Exodus 30–31

The Incense Altar

30“You are to make an altar for the burning of incense; make it of acacia wood. ^g2It must be square, 18 inches long and 18 inches wide; ^hit must be 36 inches high. ⁱIts horns must be of one piece. ^j3Overlay its top, all around its sides, and its horns with pure gold; make a gold molding all around it. ⁴Make 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. ⁵Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.

⁶“You are to place the altar in front of the veil by the ark of the testimony—in front of the mercy seat that is over the testimony—where I will meet with you. ⁷Aaron must burn fragrant incense on it; he must burn it every morning when he tends the lamps. ^k8When Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he must burn incense. There is to be an incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations. ⁹You must not offer unauthorized incense on it, ^lor a burnt or grain offering; you are not to pour a drink offering on it.

¹⁰“Once a year Aaron is to perform the purification rite ^mon the horns of the altar. Throughout your generations he is to perform the purification rite ⁿfor ^oit once a year, with the blood of the sin offering for atonement. ^pThe altar is especially holy to the Lord.”

The Atonement Money

¹¹The Lord spoke to Moses: ¹²“When you take a census ^qof the Israelites to register them, each of the men must pay a ransom ^rfor himself to the Lord as they are registered. Then no plague ^swill come on them as they are registered. ¹³Everyone who is registered must pay half a shekel ^taccording to the sanctuary shekel (20 gerahs to the shekel). This half shekel is a contribution to the Lord. ^u14Each man who is registered, 20 years old or more, must give this contribution to the Lord. ¹⁵The wealthy may not give more and the poor may not give less ^vthan half a shekel when giving the contribution to the Lord to atone for ^wyour lives. ¹⁶Take the atonement money ^xfrom the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will serve as a reminder for the Israelites before the Lord to atone for ^yyour lives.” ^z

The Bronze Basin

¹⁷The Lord spoke to Moses: ¹⁸“Make a bronze basin ^afor washing and a bronze stand for it. Set it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. ¹⁹Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet from the basin. ²⁰Whenever they enter the tent of meeting or approach the altar to minister by burning up an offering to the Lord, they must wash with water so that they will not die. ²¹They must wash their hands and feet so that they will not die; this is to be a permanent statute ^bfor them, for Aaron and his descendants throughout their generations.”

The Anointing Oil

²²The Lord spoke to Moses: ²³“Take for yourself the finest spices: ^c12½ pounds ^dof liquid myrrh, half as much (6¼ pounds ^e) of fragrant cinnamon, 6¼ pounds ^fof fragrant cane, ²⁴12½ pounds ^gof cassia (by the sanctuary shekel), and one gallon ^hof olive oil. ⁱ²⁵Prepare from these a holy anointing oil, a scented blend, the work of a perfumer; it will be holy anointing oil. ^j

²⁶“With it you are to anoint ^kthe tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony, ²⁷the table with all its utensils, the lampstand with its utensils, the altar of incense, ²⁸the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. ²⁹Consecrate them and they will be especially holy. Whatever touches them will be consecrated. ³⁰Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate ^lthem to serve Me as priests.

³¹“Tell the Israelites: This will be My holy anointing oil throughout your generations. ³²It must not be used for ordinary anointing on a person’s body, and you must not make anything like it using its formula. It is holy, and it must be holy to you. ³³Anyone who blends something like it or puts some of it on an unauthorized person must be cut off ^mfrom his people.”

The Sacred Incense

³⁴The Lord said to Moses: “Take fragrant spices: stacte, onycha, and galbanum; the spices and pure frankincense are to be in equal measures. ³⁵Prepare expertly blended incense from these; it is to be seasoned with salt, pure and holy. ³⁶Grind some of it into a fine powder and put some in front of the testimony in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with you. It must be especially holy ⁿto you. ³⁷As for the incense you are making, you must not make any for yourselves using its formula. It is to be regarded by you as sacred to the Lord. ³⁸Anyone who makes something like it to smell its fragrance must be cut off from his people.”

God’s Provision of the Skilled Workers

31The Lord also spoke to Moses: ²“Look, I have appointed by name Bezalel ^oson of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. ³I have filled him with God’s Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every craft ^p4to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, ⁵to cut gemstones for mounting, and to carve wood for work in every craft. ⁶I have also selected Oholiab ^qson of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be with him. I have placed wisdom within every skilled craftsman ^rin order to make all that I have commanded you: ⁷the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony, the mercy seat that is on top of it, and all the other furnishings of the tent ^s— ⁸the table with its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, ⁹the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, the basin with its stand— ¹⁰the specially woven ^tgarments, both the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons to serve as priests, ¹¹the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense for the sanctuary. They must make them according to all that I have commanded you.” ^u

Observing the Sabbath

¹²The Lord said to Moses: ¹³“Tell the Israelites: You must observe My Sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, so that you will know that I am Yahweh who sets you apart. ^v14Observe the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Whoever profanes it must be put to death. If anyone does work on it, that person must be cut off from his people. ^w15Work may be done for six days, but on the seventh day there must be a Sabbath of complete rest, ^xdedicated to the Lord. Anyone who does work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. ¹⁶The Israelites must observe the Sabbath, celebrating it throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. ¹⁷It is a sign forever between Me and the Israelites, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.”

The Two Stone Tablets

¹⁸When He finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the testimony, stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God. ^y