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
Tree of Life Version
Incense Altar
30 “You are to make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense. 2 It is to be square—one cubit in length, one cubit wide, and two cubits high. The horns must be of one piece with it. 3 You are to overlay it with pure gold on top, all around the sides and over the horns. Also you are to make a crown of gold for it all around. 4 Make two golden rings for it under the crown on the two sides, and they will be holders for poles to carry it. 5 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 6 You are to set it in front of the curtain that is in front of the Ark of the Testimony, in front of the atonement cover that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with you.
7 “Aaron must burn sweet spices of incense there every morning. When he attends to the lamps, he is to burn it. 8 Also when Aaron keeps the lamps lit at dusk he must burn it. There must be incense continually before Adonai, throughout your generations. 9 You must not offer up unauthorized incense on it. Nor should any burnt offering or grain offering be there, nor should you pour any drink offering there. 10 Aaron is to make atonement upon the horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering throughout your generations. It is most holy to Adonai.”
Parashat Ki Tisa
Census and Ransom Money
11 Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying, 12 “When you tally the sum of Bnei-Yisrael by numbering them, then every man must pay a ransom for his soul to Adonai when you count them, so that no plague will fall on them. 13 Everyone among them who crosses over must give half a shekel according to the Sanctuary shekel (which is 20 gerahs): half a shekel as an offering to Adonai. 14 Everyone who crosses over among them who is counted, from 20 years old and upward, is to give the offering to Adonai. 15 The rich are not to give more and the poor are not to give less than the half shekel, when they present the offering of Adonai to make atonement for your souls. 16 You are to take the atonement money from Bnei-Yisrael and give it for the service of the Tent of Meeting, so that it may be a memorial for Bnei-Yisrael before Adonai, to make atonement for your souls.”
Basin for Washing
17 Adonai spoke to Moses saying, 18 “You will also make a basin of bronze with a bronze stand for washing. You are to 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 their feet there. 20 Whenever they go into the Tent of Meeting or come near to the altar to minister, to present an offering made by fire in smoke to Adonai, they are to wash with water so that they do not die. 21 They are to wash their hands and their feet, so that they do not die. It is to be an eternal statute for them, to him and to his offspring throughout their generations.”
Holy Anointing Oil
22 Moreover Adonai spoke to Moses saying, 23 “Now take for yourself the best spices: 500 shekels of flowing myrrh, half as much sweet cinnamon (250), also 250 shekels of sweet calamus, 24 500 of cassia, after the Sanctuary shekel, plus a hin[a] of olive oil. 25 You are to make holy anointing oil from it, a fragrant mixture, blended as the work of a perfumer. It will be holy anointing oil. 26 You are to anoint the Tent of Meeting with it, the Ark of the Testimony, 27 as well as the table and all its articles, the menorah and its articles, the altar of incense, 28 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin along with its stand. 29 You are to consecrate them so that they will be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy.
30 “You are to anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them, so that they may minister to Me as kohanim. 31 Speak to Bnei-Yisrael saying, ‘This is to be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. 32 It must not be poured on human flesh, nor are you to make any like it, with its formula. It is holy and it must be holy to you. 33 Whoever mixes any like it, or whoever puts any of it on anyone unauthorized, will be cut off from his people.’”
34 Then Adonai said to Moses, “Take the sweet spices—stacte, onycha and galbanum. The spices and pure frankincense are to be in equal measures. 35 Make a fragrant mixture from them, a blend like the work of the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. 36 You are to beat some of it into powder, and set it before the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It is to be most holy to you. 37 But the incense which you make, with its formula, you are not to make for yourselves. It is to be holy to you, for Adonai. 38 Whoever makes any like it, to breathe in its smell, will be cut off from his people.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 30:24 hin=gallon.
Exodus 30
New King James Version
The Altar of Incense(A)
30 “You shall make (B)an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood. 2 A cubit shall be its length and a cubit its width—it shall be square—and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. 3 And you shall overlay its top, its sides all around, and its horns with pure gold; and you shall make for it a [a]molding of gold all around. 4 Two gold rings you shall make for it, under the molding on both its sides. You shall place them on its two sides, and they will be holders for the poles with which to bear it. 5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 6 And you shall put it before the (C)veil that is before the ark of the Testimony, before the (D)mercy seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with you.
7 “Aaron shall burn on it (E)sweet incense every morning; when (F)he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. 8 And when Aaron lights the lamps [b]at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. 9 You shall not offer (G)strange incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering; nor shall you pour a drink offering on it. 10 And (H)Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.”
The Ransom Money
11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 12 (I)“When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give (J)a[c] ransom for himself to the Lord, when you number them, that there may be no (K)plague among them when you number them. 13 (L)This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (M)(a shekel is twenty gerahs). (N)The half-shekel shall be an offering to the Lord. 14 Everyone included among those who are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an [d]offering to the Lord. 15 The (O)rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when you give an offering to the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves. 16 And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and (P)shall [e]appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be (Q)a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves.”
The Bronze Laver
17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 18 (R)“You shall also make a [f]laver of bronze, with its base also of bronze, for washing. You shall (S)put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. And you shall put water in it, 19 for Aaron and his sons (T)shall wash their hands and their feet in water from it. 20 When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the Lord, they shall wash with water, lest they die. 21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die. And (U)it shall be a [g]statute forever to them—to him and his descendants throughout their generations.”
The Holy Anointing Oil(V)
22 Moreover the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 23 “Also take for yourself (W)quality spices—five hundred shekels of liquid (X)myrrh, half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling (Y)cane, 24 five hundred shekels of (Z)cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a (AA)hin of olive oil. 25 And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It shall be (AB)a holy anointing oil. 26 (AC)With it you shall anoint the tabernacle of meeting and the ark of the Testimony; 27 the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense; 28 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base. 29 You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy; (AD)whatever touches them must be holy. 30 (AE)And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister to Me as priests.
31 “And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. 32 It shall not be poured on man’s flesh; nor shall you make any other like it, according to its composition. (AF)It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33 (AG)Whoever [h]compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on an outsider, (AH)shall be [i]cut off from his people.’ ”
The Incense(AI)
34 And the Lord said to Moses: (AJ)“Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each. 35 You shall make of these an incense, a compound (AK)according to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. 36 And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the Testimony in the tabernacle of meeting (AL)where I will meet with you. (AM)It shall be most holy to you. 37 But as for the incense which you shall make, (AN)you shall not make any for yourselves, according to its [j]composition. It shall be to you holy for the Lord. 38 (AO)Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 30:3 border
- Exodus 30:8 Lit. between the two evenings
- Exodus 30:12 the price of a life
- Exodus 30:14 contribution
- Exodus 30:16 give
- Exodus 30:18 basin
- Exodus 30:21 requirement
- Exodus 30:33 mixes
- Exodus 30:33 Put to death
- Exodus 30:37 Lit. proportion
Exodus 30
King James Version
30 And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.
2 A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same.
3 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.
4 And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal.
5 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
6 And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.
7 And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.
8 And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations.
9 Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.
10 And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the Lord.
11 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
12 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the Lord.
14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the Lord.
15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls.
16 And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls.
17 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
18 Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.
19 For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:
20 When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the Lord:
21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.
22 Moreover the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
23 Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,
24 And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:
25 And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.
26 And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,
27 And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,
28 And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot.
29 And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.
30 And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.
31 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.
32 Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.
33 Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.
34 And the Lord said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:
35 And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:
36 And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.
37 And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the Lord.
38 Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.
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Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
