Exodus 30:11-38; Exodus 31

Exodus 30:11-38

11 Then the LORD said to Moses,

12 “When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the LORD a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them.

13 Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD.

14 All who cross over, those twenty years old or more, 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 when you make the 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 a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD, making atonement for your lives.”

17 Then the LORD said to Moses,

18 “Make a bronze basin, 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 with water from it.

20 Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. 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 for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”

22 Then the LORD said to Moses,

23 “Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant calamus,

24 500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil.

25 Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil.

26 Then use it to anoint 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 so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.

30 “Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.

31 Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come.

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.

33 Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from their people.’ ”

34 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts,

35 and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. 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 with you. It shall be most holy to you.

37 Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the LORD.

38 Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from their people.”

Exodus 31

1 Then the LORD said to Moses,

2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,

3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—

4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze,

5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts.

6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you:

7 the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent—

8 the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense,

9 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand—

10 and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests,

11 and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded you.”

12 Then the LORD said to Moses,

13 “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.

14 “ ‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people.

15 For six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death.

16 The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant.

17 It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’ ”

18 When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.