The Altar of Incense

(Exodus 37:25-29)

1And thou shalt make an altar for the burning of incense: of acacia-wood shalt thou make it; 2a cubit the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof -- square shall it be; and two cubits its height; of itself shall be its horns. 3And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make upon it a border of gold round about. 4And two rings of gold shalt thou make for it under its border; by its two corners shalt thou make [them], on the two sides thereof; and they shall be for receptacles for the staves, with which to carry it. 5And thou shalt make the staves of acacia-wood, and overlay them with gold. 6And thou shalt put it in front of the veil which is before the ark of the testimony in front of the mercy-seat which is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee. 7And Aaron shall burn thereon fragrant incense: every morning, when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn the incense. 8And when Aaron lighteth the lamps between the two evenings, he shall burn the incense -- a continual incense before Jehovah throughout your generations. 9Ye shall offer up no strange incense thereon, nor burnt-offering, nor oblation; neither shall ye pour drink-offering thereon. 10And Aaron shall make atonement for its horns once in the year: with the blood of the sin-offering of atonement shall he make atonement for it, once in the year, throughout your generations: it is most holy to Jehovah.

The Atonement Money

11And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, 12When thou shalt take the sum of the children of Israel according to those of them that are numbered, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul to Jehovah on their being numbered, that there be no plague among them on their being numbered. 13This shall they give -- every one that passeth among them that are numbered -- half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary, -- twenty gerahs the shekel; a half shekel shall be the heave-offering for Jehovah. 14Every one that passeth among those that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give the heave-offering of Jehovah. 15The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when ye give the heave-offering of Jehovah, to make atonement for your souls. 16And thou shalt take the atonement-money of the children of Israel, and devote it to the service of the tent of meeting; and it shall be a memorial to the children of Israel before Jehovah, to make atonement for your souls.

The Bronze Basin

17And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, 18Thou shalt also make a laver of copper, and its stand of copper, for washing; and thou shalt put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and shalt put water in it. 19And Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet out of it. 20When they go into the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, that they may not die; or when they come near to the altar to serve, to burn an offering by fire to Jehovah. 21And they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they may not die; and it shall be an everlasting statute for them, for him and for his seed throughout their generations.

The Anointing Oil

22And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, 23And thou, take best spices -- of liquid myrrh five hundred [shekels], and of sweet cinnamon the half -- two hundred and fifty, and of sweet myrtle two hundred and fifty, 24and of cassia five hundred, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin; 25and make of it an oil of holy ointment, a perfume of perfumery after the work of the perfumer: it shall be the holy anointing oil. 26And thou shalt anoint the tent of meeting with it, and the ark of the testimony, 27and the table and all its utensils, and the lamp-stand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, 28and the altar of burnt-offering and all its utensils, and the laver and its stand. 29And thou shalt hallow them, that they may be most holy: whatever toucheth them shall be holy. 30And Aaron and his sons thou shalt anoint, and shalt hallow them, that they may serve me as priests. 31And thou shalt speak to the children of Israel, saying, A holy anointing oil shall this be unto me throughout your generations. 32Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make [any] like it, after the preparation of it: it is holy -- holy shall it be unto you. 33Whoever compoundeth [any] like it, or whoever putteth [any] of it upon any strange thing, shall be cut off from his peoples.

The Incense

34And Jehovah said to Moses, Take fragrant drugs -- stacte, and onycha, and galbanum -- fragrant drugs and pure frankincense; in like proportions shall it be. 35And thou shalt make it into incense, a perfume, after the work of the perfumer, salted, pure, holy. 36And thou shalt beat [some] of it to powder, and put [some] of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy. 37And the incense that thou shalt make, ye shall not make for yourselves according to the proportions of it; it shall be unto thee holy to Jehovah. 38Whoever maketh like unto it, to smell it, shall be cut off from his peoples.