Exodus 30
1 Fvrthermore thou shalt make an altar for sweete perfume, of Shittim wood thou shalt make it.
“[Tell the skilled workers to] make an altar from acacia wood, for burning incense.
2 The length therof a cubite and the breadth thereof a cubite (it shalbe foure square) and the height thereof two cubites: the hornes thereof shalbe 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 ouerlay it with fine golde, both the toppe therof and the sides thereof round about, and his hornes: also thou shalt make vnto it a crowne 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 Besides this thou shalt make vnder this crowne two golden rings on either side: euen on euery side shalt thou make them, that they may be as places for the barres to beare it withall.
[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 The which barres thou shalt make of Shittim wood, and shalt couer them with golde.
[Tell them to] make these [two] poles from acacia wood and cover them with gold.
6 After thou shalt set it before the vaile, that is neere the Arke of Testimonie, before the Merciseate that is vpon the Testimonie, where I will appoynt with 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 burne thereon sweete incense euery morning: when hee dresseth the lampes thereof, shall he burne it.
Aaron must burn sweet-smelling incense on this altar. He must burn some every morning when he takes care of the lamps,
8 Likewise at eue, when Aaron setteth vp the lampes thereof, he shall burne incense: this perfume shalbe perpetually before ye 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 Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor offring, neither powre any drinke offring thereon.
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 make reconciliation vpon the hornes of it once in a yere with the blood of the sinne offring in the day of reconciliation: once in the yeere shall hee make reconciliation vpon it throughout your generations: this is most holy vnto 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 Afterward the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,
Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
12 When thou takest the summe of the children of Israel after their nomber, then they shall giue euery man a redemption of his life vnto the Lord, when thou tellest them, that there bee no plague among the when thou countest them.
“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 This shall euery man giue, that goeth into the nomber, halfe a shekel, after the shekel of the Sanctuarie: (a shekel is twentie gerahs) the halfe shekel shalbe an offring 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 All that are nombred from twentie yeere olde and aboue, shall giue an offring to the Lord.
All the men who are at least 20 years old must pay this amount to me when the people are counted.
15 The rich shall not passe, and the poore shall not diminish from halfe a shekel, when ye shall giue an offring vnto the Lord, for the redemption of your liues.
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 So thou shalt take the money of the redemption of the children of Israel, and shalt put it vnto the vse of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, that it may be a memoriall vnto the children of Israel before the Lord for the redemption of your liues.
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 Also the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,
Yahweh [also] said to Moses/me,
18 Thou shalt also make a lauer of brasse, and his foote of brasse to wash, and shalt put it betweene the Tabernacle of the Congregation and the Altar, and shalt put water therein.
“[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 For Aaron and his sonnes shall wash their hands and their feete thereat.
Aaron and his sons must ritually wash their hands and their feet with this water
20 When they go into the Tabernacle of the Congregation, or when they goe vnto the Altar to minister and to make the perfume of ye burnt offring to the Lord, they shall wash themselues with water, lest they die.
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 So they shall wash their handes and their feete that they die not: and this shall be to them an ordinance for euer, both vnto him and to his seede throughout their generations.
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 Also the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,
Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
23 Take thou also vnto thee, principall spices of the most pure myrrhe fiue hundreth shekels, of sweete cinamon halfe so much, that is, two hundreth and fiftie, and of sweete calamus, two hundreth, and fiftie:
“[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 Also of cassia fiue hundreth, after the shekel of the Sanctuarie, and of oyle oliue an 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 So thou shalt make of it the oyle of holie oyntment, euen a most precious oyntment after the arte of the Apothecarie: this shalbe the oyle of holy oyntment.
to make sacred oil for anointing.
26 And thou shalt anoynt the Tabernacle of the Congregation therewith, and the Arke of the Testimonie:
Use this oil for anointing the Sacred Tent, the sacred chest,
27 Also the Table, and al the instruments thereof, and the Candlesticke, with all the instruments thereof, and the altar 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 Also the Altar of burnt offring with al his instruments, and the lauer and his foote.
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 So thou shalt sanctifie them, and they shalbe most holy: all that shall touch them, shalbe holy.
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 also anoint Aaron and his sonnes, and shalt consecrate them, that they may minister vnto me in the Priests office.
And anoint Aaron and his sons. [By doing that], you will dedicate them to serve me [by being] priests.
31 Moreouer thou shalt speake vnto the children of Israel, saying, This shalbe an holy oynting oyle vnto 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 None shall anoynt, mans flesh therewith, neither shall ye make any composition like vnto it: for it is holy, and shalbe holy vnto 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 Whosoeuer shall make the like oyntment, or whosoeuer shall put any of it vpon a stranger, euen he shalbe 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 sayd vnto Moses, Take vnto thee these spices, pure myrrhe and cleare gumme and galbanum, these odours with pure frankincense, of eche like 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 Then thou shalt make of them perfume composed after the arte of the apothecarie, mingled together, pure and holy.
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 thou shalt beate it to pouder, and shalt put of it before the Arke of the Testimonie in the Tabernacle of ye Cogregatio, where I wil make appointmet with thee: it shalbe vnto you most holy.
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 And ye shall not make vnto you any composition like this perfume, which thou shalt make: it shalbe vnto thee holy for 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 Whosoeuer shall make like vnto that to smelll thereto, euen he shalbe cut off from 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.”
