Exodus 30

Chapter 30

Plans for the Incense Altar

1 “Then make another altar of acacia wood for burning incense.2 Make it 18 inches square and 36 inches high,t with horns at the corners carved from the same piece of wood as the altar itself.3 Overlay the top, sides, and horns of the altar with pure gold, and run a gold molding around the entire altar.4 Make two gold rings, and attach them on opposite sides of the altar below the gold molding to hold the carrying poles.5 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.

6 Place the incense altar just outside the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant,t in front of the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that covers the tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant.t I will meet with you there.
7 “Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar.8 And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn incense in the LORD’s presence. This must be done from generation to generation.

9 Do not offer any unholy incense on this altar, or any burnt offerings, grain offerings, or liquid offerings.

10 “Once a year Aaron must purifyt the altar by smearing its horns with blood from the offering made to purify the people from their sin. This will be a regular, annual event from generation to generation, for this is the LORD’s most holy altar.”

Money for the Tabernacle

11 Then the LORD said to Moses,12 “Whenever you take a census of the people of Israel, each man who is counted must pay a ransom for himself to the LORD. Then no plague will strike the people as you count them.13 Each person who is counted must give a small piece of silver as a sacred offering to the LORD. (This payment is half a shekel,t based on the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs.)14 All who have reached their twentieth birthday must give this sacred offering to the LORD.15 When this offering is given to the LORD to purify your lives, making you right with him,t the rich must not give more than the specified amount, and the poor must not give less.

16 Receive this ransom money from the Israelites, and use it for the care of the Tabernacle.t It will bring the Israelites to the LORD’s attention, and it will purify your lives.”

Plans for the Washbasin

17 Then the LORD said to Moses,18 “Make a bronze washbasin with a bronze stand. Place it between the Tabernacle and the altar, and fill it with water.19 Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet there.20 They must wash with water whenever they go into the Tabernacle to appear before the LORD and when they approach the altar to burn up their special gifts to the LORD—or they will die!

21 They must always wash their hands and feet, or they will die. This is a permanent law for Aaron and his descendants, to be observed from generation to generation.”

The Anointing Oil

22 Then the LORD said to Moses,23 “Collect choice spices—121/2 pounds of pure myrrh, 61/4 pounds of fragrant cinnamon, 61/4 pounds of fragrant calamus,t24 and 121/2 pounds of cassiat—as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. Also get one gallon of olive oil.t25 Like a skilled incense maker, blend these ingredients to make a holy anointing oil.26 Use this sacred oil to anoint the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant,27 the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and all its accessories, the incense altar,28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the washbasin with its stand.

29 Consecrate them to make them absolutely holy. After this, whatever touches them will also become holy.
30 “Anoint Aaron and his sons also, consecrating them to serve me as priests.31 And say to the people of Israel, ‘This holy anointing oil is reserved for me from generation to generation.32 It must never be used to anoint anyone else, and you must never make any blend like it for yourselves. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy.

33 Anyone who makes a blend like it or anoints someone other than a priest will be cut off from the community.’”

The Incense

34 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Gather fragrant spices—resin droplets, mollusk shell, and galbanum—and mix these fragrant spices with pure frankincense, weighed out in equal amounts.35 Using the usual techniques of the incense maker, blend the spices together and sprinkle them with salt to produce a pure and holy incense.36 Grind some of the mixture into a very fine powder and put it in front of the Ark of the Covenant,t where I will meet with you in the Tabernacle. You must treat this incense as most holy.37 Never use this formula to make this incense for yourselves. It is reserved for the LORD, and you must treat it as holy.

38 Anyone who makes incense like this for personal use will be cut off from the community.”

EXODUS 30

The Altar //for Burning Incense

(Exodus 37.25-28)

The [Lord] said to Moses:

1 Build an altar of acacia wood where you can burn incense. 2 Make it 45 centimeters square and 90 centimeters high, and make each of its four corners stick up like the horn of a bull. 3 Cover it with pure gold and put a gold edging around it. 4 Then below the edging on opposite sides attach two gold rings through which you can put the poles for carrying the altar.

5 These poles are also to be made of acacia wood covered with gold.
6 Put the altar in front of the inside curtain of the sacred tent. The chest with the place of mercyt is kept behind that curtain, and I will talk with you there. 7-8 From now on, when Aaron takes care of the lamps each morning and evening, he must burn sweet-smelling incense to me on the altar. 9 Burn only the proper incense on the altar and never use it for grain sacrifices or animal sacrifices or drink offerings.

10 t Once a year Aaron must purify the altar by smearing on its four cornerst the blood of an animal sacrificed for sin, and this practice must always be followed. The altar is sacred because it is dedicated to me.

The Money //for the Sacred Tent

11 The [Lord] said to Moses:
12 Find out how many grown men there are in Israel and require each of them to pay me to keep him safe from danger while you are counting them. 13-15 t Each man over 19, whether rich or poor, must pay me the same amount of money, weighed according to the official standards.

16 This money is to be used for the upkeep of the sacred tent, and because of it, I will never forget my people.

The Large Bronze Bowl

(Exodus 38.8)

17 The [Lord] said to Moses:

18-21  t Make a large bronze bowl and a bronze stand for it. Then put them between the altar for sacrifice and the sacred tent, so the priests can wash their hands and feet before entering the tent or offering a sacrifice on the altar. Each priest in every generation must wash himself in this way, or else he will die right there.

The Oil for Dedication //and Ordination

(Exodus 37.29)

22  t The [Lord] said to Moses:
23-25 Mix four liters of olive oil with the following costly spices: six kilograms of myrrh, three kilograms of cinnamon, three kilograms of cane, and six kilograms of cassia. Measure these according to the official standards. Then use this sacred mixture 26 for dedicating the tent and chest, 27 the table with its equipment, the lampstand with its equipment, the incense altar with all its utensils, 28 the altar for sacrifices, and the large bowl with its stand.

29 By dedicating them in this way, you will make them so holy that anyone who even touches them will become holy.
30 When you ordain Aaron and his sons as my priests, sprinkle them with some of this oil, 31 and say to the people of Israel: “This oil must always be used in the ordination service of a priest. It is holy because it is dedicated to the [Lord]. 32 So treat it as holy! Don't ever use it for everyday purposes or mix any for yourselves.

33 If you do, you will no longer belong to the [Lord]'s people.”

The Sweet-Smelling Incense