The Altar for Burning Incense

30 “Make an altar out of acacia wood for burning incense. ² Make it square—·eighteen inches [^La cubit] long and ·eighteen inches [^La cubit] wide—and make it ·thirty-six inches [^Ltwo cubits] high. The ·corners that stick out like horns [^Lhorns; 27:2] must be one piece with the altar. ³ ·Cover [^LOverlay] its top, its sides, and its ·corners [^Lhorns] with pure gold, and put a gold ·strip [molding] all around the altar. ⁴ Make two gold rings beneath the gold ·strip [molding] on opposite sides of the altar, and slide poles through them to carry the altar. ⁵ Make the poles from acacia wood and ·cover [overlay] them with gold. ⁶ Put the altar of incense in front of the curtain that is ·near [or above] the Ark of the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty; ^LTestimony; 25:10], in front of the ·lid that covers that Ark [mercy seat; atonement cover; 25:17–22]. There I will meet with you.

⁷ “Aaron must burn sweet-smelling incense on the altar every morning when he comes to ·take care of [trim; dress; put in good order] the oil lamps. ⁸ He must burn incense again ·in the evening [at twilight] when he lights the lamps, so incense will burn before the Lord ·every day [regularly; continually] ·from now on [^Lthroughout your generations]. ⁹ Do not use this altar for offering ·any other [^Lstrange; profane] incense [Lev. 10:1–7], or burnt offering [Lev. 1], or any kind of ·grain [or gift; tribute] offering [Lev. 3], or drink offering. ¹⁰ Once a year Aaron must make ·the altar ready for service to God by putting blood on its corners [atonement on its corners/horns]—the blood of the animal ·offered to remove sins [as an atoning sin offering]. He is to do this once a year ·from now on [^Lthroughout your generations]. ·This altar belongs completely to the Lord’s service [^LIt is most holy/^Tthe holy of holies to the Lord].”

The Tax for the Meeting Tent

¹¹ The Lord said to Moses, ¹² “When you ·count [register] the ·people [^Lsons; children] of Israel, every person must ·buy back [ransom; atone for] his life from the Lord so that no ·terrible things [disaster; plague] will happen to the people when you ·number [register] them. ¹³ Every person who is ·counted [registered] must pay ·one-fifth of an ounce of silver [^Lhalf a shekel]. (·This is set by using one-half of the Holy Place measure, which weighs two-fifths of an ounce [^L…according to the shekel of the Holy Place which is twenty gerahs].) This amount is a ·gift [contribution] to the Lord. ¹⁴ Every person who is ·counted [registered] and is twenty years old or older must give this ·amount [gift; contribution] to the Lord. ¹⁵ A rich person must not give more than ·one-fifth of an ounce [^La half shekel], and a poor person must not give less. You are ·paying this to the Lord to buy back your lives [giving a gift/contribution to the Lord as a ransom/atonement for your life]. ¹⁶ ·Gather [Take] from the ·people [^Lsons; children] of Israel this ·money [silver] paid to ·buy back their lives [^Latone; ransom], and ·spend [give] it on things for the ·service [work] in the Meeting Tent. This payment will remind the Lord that the ·Israelites’ [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel’s] lives have been ·bought back [ransomed; atoned].”

The Bronze Bowl

¹⁷ The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁸ “Make a bronze bowl, on a bronze stand, for washing. Put the bowl and stand between the Meeting Tent and the altar, and put water ·in the bowl [^Lthere]. ¹⁹ Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet with the water from this bowl. ²⁰ Each time they enter the Meeting Tent they must wash with water so they will not die. Whenever they approach the altar to ·serve as priests [minister] and offer a sacrifice to the Lord by fire, ²¹ they must wash their hands and their feet so they will not die. This is a ·rule [statute; ordinance; requirement] for Aaron and his ·descendants [^Lseed] ·from now on [^Lthroughout their generations].”

Oil for Appointing

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, ²³ “Take the finest spices: ·twelve pounds [^Lfive hundred (shekels)] of liquid myrrh, half that amount (that is, ·six pounds [^Ltwo hundred and fifty]) of sweet-smelling cinnamon, ·six pounds [^Ltwo hundred and fifty] of sweet-smelling cane, ²⁴ and ·twelve pounds [^Lfive hundred] of cassia. Weigh all these by the Holy Place ·measure [^Lshekel]. Also take ·four quarts [^La hin] of olive oil, ²⁵ and ·mix [blend; ^Lmake] all these things like a perfume to make a holy olive oil. ·This special oil must be put on people and things to make them ready for service to God [^LIt is a holy anointing oil]. ²⁶ ·Put this oil on [^LAnoint] the Meeting Tent and the Ark of the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty; ^LTestimony], ²⁷ on the table and all its dishes, on the lampstand [25:31–40] and all its tools, and on the incense altar [30:1–6]. ²⁸ Also, ·put the oil on [anoint] the altar for burnt offerings [27:1–8] and on all its tools, as well as on the bowl [30:17–21] and the stand under the bowl. ²⁹ You will ·prepare all these things for service to God [consecrate/sanctify them], and they will be very holy. Anything that touches these things must be holy.

³⁰ “·Put the oil on [Anoint] Aaron and his sons to ·give them for service to me [consecrate; sanctify them], that they may serve me as priests. ³¹ Tell the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel], ‘This is to be my holy olive oil ·from now on [^Lthroughout your generations]. It is ·to be put on people and things to make them ready for service to God [^Lfor anointing]. ³² Do not pour it on the bodies of ordinary people, and do not make perfume the same way you make this oil. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy. ³³ If anyone makes perfume like it or puts it on someone who is ·not a priest [not qualified; ^Lstrange], that person must be cut off from his people.’”

Incense

³⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take these sweet-smelling spices: resin, onycha, galbanum [^Csome identifications are uncertain], and pure frankincense. Be sure that you have equal amounts of each. ³⁵ Make incense as a person who makes perfume would do. Add salt to it to keep it pure and holy. ³⁶ Beat some of the incense into a fine powder, and put it in front of the ·Ark of the Agreement [Covenant; Testimony; Treaty] in the Meeting Tent, where I will meet with you. ·You must use this incense powder only for its very special purpose [^LIt will be most holy to you]. ³⁷ Do not make incense for yourselves the same way you make this incense. Treat it as holy to the Lord. ³⁸ Whoever makes incense like this to use as perfume must be cut off from his people.”