PLANS FOR THE TABERNACLE (EX.26)
"Make the Tabernacle from ten curtains of finely woven linen. Decorate the curtains with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. These ten curtains must all be exactly the same size, 12.9m long and 1.8m wide. Then join five of these curtains together to make one long curtain, then join the other five into a second long curtain. Put loops of blue yarn along the edge of the last curtain in each set. The fifty loops along the edge of one curtain are to match the fifty loops along the edge of the other curtain. Then make fifty gold clasps and fasten the long curtains together with the clasps. In this way, the Tabernacle (mishkan/dwelling place) will be made of one continuous piece. Make eleven curtains of goat-hair cloth to serve as a tent covering for the Tabernacle. These eleven curtains must all be exactly the same size, 13.8m long and 1.8m wide. Join five of these curtains together to make one long curtain, and join the other six into a second long curtain. Allow 1m of material from the second set of curtains to hang over the front of the Tabernacle. Make fifty loops for one edge of each large curtain, then make fifty bronze clasps, and fasten the loops of the long curtains with the clasps. In this way, the tent covering will be made of one continuous piece. The remaining 1m of this tent covering will be left to hang over the back of the Tabernacle. Allow 46cm of remaining material to hang down over each side, so the dwelling place is completely covered.
Complete the tent covering with a protective layer of tanned ram skins and a layer of fine goatskin leather. For the framework of the Tabernacle, construct frames of acacia wood. Each frame must be 4.6m high and 69cm wide with two pegs under each frame. Make all the frames identical. Make twenty of these frames to support the curtains on the south side of the Tabernacle. Also make forty silver bases, two bases under each frame, with the pegs fitting securely into the bases. For the north side of the Tabernacle, make another twenty frames, with their forty silver bases, two bases under each frame and make six frames for the rear, the west side of the Tabernacle, along with two additional frames to reinforce the rear corners of the Tabernacle. These corner frames will be matched at the bottom and firmly attached at the top with a single ring, forming a single corner unit. Make both of these corner units the same way, so there will be eight frames at the rear of the Tabernacle, set in sixteen silver bases, two bases under each frame. Make crossbars of acacia wood to link the frames, five crossbars for the north side of the Tabernacle and five for the south side.
Also make five crossbars for the rear of the Tabernacle, which will face west. The middle crossbar, attached halfway up the frames, will run all the way from one end of the Tabernacle to the other. Overlay the frames with gold, and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. Overlay the crossbars with gold as well. Set up this Tabernacle according to the pattern you were shown on this very mountain. For the inside of the Tabernacle, make a special curtain of finely woven linen. Decorate it with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. Hang this curtain on gold hooks attached to four posts of acacia wood and overlay the posts with gold, and set them in four silver bases. Hang the inner curtain from clasps, and put the Ark of the Blood-Covenant-Witness in the room behind it. This curtain will separate the Set-Apart Place from the Most Set-Apart Place. Then put the Lid of the Ark (the place of Atonement) on top of the Ark, inside the Most Set-Apart Place, the table outside the inner curtain on the north side of the dwelling place, and the lampstand across the room on the south side. Then make another curtain for the entrance to the tent. Make it of finely woven linen and embroider it with exquisite designs, using blue, purple, and scarlet thread. Craft five posts from acacia wood. Overlay them with gold, and hang the curtain from them with gold hooks. Cast five bronze bases for the posts.
