The Altar of Incense
1 “You shall makean altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood.
2 A cubitshallbeits length and a cubit its width—it shall be square—and two cubitsshallbeits height. Its hornsshallbeof 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 molding of gold all around.
4 Two gold rings you shall make for it, under the molding on both its sides. You shall placethemon 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 theveil thatisbefore the ark of the Testimony, before themercy seat thatisover the Testimony, where I will meet with you.
7 “Aaron shall burn on itsweet incense every morning; whenhe tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it.
8 And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before theLordthroughout your generations.
9 You shall not offerstrange incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering; nor shall you pour a drink offering on it.
10 AndAaron 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. Itismost holy to theLord.”
The Ransom Money
11 Then theLordspoke to Moses, saying:
12 “When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall givea ransom for himself to theLord, when you number them, that there may be noplague among them whenyounumber them.
13 This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary(a shekelistwenty gerahs).The half-shekelshallbean offering to theLord.
14 Everyone included among those who are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering to theLord.
15 Therich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, whenyougive an offering to theLord, to make atonement for yourselves.
16 And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, andshall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may bea memorial for the children of Israel before theLord, to make atonement for yourselves.”
The Bronze Laver
17 Then theLordspoke to Moses, saying:
18 “You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base also of bronze, for washing. You shallput it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. And you shall put water in it,
19 for Aaron and his sonsshall 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 theLord, they shall wash with water, lest they die.
21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die. Andit shall be a statute forever to them—to him and his descendants throughout their generations.”
The Holy Anointing Oil
22 Moreover theLordspoke to Moses, saying:
23 “Also take for yourselfquality spices—five hundredshekelsof liquidmyrrh, half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fiftyshekels), two hundred and fiftyshekelsof sweet-smellingcane,
24 five hundredshekelsofcassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and ahin 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 bea holy anointing oil.
26 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;whatever touches them must be holy.
30 And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, thattheymay 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 makeanyotherlike it, according to its composition.Itisholy,andit shall be holy to you.
33 Whoever compoundsanylike it, or whoever putsanyof it on an outsider,shall be cut off from his people.’ ”
The Incense
34 And theLordsaid to Moses:“Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense withthesesweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each.
35 You shall make of these an incense, a compoundaccording to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure,andholy.
36 And you shall beatsomeof it very fine, and put some of it before the Testimony in the tabernacle of meetingwhere I will meet with you.It shall be most holy to you.
37 Butasforthe incense which you shall make,you shall not make any for yourselves, according to its composition. It shall be to you holy for theLord.
38 Whoever makesanylike it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people.”