Exodus 30 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Yahweh said to Moses, "Build an out of for burning
Make it square — eighteen inches long, eighteen inches wide, and three feet tall. Its should be carved from the same piece of wood.
Cover the top surface, all four sides, and the horns with pure gold, and run a gold border around the edge.
Make two gold rings and attach them below the border on two opposite sides — these will hold the carrying poles.
Make the poles from acacia wood and cover them with gold.
Place the altar in front of the curtain that hangs before the the of the — in front of the over the — where I will meet with you.
will burn fragrant incense on it every morning when he takes care of the lamps.
And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he'll burn incense again. This regular incense offering to Yahweh must continue through every generation.
Don't offer any on this altar, and don't use it for burnt offerings, grain offerings, or drink offerings.
Once a year, Aaron must perform a on the altar's horns using the blood from the that makes things right. This annual must continue through every generation. This altar is — it belongs entirely to Yahweh.
Yahweh told Moses,
"When you take a of the Israelites, each person counted must pay Yahweh a for his life. Do this so that no disaster strikes them during the count.
Everyone who is counted must give a — measured by the sanctuary standard where a shekel equals twenty gerahs. This is a to Yahweh.
Everyone twenty years old and above who is counted must give this contribution to Yahweh.
The wealthy shouldn't give more and the poor shouldn't give less than the half-shekel when making this contribution to Yahweh to pay the ransom for your lives.
Take the ransom money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the It will stand as a reminder before Yahweh on behalf of the Israelites — a ransom for your lives."
Yahweh told Moses,
"Make a bronze with a bronze stand for washing. Place it between the meeting tent and the altar, and fill it with water.
Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet from it.
Whenever they enter the meeting tent or approach the altar to serve — to burn an offering made by fire to Yahweh — they must wash with water so they
They must wash their hands and feet so they don't die. This is a for Aaron and his descendants throughout every generation."
Yahweh told Moses,
"Gather the finest spices: twelve and a half pounds of liquid half that amount — six and a quarter pounds — of six and a quarter pounds of
twelve and a half pounds of — all measured by the sanctuary standard — and a gallon of olive oil.
Have a skilled perfumer blend these into a sacred — a carefully crafted fragrant blend. This will be the sacred
Use it to anoint the meeting tent, the chest containing the terms of the agreement,
the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its equipment, the incense altar,
the burnt offering altar and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand.
them as to so that whatever touches them becomes too.
Then anoint Aaron and his sons and set them apart to serve me as
Tell the Israelites: 'This will be my sacred anointing oil throughout every generation.
It must never be poured on an ordinary person's body, and you must never make anything with the same recipe. It is sacred — treat it as sacred.
Anyone who blends something like it, or puts it on an outsider, must be from their
Yahweh told Moses, "Take these fragrant materials — stacte, — along with pure in equal amounts,
and have a perfumer blend them into incense — salted, pure, and set apart.
Grind some of it into a fine powder and place it in front of the chest containing the terms of the agreement in the meeting tent, where I will meet with you. Treat it as the most sacred thing.
The incense you make with this recipe — never make any for yourselves with the same formula. Treat it as set apart for Yahweh alone.
Anyone who makes incense like it just to enjoy its smell must be cut off from their people."