Exodus 30
1 Thou shalt make also an altar to burn incense, of setim wood.
“[Tell the skilled workers to] make an altar from acacia wood, for burning incense.
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 is to be square, (18 in./45 cm.) on each side. It is to be (3 feet/90 cm.) high. [Tell them to] make [a projection that looks like] a horn on each of the top corners. The projections must be carved from the same block of wood that the altar [is made from].
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,
[They must] cover the top and the four sides, including the projections, with pure gold. Put a gold border around the altar, [near the top].
4 And two golden rings under the crown on either side, that the bars may be put into them, and the altar be carried.
[They must] make two gold rings for carrying the altar. [They must] attach them to the altar below the border, one on each side of the altar. These rings are for the poles for carrying the altar.
5 And thou shalt make the bars also of setim wood, and shalt overlay them with gold.
[Tell them to] make these [two] poles from 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.
[They must] put this altar outside the curtain that hangs in front of the sacred chest and its lid. That is the place where I will talk 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 must burn sweet-smelling incense on this altar. He must burn some 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.
and he must burn some in the evening when he lights the lamps. The incense must be burned continually, throughout all future generations.
9 You shall not offer upon it incense of another composition nor oblation, and victim, neither shall you offer libations.
The priests must not burn on the altar any incense that I have not told you to burn, or burn any animal on it, or any grain offering for me, or pour any wine on it as an offering.
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.
One time every year Aaron must perform the ritual for making this altar pure. He must do it by putting on its four projections some of the blood from the animal that was sacrificed (to remove the guilt of the people’s sins/so that the people would no longer be guilty for sins). This ritual is to be done by Aaron and his descendants throughout all future generations. This altar must be completely dedicated to me, Yahweh.”
11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
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 your [leaders] (take a census of/count) the Israeli people, each man [who is counted] must pay to me a price to save his life. They must do this in order that no disaster will happen to them while the people are being 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.
Every man who is counted must pay to me (0.2 ounces/5.7 grams) of silver. They must use the official standard when they weigh the silver.
14 He that is counted in the number from twenty years and upwards, shall give the price.
All the men who are at least 20 years old must pay this amount to me when the people are counted.
15 The rich man shall not add to half a sicle, and the poor man shall diminish nothing.
Rich men must not pay more than this amount, and poor men must not pay less than this amount, when they pay this money to save their lives.
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.
Your leaders must collect this money from the Israeli people and give it to [those who will] take care of the Sacred Tent. This money is the payment for the lives of those who take care of the Sacred Tent, (to enable me not to forget them/and then I will remember to protect them).”
17 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
Yahweh [also] said to Moses/me,
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,
“[Tell the skilled workers to] make a bronze washbasin and a bronze base for it. [They must] put it between the Sacred Tent and the altar, and fill it with water.
19 Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and feet in it:
Aaron and his sons must ritually wash their hands and their feet with this water
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,
before they enter the Sacred Tent and before they come to the altar to sacrifice offerings that will be burned on it. If [they do that], they will not die [because of disobeying my instructions].
21 Lest perhaps they die. It shall be an everlasting law to him, and to his seed by successions.
They must wash their hands and their feet, in order that they will not die. They and the males descended from them must obey this ritual throughout all generations.”
22 And the Lord spoke to Moses,
Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
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.
“[Tell the people to] collect some of the finest spices— (12 pounds/6 kg.) of (liquid myrrh/sweet-smelling sap named myrrh), (6 pounds/3 kg.) of sweet-smelling cinnamon, (6 pounds/3 kg.) of a sweet-smelling cane/reed,
24 And of cassia five hundred sicles by the weight of the sanctuary, of oil of olives the measure hin:
and (12 pounds/6 kg.) of (cassia/a sweet-smelling bark named cassia). [Be sure] that they use the official standard when they weigh these things. Tell an expert perfumer to mix these with (one gallon/four liters) of olive oil
25 And thou shalt make the holy oil of unction, an ointment compounded after the art of the perfumer,
to make sacred oil for anointing.
26 And therewith thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the testimony, and the ark of the testament,
Use this oil for anointing the Sacred Tent, the sacred chest,
27 And the table with the vessels thereof, the candlestick and furniture thereof, the altars of incense,
the table and all the things that are used with it, the lampstand and all the things that are used to take care of it, the altar for [burning] incense,
28 And of holocaust, and all the furniture that belongeth to the service of them.
and the altar for offering sacrifices that will be burned, along with its bases and the washbasin and all the things that are used with it.
29 And thou shalt sanctify all, and they shall be most holy: he that shall touch them shall be sanctified.
Dedicate them by anointing them, in order that they will be completely holy/sacred. Anyone or anything that touches the altar will become taboo.
30 Thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and shalt sanctify them, that they may do the office of priesthood unto me.
And anoint Aaron and his sons. [By doing that], you will dedicate them to serve me [by being] priests.
31 And thou shalt say to the children of Israel: This oil of unction shall be holy unto me throughout your generations.
And tell the Israeli people, ‘This oil will be my sacred anointing oil that must be used throughout all future generations.
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.
You must not pour it on the bodies of people who are not priests, and you must not make other oil to be like it by mixing the same amount of those things. This oil is sacred, and you must consider it to be sacred.’
33 What man soever shall compound such, and shall give thereof to a stranger, he shall be cut off from his people.
I will consider that anyone who makes ointment like this [for any other purpose], and anyone who puts any of this ointment on someone who is not a priest, no longer be allowed to associate with my 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.
Yahweh also said to Moses/me, “[Tell the people to] take equal parts of several sweet spices—stacte, 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.
and tell an expert perfumer to mix them together to make some perfume. Add some salt to keep it pure and make it holy.
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.
Beat some of it into a fine powder. Then take some of it into the Sacred Tent and sprinkle it in front of the sacred chest. You must all consider this incense to be very holy.
37 You shall not make such a composition for your own uses, because it is holy to the Lord.
The people must not mix the same spices to make incense for themselves. This incense must be completely dedicated to me, Yahweh.
38 What man soever shall make the like, to enjoy the smell thereof, he shall perish out of his people.
I will consider that anyone who makes incense like this to use it for perfume will no longer be allowed to associate with my people.”
