Exodus 30
30
The Altar for Burning Incense
1“Make an altar from acacia wood. You will use this altar for burning incense. 2You must make the altar square—1 cubit#30:2 cubit 20 5/8" (51.83 cm). long and 1 cubit wide. It must be 2 cubits#30:2 2 cubits 3' 4 13/16" (104 cm). high. There will be horns at the four corners. These horns must be made as one piece with the altar. 3Cover the top, the horns, and all four sides of the altar with pure gold. Then put gold trim all around the altar. 4Below this trim there should be two gold rings. There should be two gold rings on opposite sides of the altar. These gold rings will be used with poles to carry the altar. 5Make the poles from acacia wood and cover them with gold. 6Put the altar just outside the special curtain that hangs in front of the Box of the Agreement. So the altar will be in front of the mercy-cover that is above the Agreement. This is the place where I will meet with you.
7“Aaron must burn sweet-smelling incense on the altar every morning. He will do this when he comes to care for the lamps. 8He must burn incense again when he checks the lamps in the evening so that incense will be burned before the Lord every day forever. 9Don’t use this altar for offering any other kind of incense or burnt offering or for any kind of grain offering or drink offering.
10“Once a year Aaron must make a special sacrifice. He will use the blood of the sin offering to erase the sins of the people. He will do this at the horns of this altar. This day will be called the Day of Atonement, and it will be a very special day for the Lord.”
The Temple Tax
11The Lord said to Moses, 12“Count the Israelites so that you will know how many people there are. Every time this is done, each man must make a payment for himself to the Lord so that nothing terrible will happen to the people. 13Each man who is counted must pay 1/2 shekel of silver. (That is 1/2 shekel by the official measure. This shekel weighs 20 gerahs.#30:13 gerahs 1/50 of an ounce (.6 g).) This half shekel is an offering to the Lord. 14Every man who is at least 20 years old must be counted. And every man who is counted must give the Lord this offering. 15The rich must not give more than 1/2 shekel, and the poor must not give less than 1/2 shekel. All people will make the same offering to the Lord. This will be a payment for your life. 16Gather this money from the Israelites. Use the money for the service in the Meeting Tent. This payment will be a way for the Lord to remember his people. They will be paying for their own lives.”
The Washing Bowl
17The Lord said to Moses, 18“Make a bronze bowl and put it on a bronze base. You will use this for washing. Put the bowl between the Meeting Tent and the altar. Fill the bowl with water. 19Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet with the water from this bowl. 20Every time they enter the Meeting Tent, they must wash with that water so that they will not die. They must also wash every time they come near the altar to burn incense or to offer gifts to the Lord. 21They must wash their hands and their feet so that they will not die. This will be a law that continues forever for Aaron and his people who will live in the future.”
The Anointing Oil
22Then the Lord said to Moses, 23“Find the finest spices. Get 12 pounds#30:23 12 pounds Literally, “500 measures” (5.75 kg). of liquid myrrh, half that amount (that is, 6 pounds#30:23 6 pounds Literally, “250 measures” (2.9 kg).) of sweet-smelling cinnamon, and 12 pounds of sweet-smelling cane, 24and 12 pounds of cassia. Use the official measure to measure all these things. Also get 1 gallon#30:24 gallon Literally, “a hin” (3.2 l). of olive oil.
25“Mix all these things to make a special sweet-smelling anointing oil. 26Pour this oil on the Meeting Tent and on the Box of the Agreement. This will show that these things have a special purpose. 27Pour the oil on the table and on all the dishes on the table. And pour this oil on the lamp and on all its tools. Pour the oil on the incense altar. 28Also, pour the oil on the altar for burning offerings to God. Pour this oil on everything on that altar. Pour this oil on the bowl and on the base under the bowl. 29You will make all these things holy. They will be very special to the Lord. Anything that touches these things will also become holy.
30“Pour the oil on Aaron and his sons to show that they are separated from the rest of the people to serve as priests. 31Tell the Israelites that the anointing oil is holy—it must always be used only for me. 32This oil is holy and you must treat it as something special. Don’t use the same formula for making perfume and don’t let people use this oil like an ordinary perfume. 33Whoever makes a perfume like that and puts it on anyone except a priest#30:33 priest Literally, “stranger.” must be separated from the people.”
