The Altar of Incense

30 “Moreover, you shall make (A)an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. 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. 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. You shall make two gold rings for it under its molding; you shall make them on its two side walls—on [d]opposite sides—and [e]they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 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)mercy seat that is over the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you. Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps. When Aaron [i]trims the lamps at [j]twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. You shall not offer any strange incense on [k]this altar, or burnt offering or meal offering; and you shall not pour out a drink offering on it. 10 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 number them, then each one of them shall give (E)a ransom for [n]himself to the Lord, when you [o]number them, so that there will be no plague among them when you [p]number them. 13 This is what everyone who [q]is numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary ((F)the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as a [r]contribution to the Lord. 14 Everyone who [s]is numbered, from twenty years old and over, shall give the [t]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 [u]contribution to the Lord to make atonement for [v]yourselves. 16 You shall take the atonement money from the sons of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the sons of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for [w]yourselves.”

17 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “You shall also make (G)a laver of [x]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 will 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 will not die; and (J)it shall be a perpetual statute for them, for [y]Aaron and his [z]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 flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, two hundred and fifty, and of fragrant cane two hundred and fifty, 24 and of cassia five hundred, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin. 25 You shall make [aa]of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture, the work of a perfumer; it shall be (K)a holy anointing oil. 26 With it (L)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 and all its utensils, and the laver and its stand. 29 You shall also consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them shall be holy. 30 (M)You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister as priests to Me. 31 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 [ab]anyone’s body, nor shall you make any like it in [ac]the same proportions; (N)it is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33 (O)Whoever shall mix any like it or whoever puts any of it on a [ad]layman [ae](P)shall be cut off from his people.’”

The Incense

34 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each. 35 With it you shall make incense, a perfume, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. 36 You shall beat some of it very fine, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting (Q)where I will meet with you; it shall be most holy to you. 37 The incense which you shall make, (R)you shall not make in [af]the same proportions for yourselves; it shall be holy to you for the Lord. 38 (S)Whoever shall make any like it, to [ag]use as perfume, [ah]shall be cut off from his people.”

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 30:2 I.e. One cubit equals approx 18 in.
  2. Exodus 30:2 Lit from itself
  3. Exodus 30:3 Lit walls
  4. Exodus 30:4 Lit its two
  5. Exodus 30:4 Lit it
  6. Exodus 30:6 Lit it
  7. Exodus 30:6 Lit upon or over
  8. Exodus 30:6 Lit propitiatory
  9. Exodus 30:8 Lit causes to ascend
  10. Exodus 30:8 Lit between the two evenings
  11. Exodus 30:9 Lit it
  12. Exodus 30:12 Lit sum
  13. Exodus 30:12 Lit for their being mustered
  14. Exodus 30:12 Lit his soul
  15. Exodus 30:12 Lit muster
  16. Exodus 30:12 Lit muster
  17. Exodus 30:13 Lit passes over to those who are mustered
  18. Exodus 30:13 Lit heave offering
  19. Exodus 30:14 V 13, note 1
  20. Exodus 30:14 Lit heave offering of the Lord
  21. Exodus 30:15 Lit heave offering of the Lord
  22. Exodus 30:15 Lit your souls
  23. Exodus 30:16 Lit your souls
  24. Exodus 30:18 Or copper
  25. Exodus 30:21 Lit him
  26. Exodus 30:21 Lit seed
  27. Exodus 30:25 Lit it
  28. Exodus 30:32 Lit the flesh of man
  29. Exodus 30:32 Lit its proportion
  30. Exodus 30:33 Lit stranger
  31. Exodus 30:33 Lit even he shall
  32. Exodus 30:37 Lit its proportion
  33. Exodus 30:38 Lit smell of it
  34. Exodus 30:38 Lit even he shall

Confidence in God’s Protection.

For the choir director; on a stringed instrument. A Psalm of David.

61 (A)Hear my cry, O God;
(B)Give heed to my prayer.
From the (C)end of the earth I call to You when my heart is (D)faint;
Lead me to (E)the rock that is higher than I.
For You have been a (F)refuge for me,
A (G)tower of strength [a]against the enemy.
Let me [b](H)dwell in Your tent forever;
Let me (I)take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. [c]Selah.

For You have heard my (J)vows, O God;
You have given me the inheritance of those who (K)fear Your name.
You will [d](L)prolong the king’s [e]life;
His years will be as many generations.
He will [f]abide (M)before God forever;
Appoint (N)lovingkindness and truth that they may preserve him.
So I will (O)sing praise to Your name forever,
That I may (P)pay my vows day by day.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 61:3 Lit from
  2. Psalm 61:4 Or sojourn
  3. Psalm 61:4 Selah may mean: Pause, Crescendo or Musical interlude
  4. Psalm 61:6 Lit add days to
  5. Psalm 61:6 Lit days
  6. Psalm 61:7 Or sit enthroned

I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, (A)will He find [a]faith on the earth?”

The Pharisee and the Publican

And He also told this parable to some people who (B)trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and (C)viewed others with contempt: 10 “Two men (D)went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee (E)stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I (F)fast twice a week; I (G)pay tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, (H)standing some distance away, (I)was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but (J)was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be [b]merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; (K)for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 18:8 Lit the faith
  2. Luke 18:13 Or propitious