More instructions, were given to Moses by the Lord, saying, "Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense. It must be square, one cubit long and one cubit wide, and two cubits high, with horns of one piece with it. Overlay it with pure gold—its top, sides, and horns—and make a gold molding around it. Place two gold rings below the molding, one on each side, to hold the poles for carrying. The poles must be made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold.
Put this altar in front of the curtain that shields the Ark of the Testimony, before the atonement cover where I will meet with you. Each morning when Aaron tends the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on it. At twilight, when he lights the lamps, he must burn incense again, so it will burn regularly before Me for all generations. Do not offer any other incense on it, nor burnt offerings, grain offerings, or drink offerings. Once a year, Aaron shall make atonement on its horns with the blood of the sin offering. This annual atonement is to be made for generations to come; it is most holy to the Lord."
The Lord said further to Moses, "When you take a census of the Israelites, each man must pay a ransom for his life to the Lord, so that no plague may strike them when they are counted. Each one who crosses over to those already counted must give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord. All men twenty years old or more must give this offering. The rich must not give more, and the poor must not give less, when making the offering for the atonement of their lives. Use the atonement money for the service of the Tent of Meeting, as a memorial before the Lord, making atonement for your lives."
The Lord also said, "Make a bronze basin with a bronze stand for washing, and place it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar. Fill it with water, and Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and feet whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister. If they do not wash, they will die. This is a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for all generations."
The Lord then said to Moses, "Take the finest spices: five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, two hundred and fifty shekels of fragrant cinnamon, two hundred and fifty shekels of fragrant cane, five hundred shekels of cassia—all by the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil. Blend these into a sacred anointing oil, the work of a perfumer. Use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the Ark of the Testimony, the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and its utensils, and the basin with its stand. You shall consecrate them, and they will be most holy; whatever touches them will be holy.
Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them to serve Me as priests. Tell the Israelites, 'This is to be My sacred anointing oil for generations to come. Do not pour it on an ordinary person's body and do not make any oil with the same formula. It is sacred, and you must treat it as sacred. Anyone who makes perfume like it or uses it on someone other than a priest must be cut off from his people.'"
The Lord also said to Moses, "Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense—in equal amounts. Make a blend of incense, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. Grind some into powder and place it in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It must be most holy to you. Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the Lord. Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from his people."