Read the Bible: Exodus 30

God is still giving Moses instructions about how to furnish the tabernacle. The bronze wash basin in the lower left of this image, and the altar of incense in front of the veil, are described in this chapter.

Exodus 30

“You shall make an altar to burn incense on: of acacia wood you shall make it. 

2 A cubit shall be the length and a cubit the width; it shall be square and two cubits shall be the height of it: the horns of it shall be one piece with it.

3 And you shall overlay it with pure gold, the top and the sides all the way around, and the horns; and you shall make a moulding of gold around it.

4 Two golden rings you shall make for it under the moulding, by the two corners of it, on the two sides of it you shall make it; and they shall be for places for the poles to carry it. 

5 Make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.

6 And place it in front of the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with you. 

7 Aaron shall burn sweet incense on it every morning, when he dresses the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.

8 And when Aaron lights the lamps at evening he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.

9 You shall not offer strange incense on it, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall you pour any drink offering on it.

10 Aaron shall make an atonement on 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 on it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD”.

11 And the LORD spoke to Moses:

12 “When thou take a census of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul to the LORD when you count them, that there be no plague among them when you number them.

13 This 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:) a half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.

14 Every one that passes among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering to the LORD.

15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering to the LORD, to make an atonement for your lives.

16 You shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial to the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your lives.”

17 The LORD spoke to Moses:

18 You shall also make a bronze basin for washing, and a bronze stand for it; and you shall put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and fill it with water.

19 For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet. 

20 When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water so they do not die; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire to the LORD.

21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, so they do not die: and it shall be a statute forever to them, to him and to his descendants throughout their generations.”

22 The LORD spoke to Moses:

23 Take thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half as much, two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,

24 And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive a hin:

25 And you shall make of these an oil of holy ointment, blended as by a perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil.

26 You shall anoint the tabernacle of the congregation with it, and the ark of the testimony,

27 And the table and all its vessels, and the candlestick and its vessels, and the altar of incense,

28 And the altar of burnt offering with all its vessels, and the basin and its stand.

29 Sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatever touches them shall be holy.

30 And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests.

31 Speak to the children of Israel: ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to me throughout your generations.

32 It not be poured on man’s flesh, neither shall you make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy to you.

33 Whoever blends any like it, or whoever puts any of it on a stranger, shall be cut off from his people.’”

34 And the LORD said to Moses “Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense of equal measure. 

35 And blend it into a perfume, seasoned with salt, pure and holy:

36 You shall crush some of it very fine, and place it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with you: it shall be to you most holy.

37 And as for the perfume which you shall make, you shall not make for yourselves according to its composition: it shall be to you holy for the LORD.

38 Whoever makes anything like it, that smells like it, shall be cut off from his people.”

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