Exodus 25-30

New Living Translation

Offerings for the Tabernacle

25 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell the people of Israel to bring me their sacred offerings. Accept the contributions from all whose hearts are moved to offer them. ³ Here is a list of sacred offerings you may accept from them:

⁸ “Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them. ⁹ You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you.

Plans for the Ark of the Covenant

¹⁰ “Have the people make an Ark of acacia wood—a sacred chest 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high.^{[a] 11} Overlay it inside and outside with pure gold, and run a molding of gold all around it. ¹² Cast four gold rings and attach them to its four feet, two rings on each side. ¹³ Make poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. ¹⁴ Insert the poles into the rings at the sides of the Ark to carry it. ¹⁵ These carrying poles must stay inside the rings; never remove them. ¹⁶ When the Ark is finished, place inside it the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant,^[b] which I will give to you.

¹⁷ “Then make the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—from pure gold. It must be 45 inches long and 27 inches wide.^{[c] 18} Then make two cherubim from hammered gold, and place them on the two ends of the atonement cover. ¹⁹ Mold the cherubim on each end of the atonement cover, making it all of one piece of gold. ²⁰ The cherubim will face each other and look down on the atonement cover. With their wings spread above it, they will protect it. ²¹ Place inside the Ark the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, which I will give to you. Then put the atonement cover on top of the Ark. ²² I will meet with you there and talk to you from above the atonement cover between the gold cherubim that hover over the Ark of the Covenant.^[d] From there I will give you my commands for the people of Israel.

Plans for the Table

²³ “Then make a table of acacia wood, 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high.^{[e] 24} Overlay it with pure gold and run a gold molding around the edge. ²⁵ Decorate it with a 3-inch border^[f] all around, and run a gold molding along the border. ²⁶ Make four gold rings for the table and attach them at the four corners next to the four legs. ²⁷ Attach the rings near the border to hold the poles that are used to carry the table. ²⁸ Make these poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. ²⁹ Make special containers of pure gold for the table—bowls, ladles, pitchers, and jars—to be used in pouring out liquid offerings. ³⁰ Place the Bread of the Presence on the table to remain before me at all times.

Plans for the Lampstand

³¹ “Make a lampstand of pure, hammered gold. Make the entire lampstand and its decorations of one piece—the base, center stem, lamp cups, buds, and petals. ³² Make it with six branches going out from the center stem, three on each side. ³³ Each of the six branches will have three lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. ³⁴ Craft the center stem of the lampstand with four lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. ³⁵ There will also be an almond bud beneath each pair of branches where the six branches extend from the center stem. ³⁶ The almond buds and branches must all be of one piece with the center stem, and they must be hammered from pure gold. ³⁷ Then make the seven lamps for the lampstand, and set them so they reflect their light forward. ³⁸ The lamp snuffers and trays must also be made of pure gold. ³⁹ You will need 75 pounds^[g] of pure gold for the lampstand and its accessories.

⁴⁰ “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.

Plans for the Tabernacle

26 “Make the Tabernacle from ten curtains of finely woven linen. Decorate the curtains with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. ² These ten curtains must all be exactly the same size—42 feet long and 6 feet wide.^{[h] 3} Join five of these curtains together to make one long curtain, then join the other five into a second long curtain. ⁴ Put loops of blue yarn along the edge of the last curtain in each set. ⁵ The fifty loops along the edge of one curtain are to match the fifty loops along the edge of the other curtain. ⁶ Then make fifty gold clasps and fasten the long curtains together with the clasps. In this way, the Tabernacle will be made of one continuous piece.

