Exodus 30-32
New Living Translation
Plans for the Incense Altar
30 “Then make another altar of acacia wood for burning incense. 2 Make it 18 inches square and 36 inches high,[a] 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,[b] in front of the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that covers the tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant.[c] 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 purify[d] 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,[e] 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,[f] 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.[g] 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—12 1⁄2 pounds of pure myrrh, 6 1⁄4 pounds of fragrant cinnamon, 6 1⁄4 pounds of fragrant calamus,[h] 24 and 12 1⁄2 pounds of cassia[i]—as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. Also get one gallon of olive oil.[j] 25 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,[k] 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.”
Craftsmen: Bezalel and Oholiab
31 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. 4 He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. 5 He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft!
6 “And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make:
7 the Tabernacle;[l]
the Ark of the Covenant;[m]
the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement;
all the furnishings of the Tabernacle;
8 the table and its utensils;
the pure gold lampstand with all its accessories;
the incense altar;
9 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils;
the washbasin with its stand;
10 the beautifully stitched garments—the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests;
11 the anointing oil;
the fragrant incense for the Holy Place.
The craftsmen must make everything as I have commanded you.”
Instructions for the Sabbath
12 The Lord then gave these instructions to Moses: 13 “Tell the people of Israel: ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy. 14 You must keep the Sabbath day, for it is a holy day for you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community. 15 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the Lord. Anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death. 16 The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath day by observing it from generation to generation. This is a covenant obligation for all time. 17 It is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed.’”
18 When the Lord finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant,[n] written by the finger of God.
The Gold Calf
32 When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.”
2 So Aaron said, “Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”
3 All the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!”
5 Aaron saw how excited the people were, so he built an altar in front of the calf. Then he announced, “Tomorrow will be a festival to the Lord!”
6 The people got up early the next morning to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, they celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.
7 The Lord told Moses, “Quick! Go down the mountain! Your people whom you brought from the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. 8 How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live! They have melted down gold and made a calf, and they have bowed down and sacrificed to it. They are saying, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”
9 Then the Lord said, “I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. 10 Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation.”
11 But Moses tried to pacify the Lord his God. “O Lord!” he said. “Why are you so angry with your own people whom you brought from the land of Egypt with such great power and such a strong hand? 12 Why let the Egyptians say, ‘Their God rescued them with the evil intention of slaughtering them in the mountains and wiping them from the face of the earth’? Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people! 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.[o] You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.’”
14 So the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people.
15 Then Moses turned and went down the mountain. He held in his hands the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant.[p] They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. 16 These tablets were God’s work; the words on them were written by God himself.
17 When Joshua heard the boisterous noise of the people shouting below them, he exclaimed to Moses, “It sounds like war in the camp!”
18 But Moses replied, “No, it’s not a shout of victory nor the wailing of defeat. I hear the sound of a celebration.”
19 When they came near the camp, Moses saw the calf and the dancing, and he burned with anger. He threw the stone tablets to the ground, smashing them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf they had made and burned it. Then he ground it into powder, threw it into the water, and forced the people to drink it.
21 Finally, he turned to Aaron and demanded, “What did these people do to you to make you bring such terrible sin upon them?”
22 “Don’t get so upset, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know how evil these people are. 23 They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.’ 24 So I told them, ‘Whoever has gold jewelry, take it off.’ When they brought it to me, I simply threw it into the fire—and out came this calf!”
25 Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get completely out of control, much to the amusement of their enemies.[q] 26 So he stood at the entrance to the camp and shouted, “All of you who are on the Lord’s side, come here and join me.” And all the Levites gathered around him.
27 Moses told them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Each of you, take your swords and go back and forth from one end of the camp to the other. Kill everyone—even your brothers, friends, and neighbors.” 28 The Levites obeyed Moses’ command, and about 3,000 people died that day.
29 Then Moses told the Levites, “Today you have ordained yourselves[r] for the service of the Lord, for you obeyed him even though it meant killing your own sons and brothers. Today you have earned a blessing.”
