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The Altar of Incense

30 “You shall make an altar on which to offer incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.(A) It shall be one cubit long and one cubit wide; it shall be square and shall be two cubits high; its horns shall be of one piece with it. You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around and its horns, and you shall make for it a molding of gold all around. And you shall make two golden rings for it; under its molding on two opposite sides of it you shall make them, and they shall hold the poles for carrying it. You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. You shall place it in front of the curtain that is above the ark of the covenant, in front of the cover that is over the covenant, where I will meet with you.(B) Aaron shall offer fragrant incense on it; every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall offer it,(C) and when Aaron sets up the lamps in the evening, he shall offer it, a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations. You shall not offer unholy incense on it or a burnt offering or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it.(D) 10 Once a year Aaron shall perform the rite of atonement on its horns. Throughout your generations he shall perform the atonement for it once a year with the blood of the atoning purification offering. It is most holy to the Lord.”(E)

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The Incense Altar

30 “You are to make an altar for the burning of incense; make it of acacia wood.(A) It must be square, eighteen inches long and eighteen inches wide;[a] it must be thirty-six inches high.[b] Its horns must be of one piece with it. Overlay its top, all around its sides, and its horns with pure gold; make a gold molding all around it. 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. Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.

“You are to place the altar in front of the curtain by the ark of the testimony—in front of the mercy seat that is over the testimony—where I will meet with you. Aaron must burn fragrant incense on it; he must burn it every morning when he tends the lamps.(B) 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. 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 atonement ceremony for the altar. Throughout your generations he is to perform the atonement ceremony for[c] it once a year, with the blood of the sin offering for atonement on the horns.(D) The altar is especially holy to the Lord.”

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Footnotes

  1. 30:2 Lit one cubit its length and one cubit its width
  2. 30:2 Lit wide; and two cubits its height
  3. 30:10 Or on