Font Size
Exodus 30:11-38
English Standard Version
Exodus 30:11-38
English Standard Version
The Census Tax
11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 (A)“When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give (B)a ransom for his life to the Lord when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them. 13 Each one who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel[a] according to the (C)shekel of the sanctuary (the (D)shekel is twenty gerahs),[b] (E)half a shekel as an offering to the Lord. 14 Everyone who is numbered in the census, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the Lord's offering. 15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than (F)the half shekel, when you give the Lord's offering to make atonement for your lives. 16 You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall (G)give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may bring the people of Israel to (H)remembrance before the Lord, so as to make atonement for your lives.”
The Bronze Basin
17 The Lord said to Moses, 18 “You shall also make a (I)basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. (J)You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it, 19 with which Aaron and his sons (K)shall wash their hands and their feet. 20 When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering[c] to the Lord, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die. 21 They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they may not die. It shall (L)be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his offspring throughout their generations.”
The Anointing Oil and Incense
22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Take the (M)finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, 250, and 250 of (N)aromatic cane, 24 and 500 of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a (O)hin[d] of olive oil. 25 And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the (P)perfumer; it shall be a (Q)holy anointing oil. 26 (R)With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting 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 with all its utensils and the (S)basin and its stand. 29 You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. (T)Whatever touches them will become holy. 30 (U)You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 31 And you shall say to the people of Israel, ‘This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. 32 It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you shall make no other like it in composition. (V)It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33 (W)Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’”
34 The Lord said to Moses, (X)“Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part), 35 and make an (Y)incense blended as by the (Z)perfumer, (AA)seasoned with salt, pure and holy. 36 You shall beat some of it very small, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting (AB)where I shall meet with you. (AC)It shall be most holy for you. 37 And the incense that you shall make (AD)according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the Lord. 38 (AE)Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from his people.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Exodus 30:13 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
- Exodus 30:13 A gerah was about 1/50 ounce or 0.6 gram
- Exodus 30:20 Or an offering by fire
- Exodus 30:24 A hin was about 4 quarts or 3.5 liters
Exodus 30:11-38
New International Version
Exodus 30:11-38
New International Version
Atonement Money
11 Then the Lord said to Moses, 12 “When you take a census(A) of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom(B) for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague(C) will come on them when you number them. 13 Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel,[a] according to the sanctuary shekel,(D) which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord. 14 All who cross over, those twenty years old or more,(E) are to give an offering to the Lord. 15 The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less(F) when you make the offering to the Lord to atone for your lives. 16 Receive the atonement(G) money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting.(H) It will be a memorial(I) for the Israelites before the Lord, making atonement for your lives.”
Basin for Washing
17 Then the Lord said to Moses, 18 “Make a bronze basin,(J) with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 19 Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet(K) with water(L) from it. 20 Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die.(M) Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the Lord, 21 they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance(N) for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”(O)
Anointing Oil
22 Then the Lord said to Moses, 23 “Take the following fine spices:(P) 500 shekels[b] of liquid myrrh,(Q) half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon,(R) 250 shekels[c] of fragrant calamus,(S) 24 500 shekels(T) of cassia(U)—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin[d] of olive oil. 25 Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer.(V) It will be the sacred anointing oil.(W) 26 Then use it to anoint(X) the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law, 27 the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, 28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. 29 You shall consecrate them(Y) so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.(Z)
30 “Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate(AA) them so they may serve me as priests.(AB) 31 Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil(AC) for the generations to come.(AD) 32 Do not pour it on anyone else’s body and do not make any other oil using the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred.(AE) 33 Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off(AF) from their people.’”
Incense
34 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices(AG)—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, 35 and make a fragrant blend of incense,(AH) the work of a perfumer.(AI) It is to be salted and pure and sacred. 36 Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, where I will meet(AJ) with you. It shall be most holy(AK) to you. 37 Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy(AL) to the Lord. 38 Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off(AM) from their people.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 30:13 That is, about 1/5 ounce or about 5.8 grams; also in verse 15
- Exodus 30:23 That is, about 12 1/2 pounds or about 5.8 kilograms; also in verse 24
- Exodus 30:23 That is, about 6 1/4 pounds or about 2.9 kilograms
- Exodus 30:24 That is, probably about 1 gallon or about 3.8 liters
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.