⁷ “Make eleven curtains of goat-hair cloth to serve as a tent covering for the Tabernacle. ⁸ These eleven curtains must all be exactly the same size—45 feet long and 6 feet wide.^{[i] 9} Join five of these curtains together to make one long curtain, and join the other six into a second long curtain. Allow 3 feet of material from the second set of curtains to hang over the front^[j] of the sacred tent. ¹⁰ Make fifty loops for one edge of each large curtain. ¹¹ Then make fifty bronze clasps, and fasten the loops of the long curtains with the clasps. In this way, the tent covering will be made of one continuous piece. ¹² The remaining 3 feet^[k] of this tent covering will be left to hang over the back of the Tabernacle. ¹³ Allow 18 inches^[l] of remaining material to hang down over each side, so the Tabernacle is completely covered. ¹⁴ Complete the tent covering with a protective layer of tanned ram skins and a layer of fine goatskin leather.

¹⁵ “For the framework of the Tabernacle, construct frames of acacia wood. ¹⁶ Each frame must be 15 feet high and 27 inches wide,^{[m] 17} with two pegs under each frame. Make all the frames identical. ¹⁸ Make twenty of these frames to support the curtains on the south side of the Tabernacle. ¹⁹ Also make forty silver bases—two bases under each frame, with the pegs fitting securely into the bases. ²⁰ For the north side of the Tabernacle, make another twenty frames, ²¹ with their forty silver bases, two bases under each frame. ²² Make six frames for the rear—the west side of the Tabernacle— ²³ along with two additional frames to reinforce the rear corners of the Tabernacle. ²⁴ These corner frames will be matched at the bottom and firmly attached at the top with a single ring, forming a single corner unit. Make both of these corner units the same way. ²⁵ So there will be eight frames at the rear of the Tabernacle, set in sixteen silver bases—two bases under each frame.

²⁶ “Make crossbars of acacia wood to link the frames, five crossbars for the north side of the Tabernacle ²⁷ and five for the south side. Also make five crossbars for the rear of the Tabernacle, which will face west. ²⁸ The middle crossbar, attached halfway up the frames, will run all the way from one end of the Tabernacle to the other. ²⁹ Overlay the frames with gold, and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. Overlay the crossbars with gold as well.

³⁰ “Set up this Tabernacle according to the pattern you were shown on the mountain.

³¹ “For the inside of the Tabernacle, make a special curtain of finely woven linen. Decorate it with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. ³² Hang this curtain on gold hooks attached to four posts of acacia wood. Overlay the posts with gold, and set them in four silver bases. ³³ Hang the inner curtain from clasps, and put the Ark of the Covenant^[n] in the room behind it. This curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

³⁴ “Then put the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—on top of the Ark of the Covenant inside the Most Holy Place. ³⁵ Place the table outside the inner curtain on the north side of the Tabernacle, and place the lampstand across the room on the south side.

³⁶ “Make another curtain for the entrance to the sacred tent. Make it of finely woven linen and embroider it with exquisite designs, using blue, purple, and scarlet thread. ³⁷ Craft five posts from acacia wood. Overlay them with gold, and hang the curtain from them with gold hooks. Cast five bronze bases for the posts.

Plans for the Altar of Burnt Offering

27 “Using acacia wood, construct a square altar 7 1⁄2 feet wide, 7 1⁄2 feet long, and 4 1⁄2 feet high.^{[o] 2} Make horns for each of its four corners so that the horns and altar are all one piece. Overlay the altar with bronze. ³ Make ash buckets, shovels, basins, meat forks, and firepans, all of bronze. ⁴ Make a bronze grating for it, and attach four bronze rings at its four corners. ⁵ Install the grating halfway down the side of the altar, under the ledge. ⁶ For carrying the altar, make poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. ⁷ Insert the poles through the rings on the two sides of the altar. ⁸ The altar must be hollow, made from planks. Build it just as you were shown on the mountain.