Moses Intercedes for Israel
30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a terrible sin, but I will go back up to the Lord on the mountain. Perhaps I will be able to obtain forgiveness[s] for your sin.”
31 So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a terrible sin these people have committed. They have made gods of gold for themselves. 32 But now, if you will only forgive their sin—but if not, erase my name from the record you have written!”
33 But the Lord replied to Moses, “No, I will erase the name of everyone who has sinned against me. 34 Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about. Look! My angel will lead the way before you. And when I come to call the people to account, I will certainly hold them responsible for their sins.”
35 Then the Lord sent a great plague upon the people because they had worshiped the calf Aaron had made.
Footnotes
- 30:2 Hebrew 1 cubit [46 centimeters] long and 1 cubit wide, a square, and 2 cubits [92 centimeters] high.
- 30:6a Or Ark of the Testimony; also in 30:26.
- 30:6b Hebrew that covers the Testimony; see note on 25:16.
- 30:10 Or make atonement for; also in 30:10b.
- 30:13 Or 0.2 ounces [6 grams].
- 30:15 Or to make atonement for your lives; similarly in 30:16.
- 30:16 Hebrew Tent of Meeting; also in 30:18, 20, 26, 36.
- 30:23 Hebrew 500 [shekels] [5.7 kilograms] of pure myrrh, 250 [shekels] [2.9 kilograms] of fragrant cinnamon, 250 [shekels] of fragrant calamus.
- 30:24a Hebrew 500 [shekels] [5.7 kilograms] of cassia.
- 30:24b Hebrew 1 hin [3.8 liters] of olive oil.
- 30:36 Hebrew in front of the Testimony; see note on 25:16.
- 31:7a Hebrew the Tent of Meeting.
- 31:7b Hebrew the Ark of the Testimony.
- 31:18 Hebrew the two tablets of the Testimony; see note on 25:16.
- 32:13 Hebrew Israel. The names “Jacob” and “Israel” are often interchanged throughout the Old Testament, referring sometimes to the individual patriarch and sometimes to the nation.
- 32:15 Hebrew the two tablets of the Testimony; see note on 25:16.
- 32:25 Or out of control, and they mocked anyone who opposed them. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
- 32:29 As in Greek and Latin versions; Hebrew reads Today ordain yourselves.
- 32:30 Or to make atonement.
Exodus 30-32
New American Standard Bible
The Altar of Incense
30 “Now you shall make (A)an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. 2 Its length shall be [a]a cubit, and its width a cubit; it shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits; its horns shall be [b]of one piece with it. 3 You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its [c]sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around for it. 4 You shall also make two gold rings for it under its molding; you shall make them on its two sides—on [d]opposite sides—and [e]they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. 5 And you shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 6 You shall put [f]this altar in front of the veil that is [g]near the ark of the testimony, in front of the [h](B)atoning cover that is over the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you. 7 Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps. 8 And when Aaron sets up the lamps at [i]twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. 9 You shall not offer any [j]strange incense on [k]this altar, or burnt offering, or meal offering; and you shall not pour out a drink offering on it. 10 However, Aaron shall (C)make atonement on its horns once a year; he shall make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.”
11 The Lord also spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “When you take (D)a [l]census of the sons of Israel [m]to count them, then each one of them shall give (E)a ransom for [n]himself to the Lord, when you [o]count them, so that there will be no plague among them when you [p]count them. 13 This is what everyone who [q]is counted shall give: half a [r]shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary ((F)the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as a [s]contribution to the Lord. 14 Everyone who [t]is counted, from twenty years old and over, shall give the [u]contribution to the Lord. 15 The rich shall not pay more, and the poor shall not pay less, than the half shekel, when you give the [v]contribution to the Lord to make atonement for [w]yourselves. 16 And you shall take the atonement money from the sons of Israel and give it for the service of the tent of meeting, so that it may be a memorial for the sons of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for [x]yourselves.”
