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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

  1. Exodus 30:2 Lit one cubit its length and one cubit its width
  2. Exodus 30:2 Lit wide; and two cubits its height
  3. Exodus 30:2 Lit piece with it
  4. Exodus 30:10 Or to make atonement
  5. Exodus 30:10 Or to make atonement
  6. Exodus 30:10 Or on
  7. Exodus 30:13 About 2⁄5 of an ounce of silver
  8. Exodus 30:15 Or to ransom
  9. Exodus 30:16 Lit the silver of the atonement
  10. Exodus 30:16 Or to ransom
  11. Exodus 30:23 Lit 500 (shekels)
  12. Exodus 30:23 Lit 250 (shekels)
  13. Exodus 30:23 Lit 250 (shekels)
  14. Exodus 30:24 Lit 500 (shekels)
  15. Exodus 30:24 Lit a hin
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Exodus 30
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.”

Footnotes

  1. 30:2 Hebrew 1 cubit [46 centimeters] long and 1 cubit wide, a square, and 2 cubits [92 centimeters] high.
  2. 30:6a Or Ark of the Testimony; also in 30:26.
  3. 30:6b Hebrew that covers the Testimony; see note on 25:16.
  4. 30:10 Or make atonement for; also in 30:10b.
  5. 30:13 Or 0.2 ounces [6 grams].
  6. 30:15 Or to make atonement for your lives; similarly in 30:16.
  7. 30:16 Hebrew Tent of Meeting; also in 30:18, 20, 26, 36.
  8. 30:23 Hebrew 500 [shekels] [5.7 kilograms] of pure myrrh, 250 [shekels] [2.9 kilograms] of fragrant cinnamon, 250 [shekels] of fragrant calamus.
  9. 30:24a Hebrew 500 [shekels] [5.7 kilograms] of cassia.
  10. 30:24b Hebrew 1 hin [3.8 liters] of olive oil.
  11. 30:36 Hebrew in front of the Testimony; see note on 25:16.
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Exodus 29
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