The Altar of Incense (Exodus 37:25–29)
1 DRA Thou shalt make also an altar to burn incense, of setim wood. BSB BSB: “You are also to make an altar of acacia wood for the burning of incense.
2 DRA It shall be a cubit in length, and another in breadth, that is, foursquare, and two in height. Horns shall go out of the same. BSB BSB: It is to be square, a cubit long, a cubit wide, and two cubits high. Its horns must be of one piece.
3 DRA And thou shalt overlay it with the purest gold, as well as the grate thereof, as the walls round about and the horns. And thou shalt make to it a crown of gold round about, BSB BSB: Overlay with pure gold the top and all the sides and horns, and make a molding of gold around it.
4 DRA And two golden rings under the crown on either side, that the bars may be put into them, and the altar be carried. BSB BSB: And make two gold rings below the molding on opposite sides to hold the poles used to carry it.
5 DRA And thou shalt make the bars also of setim wood, and shalt overlay them with gold. BSB BSB: Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
6 DRA And thou shalt set the altar over against the veil, that hangeth before the ark of the testimony before the propitiatory wherewith the testimony is covered, where I will speak to thee. BSB BSB: Place the altar in front of the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony—before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony—where I will meet with you.
7 DRA And Aaron shall burn sweet smelling incense upon it in the morning. When he shall dress the lamps, he shall burn it: BSB BSB: And Aaron is to burn fragrant incense on it every morning when he tends the lamps.
8 DRA And when he shall place them in the evening, he shall burn an everlasting incense before the Lord throughout your generations. BSB BSB: When Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he must burn the incense perpetually before the LORD for the generations to come.
9 DRA You shall not offer upon it incense of another composition nor oblation, and victim, neither shall you offer libations. BSB BSB: On this altar you must not offer unauthorized incense or a burnt offering or grain offering; nor are you to pour a drink offering on it.
10 DRA And Aaron shall pray upon the horns thereof once a year, with the blood of that which was offered for sin, and shall make atonement upon it in your generations. It shall be most holy to the Lord. BSB BSB: Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on the horns of the altar. Throughout your generations he shall make atonement on it annually with the blood of the sin offering of atonement. The altar is most holy to the LORD.”
The Census Offering (2 Samuel 24:1–9; 1 Chronicles 21:1–6)
11 DRA And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Moses,
12 DRA When thou shalt take the sum of the children of Israel according to their number, every one of them shall give a price for their souls to the Lord, and there shall be no scourge among them, when they shall be reckoned. BSB BSB: “When you take a census of the Israelites to number them, each man must pay the LORD a ransom for his life when he is counted. Then no plague will come upon them when they are numbered.
13 DRA And this shall every one give that passeth at the naming, half a sicle according to the standard of the temple. A sicle hath twenty obols. Half a sicle shall be offered to the Lord. BSB BSB: Everyone who crosses over to those counted must pay a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD.
14 DRA He that is counted in the number from twenty years and upwards, shall give the price. BSB BSB: Everyone twenty years of age or older who crosses over must give this offering to the LORD.
15 DRA The rich man shall not add to half a sicle, and the poor man shall diminish nothing. BSB BSB: In making the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives, the rich shall not give more than a half shekel, nor shall the poor give less.
16 DRA And the money received which was contributed by the children of Israel, thou shalt deliver unto the uses of the tabernacle of the testimony, that it may be a memorial of them before the Lord, and he may be merciful to their souls. BSB BSB: Take the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the Tent of Meeting. It will serve as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD to make atonement for your lives.”
The Bronze Basin (Exodus 38:8)
17 DRA And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: BSB BSB: And the LORD said to Moses,
18 DRA Thou shalt make also a brazen laver with its foot, to wash in: and thou shalt set it between the tabernacle of the testimony and the altar. And water being put into it, BSB BSB: “You are to make a bronze basin with a bronze stand for washing. Set it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it,
19 DRA Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and feet in it: BSB BSB: with which Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet.
20 DRA When they are going into the tabernacle of the testimony, and when they are to come to the altar, to offer on it incense to the Lord, BSB BSB: Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the LORD, they must wash with water so that they will not die.
21 DRA Lest perhaps they die. It shall be an everlasting law to him, and to his seed by successions. BSB BSB: Thus they are to wash their hands and feet so that they will not die; this shall be a permanent statute for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”
The Anointing Oil 22 DRA And the Lord spoke to Moses, BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Moses,
23 DRA Saying: Take spices, of principal and chosen myrrh five hundred sicles, and of cinnamon half so much, that is, two hundred and fifty sicles, of calamus in like manner two hundred and fifty. BSB BSB: “Take the finest spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half that amount (250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane,
24 DRA And of cassia five hundred sicles by the weight of the sanctuary, of oil of olives the measure hin: BSB BSB: 500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil.
25 DRA And thou shalt make the holy oil of unction, an ointment compounded after the art of the perfumer, BSB BSB: Prepare from these a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer; it will be a sacred anointing oil.
26 DRA And therewith thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the testimony, and the ark of the testament, BSB BSB: Use this oil to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony,
27 DRA And the table with the vessels thereof, the candlestick and furniture thereof, the altars of incense, BSB BSB: the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, the altar of incense,
28 DRA And of holocaust, and all the furniture that belongeth to the service of them. BSB BSB: the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand.
29 DRA And thou shalt sanctify all, and they shall be most holy: he that shall touch them shall be sanctified. BSB BSB: You are to consecrate them so that they will be most holy. Whatever touches them shall be holy.
30 DRA Thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and shalt sanctify them, that they may do the office of priesthood unto me. BSB BSB: Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them to serve Me as priests.
31 DRA And thou shalt say to the children of Israel: This oil of unction shall be holy unto me throughout your generations. BSB BSB: And you are to tell the Israelites, ‘This will be My sacred anointing oil for the generations to come.
32 DRA The flesh of man shall not be anointed therewith, and you shall make none other of the same composition, because it is sanctified, and shall be holy unto you. BSB BSB: It must not be used to anoint an ordinary man, and you must not make anything like it with the same formula. It is holy, and it must be holy to you.
33 DRA What man soever shall compound such, and shall give thereof to a stranger, he shall be cut off from his people. BSB BSB: Anyone who mixes perfume like it or puts it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’”
The Incense 34 DRA And the Lord said to Moses: Take unto thee spices, stacte, and onycha, galbanum of sweet savour, and the clearest frankincense, all shall be of equal weight. BSB BSB: The LORD also said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense—in equal measures,
35 DRA And thou shalt make incense compounded by the work of the perfumer, well tempered together, and pure, and most worthy of sanctification. BSB BSB: and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.
36 DRA And when thou has beaten all into very small powder, thou shalt set of it before the tabernacle of the testimony, in the place where I will appear to thee. Most holy shall this incense be to you. BSB BSB: Grind some of it into fine powder and place it in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you.
37 DRA You shall not make such a composition for your own uses, because it is holy to the Lord. BSB BSB: You are never to use this formula to make incense for yourselves; you shall regard it as holy to the LORD.
38 DRA What man soever shall make the like, to enjoy the smell thereof, he shall perish out of his people. BSB BSB: Anyone who makes something like it to enjoy its fragrance shall be cut off from his people.”