Plans for the Courtyard

⁹ “Then make the courtyard for the Tabernacle, enclosed with curtains made of finely woven linen. On the south side, make the curtains 150 feet long.^{[p] 10} They will be held up by twenty posts set securely in twenty bronze bases. Hang the curtains with silver hooks and rings. ¹¹ Make the curtains the same on the north side—150 feet of curtains held up by twenty posts set securely in bronze bases. Hang the curtains with silver hooks and rings. ¹² The curtains on the west end of the courtyard will be 75 feet long,^[q] supported by ten posts set into ten bases. ¹³ The east end of the courtyard, the front, will also be 75 feet long. ¹⁴ The courtyard entrance will be on the east end, flanked by two curtains. The curtain on the right side will be 22 1⁄2 feet long,^[r] supported by three posts set into three bases. ¹⁵ The curtain on the left side will also be 22 1⁄2 feet long, supported by three posts set into three bases.

¹⁶ “For the entrance to the courtyard, make a curtain that is 30 feet long.^[s] Make it from finely woven linen, and decorate it with beautiful embroidery in blue, purple, and scarlet thread. Support it with four posts, each securely set in its own base. ¹⁷ All the posts around the courtyard must have silver rings and hooks and bronze bases. ¹⁸ So the entire courtyard will be 150 feet long and 75 feet wide, with curtain walls 7 1⁄2 feet high,^[t] made from finely woven linen. The bases for the posts will be made of bronze.

¹⁹ “All the articles used in the rituals of the Tabernacle, including all the tent pegs used to support the Tabernacle and the courtyard curtains, must be made of bronze.

Light for the Tabernacle

²⁰ “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually. ²¹ The lampstand will stand in the Tabernacle, in front of the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant.^[u] Aaron and his sons must keep the lamps burning in the Lord’s presence all night. This is a permanent law for the people of Israel, and it must be observed from generation to generation.

Clothing for the Priests

28 “Call for your brother, Aaron, and his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Set them apart from the rest of the people of Israel so they may minister to me and be my priests. ² Make sacred garments for Aaron that are glorious and beautiful. ³ Instruct all the skilled craftsmen whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom. Have them make garments for Aaron that will distinguish him as a priest set apart for my service. ⁴ These are the garments they are to make: a chestpiece, an ephod, a robe, a patterned tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother, Aaron, and his sons to wear when they serve me as priests. ⁵ So give them fine linen cloth, gold thread, and blue, purple, and scarlet thread.

Design of the Ephod

⁶ “The craftsmen must make the ephod of finely woven linen and skillfully embroider it with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. ⁷ It will consist of two pieces, front and back, joined at the shoulders with two shoulder-pieces. ⁸ The decorative sash will be made of the same materials: finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread.

⁹ “Take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the tribes of Israel. ¹⁰ Six names will be on each stone, arranged in the order of the births of the original sons of Israel. ¹¹ Engrave these names on the two stones in the same way a jeweler engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in settings of gold filigree. ¹² Fasten the two stones on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod as a reminder that Aaron represents the people of Israel. Aaron will carry these names on his shoulders as a constant reminder whenever he goes before the Lord. ¹³ Make the settings of gold filigree, ¹⁴ then braid two cords of pure gold and attach them to the filigree settings on the shoulders of the ephod.

Design of the Chestpiece

¹⁵ “Then, with great skill and care, make a chestpiece to be worn for seeking a decision from God.^[v] Make it to match the ephod, using finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. ¹⁶ Make the chestpiece of a single piece of cloth folded to form a pouch nine inches^[w] square. ¹⁷ Mount four rows of gemstones^[x] on it. The first row will contain a red carnelian, a pale-green peridot, and an emerald. ¹⁸ The second row will contain a turquoise, a blue lapis lazuli, and a white moonstone. ¹⁹ The third row will contain an orange jacinth, an agate, and a purple amethyst. ²⁰ The fourth row will contain a blue-green beryl, an onyx, and a green jasper. All these stones will be set in gold filigree. ²¹ Each stone will represent one of the twelve sons of Israel, and the name of that tribe will be engraved on it like a seal.

