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34 Then the Lord told Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones. I will write on them the same words that were on the tablets you smashed. ^2 Be ready in the morning to climb up Mount Sinai and present yourself to me on the top of the mountain. ^3 No one else may come with you. In fact, no one is to appear anywhere on the mountain. Do not even let the flocks or herds graze near the mountain.â€

^4 So Moses chiseled out two tablets of stone like the first ones. Early in the morning he climbed Mount Sinai as the Lord had commanded him, and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands.

^5 Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh. ^6 The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out,

“Yahweh! The Lord!

The God of compassion and mercy!

I am slow to anger

and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.

^7 I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations.

I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin.

But I do not excuse the guilty.

I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren;

the entire family is affected—

even children in the third and fourth generations.â€

^8 Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped. ^9 And he said, “O Lord, if it is true that I have found favor with you, then please travel with us. Yes, this is a stubborn and rebellious people, but please forgive our iniquity and our sins. Claim us as your own special possession.â€

^10 The Lord replied, “Listen, I am making a covenant with you in the presence of all your people. I will perform miracles that have never been performed anywhere in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people around you will see the power of theLord—the awesome power I will display for you. ^11 But listen carefully to everything I command you today. Then I will go ahead of you and drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

^12 “Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped. ^13 Instead, you must break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles. ^14 You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.

^15 “You must not make a treaty of any kind with the people living in the land. They lust after their gods, offering sacrifices to them. They will invite you to join them in their sacrificial meals, and you will go with them. ^16 Then you will accept their daughters, who sacrifice to other gods, as wives for your sons. And they will seduce your sons to commit adultery against me by worshiping other gods. ^17 You must not make any gods of molten metal for yourselves.

^18 “You must celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, just as I commanded you. Celebrate this festival annually at the appointed time in early spring, in the month of Abib, for that is the anniversary of your departure from Egypt.

^19 “The firstborn of every animal belongs to me, including the firstborn males from your herds of cattle and your flocks of sheep and goats. ^20 A firstborn donkey may be bought back from the Lord by presenting a lamb or young goat in its place. But if you do not buy it back, you must break its neck. However, you must buy back every firstborn son.

“No one may appear before me without an offering.

^21 “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working, even during the seasons of plowing and harvest.

^22 “You must celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the first crop of the wheat harvest, and celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the harvest season. ^23 Three times each year every man in Israel must appear before the Sovereign, theLord, the God of Israel. ^24 I will drive out the other nations ahead of you and expand your territory, so no one will covet and conquer your land while you appear before the Lord your God three times each year.

^25 “You must not offer the blood of my sacrificial offerings together with any baked goods containing yeast. And none of the meat of the Passover sacrifice may be kept over until the next morning.

^26 “As you harvest your crops, bring the very best of the first harvest to the house of the Lord your God.

“You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.â€

^27 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write down all these instructions, for they represent the terms of the covenant I am making with you and with Israel.â€

^28 Moses remained there on the mountain with the Lord forty days and forty nights. In all that time he ate no bread and drank no water. And the Lord wrote the terms of the covenant—the Ten Commandments—on the stone tablets.

^29 When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the Lord. ^30 So when Aaron and the people of Israel saw the radiance of Moses’ face, they were afraid to come near him.

^31 But Moses called out to them and asked Aaron and all the leaders of the community to come over, and he talked with them. ^32 Then all the people of Israel approached him, and Moses gave them all the instructions the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai. ^33 When Moses finished speaking with them, he covered his face with a veil. ^34 But whenever he went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord, he would remove the veil until he came out again. Then he would give the people whatever instructions the Lord had given him, ^35 and the people of Israel would see the radiant glow of his face. So he would put the veil over his face until he returned to speak with the Lord.

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35 Then Moses called together the whole community of Israel and told them, “These are the instructions the Lord has commanded you to follow. ^2 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the Lord. Anyone who works on that day must be put to death. ^3 You must not even light a fire in any of your homes on the Sabbath.â€

^4 Then Moses said to the whole community of Israel, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ^5 Take a sacred offering for theLord. Let those with generous hearts present the following gifts to the Lord:

gold, silver, and bronze;

^6 blue, purple, and scarlet thread;

fine linen and goat hair for cloth;

^7 tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather;

acacia wood;

^8 olive oil for the lamps;

spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense;

^9 onyx stones, and other gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece.

^10 “Come, all of you who are gifted craftsmen. Construct everything that the Lord has commanded:

^11 the Tabernacle and its sacred tent, its covering, clasps, frames, crossbars, posts, and bases;

^12 the Ark and its carrying poles;

the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement;

the inner curtain to shield the Ark;

^13 the table, its carrying poles, and all its utensils;

the Bread of the Presence;

^14 for light, the lampstand, its accessories, the lamp cups, and the olive oil for lighting;

^15 the incense altar and its carrying poles;

the anointing oil and fragrant incense;

the curtain for the entrance of the Tabernacle;

^16 the altar of burnt offering;

the bronze grating of the altar and its carrying poles and utensils;

the washbasin with its stand;

^17 the curtains for the walls of the courtyard;

the posts and their bases;

the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard;

^18 the tent pegs of the Tabernacle and courtyard and their ropes;

^19 the beautifully stitched garments for the priests to wear while ministering in the Holy Place—the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests.â€

^20 So the whole community of Israel left Moses and returned to their tents. ^21 All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their sacred offerings to the Lord. They brought all the materials needed for the Tabernacle,for the performance of its rituals, and for the sacred garments. ^22 Both men and women came, all whose hearts were willing. They brought to the Lord their offerings of gold—brooches, earrings, rings from their fingers, and necklaces. They presented gold objects of every kind as a special offering to the Lord. ^23 All those who owned the following items willingly brought them: blue, purple, and scarlet thread; fine linen and goat hair for cloth; and tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather. ^24 And all who had silver and bronze objects gave them as a sacred offering to the Lord. And those who had acacia wood brought it for use in the project.