17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “You shall also make (G)a basin of [y]bronze, with its base of bronze, for washing; and you shall (H)put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it. 19 Aaron and his sons shall (I)wash their hands and their feet from it; 20 when they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, so that they do not die; or when they approach the altar to minister, by offering up in smoke a fire sacrifice to the Lord. 21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they do not die; and (J)it shall be a permanent statute for them, for [z]Aaron and his [aa]descendants throughout their generations.”
The Anointing Oil
22 Moreover, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Take also for yourself the finest of spices: of liquid myrrh [ab]five hundred shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, 250, and of fragrant cane 250, 24 and of cassia 500, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a [ac]hin. 25 You shall make [ad]from these a holy anointing oil, a fragrant mixture of ointments, the work of a perfumer; it shall be (K)a holy anointing oil. 26 And (L)you shall anoint the tent of meeting with it, and the ark of the testimony, 27 and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, 28 and the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin and its stand. 29 You shall also consecrate them, so that they may be most holy; whatever touches them shall be holy. 30 And (M)you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, so that they may serve as priests to Me. 31 Furthermore, you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. 32 It shall not be poured on [ae]anyone’s body, nor shall you make any like it in [af]the same proportions; (N)it is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33 (O)Whoever mixes any like it or whoever puts any of it on a [ag]layman [ah](P)shall be cut off from his people.’”
The Incense
34 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take for yourself spices—stacte, onycha, and galbanum, spices and pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each. 35 You shall make incense from it all, a skillful mixture, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. 36 And you shall crush some of it very fine, and put part of it in front of the testimony in the tent of meeting (Q)where I will meet with you; it shall be most holy to you. 37 And the incense which you shall make, (R)you shall not make in [ai]the same proportions for yourselves; it shall be holy to you for the Lord. 38 (S)Whoever makes any like it, to [aj]use as perfume, [ak]shall be cut off from his people.”
The Skilled Craftsmen
31 (T)Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel, the (U)son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 And I have (V)filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of [al]craftsmanship, 4 to create [am]artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in [an]bronze, 5 and in the cutting of stones [ao]for settings, and in the carving of wood, so that he may work in all kinds of [ap]craftsmanship. 6 And behold, I Myself have [aq]appointed with him (W)Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all who are [ar]skillful I have put [as]skill, so that they may make everything that I have commanded you: 7 (X)the tent of meeting, (Y)the ark of testimony, (Z)the [at]atoning cover that is on it, and all the furniture of the tent, 8 (AA)the table and its [au]utensils, the (AB)pure gold lampstand with all its [av]utensils, and (AC)the altar of incense, 9 (AD)the altar of burnt offering with all its [aw]utensils, and (AE)the basin and its stand, 10 the [ax](AF)woven garments as well: the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, with which to [ay]carry out their priesthood; 11 (AG)the anointing oil also, and the (AH)fragrant incense for the Holy Place, they are to make them according to everything that I have commanded you.”
The Sign of the Sabbath
12 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 13 “Now as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘(AI)You must keep My Sabbaths; for this is (AJ)a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, so that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. 14 Therefore you are to keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. (AK)Everyone who profanes it must be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. 15 (AL)For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a (AM)Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord; (AN)whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. 16 So the sons of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to [az]celebrate the Sabbath throughout their generations as a permanent covenant.’ 17 (AO)It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; (AP)for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed.”
18 When He had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses (AQ)the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, (AR)written by the finger of God.
The Golden Calf
32 Now when the people saw that Moses (AS)delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled around Aaron and said to him, “Come, (AT)make us [ba]a god who will go before us; for (AU)this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt—we do not know what happened to him.” 2 Aaron said to them, “(AV)Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 Then he took the gold from their [bb]hands, and fashioned it with an engraving tool and made it into a (AW)cast metal calf; and they said, “[bc]This is your god, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” 5 Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” 6 So the next day they got up early and (AX)offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and (AY)the people sat down to eat and to drink, and got up (AZ)to engage in lewd behavior.
