Exodus 30

1 “You are also to make [create, construct] an altar [place of sacrifice, for burning offerings] of acacia wood [shittim wood, a strong and durable tree] for the burning [fumigation, ritual purification] of incense [sweet smoke, a pleasing aroma to God]. word study 2 It is to be [foursquare, square-shaped] square, a [unit of measurement, about the length of a forearm] cubit long, a cubit [in width, breadth] wide, and two cubits [in height, stature] high. Its [protrusions, projections] horns must be [made from the same block] of one piece. word study 3 Overlay [cover completely] with pure [clean, untainted] gold [a valuable, brilliant metal] the top [roof, upper surface] and all the sides [walls, surrounding areas] and horns [a horn; a hill or peak], and make [construct, fashion] a molding [border, decorative edge] of gold [precious, shining] around [surrounding, encircling] it. word study 4 And make [create, bring into being] two [a pair, dual] gold [valuable, brilliant] rings [signets] below [underneath, beneath] the molding [border, crown] on opposite [facing each other] sides to hold [support, carry] the poles [staves, bars] used to carry [lift, bear] it. word study 5 Make [create, construct] the poles [staves, bars] of acacia wood [shittim wood, a strong and firm tree] and overlay [cover, plate] them with gold [a valuable and brilliant metal]. word study 6 Place the altar [before] in front of the veil [curtain, screen] that is before [near, adjacent to] the ark [box, chest] of the Testimony [witness, law]—before [in front of, facing] the mercy seat [atonement cover, golden lid] that is over [above, upon] the Testimony [God’s instructions, covenant]—where [at that place, there] I will meet [appoint, come face to face] with you. word study 7 And Aaron [the first high priest, brother of Moses] is to burn [to offer, turning into a sweet smoke] fragrant [sweet smelling, pleasing aroma] incense [a mixture of spices] on it [upon the altar, as an act of worship] every morning [at the break of day, a time of new beginnings] when he tends [dresses, takes care of] the lamps [a candle, a light]. word study 8 When Aaron [the first high priest] sets up the lamps [devices for spiritual guidance] at twilight [between the evenings, at sunset], he must burn the incense [a sweet-smelling smoke] perpetually [continually] before the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] for the generations [periods of time] to come. word study 9 On this altar [the sacred place of worship] you must not offer [refuse to present] unauthorized [strange, foreign] incense [sweet smoke, perfume] or a burnt offering [a sacrifice totally consumed by fire] or grain offering [a gift of crops, meal]; nor are you to pour [libate, offer freely] a drink offering [a liquid sacrifice, oblation] on it [upon this sacred altar]. word study 10 Once a year [every twelve months, annually] Aaron [the first high priest, Moses’ brother] shall make atonement [cover, reconcile] on the horns [a horn; a hill or peak] of the altar [the place of sacrifice, worship]. Throughout your generations [all your descendants, perpetually] he shall make atonement [purification, reconciliation] on it annually [year by year, once every year] with the blood [the life-giving fluid] of the sin offering [the sacrifice for sin, guilt, and punishment] of atonement [reconciliation, making amends]. The altar [the sacred table, place of worship] is most holy [set apart, consecrated] to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God].” word study 11 Then the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] said [to speak, communicate] to Moses [the Israelite leader, God’s chosen servant], word study 12 “When you take a census [count, number] of the Israelites [sons of Israel, descendants of Jacob] to number them, each man [male person, individual] must pay the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] a ransom [redemption price, atonement] for his life [soul, living being] when he is counted [reckoned, overseen]. Then no plague [disease, punishment] will come upon them when they are numbered [counted, reckoned]. word study 13 Everyone who crosses over [passes among] to those counted [numbered, reckoned] must pay a half [one half, a portion] shekel [a unit of weight or money], according to the sanctuary [Holy Place, set-apart area] shekel, which weighs twenty [the number twenty, a multitude] gerahs [small weights or coins]. This half shekel [contribution, offering] is an offering [a gift, a tribute] to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 14 Everyone [from twenty years and upward, all who are numbered] twenty years of age [a son of twenty years, at the age of maturity] or older [and above, higher than twenty] who crosses over [passes among them that are numbered, transitions to those who are counted] must give [to put, to set, to offer] this offering [contribution, tribute, heave-offering] to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 15 In making the offering [a contribution, a sacrifice] to the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord of Israel] to atone [to cover, to make amends] for your lives [your souls, your very being], the rich [the wealthy, the noble] shall not give more than a half [a middle portion] shekel [a unit of weight or money], nor shall the poor [the weak, the needy] give less [diminish, reduce]. word study 16 Take the atonement [redemption, payment for sin] money from the Israelites [descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] and use it for the service [work, worship] of the Tent [tabernacle, sacred dwelling] of Meeting [assembly, gathering place]. It will serve as a memorial [reminder, remembrance] for the Israelites before the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] to make atonement [cover, forgive] for your lives [souls, living beings].” word study 17 And the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said [to speak, communicate] to [toward, in the direction of] Moses [the Israelite leader, deliverer of God’s people], word study 18 “You are to make [create, bring into being] a bronze [copper, brass] basin [laver, washing vessel] with a bronze [copper, brass] stand [base, pedestal] for washing [to cleanse, purify] [for the purpose of ritual cleansing]. Set it between [in the midst of, among] the Tent of Meeting [tabernacle, sacred dwelling] and the altar [place of sacrifice, offering], and put water [liquid, source of refreshment] in it [there, at that location], word study 19 with which Aaron [the first high priest, brother of Moses] and his sons [descendants, spiritual heirs] are to wash [ritually cleanse, purify] their hands [an open hand; strength, a side or share] and feet [the foot, the leg] [at the laver, for ceremonial purity]. word study 20 Whenever they enter [go into, approach] the Tent [tabernacle, place of meeting] of Meeting [appointed time, sacred season] or approach [draw near, come to] the altar [place of sacrifice, worship] to minister [serve, worship] by presenting [offering, burning] an offering [sacrifice, gift] made by fire [burnt, consecrated] to the LORD [Yehovah, God], they must wash [cleanse, purify] with water [a spring or watercourse] so that they will not [lest they] die [perish, lose life]. word study 21 Thus they are to wash [purify, cleanse] their hands [an open hand; strength, a side or share] and feet [the foot, the leg] so that they will not [absence of, without] die [experience physical or spiritual death]; this shall be a permanent [lasting, eternal] statute [divine law or decree] for Aaron and his descendants [seed, offspring] for the generations [successive groups of people] to come [in the future, throughout eternity].” word study 22 Then the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] said [to speak, communicate, or utter] to Moses [the Israelite leader, prophet, and mediator], word study 23 “Take the finest [choicest, principal] spices: 500 shekels of liquid [flowing, pure] myrrh [a bitter resin used in perfume and sacred oil], half that amount (250 shekels) of fragrant [sweet] cinnamon [a fragrant bark used as a spice], 250 shekels of fragrant [sweet, aromatic] cane [a type of reed or calamus], word study 24 500 shekels [a unit of weight or money] of cassia [a sweet-smelling bark]—all according to the sanctuary [Holy Place] shekel—and a hin [about 5 quarts or 6 liters] of olive [from the olive tree] oil [ointment]. word study 25 Prepare from these a [holy, set-apart] sacred anointing oil [a consecrated portion], a fragrant [perfume, spice mixture] blend, the work [deed, action] of a [skilled, expert] perfumer; it will be a [divinely appointed, special] sacred anointing oil. word study 26 Use this oil [specially prepared, sacred] to anoint [rub with oil, set apart] the Tent [tabernacle, sacred dwelling] of Meeting [appointed time, gathering place], the ark [chest, container] of the Testimony [witness, covenant agreement], word study 27 the table and all its utensils [articles or equipment], the lampstand [candlestick, a chandelier] and its utensils [accessories or vessels], the altar [a place of sacrifice] of incense [a sweet smoke, perfume], word study 28 the altar [place of sacrifice] of burnt offering [a step or stairs, often used to describe the ascent to the altar] and all [everything, the entirety] its utensils [articles or tools], and the basin [a round container, like a pan] with its stand [base or pedestal]. word study 29 You are to consecrate [set apart, dedicate] them so that they will be most holy [utterly sacred, completely devoted]. Whatever [all that, everything] touches [comes into contact with, reaches] them shall be holy [set apart, sanctified]. word study 30 Anoint [to rub oil on, set apart] Aaron [the brother of Moses, Israel’s first high priest] and his sons [descendants, spiritual heirs] and consecrate [set apart as holy, sanctify] them [namely, Aaron and his sons] to serve Me [as their Lord, Master] as priests [ministers, spiritual leaders, to minister in the priest’s office]. word study 31 And you are to tell [speak unto, command] the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob], ‘This [this specific oil, this anointing] will be My [belonging to Me, sacred to Me] sacred [holy, set apart] anointing [consecrated, dedicated] oil [olive oil, ointment] for the generations [periods of time, groups of people] to come [throughout your generations, forever]. word study 32 It must not be used to anoint [on the flesh of] an ordinary man [a common person, not a priest], and you must not make anything like [similar in composition or effect] it with the same formula [proportion or mixture]. It is holy [set apart, sacred, and consecrated], and it must be holy [regarded as sacred and revered] to you. word study 33 Anyone [a person, an individual] who mixes [compoundeth, prepares] perfume [anointing oil] like it [similar to this sacred blend] or puts [gives, applies] it on an outsider [a stranger, someone not a priest] shall be cut off [separated, expelled] from his people [his community, nation].’” word study 34 The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] also said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices [sweet spices, aromas]—gum resin [stacte, a type of aromatic gum], onycha [derived from a type of shell or mussel], galbanum [a type of resin or gum], and pure [clean, untainted] frankincense [a white resin used for incense]—in equal measures [with each having a like weight, in the same proportion], word study 35 and make [a perfume, a confection] a fragrant blend of incense [a sweet smoke, a pleasing aroma], the work [deed, action] of a perfumer [one who mixes spices, an apothecary], seasoned with salt [to preserve, to add flavor], pure [clean, ceremonially undefiled] and holy [set apart, sanctified]. word study 36 Grind [beat into fine powder, crush] some of it into fine powder and place [put, set] it in front of [before the presence of] the Testimony [witness, covenant] in the Tent [tabernacle] of Meeting [appointed gathering], where [in the place] I will meet [appear, convene] with you. It shall be [exist as, become] most holy [sacred, set apart] to you. word study 37 You are never [under no circumstances] to use this formula [the same recipe, composition] to make incense [a sweet smoke, perfume] for yourselves; you shall regard it as holy [set apart, sacred] to the LORD [Yehovah, the one true God]. word study 38 Anyone [a man, individual] who makes [creates, constructs] something like [similar to, comparable with] it to enjoy [smell, perceive] its fragrance [sweet smell, aroma] shall be [will be considered as being] cut off [separated, removed] from his people [nation, community].” word study