Chapter 30
1[“]You are also to make an altar of acacia wood for the burning of incense.
2It is to be square, a cubit long, a cubit wide and two cubits high. Its horns must be of one piece.
3Overlay the top and all the sides and horns with pure gold and make a molding of gold around it.
4And make two gold rings below the molding on opposite sides to hold the poles used to carry it.
5Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
6Place [the altar] in front of the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony—before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony—where I will meet with you.
7And Aaron is to burn fragrant incense on it every morning when he tends the lamps.
8When Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he must burn the incense perpetually before AO for the generations to come.
9On [this altar] you must not offer unauthorized incense or a burnt offering or grain offering nor are you to pour a drink offering on it.
10Once a year, Aaron shall make atonement on the horns [of the altar] with the blood of the sin offering of atonement. Throughout your generations he shall make atonement on it annually. The altar [is] holy to AO.”
11Then AO said to Moses,
12“When you take a census of the Israelites to number them, each man must pay AO a ransom for his life when he is counted. Then no plague will come upon them when they are numbered.
13Everyone who crosses over to those counted must pay a half shekel according to the sanctuary shekel [which weighs] twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to AO.
14Everyone twenty years of age or older who crosses over must give this offering to AO.
15In making the offering to AO to atone for your lives, the rich shall not give more nor shall the poor give less than a half shekel.
16Take the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the Tent of Meeting. It will serve as a memorial for the Israelites before AO to make atonement for your lives.”
17And AO said to Moses,
18“You are to make a bronze basin with a bronze stand for washing. Set it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it
19with which Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet.
20Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made by fire to AO, they must wash with water so that they will not die.
21Thus they are to wash their hands and feet so that they will not die; this shall be a permanent statute for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”
22Then YAHAUH said to Moses,
23“Take the finest spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half [that amount] of fragrant cinnamon (250 shekels), 250 shekels of fragrant cane,
24500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil.
25Prepare from these a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend the work of a perfumer; it will be a sacred anointing oil.
26Use [this oil] to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony,
27the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils,
28the altar of incense, the altar of the burnt offering and all its utensils and the basin with its stand.
29You are to consecrate them so that they will be most holy. Whatever touches them {shall} be holy.
30Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them to serve Me as priests.
31And you are to tell the Israelites, ‘This will be My sacred anointing oil for the generations to come.
32It must not be used to anoint an ordinary man and you must not make anything like it with the same formula. It is holy and it must be holy to you.
33Anyone who mixes perfume like it or puts it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.”
34AO also said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha, galbanum and pure frankincense—in equal measures
35and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.
36Grind some of it into fine powder and place it in front of the Testimony of Meeting where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you.
37You are never to use this formula to make incense for yourselves; you shall regard it as holy to AO.
38Anyone who makes something like it to enjoy its fragrance shall be cut off from his people.”