Exodus, 30

1. And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: [of] shittim wood shalt thou make it.

1. You must make an altar on which to burn incense; you are to make it out of acacia wood.

2. A cubit [shall be] the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits [shall be] the height thereof: the horns thereof [shall be] of the same.

2. It is to be one cubit long, and one cubit wide - that is to say, square - and to stand two cubits high; its horns are to be one piece with it.

3. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.

3. The top of the altar, its surrounding sides, and its horns, are to be covered with pure gold, and decorated with a gold edge all around.

4. And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make [it]; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal.

4. You are to put two gold rings on it below the edge on its two opposite sides: these are to hold the poles used for carrying it.

5. And thou shalt make the staves [of] shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.

5. These poles you must make of acacia wood and cover with gold.

6. And thou shalt put it before the vail that [is] by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that [is] over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.

6. You are to set up the altar before the veil that protects the ark of the Statement opposite the ark and the mercy Seat from where I speak to you.

7. And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.

7. On this altar Aaron must burn fragrant incense each morning when he prepares the lamps,

8. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.

8. and in the evening twilight when Aaron puts the lamps back, he must burn it again. You must make these offerings of incense before Yahweh unfailingly from generation to generation.

9. Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.

9. You must not offer unholy incense on this altar or animal or grain offering, or pour out any wine offering on it.

10. And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it [is] most holy unto the LORD.

10. Once a year Aaron is to perform the atonement on the horns of this altar; he shall do this atonement with the blood of the victim to take away sins. And you shall do the same once a year in the generations to come. This ceremony will be extremely holy in the eyes of Yahweh."

11. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

11. Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

12. When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when [thou] numberest them.

12. "When you take a census and make a register of the people of Israel, each is to pay Yahweh a ransom for his life, so that no disaster comes on them when the census is being made.

13. This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel [is] twenty gerahs:) an half shekel [shall be] the offering of the LORD.

13. Everyone subject to the census must pay the required amount of money, weighed according to the official standard, and this shall be set aside for Yahweh.

14. Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.

14. Everyone subject to the census, that is to say of twenty years and over, must pay the sum set aside for Yahweh.

15. The 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 an atonement for your souls.

15. The rich man is not to give more, nor the poor man less, when they pay this amount for their lives.

16. And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.

16. You will use this ransom money given to you by the people of Israel for the upkeep of the Tent of Meeting. It will remind Yahweh of the people of Israel and will be the ransom for your lives."

17. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

17. Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

18. Thou shalt also make a laver [of] brass, and his foot [also of] brass, to wash [withal]: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.

18. "You must also make a bronze basin on a stand, for washing. You must place it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it.

19. For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:

19. In this, Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet.

20. When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD:

20. When they are about to enter the Tent of Meeting they must wash in water lest they die, and when they have to approach the altar for their service, to burn the offering burned in honor of Yahweh,

21. So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, [even] to him and to his seed throughout their generations.

21. they must wash their hands and feet lest they die. This is a lasting rule for them, for Aaron and for his descendants from generation to generation."

22. Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

22. Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

23. Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred [shekels], and of sweet cinnamon half so much, [even] two hundred and fifty [shekels], and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty [shekels],

23. "Take the choicest spices: twelve pounds of liquid myrrh, six pounds of sweet-smelling cinnamon, six pounds of scented cane and twelve pounds

24. And of cassia five hundred [shekels], after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:

24. of cassia (all weighed according to the official standard) and one gallon of olive oil.

25. And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.

25. These you are to make into a holy oil for anointing, such a blend as the perfumer might make.

26. And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,

26. With it you are to anoint the Tent of Meeting and the ark of the Statement,

27. And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,

27. the table and all its furnishings, the lampstand and all its accessories,

28. And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot.

28. the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering with all its furnishings, and the basin with its stand.

29. And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.

29. In this way you shall consecrate

30. And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that [they] may minister unto me in the priest's office.

30. them and they will remain extremely holy; and whatever touches them will become holy. You must anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them, so that they may be priests in my service.

31. And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.

31. Then you are to say to the people of Israel: 'Such will be the oil of holy anointing from generation to generation.

32. Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make [any other] like it, after the composition of it: it [is] holy, [and] it shall be holy unto you.

32. It is not to be poured on the bodies of common men, nor are you to make any other oil of the same mixture. It is a holy thing and you must consider it holy.

33. Whosoever compoundeth [any] like it, or whosoever putteth [any] of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.

33. Whoever makes any like it or uses it on a layman shall be outlawed from his people."

34. And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; [these] sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like [weight]:

34. Yahweh said to Moses, "Take sweet spices: storax, onycha, galbanum, sweet spices and pure frankincense in equal parts,

35. And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure [and] holy:

35. and make an incense, such as the perfumer might make, salted, pure, and holy.

36. And thou shalt beat [some] of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.

36. Crush a part of it into a fine powder, and put some of this in front of the ark of the Statement in the Tent of Meeting, the place appointed for my meetings with you. You must regard it as most holy.

37. And [as for] the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD.

37. You are not to make any incense like it for your own use. You must hold it to be a holy thing, reserved for Yahweh.

38. Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.

38. Whoever copies it for use as perfume shall be outlawed from his people."