Completion of the Tabernacle, Apostolic Authority Defended

1. He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. It was square. Its length was five cubits, its width was five cubits, and its height was three cubits. 2. He made its horns on its four corners. Its horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with brass. 3. He made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, the shovels, the basins, the forks, and the fire pans. He made all its vessels of brass. 4. He made for the altar a grating of a network of brass, under the ledge around it beneath, reaching halfway up. 5. He cast four rings for the four ends of brass grating, to be places for the poles. 6. He made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with brass. 7. He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made it hollow with planks. 8. He made the basin of brass, and its base of brass, out of the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 9. He made the court: for the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, one hundred cubits; 10. their pillars were twenty, and their sockets twenty, of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. 11. For the north side one hundred cubits, their pillars twenty, and their sockets twenty, of brass; the hooks of the pillars, and their fillets, of silver. 12. For the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars, and their fillets, of silver. 13. For the east side eastward fifty cubits. 14. The hangings for the one side were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three; 15. and so for the other side: on this hand and that hand by the gate of the court were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three. 16. All the hangings around the court were of fine twined linen. 17. The sockets for the pillars were of brass. The hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver; and the overlaying of their capitals, of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver. 18. The screen for the gate of the court was the work of the embroiderer, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen. Twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the width was five cubits, like to the hangings of the court. 19. Their pillars were four, and their sockets four, of brass; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their capitals, and their fillets, of silver. 20. All the pins of the tabernacle, and around the court, were of brass. 21. This is the amount of material used for the tabernacle, even the Tabernacle of the Testimony, as they were counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest. 22. Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that Yahweh commanded Moses. 23. With him was Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a skillful workman, and an embroiderer in blue, in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen. 24. All the gold that was used for the work in all the work of the sanctuary, even the gold of the offering, was twenty-nine talents, and seven hundred thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary. 25. The silver of those who were counted of the congregation was one hundred talents, and one thousand seven hundred seventy-five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary: 26. a beka a head, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for everyone who passed over to those who were counted, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty men. 27. The one hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the veil; one hundred sockets for the one hundred talents, a talent for a socket. 28. Of the one thousand seven hundred seventy-five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, overlaid their capitals, and made fillets for them. 29. The brass of the offering was seventy talents, and two thousand four hundred shekels. 30. With this he made the sockets to the door of the Tent of Meeting, the bronze altar, the bronze grating for it, all the vessels of the altar, 31. the sockets around the court, the sockets of the gate of the court, all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins around the court. 1. Of the blue, purple, and scarlet, they made finely worked garments, for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as Yahweh commanded Moses. 2. He made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen. 3. They beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in with the blue, the purple, the scarlet, and the fine linen, the work of the skillful workman. 4. They made shoulder straps for it, joined together. At the two ends it was joined together. 5. The skillfully woven band that was on it, with which to fasten it on, was of the same piece, like its work; of gold, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen; as Yahweh commanded Moses. 6. They worked the onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold, engraved with the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the children of Israel. 7. He put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 8. He made the breastplate, the work of a skillful workman, like the work of the ephod; of gold, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen. 9. It was square. They made the breastplate double. Its length was a span, and its width a span, being double. 10. They set in it four rows of stones. A row of ruby, topaz, and beryl was the first row; 11. and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald; 12. and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 13. and the fourth row, a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in gold settings. 14. The stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet, everyone according to his name, for the twelve tribes. 15. They made on the breastplate chains like cords, of braided work of pure gold. 16. They made two settings of gold, and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 17. They put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings at the ends of the breastplate. 18. The other two ends of the two braided chains they put on the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod, in its front. 19. They made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on its edge, which was toward the side of the ephod inward. 20. They made two more rings of gold, and put them on the two shoulder straps of the ephod underneath, in its front, close by its coupling, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 21. They bound the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not come loose from the ephod, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 22. He made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue. 23. The opening of the robe in the middle of it was like the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding around its opening, that it should not be torn. 24. They made on the skirts of the robe pomegranates of blue, purple, scarlet, and twined linen. 25. They made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates around the skirts of the robe, between the pomegranates; 26. a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, around the skirts of the robe, to minister in, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 27. They made the coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons, 28. and the turban of fine linen, and the linen headbands of fine linen, and the linen breeches of fine twined linen, 29. and the sash of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, the work of the embroiderer, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 30. They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it a writing, like the engravings of a signet: “HOLY TO YAHWEH”. 31. They tied to it a lace of blue, to fasten it on the turban above, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 32. Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting was finished. The children of Israel did according to all that Yahweh commanded Moses; so they did. 33. They brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent, with all its furniture, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, 34. the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, the covering of sea cow hides, the veil of the screen, 35. the ark of the testimony with its poles, the mercy seat, 36. the table, all its vessels, the show bread, 37. the pure lamp stand, its lamps, even the lamps to be set in order, all its vessels, the oil for the light, 38. the golden altar, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, the screen for the door of the Tent, 39. the bronze altar, its grating of brass, its poles, all of its vessels, the basin and its base, 40. the hangings of the court, its pillars, its sockets, the screen for the gate of the court, its cords, its pins, all the instruments of the service of the tabernacle, for the Tent of Meeting, 41. 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. 42. According to all that Yahweh commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work. 43. Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it as Yahweh had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them. 1. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2. “On the first day of the first month you shall raise up the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting. 3. You shall put the ark of the testimony in it, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. 4. You shall bring in the table, and set in order the things that are on it. You shall bring in the lamp stand, and light its lamps. 5. You shall set the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the screen of the door to the tabernacle. 6. “You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting. 7. You shall set the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and shall put water therein. 8. You shall set up the court around it, and hang up the screen of the gate of the court. 9. “You shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is in it, and shall make it holy, and all its furniture: and it will be holy. 10. You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering, with all its vessels, and sanctify the altar: and the altar will be most holy. 11. You shall anoint the basin and its base, and sanctify it. 12. “You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shall wash them with water. 13. You shall put on Aaron the holy garments; and you shall anoint him, and sanctify him, that he may minister to me in the priest’s office. 14. You shall bring his sons, and put coats on them. 15. You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to me in the priest’s office. Their anointing shall be to them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.” 16. Moses did so. According to all that Yahweh commanded him, so he did. 17. In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was raised up. 18. Moses raised up the tabernacle, and laid its sockets, and set up its boards, and put in its bars, and raised up its pillars. 19. He spread the covering over the tent, and put the roof of the tabernacle above on it, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 20. He took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the poles on the ark, and put the mercy seat above on the ark. 21. He brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 22. He put the table in the Tent of Meeting, on the side of the tabernacle northward, outside of the veil. 23. He set the bread in order on it before Yahweh, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 24. He put the lamp stand in the Tent of Meeting, opposite the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward. 25. He lit the lamps before Yahweh, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 26. He put the golden altar in the Tent of Meeting before the veil; 27. and he burned incense of sweet spices on it, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 28. He put up the screen of the door to the tabernacle. 29. He set the altar of burnt offering at the door of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the meal offering, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 30. He set the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water therein, with which to wash. 31. Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and their feet there. 32. When they went into the Tent of Meeting, and when they came near to the altar, they washed, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 33. He raised up the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work. 34. Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and Yahweh’s glory filled the tabernacle. 35. Moses wasn’t able to enter into the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud stayed on it, and Yahweh’s glory filled the tabernacle. 36. When the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward, throughout all their journeys; 37. but if the cloud wasn’t taken up, then they didn’t travel until the day that it was taken up. 38. For the cloud of Yahweh was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

1. Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ; I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. 2. Yes, I beg you that I may not, when present, show courage with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh. 3. For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh; 4. for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds, 5. throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ; 6. and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience will be made full. 7. Do you look at things only as they appear in front of your face? If anyone trusts in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ’s, so also we are Christ’s. 8. For though I should boast somewhat abundantly concerning our authority, (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down) I will not be disappointed, 9. that I may not seem as if I desire to terrify you by my letters. 10. For, “His letters”, they say, “are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is despised.” 11. Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present. 12. For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding. 13. But we will not boast beyond proper limits, but within the boundaries with which God appointed to us, which reach even to you. 14. For we don’t stretch ourselves too much, as though we didn’t reach to you. For we came even as far as to you with the Good News of Christ, 15. not boasting beyond proper limits in other men’s labors, but having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence, 16. so as to preach the Good News even to the parts beyond you, not to boast in what someone else has already done. 17. But “he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.” 18. For it isn’t he who commends himself who is approved, but whom the Lord commends. 1. I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me. 2. For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I married you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3. But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if you receive a different spirit, which you did not receive, or a different “good news”, which you did not accept, you put up with that well enough. 5. For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best apostles. 6. But though I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not unskilled in knowledge. No, in every way we have been revealed to you in all things. 7. Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God’s Good News free of charge? 8. I robbed other assemblies, taking wages from them that I might serve you. 9. When I was present with you and was in need, I wasn’t a burden on anyone, for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my need. In everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and I will continue to do so. 10. As the truth of Christ is in me, no one will stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. 11. Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows. 12. But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them that desire an occasion, that in which they boast, they may be found even as we. 13. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ’s apostles. 14. And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light. 15. It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. 16. I say again, let no one think me foolish. But if so, yet receive me as foolish, that I also may boast a little. 17. That which I speak, I don’t speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. 18. Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will also boast. 19. For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise. 20. For you bear with a man, if he brings you into bondage, if he devours you, if he takes you captive, if he exalts himself, if he strikes you on the face. 21. I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet in whatever way anyone is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also. 22. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23. Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I am more so; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths often. 24. Five times from the Jews I received forty stripes minus one. 25. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep. 26. I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers; 27. in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness. 28. Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily: anxiety for all the assemblies. 29. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I don’t burn with indignation? 30. If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness. 31. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who is blessed forever more, knows that I don’t lie. 32. In Damascus the governor under King Aretas guarded the Damascenes’ city, desiring to arrest me. 33. Through a window I was let down in a basket by the wall, and escaped his hands.

1. In Judah, God is known. His name is great in Israel. 2. His tabernacle is also in Salem; His dwelling place in Zion. 3. There he broke the flaming arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah. 4. Glorious are you, and excellent, more than mountains of game. 5. Valiant men lie plundered, they have slept their last sleep. None of the men of war can lift their hands. 6. At your rebuke, God of Jacob, both chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep. 7. You, even you, are to be feared. Who can stand in your sight when you are angry? 8. You pronounced judgment from heaven. The earth feared, and was silent, 9. when God arose to judgment, to save all the afflicted ones of the earth. Selah. 10. Surely the wrath of man praises you. The survivors of your wrath are restrained. 11. Make vows to Yahweh your God, and fulfill them! Let all of his neighbors bring presents to him who is to be feared. 12. He will cut off the spirit of princes. He is feared by the kings of the earth.