Exodus 30
1 And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: [of] shittim wood shalt thou make it.
“Make an altar for burning incense from acacia wood.
2 A cubit [shall be] the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits [shall be] the height thereof: the horns thereof [shall be] 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 pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto 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 shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make [it; ] and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal.
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 staves [of] shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
Make the poles of acacia wood and cover them with gold.
6 And thou shalt put it before the vail that [is] by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that [is] over the testimony, where I will meet with 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 thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.
Aaron is to burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he takes care of the lamps.
8 And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual 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 Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.
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 make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it [is] most holy unto 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 spake unto Moses, saying,
The Lord told Moses,
12 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when [thou] numberest them.
“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 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel [is] twenty gerahs: ) an half shekel [shall be] the offering of 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 Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.
This offering to the Lord is required from everyone twenty years old and more.
15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when [they] give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
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 thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your 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 spake unto Moses, saying,
The Lord told Moses,
18 Thou shalt also make a laver [of] brass, and his foot [also of] brass, to wash [withal: ] and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.
“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 For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:
Aaron and his sons will use it to wash their hands and feet.
20 When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto 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 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, [even] to him and to his seed throughout their generations.
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 Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
The Lord told Moses,
23 Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred [shekels], and of sweet cinnamon half so much, [even] two hundred and fifty [shekels], and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty [shekels],
“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 [shekels], after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:
500 shekels of cassia, (weights using the sanctuary shekel standard), and a hin of olive oil.
25 And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy 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 And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,
Use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the Ark of the Testimony,
27 And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,
the table and all its equipment, the lampstand and its equipment, the altar of incense,
28 And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot.
the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin plus its stand.
29 And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.
Dedicate them so that they will be especially holy. Whatever touches them will become holy.
30 And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that [they] may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
Anoint Aaron and his sons too and dedicate them to serve as priests for me.
31 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.
Tell the Israelites, ‘This is to be my holy anointing oil for all generations to come.
32 Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make [any other] like it, after the composition of it: it [is] holy, [and] it 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 Whosoever compoundeth [any] like it, or whosoever putteth [any] of it upon a stranger, shall even 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 unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; [these] sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like [weight: ]
The Lord told Moses, “Take equal amounts of these aromatic spices: balsam resin, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense.
35 And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure [and] holy:
Add some salt and make pure and holy incense blended like the product of an expert perfumer.
36 And thou shalt beat [some] of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.
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 And [as for] the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for 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 Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.
Anyone who makes incense like this for themselves to enjoy will be expelled from their people.”
