Exodus 31

The LORD chooses Bezalel and Oholiab

(Exodus 35.30—36.1)

₁The LORD said to Moses:

₂I have chosen Bezalel from the Judah tribe to make the sacred tent and its furnishings. _3-5Not only have I filled him with my Spirit, but I have given him wisdom and made him a skilled craftsman who can create objects of art with gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood. ₆I have appointed Oholiab from the tribe of Dan to work with him, and I have also given skills to those who will help them make everything exactly as I have commanded you: _7-11the sacred tent with its furnishings, the sacred chest with its place of mercy, the table with all that is on it, the lamp with its equipment, the incense altar, the altar for sacrifices with its equipment, the bronze bowl with its stand, the beautiful priestly clothes for Aaron and his sons, the oil for dedication and ordination services, and the sweet-smelling incense for the holy place.

Laws for the Sabbath

_12-13Moses told the Israelites that the LORD had said:

The Sabbath belongs to me. Now I command you and your descendants always to obey the laws of the Sabbath. By doing this, you will know that I have chosen you as my own. _14-15Keep the Sabbath holy. You have six days to do your work, but the Sabbath is mine, and it must remain a day of rest. If you work on the Sabbath, you will no longer be part of my people, and you will be put to death.

₁₆Every generation of Israelites must respect the Sabbath. ₁₇This day will always serve as a reminder, both to me and to the Israelites, that I made the heavens and the earth in six days, then on the seventh day I rested and relaxed.

₁₈When God had finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two flat stones on which he had written all his laws with his own hand.