7 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go [bd]down at once, for your people, whom (BA)you brought up from the land of Egypt, have (BB)behaved corruptly. 8 They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. (BC)They have made for themselves a cast metal calf, and have worshiped it and (BD)have sacrificed to it and said, ‘[be](BE)This is your god, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’” 9 (BF)Then the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are [bf](BG)an obstinate people. 10 So now (BH)leave Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and (BI)I will make of you a great nation.”
Moses’ Plea
11 Then (BJ)Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said, “Lord, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should (BK)the Egyptians talk, saying, ‘With evil motives He brought them out, to kill them on the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and relent of doing harm to Your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You (BL)swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will (BM)multiply your [bg]descendants as the stars of the heavens, and (BN)all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your [bh]descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 (BO)So the Lord relented of the harm which He said He would do to His people.
15 (BP)Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, (BQ)tablets which were written on both [bi]sides; they were written on one side and the other. 16 The tablets were God’s work, and the writing was God’s writing engraved on the tablets. 17 Now when Joshua heard the sound of the people [bj]as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a sound of war in the camp.” 18 But he said,
“It is not the sound of the cry of victory,
Nor is it the sound of the cry of defeat;
But I hear the sound of singing.”
Moses’ Anger
19 And it came about, as soon as [bk]Moses approached the camp, that (BR)he saw the calf and the people dancing; and Moses’ anger burned, and (BS)he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them to pieces [bl]at the foot of the mountain. 20 Then (BT)he took the calf which they had made and completely burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it.
21 Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” 22 And Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, (BU)that they are [bm]prone to evil. 23 For (BV)they said to me, ‘Make [bn]a god for us who will go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt—we do not know what happened to him.’ 24 So I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.’ Then they gave it to me, and (BW)I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”
25 Now when Moses saw that the people were [bo]out of control—for Aaron had (BX)let them [bp]get out of control to the point of being an object of ridicule among [bq]their enemies— 26 Moses then stood at the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. 27 And he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Every man of you put his sword on his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his [br]neighbor.’” 28 So (BY)the sons of Levi did [bs]as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day. 29 Then Moses said, “[bt]Dedicate yourselves today to the Lord—for every man has been against his son and against his brother—in order that He may bestow a blessing upon you today.”
30 And on the next day Moses said to the people, “(BZ)You yourselves have [bu]committed a great sin; and now I am going up to the Lord; perhaps I can (CA)make atonement for your sin.” 31 Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, this people has [bv]committed a great sin, and they have made a (CB)god of gold for themselves! 32 But now, if You will forgive their sin, very well; but if not, please wipe me out from Your (CC)book which You have written!” 33 However, the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, (CD)I will wipe him out of My book. 34 But go now, lead the people (CE)where I told you. Behold, (CF)My angel shall go before you; nevertheless (CG)on the day when I [bw]punish, (CH)I will [bx]punish them for their sin.” 35 (CI)Then the Lord struck the people with a plague, because of (CJ)what they did with the calf which Aaron had made.
