And let them make me a sanctuary is literally “And they will make for me a holy place.” New Revised Standard Version has changed this to “And have them make me,” and Good News Translation has “The people must make a sacred Tent for me.” However, since “sacred” means that it is Yahweh’s dwelling place, Contemporary English Version‘s translation is better and will be a good model for many translators: “I also want them to build a special place where I can live among my people.” Revised English Bible and New Jerusalem Bible follow the Septuagint with the second person singular, “[You] make me a sanctuary,” but the Hebrew has the third person plural. There are a variety of ways to translate tabernacle or “sacred Tent”: “The portable house where I will live,” “the temporary shelter where I, Yahweh, will be,” “the tent where the people of Israel will worship me, the LORD,” and so on. That I may dwell in their midst is literally “and I will settle [or, live] in their midst.” The “and” may be read either as “so that” (Good News Translation) or as “and then” (similarly Revised English Bible and New International Version).

According to all that I show you is literally “Like all that I [am] causing you [singular] to see.” The participle, “causing to see,” gives the meaning “I am about to show you,” so one may say “I will show you” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) or “I shall now show you” (New Jerusalem Bible).

Concerning the pattern of the tabernacle is literally “the form [or, shape] of the dwelling.” (Concerning is not in the Hebrew.) This is really the direct object of the verb show, in the sense that “I will show the form to you.” The word for pattern also means “plan” (Good News Translation), or “design” (Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). As mentioned before, the word for tabernacle (mishkan) really means “dwelling.” This was translated as tabernaculum in the LatinVulgate. (See the discussion in the introduction to 26.1-14.)

And of all its furniture is another direct object of the verb show: “I will show [to you] the form of the tabernacle and the form of all its furniture.” The word for furniture, literally “objects,” refers to all the “furnishings” (Good News Translation) and “equipment” (Durham) that will be used in the tabernacle. So you shall make it is literally “thus you [plural] will make.” Since this is the main clause of the sentence, it may be easier to place this at the beginning of the verse (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New International Version, Revised English Bible and others).

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .