Exodus 30–31

The Altar of Incense

30:1–5pp—Ex 37:25–28

30“Make an altar^k of acacia wood for burning incense.^{l 2}It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high^a—its horns^m of one piece with it. ³Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.^{n 4}Make two gold rings^o for the altar below the molding—two on each of the opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it. ⁵Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.^{p 6}Put the altar in front of the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law—before the atonement cover^q that is over the tablets of the covenant law—where I will meet with you.

⁷“Aaron must burn fragrant incense^r on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. ⁸He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come.^{s 9}Do not offer on this altar any other incense^t or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. ¹⁰Once a year^u Aaron shall make atonement^v on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering^bw for the generations to come.^x It is most holy to the Lord.”

Atonement Money

¹¹Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹²“When you take a census^y of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom^z for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague^a will come on them when you number them. ¹³Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel,^c according to the sanctuary shekel,^b which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord. ¹⁴All who cross over, those twenty years old or more,^c are to give an offering to the Lord. ¹⁵The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less^d when you make the offering to the Lord to atone for your lives. ¹⁶Receive the atonement^e money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting.^f It will be a memorial^g for the Israelites before the Lord, making atonement for your lives.”

Basin for Washing

¹⁷Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹⁸“Make a bronze basin,^h with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. ¹⁹Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feetⁱ with water^j from it. ²⁰Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die.^k Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the Lord, ²¹they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance^l for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”^m

Anointing Oil

²²Then the Lord said to Moses, ²³“Take the following fine spices:ⁿ 500 shekels^d of liquid myrrh,^o half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon,^p 250 shekels^e of fragrant calamus,^{q 24}500 shekels^r of cassia^s—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin^f of olive oil. ²⁵Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer.^t It will be the sacred anointing oil.^{u 26}Then use it to anoint^v the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law, ²⁷the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, ²⁸the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. ²⁹You shall consecrate them^w so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.^x

³⁰“Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate^y them so they may serve me as priests.^{z 31}Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil^a for the generations to come.^{b 32}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.^{c 33}Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off^d from their people.’ ”

Incense

³⁴Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices^e—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, ³⁵and make a fragrant blend of incense,^f the work of a perfumer.^g It is to be salted and pure and sacred. ³⁶Grind 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^h with you. It shall be most holyⁱ to you. ³⁷Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy^j to the Lord. ³⁸Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off^k from their people.”

Bezalel and Oholiab

31:2–6pp—Ex 35:30–35

31Then the Lord said to Moses, ²“See, I have chosen Bezalel^l son of Uri, the son of Hur,^m of the tribe of Judah, ³and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledgeⁿ and with all kinds of skills^o—⁴to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, ⁵to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. ⁶Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab^p son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan,^q to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers^r to make everything I have commanded you: ⁷the tent of meeting,^s the ark of the covenant law^t with the atonement cover^u on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent—⁸the table^v and its articles, the pure gold lampstand^w and all its accessories, the altar of incense,^{x 9}the altar of burnt offering^y and all its utensils, the basin^z with its stand—¹⁰and also the woven garments^a, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, ¹¹and the anointing oil^b and fragrant incense^c for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded^d you.”

The Sabbath

¹²Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹³“Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths.^e This will be a sign^f between me and you for the generations to come,^g so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.^h

¹⁴“ ‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death;ⁱ those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people. ¹⁵For six days work^j is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest,^k holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death. ¹⁶The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath,^l celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. ¹⁷It will be a sign^m between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.ⁿ’ ”^o

¹⁸When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai,^p he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone^q inscribed by the finger of God.^r