New Living Translation NLT
The Message Bible MSG
1 “Then make another altar of acacia wood for burning incense.
1
"Make an Altar for burning incense. Construct it from acacia wood,
2 Make it 18 inches square and 36 inches high, with horns at the corners carved from the same piece of wood as the altar itself.
2
one and one-half feet square and three feet high with its horns of one piece with it.
3 Overlay the top, sides, and horns of the altar with pure gold, and run a gold molding around the entire altar.
3
Cover it with a veneer of pure gold, its top, sides, and horns, and make a gold molding around it
4 Make two gold rings, and attach them on opposite sides of the altar below the gold molding to hold the carrying poles.
4
with two rings of gold beneath the molding. Place the rings on the two opposing sides to serve as holders for poles by which it will be carried.
5 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
5
Make the poles of acacia wood and cover them with a veneer of gold.
6 Place the incense altar just outside the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant, in front of the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that covers the tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. I will meet with you there.
6
"Place the Altar in front of the curtain that hides the Chest of The Testimony, in front of the Atonement-Cover that is over The Testimony where I will meet you.
7 “Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar.
7
Aaron will burn fragrant incense on it every morning when he polishes the lamps,
8 And 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.
8
and again in the evening as he prepares the lamps for lighting, so that there will always be incense burning before God, generation after generation.
9 Do not offer any unholy incense on this altar, or any burnt offerings, grain offerings, or liquid offerings.
9
But don't burn on this Altar any unholy incense or Whole-Burnt-Offering or Grain-Offering. And don't pour out Drink-Offerings on it.
10 “Once a year Aaron must purify 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.”
10
Once a year Aaron is to purify the Altar horns. Using the blood of the Absolution-Offering of atonement, he is to make this atonement every year down through the generations. It is most holy to God." The Atonement-Tax
11 Then the LORD said to Moses,
11
God spoke to Moses:
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.
12
"When you take a head count of the Israelites to keep track of them, all must pay an atonement-tax to God for their life at the time of being registered so that nothing bad will happen because of the registration.
13 Each person who is counted must give a small piece of silver as a sacred offering to the LORD . (This payment is half a shekel, based on the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs.)
13
Everyone who gets counted is to give a half-shekel (using the standard Sanctuary shekel of a fifth of an ounce to the shekel) - a half-shekel offering to God.
14 All who have reached their twentieth birthday must give this sacred offering to the LORD .
14
Everyone counted, age twenty and up, is to make the offering to God.
15 When this offering is given to the LORD to purify your lives, making you right with him, the rich must not give more than the specified amount, and the poor must not give less.
15
The rich are not to pay more nor the poor less than the half-shekel offering to God, the atonement-tax for your lives.
16 Receive this ransom money from the Israelites, and use it for the care of the Tabernacle. It will bring the Israelites to the LORD ’s attention, and it will purify your lives.”
16
Take the atonement-tax money from the Israelites and put it to the maintenance of the Tent of Meeting. It will be a memorial fund for the Israelites in honor of God, making atonement for your lives." The Washbasin
17 Then the LORD said to Moses,
17
God spoke to Moses:
18 “Make a bronze washbasin with a bronze stand. Place it between the Tabernacle and the altar, and fill it with water.
18
"Make a bronze Washbasin; make it with a bronze base. Place it between the Tent of Meeting and the Altar. Put water in it.
19 Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet there.
19
Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet in it.
20 They 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!
20
When they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the Altar to serve there or offer gift offerings to God, they are to wash so they will not die.
21 They 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.”
21
They are to wash their hands and their feet so they will not die. This is the rule forever, for Aaron and his sons down through the generations." Holy Anointing Oil
22 Then the LORD said to Moses,
22
God spoke to Moses:
23 “Collect choice spices—12 pounds of pure myrrh, 6 pounds of fragrant cinnamon, 6 pounds of fragrant calamus,
23
"Take the best spices: twelve and a half pounds of liquid myrrh; half that much, six and a quarter pounds, of fragrant cinnamon; six and a quarter pounds of fragrant cane;
24 and 12 pounds of cassia —as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. Also get one gallon of olive oil.
24
twelve and a half pounds of cassia - using the standard Sanctuary weight for all of them - and a gallon of olive oil.
25 Like a skilled incense maker, blend these ingredients to make a holy anointing oil.
25
Make these into a holy anointing oil, a perfumer's skillful blend.
26 Use this sacred oil to anoint the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant,
26
"Use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the Chest of The Testimony,
27 the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and all its accessories, the incense altar,
27
the Table and all its utensils, the Lampstand and its utensils, the Altar of Incense,
28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the washbasin with its stand.
28
the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offerings and all its utensils, and the Washbasin and its base.
29 Consecrate them to make them absolutely holy. After this, whatever touches them will also become holy.
29
Consecrate them so they'll be soaked in holiness, so that anyone who so much as touches them will become holy.
30 “Anoint Aaron and his sons also, consecrating them to serve me as priests.
30
"Then anoint Aaron and his sons. Consecrate them as priests to me.
31 And say to the people of Israel, ‘This holy anointing oil is reserved for me from generation to generation.
31
Tell the Israelites, 'This will be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations.'
32 It 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.
32
Don't pour it on ordinary men. Don't copy this mixture to use for yourselves. It's holy; keep it holy.
33 Anyone who makes a blend like it or anoints someone other than a priest will be cut off from the community.’”
33
Whoever mixes up anything like it, or puts it on an ordinary person, will be expelled." Holy Incense
34 Then 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.
34
God spoke to Moses: "Take fragrant spices - gum resin, onycha, galbanum - and add pure frankincense. Mix the spices in equal proportions
35 Using the usual techniques of the incense maker, blend the spices together and sprinkle them with salt to produce a pure and holy incense.
35
to make an aromatic incense, the art of a perfumer, salted and pure - holy.
36 Grind some of the mixture into a very fine powder and put it in front of the Ark of the Covenant, where I will meet with you in the Tabernacle. You must treat this incense as most holy.
36
Now crush some of it into powder and place some of it before The Testimony in the Tent of Meeting where I will meet with you; it will be for you the holiest of holy places.
37 Never use this formula to make this incense for yourselves. It is reserved for the LORD, and you must treat it as holy.
37
When you make this incense, you are not to copy the mixture for your own use. It's holy to God; keep it that way.
38 Anyone who makes incense like this for personal use will be cut off from the community.”
38
Whoever copies it for personal use will be excommunicated."
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.