Exodus 30

1 “You are also to make an altar of acacia wood for the burning of incense.

“Make an altar for burning incense from acacia wood.

2 It is to be square, a cubit long, a cubit wide, and two cubits high. Its horns must be of one piece.

It shall be square, measuring a cubit by a cubit, by two cubits high, with horns on its corners that are all one piece with the altar.

3 Overlay with pure gold the top and all the sides and horns, and make a molding of gold around it.

Cover its top, its side, and its horns with pure gold, and make a gold trim to go all around it.

4 And make two gold rings below the molding on opposite sides to hold the poles used to carry it.

Make two gold rings for the altar and attach them below the trim, two on both sides, to hold the poles to carry it.

5 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.

Make the poles of acacia wood and cover them with gold.

6 Place the altar in front of the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony —before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony—where I will meet with you.

Put the altar in front of the veil that hangs before the Ark of the Testimony and the atonement cover that is over the Testimony where I will meet with you.

7 And Aaron is to burn fragrant incense on it every morning when he tends the lamps.

Aaron is to burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he takes care of the lamps.

8 When Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he must burn the incense perpetually before the LORD for the generations to come.

When he lights the lamps in the evening he must burn incense again so that incense will always be burned in the Lord's presence for generations to come.

9 On this altar you must not offer unauthorized incense or a burnt offering or grain offering; nor are you to pour a drink offering on it.

Don't offer on this altar any unapproved incense or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour out a drink offering upon it.

10 Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on the horns of the altar. Throughout your generations he shall make atonement on it annually with the blood of the sin offering of atonement. The altar is most holy to the LORD.”

Once a year Aaron must perform the atonement ritual by placing blood on the horns of the altar from the sin offering for atonement. This yearly atonement ritual must be carried out for generations to come. This is the Lord's holy altar.”

11 Then the LORD said to Moses,

The Lord told Moses,

12 “When you take a census of the Israelites to number them, each man must pay the LORD a ransom for his life when he is counted. Then no plague will come upon them when they are numbered.

“When you take a census of the Israelites, each man must pay the Lord to buy back his life when he's counted. Then they won't suffer from the plague when they're counted.

13 Everyone who crosses over to those counted must pay a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD.

Each one who crosses over to those counted must give a half shekel, (using the sanctuary shekel standard, which weighs twenty gerahs). This half shekel is an offering to the Lord.

14 Everyone twenty years of age or older who crosses over must give this offering to the LORD.

This offering to the Lord is required from everyone twenty years old and more.

15 In making the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives, the rich shall not give more than a half shekel, nor shall the poor give less.

When you give this offering to buy back your lives the rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less.

16 Take the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the Tent of Meeting. It will serve as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD to make atonement for your lives.”

Take this money paid by the Israelites and use it for the expenses involved in the services of the Tent of Meeting. It will serve as a reminder for the Israelites to buy back your lives in the presence of the Lord.”

17 And the LORD said to Moses,

The Lord told Moses,

18 “You are to make a bronze basin with a bronze stand for washing. Set it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it,

“Make a bronze basin with a bronze stand for washing. Place it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it.

19 with which Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet.

Aaron and his sons will use it to wash their hands and feet.

20 Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made by fire to the LORD, they must wash with water so that they will not die.

Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting, they are to wash with water so that they will not die. When they approach the altar to present burnt offerings to the Lord,

21 Thus they are to wash their hands and feet so that they will not die; this shall be a permanent statute for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”

they must also wash so that they will not die. This requirement is to be observed by them and their descendants for all generations.”

22 Then the LORD said to Moses,

The Lord told Moses,

23 “Take the finest spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half that amount (250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane,

“Take the best quality spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, 250 shekels of sweet-smelling cinnamon, 250 shekels of aromatic reed,

24 500 shekels of cassia —all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil.

500 shekels of cassia, (weights using the sanctuary shekel standard), and a hin of olive oil.

25 Prepare from these a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer; it will be a sacred anointing oil.

Mix these together into holy anointing oil, an aromatic blend like the product of an expert perfumer. Use it as holy anointing oil.

26 Use this oil to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony,

Use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the Ark of the Testimony,

27 the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, the altar of incense,

the table and all its equipment, the lampstand and its equipment, the altar of incense,

28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand.

the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin plus its stand.

29 You are to consecrate them so that they will be most holy. Whatever touches them shall be holy.

Dedicate them so that they will be especially holy. Whatever touches them will become holy.

30 Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them to serve Me as priests.

Anoint Aaron and his sons too and dedicate them to serve as priests for me.

31 And you are to tell the Israelites, ‘This will be My sacred anointing oil for the generations to come.

Tell the Israelites, ‘This is to be my holy anointing oil for all generations to come.

32 It must not be used to anoint an ordinary man, and you must not make anything like it with the same formula. It is holy, and it must be holy to you.

Don't use it on ordinary people and don't make anything like it using the same formula. It is holy, and you must treat it as being holy.

33 Anyone who mixes perfume like it or puts it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’”

Anyone who mixes anointing oil like it, or puts it on someone other than a priest, will be expelled from their people.’”

34 The LORD also said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense—in equal measures,

The Lord told Moses, “Take equal amounts of these aromatic spices: balsam resin, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense.

35 and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.

Add some salt and make pure and holy incense blended like the product of an expert perfumer.

36 Grind some of it into fine powder and place it in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you.

Grind some of it into powder and place it in front of the Ark of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be especially holy to you.

37 You are never to use this formula to make incense for yourselves; you shall regard it as holy to the LORD.

Don't make for yourselves any incense like it using the same formula. You are to consider this incense as holy to the Lord.

38 Anyone who makes something like it to enjoy its fragrance shall be cut off from his people.”

Anyone who makes incense like this for themselves to enjoy will be expelled from their people.”