The Altar of Incense^(A)

30 “Make an altar^(B) of acacia wood for burning incense.^{(C) 2} It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high^[a]—its horns^(D) of one piece with it. ³ Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.^{(E) 4} Make two gold rings^(F) for the altar below the molding—two on each of the opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it. ⁵ Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.^{(G) 6} Put the altar in front of the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law—before the atonement cover^(H) that is over the tablets of the covenant law—where I will meet with you.

⁷ “Aaron must burn fragrant incense^(I) on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. ⁸ He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come.^{(J) 9} Do not offer on this altar any other incense^(K) or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. ¹⁰ Once a year^(L) Aaron shall make atonement^(M) on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering^[b](N) for the generations to come.^(O) It is most holy to the Lord.”

Atonement Money

¹¹ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹² “When you take a census^(P) of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom^(Q) for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague^(R) will come on them when you number them. ¹³ Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel,^[c] according to the sanctuary shekel,^(S) which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord. ¹⁴ All who cross over, those twenty years old or more,^(T) 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^(U) when you make the offering to the Lord to atone for your lives. ¹⁶ Receive the atonement^(V) money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting.^(W) It will be a memorial^(X) for the Israelites before the Lord, making atonement for your lives.”

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King^(A)(B)

²⁸ After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.^{(C) 29} As he approached Bethphage and Bethany^(D) at the hill called the Mount of Olives,^(E) he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ³⁰ “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

³² Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them.^{(F) 33} As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

³⁴ They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

³⁵ They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. ³⁶ As he went along, people spread their cloaks^(G) on the road.

³⁷ When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives,^(H) the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

³⁹ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”^(K)

⁴⁰ “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”^(L)

⁴¹ As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it^{(M) 42} and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.^{(N) 44} They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls.^(O) They will not leave one stone on another,^(P) because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming^(Q) to you.”

Jesus at the Temple^(R)

⁴⁵ When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. ⁴⁶ “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’^[b];^(S) but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’^[c]”^(T)

⁴⁷ Every day he was teaching at the temple.^(U) But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him.^{(V) 48} Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.