Deuteronomy 27

5 And there shalt thou build an altar. At their first entrance into the land, God commands that a sacrifice of thanksgiving should be offered to Him; and this Joshua performed, as is related in Joshua 8:30-31 "Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron." First of all, then, this testimony of their gratitude is required, that the children of Israel, as soon as they have begun to set foot in the land of Canaan, might celebrate the praises of the Lord; secondly, he forbids all artificial work, because, if the altar had been permanent, it would have been an occasion of superstition, and this exceptional instance would have been more regarded than the perpetual Law of God. Hence the nine tribes and half were so greatly wroth against the two tribes of Reuben and Gad, and half Manasseh, on account of the altar which was built on the bank of Jordan, (Joshua 22,) insomuch that they determined utterly to destroy their brethren, until they had cleared themselves by alleging that they had only built it as a memorial of their brotherly union, and not for sacrifice. Assuredly they were good expounders of the Law who accounted it an inexpiable crime, that an altar should be left for posterity, to withdraw the people from the one sanctuary, and thus to destroy the unity of faith.

Exodus 25

Exodus 25:1-22

1. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

1. Et loquutus est Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo:

2. Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.

2. Alloquere filios Israel ut tollant mihi levationem: ab omni viro cujus cor voluntarie dederit illam, sumetis levationem meam.

3. And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,

3. Ista autem est oblatio quam capietis ab eis, aurum et argentum, et aes,

4. And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,

4. Et hyacinthum, et purpuram, et vermiculum cocci, et byssum, et pilos caprarum,

5. And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim-wood,

5. Et pelles arietum rubricatas, et pelles taxorum, et ligna sittim.

6. Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,

6. Oleum pro luminari, aromata pro oleo unctionis et pro thymiamate aromatum:

7. Onyx-stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.

7. Lapides onychinos, et lapides plenitudinum pro ephod et pro pectorali.

8. And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

8. Et facient mihi sanctuarium, ut habitem in medio eorum.

9. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

9. Omnino ut ego ostendam tibi similitudinem habitaculi, et similitudinem omnium vasorum ejus, sic facietis.

10. And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

10. Facient etiam arcam e lignis sittim: duorum cubitorum et semis erit longitudo ejus, cubitus vero et semis latitudo ejus, cubiti item et semis altitudo ejus.

11. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it; and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.

11. Operiesque eam auro puro, intrinsecus et extrinsecus, operies inquam, eam, faciesque super eam coronam auream in circuitu.

12. And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.

12. Fundes quoque ei quatuor annulos aureos, quos pones ad quatuor angulos ejus: duos videlicet annulos in latere ejus uno, et duos annulos in latere ejus altero.

13. And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.

13. Facies praeterea vectes ex lignis sittim, quos cooperies auro.

14. And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.

14. Inducesque vectes in annulos qui erunt in lateribus illius arcrae, ut illis deferetur area.

15. The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.

15. In annulis illius arcae erunt vectes, non removebuntur ab ea.

16. And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.

16. Ponesque in arca testimonium quod dabo tibi.

17. And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

17. Facies et operculum ex auro mundo: duorum cubitorum et dimidii erit longitudo ejus, cubiti vero et dimidii latitudo ejus.

18. And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.

18. Facies etiam duos cherubim aureos: ductiles facies eos in duabus extremitatibus propitiatorii.

19. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.

19. Facies autem cherub unum in extremo hinc, et cherub alterum in extremo inde: ex propitiatorio facietis cherubim, duabus extremitatibus ejus.

20. And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.

20. Expandentque cherubim duas alas superne tegentes alis suis propitiatorium, et se mutuo aspicient: ad propitiatorium erunt facies cherubim.

21. And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

21. Pones autem propitiatorium super arcam superne, et in arca pones testimonium quod dabo tibi.

22. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

22. Conveniamque tecum illuc, et loquar tecum e propitiatorio inter duos cherubim quod erit super arcama testimonii, quaecunque praecipiam tibi ad filios Israel.