^25 All the women who were skilled in sewing and spinning prepared blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen cloth. ^26 All the women who were willing used their skills to spin the goat hair into yarn. ^27 The leaders brought onyx stones and the special gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece. ^28 They also brought spices and olive oil for the light, the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense. ^29 So the people of Israel—every man and woman who was eager to help in the work the Lord had given them through Moses—brought their gifts and gave them freely to the Lord.

^30 Then Moses told the people of Israel, “The Lord has specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. ^31 The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts.^32 He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. ^33 He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft. ^34 And the Lord has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their skills to others. ^35 The Lord has given them special skills as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen cloth, and weavers. They excel as craftsmen and as designers.

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36 “The Lord has gifted Bezalel, Oholiab, and the other skilled craftsmen with wisdom and ability to perform any task involved in building the sanctuary. Let them construct and furnish the Tabernacle, just as the Lord has commanded.â€

^2 So Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and all the others who were specially gifted by the Lord and were eager to get to work. ^3 Moses gave them the materials donated by the people of Israel as sacred offerings for the completion of the sanctuary. But the people continued to bring additional gifts each morning. ^4 Finally the craftsmen who were working on the sanctuary left their work. ^5 They went to Moses and reported, “The people have given more than enough materials to complete the job the Lord has commanded us to do!â€

^6 So Moses gave the command, and this message was sent throughout the camp: “Men and women, don’t prepare any more gifts for the sanctuary. We have enough!†So the people stopped bringing their sacred offerings. ^7 Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project.

^8 The skilled craftsmen made ten curtains of finely woven linen for the Tabernacle. Then Bezalel decorated the curtains with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. ^9 All ten curtains were exactly the same size—42 feet long and 6 feet wide. ^10 Five of these curtains were joined together to make one long curtain, and the other five were joined to make a second long curtain. ^11 He made fifty loops of blue yarn and put them along the edge of the last curtain in each set.^12 The fifty loops along the edge of one curtain matched the fifty loops along the edge of the other curtain. ^13 Then he made fifty gold clasps and fastened the long curtains together with the clasps. In this way, the Tabernacle was made of one continuous piece.

^14 He made eleven curtains of goat-hair cloth to serve as a tent covering for the Tabernacle. ^15 These eleven curtains were all exactly the same size—45 feet long and 6 feet wide. ^16 Bezalel joined five of these curtains together to make one long curtain, and the other six were joined to make a second long curtain. ^17 He made fifty loops for the edge of each large curtain. ^18 He also made fifty bronze clasps to fasten the long curtains together. In this way, the tent covering was made of one continuous piece. ^19 He completed the tent covering with a layer of tanned ram skins and a layer of fine goatskin leather.

^20 For the framework of the Tabernacle, Bezalel constructed frames of acacia wood. ^21 Each frame was 15 feet high and 27 inches wide, ^22 with two pegs under each frame. All the frames were identical. ^23 He made twenty of these frames to support the curtains on the south side of the Tabernacle. ^24 He also made forty silver bases—two bases under each frame, with the pegs fitting securely into the bases. ^25 For the north side of the Tabernacle, he made another twenty frames, ^26 with their forty silver bases, two bases under each frame. ^27 He made six frames for the rear—the west side of the Tabernacle—^28 along with two additional frames to reinforce the rear corners of the Tabernacle. ^29 These corner frames were matched at the bottom and firmly attached at the top with a single ring, forming a single corner unit. Both of these corner units were made the same way. ^30 So there were eight frames at the rear of the Tabernacle, set in sixteen silver bases—two bases under each frame.

^31 Then he made crossbars of acacia wood to link the frames, five crossbars for the north side of the Tabernacle ^32 and five for the south side. He also made five crossbars for the rear of the Tabernacle, which faced west. ^33 He made the middle crossbar to attach halfway up the frames; it ran all the way from one end of the Tabernacle to the other. ^34 He overlaid the frames with gold and made gold rings to hold the crossbars. Then he overlaid the crossbars with gold as well.

^35 For the inside of the Tabernacle, Bezalel made a special curtain of finely woven linen. He decorated it with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. ^36 For the curtain, he made four posts of acacia wood and four gold hooks. He overlaid the posts with gold and set them in four silver bases.

^37 Then he made another curtain for the entrance to the sacred tent. He made it of finely woven linen and embroidered it with exquisite designs using blue, purple, and scarlet thread. ^38 This curtain was hung on gold hooks attached to five posts. The posts with their decorated tops and hooks were overlaid with gold, and the five bases were cast from bronze.

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^23 That same day Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question: ^24 “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.’ ^25 Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children, so his brother married the widow. ^26 But the second brother also died, and the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them. ^27 Last of all, the woman also died. ^28 So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.â€

^29 Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. ^30 For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven.

^31 “But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead—haven’t you ever read about this in the Scriptures? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said, ^32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’So he is the God of the living, not the dead.â€

^33 When the crowds heard him, they were astounded at his teaching.

^34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again.^35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: ^36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?â€

^37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ ^38 This is the first and greatest commandment. ^39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ^40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.â€

^41 Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question: ^42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?â€

They replied, “He is the son of David.â€

^43 Jesus responded, “Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, call the Messiah ‘my Lord’? For David said,

^44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord,

Sit in the place of honor at my right hand

until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.’

^45 Since David called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?â€

^46 No one could answer him. And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.