Exodus 30:11-31:17

Complete Jewish Bible

Parashah 21: Ki Tissa (When you take) 30:11–34:35

¹¹ Adonai said to Moshe, ¹² “When you take a census of the people of Isra’el and register them, each, upon registration, is to pay a ransom for his life to Adonai, to avoid any breakout of plague among them during the time of the census. ¹³ Everyone subject to the census is to pay as an offering to Adonai half a shekel [one-fifth of an ounce of silver]— by the standard of the sanctuary shekel (a shekel equals twenty gerahs). ¹⁴ Everyone over twenty years of age who is subject to the census is to give this offering to Adonai — ¹⁵ the rich is not to give more or the poor less than the half-shekel when giving Adonai’s offering to atone for your lives. ¹⁶ You are to take the atonement money from the people of Isra’el and use it for the service in the tent of meeting, so that it will be a reminder of the people of Isra’el before Adonai to atone for your lives.”

¹⁷ Adonai said to Moshe, ¹⁸ “You are to make a basin of bronze, with a base of bronze, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. ¹⁹ Aharon and his sons will wash their hands and feet there ²⁰ when they enter the tent of meeting — they are to wash with water, so that they won’t die. Also when they approach the altar to minister by burning an offering for Adonai, ²¹ they are to wash their hands and feet, so that they won’t die. This is to be a perpetual law for them through all their generations.”

²² Adonai said to Moshe, ²³ “Take the best spices — 500 shekels of myrrh [12 1/2 pounds], half this amount (250 shekels) of aromatic cinnamon [6 1/4 pounds], 250 shekels of aromatic cane, ²⁴ 500 shekels of cassia (use the sanctuary standard), and one gallon of olive oil — ²⁵ and make them into a holy anointing oil; blend it and perfume it as would an expert perfume-maker; it will be a holy anointing oil. ²⁶ Use it to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark for the testimony, ²⁷ the table and all its utensils, the menorah and all its utensils, the incense altar, ²⁸ the altar for burnt offerings and all its utensils, and the basin with its base. ²⁹ You are to consecrate them — they will be especially holy, and whatever touches them will be holy. ³⁰ Then you are to anoint Aharon and his sons — you are to consecrate them to serve me in the office of cohen.

³¹ “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘This is to be a holy anointing oil for me through all your generations. ³² It is not to be used for anointing a person’s body; and you are not to make any like it, with the same composition of ingredients — it is holy, and you are to treat it as holy. ³³ Whoever makes any like it or uses it on any unauthorized person is to be cut off from his people.’”

³⁴ Adonai said to Moshe, “Take aromatic plant substances — balsam resin, sweet onycha root and bitter galbanum gum — these spices along with frankincense, all in equal quantities; ³⁵ and make incense, blended and perfumed as would an expert perfume-maker, salted, pure and holy. ³⁶ You are to grind up some of it very finely and put it in front of the testimony in the tent of meeting where I will meet with you; you are to regard it as especially holy. ³⁷ You are not to make for your own use any incense like it, with the same composition of ingredients — you are to treat it as holy, for Adonai. ³⁸ Whoever makes up any like it to use as perfume is to be cut off from his people.”

31 Adonai said to Moshe, ² “I have singled out B’tzal’el the son of Uri the son of Hur, of the tribe of Y’hudah. ³ I have filled him with the Spirit of God — with wisdom, understanding and knowledge concerning every kind of artisanry. ⁴ He is a master of design in gold, silver, bronze, ⁵ cutting precious stones to be set, woodcarving and every other craft.

⁶ “I have also appointed as his assistant Oholi’av the son of Achisamakh, of the tribe of Dan. Moreover, I have endowed all the craftsmen with the wisdom to make everything I have ordered you — ⁷ the tent of meeting, the ark for the testimony, the ark-cover above it, all the furnishings of the tent, ⁸ the table and its utensils, the pure menorah and all its utensils, the incense altar, ⁹ the altar for burnt offerings and all its utensils, the basin and its base, ¹⁰ the garments for officiating, the holy garments for Aharon the cohen and the garments for his sons, so that they can serve in the office of cohen, ¹¹ the anointing oil and the incense of aromatic spices for the Holy Place: they are to make everything just as I have ordered you.”

¹² Adonai said to Moshe, ¹³ “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘You are to observe my Shabbats; for this is a sign between me and you through all your generations; so that you will know that I am Adonai, who sets you apart for me. ¹⁴ Therefore you are to keep my Shabbat, because it is set apart for you. Everyone who treats it as ordinary must be put to death; for whoever does any work on it is to be cut off from his people. ¹⁵ On six days work will get done; but the seventh day is Shabbat, for complete rest, set apart for Adonai. Whoever does any work on the day of Shabbat must be put to death. ¹⁶ The people of Isra’el are to keep the Shabbat, to observe Shabbat through all their generations as a perpetual covenant. ¹⁷ It is a sign between me and the people of Isra’el forever; for in six days Adonai made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and rested.’”