Exodus 30
1 “[Tell the skilled workers to] make an altar from acacia wood, for burning incense.
“You shall also make an altar, for the burning of incense, from setim wood,
2 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].
having one cubit in length, and another in width, that is, four equal sides, and two cubits in height. Horns shall proceed from the same.
3 [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].
And you shall clothe it with the purest gold, both its grating and the walls around it, and also the horns. And you shall make for it a crown of gold in a circle,
4 [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.
and two gold rings under the crown on each side, so that the bars may be set in them and the altar may be carried.
5 [Tell them to] make these [two] poles from acacia wood and cover them with gold.
Also, you shall make its bars of setim wood, and you shall overlay them with gold.
6 [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.
And you shall set the altar opposite the veil, which hangs in front of the ark of the testimony, before the propitiatory with which the testimony is covered, where I will speak to you.
7 Aaron must burn sweet-smelling incense on this altar. He must burn some every morning when he takes care of the lamps,
And Aaron shall burn incense upon it, a sweet fragrance, in the morning. When he lights the lamps, he shall burn it.
8 and he must burn some in the evening when he lights the lamps. The incense must be burned continually, throughout all future generations.
And when he assembles them in the evening, he shall burn an everlasting incense before the Lord throughout your generations.
9 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.
You shall not offer upon it incense of another composition, nor an oblation, nor a victim; neither shall you offer libations.
10 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.”
And Aaron shall pray over its horns once a year, with the blood of what was offered for sin. And he shall make atonement over it in your generations. It shall be the Holy of holies to the Lord.”
11 Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
12 “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.
“When you have taken the sum of the sons of Israel, according to their number, each shall give a price for their souls to the Lord, and there will be no scourge among them, when they will be reviewed.
13 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.
Then all those who pass shall give by name: one half shekel, according to the measure at the temple. A shekel has twenty obols. The half part of a shekel shall be offered to the Lord.
14 All the men who are at least 20 years old must pay this amount to me when the people are counted.
He who has been numbered from twenty years and above shall give the price.
15 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.
The rich shall not add to the half shekel, and the poor shall diminish nothing.
16 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).”
And the money received, which was collected from the sons of Israel, you shall deliver for the uses of the tabernacle of the testimony, so that it may be a memorial of them before the Lord, and he may act favorably toward their souls.”
17 Yahweh [also] said to Moses/me,
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
18 “[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.
“You shall also make a bronze washtub with its base to wash in; and you shall place it between the tabernacle of the testimony and the altar. And when water has been added,
19 Aaron and his sons must ritually wash their hands and their feet with this water
Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and feet in it:
20 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].
when they enter the tabernacle of the testimony, and when they approach to the altar so as to offer incense to the Lord upon it,
21 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.”
otherwise, they may die. This shall be an everlasting law to him, and to his offspring, throughout their successions.”
22 Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
And the Lord spoke to Moses,
23 “[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,
saying: “Take for yourself aromatics: of the first and best myrrh, five hundred shekels, and of cinnamon half as much, that is, two hundred and fifty shekels; of sweet flag similarly two hundred and fifty,
24 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
but of cassia, five hundred shekels by the weight of the sanctuary, and of the oil of olives the measure of a hin.
25 to make sacred oil for anointing.
And you shall make the holy oil of unction, an ointment composed with the skills of a perfumer,
26 Use this oil for anointing the Sacred Tent, the sacred chest,
and with it you shall anoint the tabernacle of the testimony, and the ark of the testament,
27 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,
and the table with its vessels, and the lampstand and its utensils, the altars of incense
28 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.
and of holocaust, and all the items that pertain to their rituals.
29 Dedicate them by anointing them, in order that they will be completely holy/sacred. Anyone or anything that touches the altar will become taboo.
And you shall sanctify everything, and they shall be the Holy of holies. He who will touch them must be sanctified.
30 And anoint Aaron and his sons. [By doing that], you will dedicate them to serve me [by being] priests.
You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and you shall sanctify them, so that they may exercise the priesthood for me.
31 And tell the Israeli people, ‘This oil will be my sacred anointing oil that must be used throughout all future generations.
Likewise, you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘This oil of unction will be holy to me throughout your generations.
32 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.’
The flesh of man shall not be anointed from it, and you shall not make any similar compound, for it has been sanctified and it shall be holy to you.
33 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.”
Whatever man will have composed such a thing and have given it to a stranger, he shall be exterminated from his people.’”
34 Yahweh also said to Moses/me, “[Tell the people to] take equal parts of several sweet spices—stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense—
And the Lord said to Moses: “Take to yourself aromatics: stacte, and onycha, galbanum of sweet odor, and the clearest frankincense, all these shall be of equal weight.
35 and tell an expert perfumer to mix them together to make some perfume. Add some salt to keep it pure and make it holy.
And you shall make incense composed with the skills of a perfumer, diligently mixed, and pure, and most worthy of sanctification.
36 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.
And when you have crushed all these into a very fine powder, you shall place some of it before the tabernacle of the testimony, in the place where I will appear to you. The Holy of holies shall this incense be to you.
37 The people must not mix the same spices to make incense for themselves. This incense must be completely dedicated to me, Yahweh.
You shall not make such a compound for your own uses, because it is holy to the Lord.
38 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.”
Whatever man will have made anything similar, so as to thoroughly enjoy its smell, he shall perish from his people.”
