1“Make an altar of acacia wood to burn incense on: 2It is to be square – a cubit long and a cubit wide; and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns at its corners are to be carved from the same piece of acacia wood. 3And overlay it with pure gold - its top, its sides around it, its horns; and the rim you make a rim around it - all of gold. 4And you shall make two golden rings and attach them under its rim, two near its two corners on each of its two sides; and they shall be to hold the two staves used to carry it. 5You shall make the staves of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 6Place the altar in front of the veil that shields the Ark of the covenant, before the mercy seat that covers the two tablets of the covenant law, where I will meet with you. 7And Aaron shall burn sweet incense upon it every morning, when he tends to and trims the lamps. 8And when Aaron lights the lamps at evening, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. 9You shall offer no strange incense on it, nor burnt sacrifices, nor meal offerings; nor shall you pour drink offerings on it. 10And once a year, Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it. This annual atonement shall he make with the blood of the sin atonement offering: it shall be a regular event throughout your generations. It is most holy unto the LORD.” 11And the LORD said to Moses, 12“When you take the sum of the Israelites to number them, then every man shall pay the LORD a ransom for his soul, so that be no plague will break out among them. 13Every one that is numbered must give half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs): a half shekel shall be the offering to the LORD. 14Every one that is numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD. 15The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make atonement for their souls. 16And you shall receive the atonement money from the Israelites, and shall use it for the care of the tabernacle of meeting; it shall be a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.” 17And the LORD said to Moses, 18“Also make a bronze washbasin and its base, and place it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and fill it with water, 19As a place for Aaron and his sons to wash their hands and their feet, 20 They shall wash with water there whenever they enter the tabernacle of meeting; or when they approach the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD 21They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that do not die; and this shall be a statute forever to them - to Aaron and to his progeny throughout their generations.” 22The LORD further told Moses, 23“Take the following fine spices: five hundred shekels of pure myrrh; and half as much of sweet cinnamon - two hundred fifty shekels; and of sweet calamus two hundred fifty shekels; 24And of cassia, five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. 25“And you shall make from these a sacred anointing oil, an ointment compounded after the art of the perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil. 26And with it, you shall anoint the tabernacle of meeting, the Ark of the Covenant, 27The table and all its vessels, the lampstand and its vessels, the altar of incense, 28The altar of burnt offering with all its utensils; and the laver and its base. 29You shall consecrate them so that they will be most holy: whatever touches them shall be holy. 30And anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto Me in the priest's office. 31And say to the Israelites, ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil reserved unto Me throughout your generations. 32It shall it not be poured upon man's flesh, nor shall you make any other anointing oil like it in composition: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you. 33Whoever compounds anything like it, or puts any of it on anyone other than a priest, shall be cut off from his people.’” 34And the LORD said to Moses, “Take sweet spices - stacte (gum resin), onycha, and galbanum – and pure frankincense, each of equal weight; 35And make it into a fragrant perfume, a confection after the art of the perfumer (apothecary), blended together, pure and holy: 36And grind some of it into powder, and put it in front of the Ark of the covenant in the tabernacle of meeting, where I will meet with you: it shall be most holy to you. 37And as for the perfume which you shall make, you shall not make any incense for yourselves of its composition: it shall be to you holy, reserved for the LORD. 38Whoever makes incense like it, for its fragrance, shall be cut off from his people.” Reader-Friendly Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2024 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |