They made the planks for the Tabernacle of acacia wood, upright. The length of each plank was ten cubits, the width of each plank a cubit and a half. Each plank had two tenons, parallel to each other; they did the same with all the planks of the Tabernacle.
Of the planks of the Tabernacle, they made twenty planks for the south side, making forty silver sockets under the twenty planks, two sockets under one plank for its two tenons and two sockets under each following plank for its two tenons; and for the other side wall of the Tabernacle, the north side, twenty planks, with their forty silver sockets, two sockets under one plank and two sockets under each following plank. And for the rear of the Tabernacle, to the west, they made six planks; and they made two planks for the corners of the Tabernacle at the rear. They matched at the bottom, but terminated as one at the top into one ring; they did so with both of them at the two corners. Thus there were eight planks with their sockets of silver: sixteen sockets, two under each plank.
They made bars of acacia wood, five for the planks of the one side wall of the Tabernacle, five bars for the planks of the other side wall of the Tabernacle, and five bars for the planks of the wall of the Tabernacle at the rear, to the west; they made the center bar to run, halfway up the planks, from end to end. They overlaid the planks with gold, and made their rings of gold, as holders for the bars; and they overlaid the bars with gold.
They made the curtain of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and fine twisted linen, working into it a design of cherubim. They made for it four posts of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, with their hooks of gold; and they cast for them four silver sockets.
They made the screen for the entrance of the Tent, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and fine twisted linen, done in embroidery; and five posts for it with their hooks. They overlaid their tops and their bands with gold; but the five sockets were of copper.
Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. He overlaid it with pure gold, inside and out; and he made a gold molding for it round about. He cast four gold rings for it, for its four feet: two rings on one of its side walls and two rings on the other. He made poles of acacia wood, overlaid them with gold, and inserted the poles into the rings on the side walls of the ark for carrying the ark.
He made a cover of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work, at the two ends of the cover: one cherub at one end and the other cherub at the other end; he made the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at its two ends. The cherubim had their wings spread out above, shielding the cover with their wings. They faced each other; the faces of the cherubim were turned toward the cover.
He made the table of acacia wood, two cubits long, one cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high; he overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold molding around it. He made a rim of a hand’s breadth around it and made a gold molding for its rim round about. He cast four gold rings for it and attached the rings to the four corners at its four legs. The rings were next to the rim, as holders for the poles to carry the table. He made the poles of acacia wood for carrying the table, and overlaid them with gold. The utensils that were to be upon the table–its bowls, ladles, jugs, and jars with which to offer libations–he made of pure gold.
From Parshat Vayakhel. From THE TANAKH: The New JPS Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text. Copyright 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. Used by permission.