²² “To attach the chestpiece to the ephod, make braided cords of pure gold thread. ²³ Then make two gold rings and attach them to the top corners of the chestpiece. ²⁴ Tie the two gold cords to the two rings on the chestpiece. ²⁵ Tie the other ends of the cords to the gold settings on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod. ²⁶ Then make two more gold rings and attach them to the inside edges of the chestpiece next to the ephod. ²⁷ And make two more gold rings and attach them to the front of the ephod, below the shoulder-pieces, just above the knot where the decorative sash is fastened to the ephod. ²⁸ Then attach the bottom rings of the chestpiece to the rings on the ephod with blue cords. This will hold the chestpiece securely to the ephod above the decorative sash.

²⁹ “In this way, Aaron will carry the names of the tribes of Israel on the sacred chestpiece^[y] over his heart when he goes into the Holy Place. This will be a continual reminder that he represents the people when he comes before the Lord. ³⁰ Insert the Urim and Thummim into the sacred chestpiece so they will be carried over Aaron’s heart when he goes into the Lord’s presence. In this way, Aaron will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine the Lord’s will for his people whenever he goes in before the Lord.

Additional Clothing for the Priests

³¹ “Make the robe that is worn with the ephod from a single piece of blue cloth, ³² with an opening for Aaron’s head in the middle of it. Reinforce the opening with a woven collar^[z] so it will not tear. ³³ Make pomegranates out of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and attach them to the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. ³⁴ The gold bells and pomegranates are to alternate all around the hem. ³⁵ Aaron will wear this robe whenever he ministers before the Lord, and the bells will tinkle as he goes in and out of the Lord’s presence in the Holy Place. If he wears it, he will not die.

³⁶ “Next make a medallion of pure gold, and engrave it like a seal with these words: Holy to the lord. ³⁷ Attach the medallion with a blue cord to the front of Aaron’s turban, where it must remain. ³⁸ Aaron must wear it on his forehead so he may take on himself any guilt of the people of Israel when they consecrate their sacred offerings. He must always wear it on his forehead so the Lord will accept the people.

³⁹ “Weave Aaron’s patterned tunic from fine linen cloth. Fashion the turban from this linen as well. Also make a sash, and decorate it with colorful embroidery.

⁴⁰ “For Aaron’s sons, make tunics, sashes, and special head coverings that are glorious and beautiful. ⁴¹ Clothe your brother, Aaron, and his sons with these garments, and then anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so they can serve as my priests. ⁴² Also make linen undergarments for them, to be worn next to their bodies, reaching from their hips to their thighs. ⁴³ These must be worn whenever Aaron and his sons enter the Tabernacle^[aa] or approach the altar in the Holy Place to perform their priestly duties. Then they will not incur guilt and die. This is a permanent law for Aaron and all his descendants after him.

Dedication of the Priests

29 “This is the ceremony you must follow when you consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams with no defects. ² Then, using choice wheat flour and no yeast, make loaves of bread, thin cakes mixed with olive oil, and wafers spread with oil. ³ Place them all in a single basket, and present them at the entrance of the Tabernacle, along with the young bull and the two rams.

⁴ “Present Aaron and his sons at the entrance of the Tabernacle,^[ab] and wash them with water. ⁵ Dress Aaron in his priestly garments—the tunic, the robe worn with the ephod, the ephod itself, and the chestpiece. Then wrap the decorative sash of the ephod around him. ⁶ Place the turban on his head, and fasten the sacred medallion to the turban. ⁷ Then anoint him by pouring the anointing oil over his head. ⁸ Next present his sons, and dress them in their tunics. ⁹ Wrap the sashes around the waists of Aaron and his sons, and put their special head coverings on them. Then the right to the priesthood will be theirs by law forever. In this way, you will ordain Aaron and his sons.

¹⁰ “Bring the young bull to the entrance of the Tabernacle, where Aaron and his sons will lay their hands on its head. ¹¹ Then slaughter the bull in the Lord’s presence at the entrance of the Tabernacle. ¹² Put some of its blood on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest at the base of the altar. ¹³ Take all the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat around them, and burn it all on the altar. ¹⁴ Then take the rest of the bull, including its hide, meat, and dung, and burn it outside the camp as a sin offering.

