wise-hearted spun with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, the blue, the purple, the scarlet, and the fine linen. 26. All the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun the goats’ hair. 27. The rulers brought the onyx stones and the stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate; 28. with the spice and the oil for the light, for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense. 29. The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to Yahweh; every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all the work, which Yahweh had commanded to be made by Moses. 30. Moses said to the children of Israel, “Behold, Yahweh has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 31. He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of workmanship; 32. and to make skillful works, to work in gold, in silver, in brass, 33. in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all kinds of skillful workmanship. 34. He has put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35. He has filled them with wisdom of heart, to work all kinds of workmanship, of the engraver, of the skillful workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of those who do any workmanship, and of those who make skillful works. 1. “Bezalel and Oholiab shall work with every wise-hearted man, in whom Yahweh has put wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that Yahweh has commanded.” 2. Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab, and every wise-hearted man, in whose heart Yahweh had put wisdom, even everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to the work to do it: 3. and they received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, with which to make it. They brought yet to him freewill offerings every morning. 4. All the wise men, who performed all the work of the sanctuary, each came from his work which they did. 5. They spoke to Moses, saying, “The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which Yahweh commanded to make.” 6. Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, “Let neither man nor woman make anything else for the offering for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing. 7. For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much. 8. All the wise-hearted men among those who did the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine twined linen, blue, purple, and scarlet, with cherubim, the work of the skillful workman, they made them. 9. The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains had one measure. 10. He coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another. 11. He made loops of blue on the edge of the one curtain from the edge in the coupling. Likewise he made in the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the second coupling. 12. He made fifty loops in the one curtain, and he made fifty loops in the edge of the curtain that was in the second coupling. The loops were opposite to one another. 13. He made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains to one another with the clasps: so the tabernacle was a unit. 14. He made curtains of goats’ hair for a covering over the tabernacle. He made them eleven curtains. 15. The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits the width of each curtain. The eleven curtains had one measure. 16. He coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. 17. He made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the coupling, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain which was outermost in the second coupling. 18. He made fifty clasps of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be a unit. 19. He made a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering of sea cow hides above. 20. He made the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing up. 21. Ten cubits was the length of a board, and a cubit and a half the width of each board. 22. Each board had two tenons, joined to one another. He made all the boards of the tabernacle this way. 23. He made the boards for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side southward. 24. He made forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for its two tenons, and two sockets under another board for its two tenons. 25. For the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty boards, 26. and their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. 27. For the far part of the tabernacle westward he made six boards. 28. He made two boards for the corners of the tabernacle in the far part. 29. They were double beneath, and in the same way they were all the way to its top to one ring. He did this to both of them in the two corners. 30. There were eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; under every board two sockets. 31. He made bars of acacia wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, 32. and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the hinder part westward. 33. He made the middle bar to pass through in the middle of the boards from the one end to the other. 34. He overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold as places for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold. 35. He made the veil of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubim. He made it the work of a skillful workman. 36. He made four pillars of acacia for it, and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were of gold. He cast four sockets of silver for them. 37. He made a screen for the door of the tent, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of an embroiderer; 38. and the five pillars of it with their hooks. He overlaid their capitals and their fillets with gold, and their five sockets were of brass. 1. Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Its length was two and a half cubits, and its width a cubit and a half, and a cubit and a half its height. 2. He overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold for it around it. 3. He cast four rings of gold for it, in its four feet; even two rings on its one side, and two rings on its other side. 4. He made poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. 5. He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to bear the ark. 6. He made a mercy seat of pure gold. Its length was two and a half cubits, and a cubit and a half its width. 7. He made two cherubim of gold. He made them of beaten work, at the two ends of the mercy seat; 8. one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end. He made the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends. 9. The cherubim spread out their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one another. The faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat. 10. He made the table of acacia wood. Its length was two cubits, and its width was a cubit, and its height was a cubit and a half. 11. He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a gold molding around it. 12. He made a border of a hand width around it, and made a golden molding on its border around it. 13. He cast four rings of gold for it, and put the rings in the four corners that were on its four feet. 14. The rings were close by the border, the places for the poles to carry the table. 15. He made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table. 16. He made the vessels which were on the table, its dishes, its spoons, its bowls, and its pitchers with which to pour out, of pure gold. 17. He made the lamp stand of pure gold. He made the lamp stand of beaten work. Its base, its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its flowers were of one piece with it. 18. There were six branches going out of its sides: three branches of the lamp stand out of its one side, and three branches of the lamp stand out of its other side: 19. three cups made like almond blossoms in one branch, a bud and a flower, and three cups made like almond blossoms in the other branch, a bud and a flower: so for the six branches going out of the lamp stand. 20. In the lamp stand were four cups made like almond blossoms, its buds and its flowers; 21. and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, for the six branches going out of it. 22. Their buds and their branches were of one piece with it. The whole thing was one beaten work of pure gold. 23. He made its seven lamps, and its snuffers, and its snuff dishes, of pure gold. 24. He made it of a talent of pure gold, with all its vessels. 25. He made the altar of incense of acacia wood. It was square: its length was a cubit, and its width a cubit. Its height was two cubits. Its horns were of one piece with it. 26. He overlaid it with pure gold, its top, its sides around it, and its horns. He made a gold molding around it. 27. He made two golden rings for it under its molding crown, on its two ribs, on its two sides, for places for poles with which to carry it. 28. He made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. 29. He made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices, after the art of the perfumer.

1. Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2. Open your hearts to us. We wronged no one. We corrupted no one. We took advantage of no one. 3. I say this not to condemn you, for I have said before, that you are in our hearts to die together and live together. 4. Great is my boldness of speech toward you. Great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I overflow with joy in all our affliction. 5. For even when we had come into Macedonia, our flesh had no relief, but we were afflicted on every side. Fightings were outside. Fear was inside. 6. Nevertheless, he who comforts the lowly, God, comforted us by the coming of Titus; 7. and not by his coming only, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, while he told us of your longing, your mourning, and your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced still more. 8. For though I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it. For I see that my letter made you sorry, though just for a while. 9. I now rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that you were made sorry to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly way, that you might suffer loss by us in nothing. 10. For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world produces death. 11. For behold, this same thing, that you were made sorry in a godly way, what earnest care it worked in you. Yes, what defense, indignation, fear, longing, zeal, and vengeance! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be pure in the matter. 12. So although I wrote to you, I wrote not for his cause that did the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered the wrong, but that your earnest care for us might be revealed in you in the sight of God. 13. Therefore we have been comforted. In our comfort we rejoiced the more exceedingly for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. 14. For if in anything I have boasted to him on your behalf, I was not disappointed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, so our glorying also which I made before Titus was found to be truth. 15. His affection is more abundantly toward you, while he remembers all of your obedience, how with fear and trembling you received him. 16. I rejoice that in everything I am confident concerning you. 1. Moreover, brothers, we make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the assemblies of Macedonia; 2. how that in much proof of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their generosity. 3. For according to their power, I testify, yes and beyond their power, they gave of their own accord, 4. begging us with much entreaty to receive this grace and the fellowship in the service to the saints. 5. This was not as we had expected, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God. 6. So we urged Titus, that as he had made a beginning before, so he would also complete in you this grace. 7. But as you abound in everything, in faith, utterance, knowledge, all earnestness, and in your love to us, see that you also abound in this grace. 8. I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love. 9. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich. 10. I give a judgment in this: for this is expedient for you, who were the first to start a year ago, not only to do, but also to be willing. 11. But now complete the doing also, that as there was the readiness to be willing, so there may be the completion also out of your ability. 12. For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you don’t have. 13. For this is not that others may be eased and you distressed, 14. but for equality. Your abundance at this present time supplies their lack, that their abundance also may become a supply for your lack; that there may be equality. 15. As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.” 16. But thanks be to God, who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. 17. For he indeed accepted our exhortation, but being himself very earnest, he went out to you of his own accord. 18. We have sent together with him the brother whose praise in the Good News is known throughout all the assemblies. 19. Not only so, but he was also appointed by the assemblies to travel with us in this grace, which is served by us to the glory of the Lord himself, and to show our readiness. 20. We are avoiding this, that any man should blame us concerning this abundance which is administered by us. 21. Having regard for honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. 22. We have sent with them our brother, whom we have many times proved earnest in many things, but now much more earnest, by reason of the great confidence which he has in you. 23. As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for you. As for our brothers, they are the apostles of the assemblies, the glory of Christ. 24. Therefore show the proof of your love to them before the assemblies, and of our boasting on your behalf. 1. It is indeed unnecessary for me to write to you concerning the service to the saints, 2. for I know your readiness, of which I boast on your behalf to them of Macedonia, that Achaia has been prepared for a year past. Your zeal has stirred up very many of them. 3. But I have sent the brothers that our boasting on your behalf may not be in vain in this respect, that, just as I said, you may be prepared, 4. lest by any means, if anyone from Macedonia comes there with me and finds you unprepared, we (to say nothing of you) would be disappointed in this confident boasting. 5. I thought it necessary therefore to entreat the brothers that they would go before to you, and arrange ahead of time the generous gift that you promised before, that the same might be ready as a matter of generosity, and not of greediness. 6. Remember this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7. Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart; not grudgingly, or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every good work. 9. As it is written, “He has scattered abroad, he has given to the poor. His righteousness remains forever.” 10. Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness; 11. you being enriched in everything to all generosity, which produces through us thanksgiving to God. 12. For this service of giving that you perform not only makes up for lack among the saints, but abounds also through much giving of thanks to God; 13. seeing that through the proof given by this service, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the Good News of Christ, and for the generosity of your contribution to them and to all; 14. while they themselves also, with supplication on your behalf, yearn for you by reason of the exceeding grace of God in you. 15. Now thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift!

1. We give thanks to you, God. We give thanks, for your Name is near. Men tell about your wondrous works. 2. When I choose the appointed time, I will judge blamelessly. 3. The earth and all its inhabitants quake. I firmly hold its pillars. Selah. 4. I said to the arrogant, “Don’t boast!” I said to the wicked, “Don’t lift up the horn. 5. Don’t lift up your horn on high. Don’t speak with a stiff neck.” 6. For neither from the east, nor from the west, nor yet from the south, comes exaltation. 7. But God is the judge. He puts down one, and lifts up another. 8. For in Yahweh’s hand there is a cup, full of foaming wine mixed with spices. He pours it out. Indeed the wicked of the earth drink and drink it to its very dregs. 9. But I will declare this forever: I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10. I will cut off all the horns of the wicked, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.