Exodus 31
The full text of Exodus 31 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Hebrew. Free to read.
1 Then the LORD said to Moses,
2 "See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,
3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, and with skill in every kind of craft
4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze,
5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts.
6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you:
7 the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent—
8 the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense,
9 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand—
10 and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests,
11 and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded you."
12 Then the LORD said to Moses,
13 "Say to the Israelites, 'You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.
14 Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from their people.
15 For six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death.
16 The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant.
17 It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed."
18 When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.
Translation notes (4)
- Exodus 31:3a "The Spirit of God" translates the Hebrew phrase ruach 'elohim; this same phrase can also mean "a divine spirit" or "a spirit of skill from God." The text does not specify how this gifting relates to later doctrines of the Spirit.
- Exodus 31:14a "Must be cut off from their people" refers to the karet formula. Its precise scope (whether it means judicial death, exclusion from the community, or a divine penalty) is debated in tradition and is not resolved here. This phrase stands alongside the explicit "put to death" without harmonizing the two.
- Exodus 31:17a "Was refreshed" translates the Hebrew word vayyinnafash, which comes from the root for "breath/soul" (nefesh). This is a strikingly anthropomorphic verb, literally meaning "he caught his breath / was re-souled." The boldness of this image is preserved rather than softened.
- Exodus 31:18a "The finger of God" (Hebrew: 'etsba' 'elohim) is preserved here as a vivid Hebrew image, not reduced to a metaphor. "The covenant law" translates the Hebrew word ha'edut ("the testimony").
About this translation
The Trinity Bible Version (TBV) is a new translation of the Bible prepared by Trinity Bible AI — rendered from the original Hebrew and faithful to the earliest and most reliable manuscripts. Finished in 2026, it is the most modern English Bible translation you can read today, and it is available only through Trinity Bible. All 66 books, including Exodus, are free to read on this site.
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