Exodus 30

1 Thou shalt make also an altar to burn incense, of setim wood.

“Make an altar for burning incense from acacia wood.

2 It shall be a cubit in length, and another in breadth, that is, foursquare, and two in height. Horns shall go out of the same.

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 And 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,

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

4 And two golden rings under the crown on either side, that the bars may be put into them, and the altar be carried.

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 And thou shalt make the bars also of setim wood, and shalt overlay them with gold.

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

6 And 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.

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 shall burn sweet smelling incense upon it in the morning. When he shall dress the lamps, he shall burn it:

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

8 And when he shall place them in the evening, he shall burn an everlasting incense before the Lord throughout your generations.

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 You shall not offer upon it incense of another composition nor oblation, and victim, neither shall you offer libations.

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 And 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.

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 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

The Lord told Moses,

12 When 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.

“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 And 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.

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 He that is counted in the number from twenty years and upwards, shall give the price.

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

15 The rich man shall not add to half a sicle, and the poor man shall diminish nothing.

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 And 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.

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 spoke to Moses, saying:

The Lord told Moses,

18 Thou 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,

“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 Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and feet in it:

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

20 When 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,

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 Lest perhaps they die. It shall be an everlasting law to him, and to his seed by successions.

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 And the Lord spoke to Moses,

The Lord told Moses,

23 Saying: 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.

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

24 And of cassia five hundred sicles by the weight of the sanctuary, of oil of olives the measure hin:

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

25 And thou shalt make the holy oil of unction, an ointment compounded after the art of the perfumer,

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

26 And therewith thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the testimony, and the ark of the testament,

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

27 And the table with the vessels thereof, the candlestick and furniture thereof, the altars of incense,

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

28 And of holocaust, and all the furniture that belongeth to the service of them.

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

29 And thou shalt sanctify all, and they shall be most holy: he that shall touch them shall be sanctified.

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

30 Thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and shalt sanctify them, that they may do the office of priesthood unto me.

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

31 And thou shalt say to the children of Israel: This oil of unction shall be holy unto me throughout your generations.

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

32 The 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.

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 What man soever shall compound such, and shall give thereof to a stranger, he 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 And 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.

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

35 And thou shalt make incense compounded by the work of the perfumer, well tempered together, and pure, and most worthy of sanctification.

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

36 And 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.

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 shall not make such a composition for your own uses, because it is 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 What man soever shall make the like, to enjoy the smell thereof, he shall perish out of his people.

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