1 A nd thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.

“Make an altar for burning special perfume. Make it of acacia wood.

2 A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same.

It will be as long and as wide as a man’s arm and as high as a man’s waist. Its horns will be of one piece with it.

3 A nd thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.

Cover its top, all its sides and its horns with pure gold. And make a piece of gold to go around it.

4 A nd two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal.

Then make two gold rings for the altar to put under this piece. Put one on each side of the altar so it can hold the long pieces of wood used for carrying it.

5 A nd thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.

Make the long pieces of acacia wood and cover them with gold.

6 A nd thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.

Put this altar in front of the curtain that is by the box of the Law, in front of the mercy-seat that is over the box of the Law. There I will meet with you.

7 A nd Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.

Aaron will burn special perfume on it every morning when he takes care of the lamps.

8 A nd when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations.

And when Aaron takes care of the lamps in the evening, he will burn special perfume. There will be a burning of special perfume before the Lord for all your people for all time.

9 Y e shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.

Do not give upon this altar any perfume, burnt gift or grain gift that is not holy. And do not pour out a drink gift on it.

10 A nd Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the Lord.

Once a year Aaron will give a gift for sin on its horns to take away sin. He will give the blood of the sin gift to make it holy once a year for all your people for all time. It is most holy to the Lord.” Tax for the Meeting Tent

11 A nd the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

The Lord said to Moses,

12 W hen thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.

“When you number the people of Israel, each one of them will pay a price for his life to the Lord. Then no trouble will come upon them when you number them.

13 T his they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the Lord.

Every one who is numbered will give one piece of silver, by the weight decided upon for the holy place. One piece of silver will be a gift to the Lord.

14 E very one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the Lord.

Every one who is numbered, twenty years old and older, will give the gift to the Lord.

15 T he rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls.

The rich will not pay more and the poor will not pay less than one piece of silver. It will be a gift to the Lord so you will be forgiven of sin.

16 A nd thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls.

Receive this money from the people of Israel and use it for the work of the meeting tent. Then it will be remembered before the Lord that the people of Israel gave a gift to take away their sin of being numbered.” The Pot of Brass for Washing

17 A nd the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

The Lord said to Moses,

18 T hou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.

“Make a pot of brass for washing. Make its base of brass also. Put it between the meeting tent and the altar, and put water in it.

19 F or Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:

Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet with water from it.

20 W hen they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the Lord:

When they go into the meeting tent, they will wash with water, so they will not die. And they will wash when they go near the altar to give a gift made by fire to the Lord.

21 S o they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.

They will wash their hands and their feet, so they will not die. It will always be a law for Aaron and his children forever.” The Holy Oil for Pouring

22 M oreover the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

The Lord said to Moses,

23 T ake thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,

“Take the best spices: a heavy weight of flowing myrrh, half that weight of sweet-smelling cinnamon and of sweet-smelling cane,

24 A nd of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:

and a heavy weight of cassia, the weight decided upon by the holy place, and a large jar of olive oil.

25 A nd thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.

Mix these to make a holy oil for holy use, mixed like perfume made by an able workman. It will be a holy oil for holy use.

26 A nd thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,

Pour it on the meeting tent and the box of the Law,

27 A nd the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,

the table and all its objects, the lamp-stand and all its objects, the altar of special perfume,

28 A nd the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot.

the altar of burnt gifts and all its objects, and the washing pot and its base.

29 A nd thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.

Set them apart so they may be most holy. Whatever touches them will be holy.

30 A nd thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.

Pour oil on Aaron and his sons. Set them apart so they may serve as religious leaders for Me.

31 A nd thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.

Say to the people of Israel, ‘This will be a holy oil to Me for all your people for all time.

32 U pon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.

It will not be poured on the flesh of man. And you will not mix any like it. It is holy. It will be holy to you.

33 W hosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.

Whoever mixes any like it, or puts any of it on a man who is not a religious leader, will be cut off from his people.’”

34 A nd the Lord said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:

The Lord said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte, onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense. Take the same amount of each.

35 A nd thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:

Mix them to make a special perfume, salted, pure and holy, the work of an able workman.

36 A nd thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.

Beat some of it very fine. And put some of it in front of the special box of the agreement in the meeting tent, where I will meet with you. It will be most holy to you.

37 A nd as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the Lord.

Do not mix this special perfume in the same way for yourselves. It will be holy for you to the Lord.

38 W hosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.

Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume will be cut off from his people.”