¹⁵ “Next Aaron and his sons must lay their hands on the head of one of the rams. ¹⁶ Then slaughter the ram, and splatter its blood against all sides of the altar. ¹⁷ Cut the ram into pieces, and wash off the internal organs and the legs. Set them alongside the head and the other pieces of the body, ¹⁸ then burn the entire animal on the altar. This is a burnt offering to the Lord; it is a pleasing aroma, a special gift presented to the Lord.

¹⁹ “Now take the other ram, and have Aaron and his sons lay their hands on its head. ²⁰ Then slaughter it, and apply some of its blood to the right earlobes of Aaron and his sons. Also put it on the thumbs of their right hands and the big toes of their right feet. Splatter the rest of the blood against all sides of the altar. ²¹ Then take some of the blood from the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his sons and on their garments. In this way, they and their garments will be set apart as holy.

²² “Since this is the ram for the ordination of Aaron and his sons, take the fat of the ram, including the fat of the broad tail, the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat around them, along with the right thigh. ²³ Then take one round loaf of bread, one thin cake mixed with olive oil, and one wafer from the basket of bread without yeast that was placed in the Lord’s presence. ²⁴ Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons to be lifted up as a special offering to the Lord. ²⁵ Afterward take the various breads from their hands, and burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering. It is a pleasing aroma to the Lord, a special gift for him. ²⁶ Then take the breast of Aaron’s ordination ram, and lift it up in the Lord’s presence as a special offering to him. Then keep it as your own portion.

²⁷ “Set aside the portions of the ordination ram that belong to Aaron and his sons. This includes the breast and the thigh that were lifted up before the Lord as a special offering. ²⁸ In the future, whenever the people of Israel lift up a peace offering, a portion of it must be set aside for Aaron and his descendants. This is their permanent right, and it is a sacred offering from the Israelites to the Lord.

²⁹ “Aaron’s sacred garments must be preserved for his descendants who succeed him, and they will wear them when they are anointed and ordained. ³⁰ The descendant who succeeds him as high priest will wear these clothes for seven days as he ministers in the Tabernacle and the Holy Place.

³¹ “Take the ram used in the ordination ceremony, and boil its meat in a sacred place. ³² Then Aaron and his sons will eat this meat, along with the bread in the basket, at the Tabernacle entrance. ³³ They alone may eat the meat and bread used for their purification^[ac] in the ordination ceremony. No one else may eat them, for these things are set apart and holy. ³⁴ If any of the ordination meat or bread remains until the morning, it must be burned. It may not be eaten, for it is holy.

³⁵ “This is how you will ordain Aaron and his sons to their offices, just as I have commanded you. The ordination ceremony will go on for seven days. ³⁶ Each day you must sacrifice a young bull as a sin offering to purify them, making them right with the Lord.^[ad] Afterward, cleanse the altar by purifying it^[ae]; make it holy by anointing it with oil. ³⁷ Purify the altar, and consecrate it every day for seven days. After that, the altar will be absolutely holy, and whatever touches it will become holy.

³⁸ “These are the sacrifices you are to offer regularly on the altar. Each day, offer two lambs that are a year old, ³⁹ one in the morning and the other in the evening. ⁴⁰ With one of them, offer two quarts of choice flour mixed with one quart of pure oil of pressed olives; also, offer one quart of wine^[af] as a liquid offering. ⁴¹ Offer the other lamb in the evening, along with the same offerings of flour and wine as in the morning. It will be a pleasing aroma, a special gift presented to the Lord.

⁴² “These burnt offerings are to be made each day from generation to generation. Offer them in the Lord’s presence at the Tabernacle entrance; there I will meet with you and speak with you. ⁴³ I will meet the people of Israel there, in the place made holy by my glorious presence. ⁴⁴ Yes, I will consecrate the Tabernacle and the altar, and I will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. ⁴⁵ Then I will live among the people of Israel and be their God, ⁴⁶ and they will know that I am the Lord their God. I am the one who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the Lord their God.

Plans for the Incense Altar

30 “Then make another altar of acacia wood for burning incense. ² Make it 18 inches square and 36 inches high,^[ag] with horns at the corners carved from the same piece of wood as the altar itself. ³ Overlay the top, sides, and horns of the altar with pure gold, and run a gold molding around the entire altar. ⁴ Make two gold rings, and attach them on opposite sides of the altar below the gold molding to hold the carrying poles. ⁵ Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. ⁶ Place the incense altar just outside the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant,^[ah] in front of the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that covers the tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant.^[ai] I will meet with you there.

⁷ “Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar. ⁸ And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn incense in the Lord’s presence. This must be done from generation to generation. ⁹ Do not offer any unholy incense on this altar, or any burnt offerings, grain offerings, or liquid offerings.

¹⁰ “Once a year Aaron must purify^[aj] the altar by smearing its horns with blood from the offering made to purify the people from their sin. This will be a regular, annual event from generation to generation, for this is the Lord’s most holy altar.”

Money for the Tabernacle

¹¹ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹² “Whenever you take a census of the people of Israel, each man who is counted must pay a ransom for himself to the Lord. Then no plague will strike the people as you count them. ¹³ Each person who is counted must give a small piece of silver as a sacred offering to the Lord. (This payment is half a shekel,^[ak] based on the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs.) ¹⁴ All who have reached their twentieth birthday must give this sacred offering to the Lord. ¹⁵ When this offering is given to the Lord to purify your lives, making you right with him,^[al] the rich must not give more than the specified amount, and the poor must not give less. ¹⁶ Receive this ransom money from the Israelites, and use it for the care of the Tabernacle.^[am] It will bring the Israelites to the Lord’s attention, and it will purify your lives.”

Plans for the Washbasin

¹⁷ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹⁸ “Make a bronze washbasin with a bronze stand. Place it between the Tabernacle and the altar, and fill it with water. ¹⁹ Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet there. ²⁰ They must wash with water whenever they go into the Tabernacle to appear before the Lord and when they approach the altar to burn up their special gifts to the Lord—or they will die! ²¹ They must always wash their hands and feet, or they will die. This is a permanent law for Aaron and his descendants, to be observed from generation to generation.”

The Anointing Oil

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, ²³ “Collect choice spices—12 1⁄2 pounds of pure myrrh, 6 1⁄4 pounds of fragrant cinnamon, 6 1⁄4 pounds of fragrant calamus,^{[an] 24} and 12 1⁄2 pounds of cassia^[ao]—as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. Also get one gallon of olive oil.^{[ap] 25} Like a skilled incense maker, blend these ingredients to make a holy anointing oil. ²⁶ Use this sacred oil to anoint the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, ²⁷ the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and all its accessories, the incense altar, ²⁸ the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the washbasin with its stand. ²⁹ Consecrate them to make them absolutely holy. After this, whatever touches them will also become holy.

³⁰ “Anoint Aaron and his sons also, consecrating them to serve me as priests. ³¹ And say to the people of Israel, ‘This holy anointing oil is reserved for me from generation to generation. ³² It must never be used to anoint anyone else, and you must never make any blend like it for yourselves. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy. ³³ Anyone who makes a blend like it or anoints someone other than a priest will be cut off from the community.’”

The Incense

³⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Gather fragrant spices—resin droplets, mollusk shell, and galbanum—and mix these fragrant spices with pure frankincense, weighed out in equal amounts. ³⁵ Using the usual techniques of the incense maker, blend the spices together and sprinkle them with salt to produce a pure and holy incense. ³⁶ Grind some of the mixture into a very fine powder and put it in front of the Ark of the Covenant,^[aq] where I will meet with you in the Tabernacle. You must treat this incense as most holy. ³⁷ Never use this formula to make this incense for yourselves. It is reserved for the Lord, and you must treat it as holy. ³⁸ Anyone who makes incense like this for personal use will be cut off from the community.”