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are to make an altar to burn incense on; make it of acacia wood. 2 It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubic wide, and two cubits high. Its horns are to be of one piece with it. 3 Overlay its top, all around its sides, and its horns with pure gold, and make a gold moulding around it. 4 Make two gold rings for the altar under the moulding on two opposite sides; these will be holders for the poles to carry it with. 5 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 6 You are to put the altar in front of the curtain by the Ark of the Testimony—in front of the mercy seat that is over the Testimony—where I will meet with you.
7 “Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps, 8 and he must burn incense again when he sets up the lamps at twilight; so there will be a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations. 9 Do not offer any unauthorized incense on it or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. 10 Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. Throughout your generations he must perform this annual atonement for you with the blood of the the sin offering of atonement. It is most holy to the Lord.”
11 Then the Lord said to Moses, 12 “When you take a census of the Israelites to register them, each of the men must pay the Lord a ransom for his life as they are registered. Then no plague will come upon them as you register them. 13 Everyone who is registered must pay half a shekel measured according to the sanctuary shekel (twenty gerahs to the shekel). This half shekel is an offering to the Lord. 14 Each one who is registered, from twenty years old and over, must give this offering to the Lord. 15 The rich are not to give more, and the poor are not to give less than half a shekel when you bring this offering to the Lord to atone for your lives. 16 Receive the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the Tent of Meeting. It will be serve as a reminder to the Israelites before the Lord of the atonement that was made for your lives.”
17 Then the Lord said to Moses, 18 “Make a bronze basin for washing, and a bronze stand for it. 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 from the basin. 20 They must wash with water when they enter the Tent of Meeting so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made to the Lord by fire, 21 they must wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants throughout their generations.”
22 Then the Lord said to Moses, 23 “Take the finest spices: five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, two hundred and fifty shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, two hundred and fifty shekels of fragrant cane, 24 five hundred shekels of cassia (all measured according to the sanctuary shekel), and a hin of oil. 25 Prepare from these a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil. 26 With it, you are to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the Ark of the Testimony, 27 the table with all its utensils, the lampstand with its utensils, the altar of incense, 28 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. 29 You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will become holy. 30 Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve Me as priests.
31 “Say to the Israelites: ‘This will be My sacred anointing oil throughout your generations. 32 It must not be poured on people’s bodies, and you must not make anything like it using the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred. 33 Whoever makes something like it or whoever puts any of it on an unauthorized person must be cut off from his people’.”
34 The Lord said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices: stacte, onycha, and galbanum, and pure frankincense, all in equal portions. 35 Then prepare incense from these, the work of a perfumer. It is to be seasoned with salt, and pure and sacred. 36 Grind some of it into fine powder and place it in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. 37 When you make any incense using this formula, you must not make any for yourselves; it is to be regarded by you as holy to the Lord. 38 Whoever makes any like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from his people.”