Footnotes
- Exodus 30:2 About 1.5 ft. long and wide and 3 ft. high or 45 cm and 90 cm
- Exodus 30:2 Lit from itself
- Exodus 30:3 Lit walls
- Exodus 30:4 Lit its two
- Exodus 30:4 Lit it
- Exodus 30:6 Lit it
- Exodus 30:6 Lit upon; or over
- Exodus 30:6 Also called mercy seat; i.e., where blood was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement
- Exodus 30:8 Lit between the two evenings
- Exodus 30:9 I.e., prohibited
- Exodus 30:9 Lit it
- Exodus 30:12 Lit sum
- Exodus 30:12 Lit for their being mustered
- Exodus 30:12 Lit his soul
- Exodus 30:12 Lit muster
- Exodus 30:12 Lit muster
- Exodus 30:13 Lit passes over to those who are mustered
- Exodus 30:13 A shekel was about 0.5 oz. or 14 gm
- Exodus 30:13 Or uplifted offering
- Exodus 30:14 See note 1 v 13
- Exodus 30:14 Or uplifted offering of the Lord
- Exodus 30:15 Or uplifted offering of the Lord
- Exodus 30:15 Lit your souls
- Exodus 30:16 Lit your souls
- Exodus 30:18 Or copper
- Exodus 30:21 Lit him
- Exodus 30:21 Lit seed
- Exodus 30:23 About 15.5 and 7.75 lb. or 7 and 3.5 kg
- Exodus 30:24 About 1 gallon or 3.8 liters
- Exodus 30:25 Lit it
- Exodus 30:32 Lit the flesh of mankind
- Exodus 30:32 Lit its proportion
- Exodus 30:33 Lit stranger
- Exodus 30:33 Lit even he shall
- Exodus 30:37 Lit its proportion
- Exodus 30:38 Lit smell of it
- Exodus 30:38 Lit even he shall
- Exodus 31:3 Or workmanship
- Exodus 31:4 Lit devices
- Exodus 31:4 Or copper
- Exodus 31:5 Lit to fill in (for a setting)
- Exodus 31:5 Or workmanship
- Exodus 31:6 Lit given
- Exodus 31:6 Lit wise of heart
- Exodus 31:6 Lit wisdom
- Exodus 31:7 Also called mercy seat; i.e., where blood was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement
- Exodus 31:8 Or vessels
- Exodus 31:8 Or vessels
- Exodus 31:9 Or vessels
- Exodus 31:10 Or service garments
- Exodus 31:10 Lit minister as priests
- Exodus 31:16 Lit perform
- Exodus 32:1 Or gods
- Exodus 32:4 Lit hand
- Exodus 32:4 Or These are your gods
- Exodus 32:7 Lit go down
- Exodus 32:8 Or These are your gods
- Exodus 32:9 Or a stiff-necked
- Exodus 32:13 Lit seed
- Exodus 32:13 Lit seed
- Exodus 32:15 Lit their sides
- Exodus 32:17 Lit in its shouting
- Exodus 32:19 Lit he
- Exodus 32:19 Lit beneath
- Exodus 32:22 Lit in evil
- Exodus 32:23 Or gods
- Exodus 32:25 Lit let loose
- Exodus 32:25 Lit go loose
- Exodus 32:25 Lit those who rise against them
- Exodus 32:27 Or kin
- Exodus 32:28 Lit according to Moses’ word
- Exodus 32:29 Lit Fill your hand
- Exodus 32:30 Lit sinned
- Exodus 32:31 Lit sinned
- Exodus 32:34 Lit visit
- Exodus 32:34 Lit visit their sin upon them
Acts 8
New Living Translation
8 Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen.
Persecution Scatters the Believers
A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. 2 (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.) 3 But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.
Philip Preaches in Samaria
4 But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. 5 Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. 6 Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. 7 Many evil[a] spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.
9 A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great. 10 Everyone, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as “the Great One—the Power of God.” 11 They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic.
12 But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. 13 Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. 15 As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. 16 The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. 19 “Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!”
20 But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought! 21 You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God. 22 Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, 23 for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.”
24 “Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things you’ve said won’t happen to me!”
25 After testifying and preaching the word of the Lord in Samaria, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem. And they stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News.
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
26 As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south[b] down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
29 The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”
30 Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31 The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.
32 The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this:
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter.
And as a lamb is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
33 He was humiliated and received no justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”[c]
34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” 35 So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.
36 As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?”[d] 38 He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea.
Footnotes
- 8:7 Greek unclean.
- 8:26 Or Go at noon.
- 8:32-33 Isa 53:7-8 (Greek version).
- 8:36 Some manuscripts add verse 37, “You can,” Philip answered, “if you believe with all your heart.” And the eunuch replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
Acts 8
New American Standard Bible
Saul Persecutes the Church
8 (A)Now Saul approved of putting [a]Stephen to death.