The Incense
34Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get these sweet-smelling spices: resin, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense. Be sure that you have equal amounts of these spices. 35Mix the spices together to make a sweet-smelling incense. Do this the same as a perfume maker would do it. Also mix salt with this incense. This will make it pure and special. 36Grind some of the incense until it becomes a fine powder. Put the powder in front of the Holy Box that holds the Agreement#30:36 Holy Box that holds the Agreement Literally, “Testimony.” See “Agreement” in the Word List. in the Meeting Tent. This is the place where I meet with you. You must use this incense powder only for its very special purpose. 37You must use it only in this special way for the Lord. You must also make it in a special way. Don’t make any other incense in this way. 38There may be people who will want to make some of this incense for themselves so that they can enjoy the smell. But whoever does this must be separated from their people.”
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Exodus 30: ERV
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Exodus 30
30
1Thou shalt make also an altar to burn incense, of setim wood.
2It shall be a cubit in length, and another in breadth, that is, four square; and two in height. Horns shall go out of the same.
3And thou shalt overlay it with the purest gold, as well as the grate thereof, as the walls round about and the horns. And thou shalt make to it a crown of gold round about.
4And two golden rings under the crown on either side: that the bars may be put into them, and the altar be carried.
5And thou shalt make the bars also of setim wood, and shalt overlay them with gold.
6And thou shalt set the altar over against the veil, that hangeth before the ark of the testimony before the propitiatory wherewith the testimony is covered, where I will speak to thee.
7And Aaron shall burn sweet-smelling incense upon it in the morning. When he shall dress the lamps, he shall burn it.
8And when he shall place them in the evening, he shall burn an everlasting incense before the Lord throughout your generations.
9You shall not offer upon it incense of another composition nor oblation, and victim: neither shall you offer libations.
10And Aaron shall pray upon the horns thereof once a year, with the blood of that which was offered for sin: and shall make atonement upon it in your generations. It shall be most holy to the Lord.
11And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
12When thou shalt take the sum of the children of Israel according to their number, every one of them shall give a price for their souls to the Lord: and there shall be no scourge among them, when they shall be reckoned.
13And this shall every one give that passeth at the naming, half a sicle according to the standard of the temple. A sicle hath twenty obols. Half a sicle shall be offered to the Lord.
14He that is counted in the number from twenty years and upwards, shall give the price.
15The rich man shall not add to half a sicle: and the poor man shall diminish nothing.
16And the money received, which was contributed by the children of Israel, thou shalt deliver unto the uses of the tabernacle of the testimony: that it may be a memorial of them before the Lord, and he may be merciful to their souls.
17And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
18Thou shalt make also a brazen laver with its foot, to wash in: and thou shalt set it between the tabernacle of the testimony and the altar. And water being put into it,
19Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and feet in it:
20When they are going into the tabernacle of the testimony, and when they are to come to the altar, to offer on it incense to the Lord:
21Lest perhaps they die. It shall be an everlasting law to him, and to his seed by successions.
22And the Lord spoke to Moses,
23Saying: Take spices, of principal and chosen myrrh five hundred sicles, and of cinnamon half so much, that is, two hundred and fifty sicles; of calamus in like manner two hundred and fifty.
24And of cassia five hundred sicles by the weight of the sanctuary; of oil of olives the measure hin.
25And thou shalt make the holy oil of unction: an ointment compounded after the art of the perfumer,
26And therewith thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the testimony: and the ark of the testament:
27And the table with the vessels thereof; the candlestick and furniture thereof; the altars of incense,
28And of holocaust; and all the furniture that belongeth to the service of them.
29And thou shalt sanctify all: and they shall be most holy. He that shall touch them shall be sanctified.
30Thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and shalt sanctify them: that they may do the office of priesthood unto me.
31And thou shalt say to the children of Israel: This oil of unction shall be holy unto me throughout your generations.
32The flesh of man shall not be anointed therewith: and you shall make none other of the same composition; because it is sanctified, and shall be holy unto you.
33What man soever shall compound such, and shall give thereof to a stranger, he shall be cut off from his people.
34And the Lord said to Moses: Take unto thee spices: stacte, and onycha, galbanum of sweet savour, and the clearest frankincense. All shall be of equal weight.
35And thou shalt make incense compounded by the work of the perfumer: well tempered together, and pure, and most worthy of sanctification.
36And when thou has beaten all into very small powder, thou shalt set of it before the tabernacle of the testimony, in the place where I will appear to thee. Most holy shall this incense be to you.
37You shall not make such a composition for your own uses, because it is holy to the Lord.
38What man soever shall make the like, to enjoy the smell thereof, he shall perish out of his people.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.