- "Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense.
- It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high[1]—its horns of one piece with it.
- Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.
- Make two gold rings for the altar below the molding—two on each of the opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it.
- Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
- Put the altar in front of the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law—before the atonement cover that is over the tablets of the covenant law—where I will meet with you.
- "Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps.
- He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the LORD for the generations to come.
- Do not offer on this altar any other incense or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it.
- Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering[2] for the generations to come. It is most holy to the LORD."
- Then the LORD said to Moses,
- "When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the LORD a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them.
- Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel,[3] according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD.
- All who cross over, those twenty years old or more, are to give an offering to the LORD.
- The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives.
- Receive the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will be a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD, making atonement for your lives."
- Then the LORD said to Moses,
- "Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it.
- Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it.
- Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the LORD,
- they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come."
- Then the LORD said to Moses,
- "Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels[4] of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels[5] of fragrant calamus,
- 500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin[6] of olive oil.
- Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil.
- Then use it to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law,
- the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense,
- the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand.
- You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.
- "Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.
- Say to the Israelites, 'This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come.
- Do not pour it on anyone else's body and do not make any other oil using the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred.
- Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from their people.'"
- Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts,
- and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred.
- Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you.
- Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the LORD.
- Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from their people."
The Altar of Incense
Atonement Money
Basin for Washing
Anointing Oil
Incense
- That is, about 1 1/2 feet long and wide and 3 feet high or about 45 centimeters long and wide and 90 centimeters high
- Or 'purification offering'
- That is, about 1/5 ounce or about 5.8 grams; also in verse 15
- That is, about 12 1/2 pounds or about 5.8 kilograms; also in verse 24
- That is, about 6 1/4 pounds or about 2.9 kilograms
- That is, probably about 1 gallon or about 3.8 liters