Exodus 30
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Incense Altar
30 “You are to make an altar for the burning of incense; make it of acacia wood.(A) 2 It must be square, 18 inches long and 18 inches wide;[a] it must be 36 inches high.[b] Its horns must be of one piece.[c] 3 Overlay its top, all around its sides, and its horns with pure gold; make a gold molding all around it. 4 Make two gold rings for it under the molding on two of its sides; put these on opposite sides of it to be holders for the poles to carry it with. 5 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
6 “You are to place the altar in front of the veil by the ark of the testimony—in front of the mercy seat that is over the testimony—where I will meet with you. 7 Aaron must burn fragrant incense on it; he must burn it every morning when he tends the lamps.(B) 8 When Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he must burn incense. There is to be an incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations. 9 You must not offer unauthorized incense on it,(C) or a burnt or grain offering; you are not to pour a drink offering on it.
10 “Once a year Aaron is to perform the purification rite[d] on the horns of the altar. Throughout your generations he is to perform the purification rite[e] for[f] it once a year, with the blood of the sin offering for atonement.(D) The altar is especially holy to the Lord.”
The Atonement Money
11 The Lord spoke to Moses: 12 “When you take a census(E) of the Israelites to register them, each of the men must pay a ransom(F) for himself to the Lord as they are registered. Then no plague(G) will come on them as they are registered. 13 Everyone who is registered must pay half a shekel[g] according to the sanctuary shekel (20 gerahs to the shekel). This half shekel is a contribution to the Lord.(H) 14 Each man who is registered, 20 years old or more, must give this contribution to the Lord. 15 The wealthy may not give more and the poor may not give less(I) than half a shekel when giving the contribution to the Lord to atone for[h] your lives. 16 Take the atonement money[i] from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will serve as a reminder for the Israelites before the Lord to atone for[j] your lives.”(J)
The Bronze Basin
17 The Lord spoke to Moses: 18 “Make a bronze basin(K) for washing and a bronze stand for it. Set it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 19 Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet from the basin. 20 Whenever they enter the tent of meeting or approach the altar to minister by burning up an offering to the Lord, they must wash with water so that they will not die. 21 They must wash their hands and feet so that they will not die; this is to be a permanent statute(L) for them, for Aaron and his descendants throughout their generations.”
The Anointing Oil
22 The Lord spoke to Moses: 23 “Take for yourself the finest spices:(M) 12½ pounds[k] of liquid myrrh, half as much (6¼ pounds[l]) of fragrant cinnamon, 6¼ pounds[m] of fragrant cane, 24 12½ pounds[n] of cassia (by the sanctuary shekel), and one gallon[o] of olive oil.(N) 25 Prepare from these a holy anointing oil, a scented blend, the work of a perfumer; it will be holy anointing oil.(O)
26 “With it you are to anoint(P) the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony, 27 the table with all its utensils, the lampstand with its utensils, the altar of incense, 28 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. 29 Consecrate them and they will be especially holy. Whatever touches them will be consecrated. 30 Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate(Q) them to serve Me as priests.
31 “Tell the Israelites: This will be My holy anointing oil throughout your generations. 32 It must not be used for ordinary anointing on a person’s body, and you must not make anything like it using its formula. It is holy, and it must be holy to you. 33 Anyone who blends something like it or puts some of it on an unauthorized person must be cut off(R) from his people.”
The Sacred Incense
34 The Lord said to Moses: “Take fragrant spices: stacte, onycha, and galbanum; the spices and pure frankincense are to be in equal measures. 35 Prepare expertly blended incense from these; it is to be seasoned with salt, pure and holy. 36 Grind some of it into a fine powder and put some in front of the testimony in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with you. It must be especially holy(S) to you. 37 As for the incense you are making, you must not make any for yourselves using its formula. It is to be regarded by you as sacred to the Lord. 38 Anyone who makes something like it to smell its fragrance must be cut off from his people.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 30:2 Lit one cubit its length and one cubit its width
- Exodus 30:2 Lit wide; and two cubits its height
- Exodus 30:2 Lit piece with it
- Exodus 30:10 Or to make atonement
- Exodus 30:10 Or to make atonement
- Exodus 30:10 Or on
- Exodus 30:13 About 2⁄5 of an ounce of silver
- Exodus 30:15 Or to ransom
- Exodus 30:16 Lit the silver of the atonement
- Exodus 30:16 Or to ransom
- Exodus 30:23 Lit 500 (shekels)
- Exodus 30:23 Lit 250 (shekels)
- Exodus 30:23 Lit 250 (shekels)
- Exodus 30:24 Lit 500 (shekels)
- Exodus 30:24 Lit a hin
Exodus 30
International Standard Version
The Altar of Incense
30 “You are to make an altar for burning incense. You are to make it of acacia wood. 2 It is to be a square, one cubit[a] long and one cubit[b] wide, and it is to be two cubits[c] high, with its horns of one piece with it. 3 You are to overlay it with pure gold, its top, its sides all around, and its horns, and you are to make a molding of gold all around it.
