Exodus 30 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

Plans for the Incense Altar

(Exo 37:25–28 )

Exo 30:1“Then make another altar of acacia wood for burning incense.

Exo 30:2Make it 18 inches square and 36 inches high,[fn] with horns at the corners carved from the same piece of wood as the altar itself.

Exo 30:3

Exo 30:3Overlay the top, sides, and horns of the altar with pure gold, and run a gold molding around the entire altar.

Exo 30:4

Exo 30:4Make two gold rings, and attach them on opposite sides of the altar below the gold molding to hold the carrying poles.

Exo 30:5

Exo 30:5Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.

Exo 30:6

Exo 30:6Place the incense altar just outside the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant,[fn] in front of the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that covers the tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant.[fn] I will meet with you there.

Exo 30:7

Exo 30:7“Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar.

Exo 30:8

Exo 30:8And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn incense in the LORD’s presence. This must be done from generation to generation.

Exo 30:9

Exo 30:9Do not offer any unholy incense on this altar, or any burnt offerings, grain offerings, or liquid offerings.

Exo 30:10

Exo 30:10“Once a year Aaron must purify[fn] the altar by smearing its horns with blood from the offering made to purify the people from their sin. This will be a regular, annual event from generation to generation, for this is the LORD’s most holy altar.”

Money for the Tabernacle

Exo 30:11

Exo 30:11Then the LORD said to Moses,

Exo 30:12

Exo 30:12“Whenever you take a census of the people of Israel, each man who is counted must pay a ransom for himself to the LORD. Then no plague will strike the people as you count them.

Exo 30:13

Exo 30:13Each person who is counted must give a small piece of silver as a sacred offering to the LORD. (This payment is half a shekel,[fn] based on the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs.)

Exo 30:14

Exo 30:14All who have reached their twentieth birthday must give this sacred offering to the LORD.

Exo 30:15

Exo 30:15When this offering is given to the LORD to purify your lives, making you right with him,[fn] the rich must not give more than the specified amount, and the poor must not give less.

Exo 30:16

Exo 30:16Receive this ransom money from the Israelites, and use it for the care of the Tabernacle.[fn] It will bring the Israelites to the LORD’s attention, and it will purify your lives.”

Plans for the Washbasin

Exo 30:17

Exo 30:17Then the LORD said to Moses,

Exo 30:18

Exo 30:18“Make a bronze washbasin with a bronze stand. Place it between the Tabernacle and the altar, and fill it with water.

Exo 30:19

Exo 30:19Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet there.

Exo 30:20

Exo 30:20They must wash with water whenever they go into the Tabernacle to appear before the LORD and when they approach the altar to burn up their special gifts to the LORD—or they will die!

Exo 30:21

Exo 30:21They must always wash their hands and feet, or they will die. This is a permanent law for Aaron and his descendants, to be observed from generation to generation.”

The Anointing Oil

(Exo 37:29 )

Exo 30:22

Exo 30:22Then the LORD said to Moses,

Exo 30:23

Exo 30:23“Collect choice spices—12½ pounds of pure myrrh, 6¼ pounds of fragrant cinnamon, 6¼ pounds of fragrant calamus,[fn]

Exo 30:24

Exo 30:24and 12½ pounds of cassia[fn]—as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. Also get one gallon of olive oil.[fn]

Exo 30:25

Exo 30:25Like a skilled incense maker, blend these ingredients to make a holy anointing oil.

Exo 30:26

Exo 30:26Use this sacred oil to anoint the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant,

Exo 30:27

Exo 30:27the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and all its accessories, the incense altar,

Exo 30:28

Exo 30:28the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the washbasin with its stand.

Exo 30:29

Exo 30:29Consecrate them to make them absolutely holy. After this, whatever touches them will also become holy.

Exo 30:30

Exo 30:30“Anoint Aaron and his sons also, consecrating them to serve me as priests.

Exo 30:31

Exo 30:31And say to the people of Israel, ‘This holy anointing oil is reserved for me from generation to generation.

Exo 30:32

Exo 30:32It must never be used to anoint anyone else, and you must never make any blend like it for yourselves. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy.

Exo 30:33

Exo 30:33Anyone who makes a blend like it or anoints someone other than a priest will be cut off from the community.’”

The Incense

(Exo 37:29 )

Exo 30:34

Exo 30:34Then the LORD said to Moses, “Gather fragrant spices—resin droplets, mollusk shell, and galbanum—and mix these fragrant spices with pure frankincense, weighed out in equal amounts.

Exo 30:35

Exo 30:35Using the usual techniques of the incense maker, blend the spices together and sprinkle them with salt to produce a pure and holy incense.

Exo 30:36

Exo 30:36Grind some of the mixture into a very fine powder and put it in front of the Ark of the Covenant,[fn] where I will meet with you in the Tabernacle. You must treat this incense as most holy.

Exo 30:37

Exo 30:37Never use this formula to make this incense for yourselves. It is reserved for the LORD, and you must treat it as holy.

Exo 30:38

Exo 30:38Anyone who makes incense like this for personal use will be cut off from the community.”