EXODUS 26

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The Tabernacle  26:1 “Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them. 2 The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall be the same size. 3 Five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another. 4 And you shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set. Likewise you shall make loops on the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set. 5 Fifty loops you shall make on the one curtain, and fifty loops you shall make on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be opposite one another. 6 And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains one to the other with the clasps, so that the tabernacle may be a single whole.
    7 “You shall also make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; eleven curtains shall you make. 8 The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. The eleven curtains shall be the same size. 9 You shall couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and the sixth curtain you shall double over at the front of the tent. 10 You shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second set.
    11 “You shall make fifty clasps of bronze, and put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together that it may be a single whole. 12 And the part that remains of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remains, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle. 13 And the extra that remains in the length of the curtains, the cubit on the one side, and the cubit on the other side, shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle, on this side and that side, to cover it. 14 And you shall make for the tent a covering of tanned rams’ skins and a covering of goatskins on top.
    15 “You shall make upright frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood. 16 Ten cubits shall be the length of a frame, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each frame. 17 There shall be two tenons in each frame, for fitting together. So shall you do for all the frames of the tabernacle. 18 You shall make the frames for the tabernacle: twenty frames for the south side; 19 and forty bases of silver you shall make under the twenty frames, two bases under one frame for its two tenons, and two bases under the next frame for its two tenons; 20 and for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side twenty frames, 21 and their forty bases of silver, two bases under one frame, and two bases under the next frame. 22 And for the rear of the tabernacle westward you shall make six frames. 23 And you shall make two frames for corners of the tabernacle in the rear; 24 they shall be separate beneath, but joined at the top, at the first ring. Thus shall it be with both of them; they shall form the two corners. 25 And there shall be eight frames, with their bases of silver, sixteen bases; two bases under one frame, and two bases under another frame.
    26 “You shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle, 27 and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the side of the tabernacle at the rear westward. 28 The middle bar, halfway up the frames, shall run from end to end. 29 You shall overlay the frames with gold and shall make their rings of gold for holders for the bars, and you shall overlay the bars with gold. 30 Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to the plan for it that you were shown on the mountain.
    31 “And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. 32 And you shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with hooks of gold, on four bases of silver. 33 And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy. 34 You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place. 35 And you shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand on the south side of the tabernacle opposite the table, and you shall put the table on the north side.
    36 “You shall make a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. 37 And you shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia, and overlay them with gold. Their hooks shall be of gold, and you shall cast five bases of bronze for them.

PSALM 31

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Into Your Hand I Commit My SpiritTo the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
31:1

In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;

let me never be put to shame;

in your righteousness deliver me! 2

Incline your ear to me;

rescue me speedily!

Be a rock of refuge for me,

a strong fortress to save me!
3

For you are my rock and my fortress;

and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; 4

you take me out of the net they have hidden for me,

for you are my refuge. 5

Into your hand I commit my spirit;

you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
6

I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols,

but I trust in the Lord. 7

I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love,

because you have seen my affliction;

you have known the distress of my soul, 8

and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;

you have set my feet in a broad place.
9

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;

my eye is wasted from grief;

my soul and my body also. 10

For my life is spent with sorrow,

and my years with sighing;

my strength fails because of my iniquity,

and my bones waste away.
11

Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach,

especially to my neighbors,

and an object of dread to my acquaintances;

those who see me in the street flee from me. 12

I have been forgotten like one who is dead;

I have become like a broken vessel. 13

For I hear the whispering of many—

terror on every side!—

as they scheme together against me,

as they plot to take my life.
14

But I trust in you, O Lord;

I say, “You are my God.” 15

My times are in your hand;

rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! 16

Make your face shine on your servant;

save me in your steadfast love! 17

O Lord, let me not be put to shame,

for I call upon you;

let the wicked be put to shame;

let them go silently to Sheol. 18

Let the lying lips be mute,

which speak insolently against the righteous

in pride and contempt.
19

Oh, how abundant is your goodness,

which you have stored up for those who fear you

and worked for those who take refuge in you,

in the sight of the children of mankind! 20

In the cover of your presence you hide them

from the plots of men;

you store them in your shelter

from the strife of tongues.
21

Blessed be the Lord,

for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me

when I was in a besieged city. 22

I had said in my alarm,

“I am cut off from your sight.”

But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy

when I cried to you for help.
23

Love the Lord, all you his saints!

The Lord preserves the faithful

but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. 24

Be strong, and let your heart take courage,

all you who wait for the Lord!

PROVERBS 19

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19:1

Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity

than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool. 2

Desire without knowledge is not good,

and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way. 3

When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin,

his heart rages against the Lord. 4

Wealth brings many new friends,

but a poor man is deserted by his friend. 5

A false witness will not go unpunished,

and he who breathes out lies will not escape. 6

Many seek the favor of a generous man,

and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts. 7

All a poor man’s brothers hate him;

how much more do his friends go far from him!

He pursues them with words, but does not have them. 8

Whoever gets sense loves his own soul;

he who keeps understanding will discover good. 9

A false witness will not go unpunished,

and he who breathes out lies will perish. 10

It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,

much less for a slave to rule over princes. 11

Good sense makes one slow to anger,

and it is his glory to overlook an offense. 12

A king’s wrath is like the growling of a lion,

but his favor is like dew on the grass. 13

A foolish son is ruin to his father,

and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain. 14

House and wealth are inherited from fathers,

but a prudent wife is from the Lord. 15

Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep,

and an idle person will suffer hunger. 16

Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life;

he who despises his ways will die. 17

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,

and he will repay him for his deed. 18

Discipline your son, for there is hope;

do not set your heart on putting him to death. 19

A man of great wrath will pay the penalty,

for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again. 20

Listen to advice and accept instruction,

that you may gain wisdom in the future. 21

Many are the plans in the mind of a man,

but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. 22

What is desired in a man is steadfast love,

and a poor man is better than a liar. 23

The fear of the Lord leads to life,

and whoever has it rests satisfied;

he will not be visited by harm. 24

The sluggard buries his hand in the dish

and will not even bring it back to his mouth. 25

Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence;

reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge. 26

He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother

is a son who brings shame and reproach. 27

Cease to hear instruction, my son,

and you will stray from the words of knowledge. 28

A worthless witness mocks at justice,

and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity. 29

Condemnation is ready for scoffers,

and beating for the backs of fools.