Exo 30 | LSB | STEP | “Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.

Exodus 30

The Altar of Incense

1 “Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. 2 Its length shall be a ^{▼▼A cubit was approx. 18 in. or 45 cm}cubit, and its width a cubit; it shall be square. And its height shall be two cubits; its horns shall be ^{▼▼Lit from itself}of the same piece. 3 You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its ^{▼▼Lit walls}sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around for it. 4 You shall make two gold rings for it under its molding; you shall make them on its two side walls—on ^{▼▼Lit its two}opposite sides—and ^{▼▼Lit it}they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. 5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 6 You shall put ^{▼▼Lit it}this altar in front of the veil that is ^{▼▼Or over; lit upon}near the ark of the testimony, in front of the ^{▼▼Or propitiatory seat, place of atonement}mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with you. 7 Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps. 8 When Aaron ^{▼▼Lit causes to ascend}trims the lamps ^{▼▼Lit between the two evenings}at twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be continual incense before Yahweh throughout your generations. 9 You shall not offer any strange incense on ^{▼▼Lit it}this altar or burnt offering or grain offering; and you shall not pour out a drink offering on it. 10 Aaron shall 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 Yahweh.”

The Census and the Atonement Price

11 Yahweh also spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “When you take a ^{▼▼Lit sum}census of the sons of Israel ^{▼▼Lit for their being mustered}to number them, then each one of them shall give a price of atonement for ^{▼▼Lit his soul}himself to Yahweh when you ^{▼▼Lit muster}number them, so that there will be no plague among them when you ^{▼▼Lit muster}number them. 13 This is what everyone who ^{▼▼Lit passes over to those who are mustered}is numbered shall give: half a ^{▼▼A shekel was approx. 0.4 oz. or 11 gm}shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty ^{▼▼Approx. 0.5 oz. or 14 gm, a gerah was approx. 0.025 oz. or 0.7 gm}gerahs), half a shekel as a ^{▼▼Lit heave offering}contribution to Yahweh. 14 Everyone who ^{▼▼See v 13, note 1}is numbered, from twenty years old and over, shall give the ^{▼▼Lit heave offering of Yahweh}contribution to Yahweh. 15 The rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than the half shekel when you give the ^{▼▼Lit heave offering of Yahweh}contribution to Yahweh to make atonement for your souls. 16 And 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 remembrance for the sons of Israel before Yahweh, to make atonement for your souls.”

The Laver for the Priestly Washing

17 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “You shall also make a laver of ^{▼▼Or copper}bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing; and you shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it. 19 And Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet from it; 20 when they come into 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 Yahweh. 21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they will not die; and it shall be a perpetual statute for them, for ^{▼▼Lit him}Aaron and his seed throughout their generations.”

The Holy Anointing Oil

22 Moreover, Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “But as for you, take for yourself the finest of spices: of flowing myrrh 500 shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, 250, and of fragrant cane 250, 24 and of cassia 500, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a ^{▼▼A hin was approx. 1 gal. or 3.8 l}hin. 25 And you shall make ^{▼▼Lit it}of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture, the work of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. 26 And with it 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 set them apart as holy, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them shall be holy. 30 And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and you shall set them apart as holy, that they may minister as priests to Me. 31 And 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 ^{▼▼Lit the flesh of man}anyone’s body, nor shall you make any like it in ^{▼▼Lit its proportion}the same specifications; it is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33 Whoever shall mix any like it or whoever puts any of it on a ^{▼▼Lit stranger}layman ^{▼▼Lit even he shall}shall be cut off from his people.’ ”

The Incense

34 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Take for yourself fragrances, stacte and onycha and galbanum, fragrances 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 you shall put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I will meet with you; it shall be most holy to you. 37 The incense which you shall make, you shall not make in ^{▼▼Lit its proportion}the same specifications for yourselves; it shall be holy to you for Yahweh. 38 Whoever shall make any like it, to ^{▼▼Lit smell of it}use as perfume, ^{▼▼Lit even he shall}shall be cut off from his people.”