1»Build an altar out of acacia wood for burning incense. 2»Make it eighteen inches square and thirty-six inches high. The horns that extend out of it and the altar should be made out of one piece of wood. 3»Cover it all with pure gold, the top, the sides, and the horns. Put a gold molding around it. 4»Make two gold rings. Place them below the molding on opposite sides to hold the poles for carrying it. 5»Make the poles out of acacia wood. Cover them with gold. 6»Place the altar in front of the canopy that hangs over the ark containing the words of my covenant I will meet with you there in front of the throne of mercy that is on the ark. 7»Aaron must burn sweet incense on this altar every morning when he takes care of the lamps. 8»When Aaron lights the lamps at dusk he must burn incense. An incense offering must burn smoke constantly in Jehovah’s presence for generations to come. 9»Do not burn any unauthorized incense on this altar or any burnt offerings or grain offerings. Do not pour a wine offering on it. 10»Once a year Aaron must make atonement with Jehovah by putting blood on its horns. Once a year for generations to come blood from the offering must be placed on the altar to make atonement with Jehovah. It is most holy to Jehovah.« 11Jehovah again spoke to Moses: 12»When you take a census of the people of Israel, each man is to pay me a price for his life. This to insure that no disaster will come on him while the census is being taken. 13»Everyone included in the census must pay the required amount of money. It should be weighed according to the official standard. Everyone must pay this as an offering to me. 14»Every man being counted in the census who is twenty years old or older is to pay me this amount. 15»The rich man is not to pay more. The poor man is not to pay less, when they pay this amount for their lives. 16»Collect this money from the people of Israel and spend it for the upkeep of the tent of meeting. This tax will be the payment for their lives. I will remember to protect them.« 17Jehovah said to Moses: 18»Make a copper basin with a bronze stand for washing. Put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and fill it with water. 19»Aaron and his sons will use it for washing their hands and feet. 20»Before they go into the tent of meeting, they must wash so that they will not die. Before they come near the altar to serve as priests and burn an offering by fire to Jehovah. 21« They must wash their hands and feet, so that they will not die. This is a long lasting rule that they and their descendants are to observe.« 22Jehovah said to Moses: 23»Take top quality spices: twelve pounds of liquid myrrh, six pounds of sweet-smelling cinnamon, six pounds of sweet-smelling cane, 24and twelve pounds of cassia, according to the official standard. Add one gallon of olive oil, 25and make sacred anointing oil, mixed like perfume. 26»This is for dedicating the tent and chest, 27the table with its equipment, the lamp stand with its equipment, the incense altar with all its utensils, 28the altar for sacrifices, and the large bowl with its stand. 29»You will make them so holy that anyone who even touches them will become holy when you dedicate them this way. 30»Sprinkle Aaron and his sons with this oil when you ordain them as my priests. 31»Say this to the people of Israel: ‘This oil must always be used in the ordination service of a priest. It is holy because it is dedicated to Jehovah. 32»So treat it as holy! Do not use it for everyday purposes or mix any for yourselves. 33»If you do, you will no longer belong to Jehovah’s people.’« 34Jehovah said to Moses: »Take one part fragrant spices and two kinds of gum resin and aromatic mollusk shells, and mix them with one part pure frankincense. 35»Have a perfumer make it into fragrant incense, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. 36»Grind some of it into a fine powder. Put it in front of the ark containing the words of my covenant in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with you. You must treat it as most holy. 37»Do not make any incense for yourselves using this formula. Treat it as holy to Jehovah. 38»Anyone who prepares anything like it for his own enjoyment must be excluded from his people.«