You shall make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be made of hammered work; its base and its shaft, its cups, calyxes, and petals shall be of one piece. Six branches shall issue from its sides; three branches from one side of the lampstand and three branches from the other side of the lampstand. On one branch there shall be three cups shaped like almond-blossoms, each with calyx and petals, and on the next branch there shall be three cups shaped like almond-blossoms, each with calyx and petals; so for all six branches issuing from the lampstand. And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups shaped like almond-blossoms, each with calyx and petals: a calyx, of one piece with it, under a pair of branches; and a calyx, of one piece with it, under the second pair of branches, and a calyx, of one piece with it, under the last pair of branches; so for all six branches issuing from the lampstand.
Their calyxes and their stems shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single hammered piece of pure gold. Make its seven lamps–the lamps shall be so mounted as to give the light on its front side–and its tongs and fire pans of pure gold. It shall be made, with all these furnishings, out of a talent of pure gold. Note well, and follow the patterns for them that are being shown you on the mountain.
As for the tabernacle, make it of ten strips of cloth; make these of fine twisted linen, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, with a design of cherubim worked into them. The length of each cloth shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each cloth shall be four cubits, all the cloths to have the same measurements. Five of the cloths shall be joined to one another, and the other five cloths shall be joined to one another. Make loops of blue wool on the edge of the outermost cloth of the one set; and do likewise on the edge of the outermost cloth of the other set: make fifty loops on the one cloth, and fifty loops on the edge of the end cloth of the other set, the loops to be opposite one another. And make fifty gold clasps, and couple the cloths to one another with the clasps, so that the tabernacle becomes one whole.
You shall then make cloths of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; make the cloths eleven in number. The length of each cloth shall be thirty cubits, and the width of each cloth shall be four cubits, the eleven cloths to have the same measurements. Join five of the cloths by themselves, and the other six cloths by themselves; and fold over the sixth cloth at the front of the tent. Make fifty loops on the edge of the outermost cloth of the one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the cloth of the other set. Make fifty copper clasps, and fit the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together so that it becomes one whole. As for the overlapping excess of the cloths of the tent, the extra half-cloth shall overlap the back of the tabernacle, while the extra cubit at either end of each length of tent cloth shall hang down to the bottom of the two sides of the Tabernacle and cover it. And make for the tent a covering of tanned ram skins, and a covering of dolphin skins above.
From Parshat Terumah. From THE TANAKH: The New JPS Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text. Copyright 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. Used by permission.