And on that day a great persecution [b]began against (B)the church in Jerusalem, and they were all (C)scattered throughout the regions of Judea and (D)Samaria, except for the apostles. 2 Some devout men buried Stephen, and mourned loudly for him. 3 But (E)Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house; and he would (F)drag away men and women and put them in prison.
Philip in Samaria
4 Therefore, those (G)who had been scattered went through places [c](H)preaching the word. 5 (I)Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming the [d]Christ to them. 6 The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what was being said by Philip, as they heard and saw the [e]signs which he was performing. 7 For in the case of many who had (J)unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been (K)paralyzed or limped on crutches were healed. 8 So there was (L)much rejoicing in that city.
9 Now a man named Simon had previously been practicing (M)magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, (N)claiming to be someone great; 10 and all the people, from small to great, were paying attention to him, saying, “(O)This man is the Power of God that is called Great.” 11 And they were paying attention to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his (P)magic arts. 12 But when they believed Philip (Q)as he was preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were being (R)baptized. 13 Now even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed (S)signs and (T)great miracles taking place, he was repeatedly amazed.
14 Now when (U)the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them (V)Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them (W)that they would receive the Holy Spirit. 16 (For He had (X)not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been (Y)baptized [f]in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then they (Z)began laying their hands on them, and they were (AA)receiving the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could (AB)acquire the gift of God with money! 21 You have (AC)no part or share in this [g]matter, for your heart is not (AD)right before God. 22 Therefore, repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, (AE)if possible, the intention of your heart will be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are [h]in the gall of bitterness and in (AF)the [i]bondage of unrighteousness.” 24 But Simon answered and said, “(AG)Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
An Ethiopian Receives Christ
25 So, when they had solemnly (AH)testified and spoken (AI)the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were (AJ)preaching the gospel to many villages of the (AK)Samaritans.
26 But (AL)an angel of the Lord spoke to (AM)Philip, saying, “Get ready and go [j]south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to (AN)Gaza.” ([k]This is a desert road.) 27 So he got ready and went; and [l](AO)there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of [m]Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he (AP)had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was returning and sitting in his [n]chariot, and was reading Isaiah the prophet. 29 Then (AQ)the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this [o]chariot.” 30 Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:
“(AR)He was led like a sheep to slaughter;
And like a lamb that is silent before its shearer,
So He does not open His mouth.
33 (AS)In humiliation His justice was taken away;
Who will [p]describe His [q]generation?
For His life is taken away from the earth.”
34 The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself, or of someone else?” 35 Then Philip (AT)opened his mouth, and (AU)beginning from this Scripture he (AV)preached Jesus to him. 36 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch *said, “Look! Water! (AW)What prevents me from being baptized?”[r] 38 And he ordered that the [s]chariot stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, (AX)the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, [t]but went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip [u]found himself at [v](AY)Azotus, and as he passed through he (AZ)kept preaching the gospel to all the cities, until he came to (BA)Caesarea.
Footnotes
- Acts 8:1 Lit him
- Acts 8:1 Lit occurred
- Acts 8:4 Or bringing the good news of
- Acts 8:5 I.e., Messiah
- Acts 8:6 I.e., confirming miracles
- Acts 8:16 Lit into
- Acts 8:21 Or teaching; lit word
- Acts 8:23 Or doomed to the
- Acts 8:23 Lit bond
- Acts 8:26 Or at about noon to
- Acts 8:26 Or This city is deserted
- Acts 8:27 Lit behold, an Ethiopian
- Acts 8:27 Possibly an Ethiopian title: the Candace
- Acts 8:28 Or carriage
- Acts 8:29 Or carriage
- Acts 8:33 Or relate
- Acts 8:33 Or family history
- Acts 8:36 Late mss add as v 37: And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
- Acts 8:38 Or carriage
- Acts 8:39 Lit for he was going
- Acts 8:40 Or was found
- Acts 8:40 OT: Ashdod
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
