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Exodus 30
EasyEnglish Bible
Exodus 30
EasyEnglish Bible
The altar for incense
30 Use acacia wood to make an altar so that you can burn incense on it. 2 The altar must be square. Make it 45 centimetres long, 45 centimetres wide and 90 centimetres high. The altar's horns must be part of it, made from one piece of wood. 3 Cover all the altar with gold: its top, its sides and the horns. Build up an edge of gold around the four sides. 4 Make two gold rings for the altar. Fix them below the gold edge on two opposite sides. They will hold the poles for you to carry the altar. 5 Use acacia wood to make the poles. Cover them with gold.
6 Put the altar for incense in the Holy Place in the tabernacle. Put it in front of the curtain that hides the Covenant Box. It will be near the special lid that covers the Covenant Box. That is the place where I will meet with you.
7 Every morning, Aaron must burn sweet incense on this altar. He must do this when he goes in to take care of the lamps. 8 He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps in the evening. Incense must burn there as an offering to the Lord every day from now on. 9 Only offer proper incense on this altar. Do not offer any burnt offerings or grain offerings on it. And do not pour any drink offerings on it. 10 Once every year, Aaron must make the altar clean and pure. He must put some of the blood from the sin offering on the horns of the altar. A priest must do this every year from now on. The altar is holy because it belongs to me, the Lord.’
Money for the tabernacle
11 Then the Lord said to Moses, 12 ‘When you count the number of the Israelites, each person must pay the Lord a price for his life. Everyone must do this at the time when you count them. Then no bad illness will happen to them as you count them. 13 Each person that you count must give six grams of silver. That is the proper weight that they use in the tabernacle. The silver is an offering to the Lord. 14 You must count every person who is 20 years old or more. Each person must offer his gift to the Lord. 15 Rich people must not give more than six grams of silver. Poor people must not give less than that. That is the offering that you must each give to the Lord. It is the price that everyone must pay for his life. 16 Receive these silver coins from the Israelites. Use the money to take care of the Tent of Meeting.[a] Then the Lord will always remember that you belong to him. You have paid money for your lives.’
The bronze bowl
17 Then the Lord said to Moses, 18 ‘Use bronze to make a large bowl for water. Also use bronze to make a base for it to stand on. Put it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar. Fill it with water.
19 Aaron and his sons must use the water from the bowl to wash their hands and their feet. 20 Every time they go into the Tent of Meeting, they must wash in the same way. Then they will not die. They must also wash before they go to the altar to make a burnt offering to the Lord. 21 If they wash their hands and their feet, they will not die as they serve me. This will always be a rule for Aaron and for his descendants, the priests.’
Special oil and incense
22 Then the Lord said to Moses, 23 ‘Mix together these special spices:
6 kilograms of pure myrrh,
3 kilograms of sweet cinnamon,
3 kilograms of sweet grasses,
24 6 kilograms of cassia,[b]
and 4 litres of olive oil.
25 Mix these spices to make a special oil. A worker should use special skills to make it, so that it has a sweet smell, like perfume. It will be a very special oil to put on things that belong to me.
26 Then pour some of this special oil on these things:
the Tent of Meeting,
the Covenant Box,
27 the special table and all its tools,
the lampstand and its tools,
the altar for incense,
28 the altar for burnt offerings and all its tools,
and the large bowl of water with its base.
29 You must make all these things special for me. They will be very holy things. Anything that touches them will also become holy.
30 Pour some of the special oil on Aaron's head and on the heads of his sons. Make them special for me. Then they can serve me as my priests. 31 Say to the Israelites, “This will always be my special oil for all time. 32 Do not put it on the bodies of anyone, except priests. Do not use spices like this to make oil for yourselves. It is holy and you must always think about it as holy. 33 Nobody must make a perfume that has a sweet smell like this oil. Nobody must put this oil on any person who is not a priest. Anyone who does not obey this rule will no longer belong to my people.” ’
34 Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Use the same amount of each of these sweet spices to make some incense: gum resin, onycha, galbanum and frankincense.[c] 35 Give them to a worker who can use special skills to make the incense. It must have a sweet smell, like a perfume. Add some salt to it so that it is a pure and holy incense. 36 Beat some of the incense to make powder. Put this in front of the Covenant Box, in the Tent of Meeting. That is where I will meet with you. This incense will be a very holy thing for you. 37 Do not make any incense like this for yourselves. You must always think about it as very holy. It belongs to the Lord. 38 If anyone makes any incense like it for his own perfume, he will no longer belong to my people.’
Exodus 30
New International Version
Exodus 30
New International Version
The Altar of Incense(A)
30 “Make an altar(B) of acacia wood for burning incense.(C) 2 It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high[a]—its horns(D) of one piece with it. 3 Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.(E) 4 Make two gold rings(F) for the altar below the molding—two on each of the opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it. 5 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.(G) 6 Put the altar in front of the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law—before the atonement cover(H) that is over the tablets of the covenant law—where I will meet with you.
7 “Aaron must burn fragrant incense(I) on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. 8 He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come.(J) 9 Do not offer on this altar any other incense(K) or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. 10 Once a year(L) Aaron shall make atonement(M) on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering[b](N) for the generations to come.(O) It is most holy to the Lord.”
Atonement Money
11 Then the Lord said to Moses, 12 “When you take a census(P) of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom(Q) for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague(R) will come on them when you number them. 13 Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel,[c] according to the sanctuary shekel,(S) which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord. 14 All who cross over, those twenty years old or more,(T) are to give an offering to the Lord. 15 The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less(U) when you make the offering to the Lord to atone for your lives. 16 Receive the atonement(V) money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting.(W) It will be a memorial(X) for the Israelites before the Lord, making atonement for your lives.”
Basin for Washing
17 Then the Lord said to Moses, 18 “Make a bronze basin,(Y) with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 19 Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet(Z) with water(AA) from it. 20 Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die.(AB) Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the Lord, 21 they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance(AC) for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”(AD)
Anointing Oil
22 Then the Lord said to Moses, 23 “Take the following fine spices:(AE) 500 shekels[d] of liquid myrrh,(AF) half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon,(AG) 250 shekels[e] of fragrant calamus,(AH) 24 500 shekels(AI) of cassia(AJ)—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin[f] of olive oil. 25 Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer.(AK) It will be the sacred anointing oil.(AL) 26 Then use it to anoint(AM) the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law, 27 the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, 28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. 29 You shall consecrate them(AN) so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.(AO)
30 “Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate(AP) them so they may serve me as priests.(AQ) 31 Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil(AR) for the generations to come.(AS) 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.(AT) 33 Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off(AU) from their people.’”
Incense
34 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices(AV)—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, 35 and make a fragrant blend of incense,(AW) the work of a perfumer.(AX) It is to be salted and pure and sacred. 36 Grind 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(AY) with you. It shall be most holy(AZ) to you. 37 Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy(BA) to the Lord. 38 Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off(BB) from their people.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 30:2 That is, about 1 1/2 feet long and wide and 3 feet high or about 45 centimeters long and wide and 90 centimeters high
- Exodus 30:10 Or purification offering
- Exodus 30:13 That is, about 1/5 ounce or about 5.8 grams; also in verse 15
- Exodus 30:23 That is, about 12 1/2 pounds or about 5.8 kilograms; also in verse 24
- Exodus 30:23 That is, about 6 1/4 pounds or about 2.9 kilograms
- Exodus 30:24 That is, probably about 1 gallon or about 3.8 liters
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