4 “You are to make two gold rings for it under its molding. You are to make them on its two opposite sides, and they are to be holders for poles by which to carry it. 5 You are to make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 6 You are to put the altar[d] in front of the curtain that is over the Ark of the Testimony, in front of the Mercy Seat[e] that is over the Testimony where I’ll meet with you. 7 Aaron is to offer fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he trims the lamps he is to offer it, 8 and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he is to offer it as a continual incense offering in the Lord’s presence throughout your generations. 9 You are not to offer strange incense, a burnt offering, or a grain offering on it, nor are you to pour out a libation on it. 10 Each year Aaron is to make atonement on its horns with the blood of the sin offering of atonement. He is to make atonement on it each year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.”
Offerings for the Tent
11 The Lord told Moses, 12 “When you take a census of the Israelis to register them, each is to give a ransom for himself[f] to the Lord when they’re registered so there won’t be a plague among them when they’re registered. 13 This is what everyone who is registered[g] is to give: half a shekel[h] according to the shekel[i] of the sanctuary (the shekel[j] weighs 20 gerahs), half a shekel[k] as a contribution to the Lord. 14 All who are registered, 20 years of age and older, are to give a contribution to the Lord. 15 The rich person is not to give more,[l] nor is the poor person to give less[m] than the half shekel,[n] when you give a contribution to the Lord to make atonement for yourselves.[o] 16 You are to take the atonement money from the Israelis and give it for the service of the Tent of Meeting, and it is to be a memorial for the Israelis in the Lord’s presence to make atonement for yourselves.”[p]
The Bronze Basin
17 The Lord told Moses, 18 “You are to make a bronze basin with a bronze base for washing. You are to pace it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, put water in it,[q] 19 and Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and their feet from it. 20 When they enter the Tent of Meeting or when they approach the altar to minister to make an offering by fire to the Lord, they are to wash with water so they don’t die. 21 They are to wash their hands and their feet so that they don’t die, and it is to be for them a perpetual ordinance for Aaron[r] and his seed from generation to generation.”
The Anointing Oil
22 The Lord told Moses, 23 “You are to take for yourself the finest spices: 500 shekels[s]by weight of liquid myrrh, half as much fragrant cinnamon (250 shekels), 250 shekels of fragrant reeds, 24 500 shekels of cassia—all according to the shekel of the sanctuary—and a hin[t] of olive oil. 25 You are to make them into a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture made by a perfumer. It is to be a holy anointing oil. 26 You are to use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the Ark of the Testimony, 27 the table and all its utensils, the lamp stand and its utensils, the altar of incense, 28 the altar for burnt offerings and all its utensils, and the basin and its base. 29 You are to consecrate them and they are to be most holy. Whatever touches them is to be holy. 30 You are to anoint Aaron and his sons, and you are to consecrate them to serve as my priests. 31 You are to address the Israelis and tell them, ‘This is to be holy anointing oil for me from generation to generation. 32 It is not to be poured out on a person’s body,[u] nor are you to make anything like it with similar formulations. It is holy, and it is to be holy to you. 33 Anyone who mixes anything like it or who puts any of it on an unqualified person[v] is to be cut off from his people.’”
The Incense
34 The Lord told Moses, “Take for yourself spices: stacte, onycha, galbanum, and spices with pure frankincense, all in equal amounts. 35 You are to make it into a fragrant incense, expertly[w] blended,[x] pure, and holy. 36 You are to grind some of it fine, and put some before the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting where I will meet with you. It is to be most holy to you. 37 You are not to make the incense that you make in this formulation for your own use. It is to be holy to the Lord for you. 38 Anyone who makes anything like it to use it as perfume is to be cut off from his people.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 30:2 I.e. about one and a half feet
- Exodus 30:2 I.e. about one and a half feet
- Exodus 30:2 I.e. about three feet
- Exodus 30:6 Lit. it
- Exodus 30:6 Or atonement place, and so throughout the book
- Exodus 30:12 Or his life
- Exodus 30:13 Lit. the one who passes over to those who have been registered
- Exodus 30:13 I.e., a unit of weight measurement equal to about 16 barley grains; about 0.025 ounces or 0.5 grams; cf. Num 3:47; Num 18:16
- Exodus 30:13 I.e., a unit of weight measurement equal to about 16 barley grains; about 0.025 ounces or 0.5 grams; cf. Num 3:47; Num 18:16
- Exodus 30:13 I.e., a unit of weight measurement equal to about 16 barley grains; about 0.025 ounces or 0.5 grams; cf. Num 3:47; Num 18:16
- Exodus 30:13 I.e., a unit of weight measurement equal to about 16 barley grains; about 0.025 ounces or 0.5 grams; cf. Num 3:47; Num 18:16
- Exodus 30:15 Lit. increase from
- Exodus 30:15 Lit. decrease from
- Exodus 30:15 I.e., a unit of weight measurement equal to about 16 barley grains; about 0.025 ounces or 0.5 grams; cf. Num 3:47; Num 18:16
- Exodus 30:15 Or for your lives
- Exodus 30:16 Or for your lives
- Exodus 30:18 Lit. there
- Exodus 30:21 Lit. for him
- Exodus 30:23 The Heb. lacks shekels; Five hundred shekels is about 12 ½ pounds
- Exodus 30:24 I.e. about a quart
- Exodus 30:32 I.e. used for ordinary anointing purposes
- Exodus 30:33 Lit. a stranger; i.e. a person not qualified to serve as a priest
- Exodus 30:35 Lit. the work of a perfumer
- Exodus 30:35 Or salted
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