« | Exodus 30 | » |
1 "Make an altar from acacia wood. You will use this altar for burning incense.
2 You must make the altar square—1 cubit long and 1 cubit wide. It must be 2 cubits high. There will be horns at the four corners. These horns must be made as one piece with the altar.
3 Cover the top, the horns, and all four sides of the altar with pure gold. Then put gold trim all around the altar.
4 Below this trim there should be two gold rings. There should be two gold rings on opposite sides of the altar. These gold rings will be used with poles to carry the altar.
5 Make the poles from acacia wood and cover them with gold.
6 Put the altar just outside the special curtain that hangs in front of the Box of the Agreement. So the altar will be in front of the mercy-cover that is above the Agreement. This is the place where I will meet with you.
7 "Aaron must burn sweet-smelling incense on the altar every morning. He will do this when he comes to care for the lamps.
8 He must burn incense again when he checks the lamps in the evenings so that incense will be burned before the Lord every day forever.
9 Don't use this altar for offering any other kind of incense or burnt offering or for any kind of grain offering or drink offering.
10 "Once a year Aaron must make a special sacrifice. He will use the blood of the sin offering to erase the sins of the people. He will do this at the horns of this altar. This day will be called the Day of Atonement, and it will be a very special day for the Lord."
11 The Lord said to Moses,
12 "Count the Israelites so that you will know how many people there are. Every time this is done, each man must make a payment for himself to the Lord so that nothing terrible will happen to the people.
13 Each man who is counted must pay?shekel of silver. (That is?shekel by the official measure. This shekel weighs 20 gerahs. ) This half shekel is an offering to the Lord.
14 Every man who is at least 20 years old must be counted. And every man who is counted must give the Lord this offering.
15 The rich must not give more than?shekel, and the poor must not give less than?shekel. All people will make the same offering to the Lord. This will be a payment for your life.
16 Gather this money from the Israelites. Use the money for the service in the Meeting Tent. This payment will be a way for the Lord to remember his people. They will be paying for their own lives."
17 The Lord said to Moses,
18 "Make a bronze bowl and put it on a bronze base. You will use this for washing. Put the bowl between the Meeting Tent and the altar. Fill the bowl with water.
19 Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet with the water from this bowl.
20 Every time they enter the Meeting Tent, they must wash with that water so that they will not die. They must also wash every time they come near the altar to burn incense or to offer gifts to the Lord.
21 They must wash their hands and their feet so that they will not die. This will be a law that continues forever for Aaron and his people who will live in the future."
22 Then the Lord said to Moses,
23 "Find the finest spices. Get 12 pounds of liquid myrrh, half that amount (that is, 6 pounds ) of sweet-smelling cinnamon, and 12 pounds of sweet-smelling cane,
24 and 12 pounds of cassia. Use the official measure to measure all these things. Also get 1 gallon of olive oil.
25 "Mix all these things to make a special sweet-smelling anointing oil.
26 Pour this oil on the Meeting Tent and on the Box of the Agreement. This will show that these things have a special purpose.
27 Pour the oil on the table and on all the dishes on the table. And pour this oil on the lamp and on all its tools. Pour the oil on the incense altar.
28 Also, pour the oil on the altar for burning offerings to God. Pour this oil on everything on that altar. Pour this oil on the bowl and on the base under the bowl.
29 You will make all these things holy. They will be very special to the Lord. Anything that touches these things will also become holy.
30 "Pour the oil on Aaron and his sons to show that they are separated from the rest of the people to serve as priests.
31 Tell the Israelites that the anointing oil is holy—it must always be used only for me.
32 This oil is holy and you must treat it as something special. Don't use the same formula for making perfume and don't let people use this oil like an ordinary perfume.
33 Whoever makes a perfume like that and puts it on anyone except a priest must be separated from the people."
34 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Get these sweet-smelling spices: resin, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense. Be sure that you have equal amounts of these spices.
35 Mix the spices together to make a sweet-smelling incense. Do this the same as a perfume maker would do it. Also mix salt with this incense. This will make it pure and special.
36 Grind some of the incense until it becomes a fine powder. Put the powder in front of the Holy Box that holds the Agreement in the Meeting Tent. This is the place where I meet with you. You must use this incense powder only for its very special purpose.
37 You must use it only in this special way for the Lord. You must also make it in a special way. Don't make any other incense in this way.
38 There may be people who will want to make some of this incense for themselves so that they can enjoy the smell. But whoever does this must be separated from their people."
The Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)
The Easy-To-Read Version (ERV) is a Bible translation specifically designed to be accessible and comprehensible for people with limited reading skills or those for whom English is a second language. Originally published in 1987 by the World Bible Translation Center, the ERV was initially developed to serve the deaf community, using a simplified vocabulary and straightforward sentence structures. The goal of the ERV is to make the scriptures understandable to a wide range of readers, ensuring that everyone can grasp the essential messages of the Bible without being hindered by complex language or archaic terms.
One of the defining characteristics of the ERV is its commitment to clarity and simplicity. The translators employed a thought-for-thought translation philosophy, focusing on conveying the meaning of the original texts in plain, everyday English. This approach ensures that readers can easily comprehend the Bible’s teachings and narratives, making it a valuable resource for children, new Christians, and those with limited literacy skills. The ERV avoids technical theological terms and instead uses language that is commonly spoken, making it accessible for personal study and public reading alike.
The ERV also pays careful attention to the cultural and contextual nuances of the original manuscripts. The translators sought to present the Bible’s messages in a way that is relevant and meaningful to contemporary readers while maintaining faithfulness to the original texts. This cultural sensitivity helps bridge the gap between ancient scriptures and modern readers, allowing them to connect more deeply with the biblical stories and teachings. Additionally, the ERV includes helpful footnotes and cross-references that provide further explanation and context, enhancing the reader’s understanding of the text.
Despite its strengths, the ERV has faced some criticism from those who prefer more traditional or literal translations. Critics argue that the simplified language and thought-for-thought approach can sometimes result in a loss of depth and richness found in the original texts. Some theologians believe that the ERV’s emphasis on accessibility may lead to oversimplification of complex theological concepts. Nonetheless, the Easy-To-Read Version remains a highly valuable translation for its target audience, offering a clear and approachable rendition of the Bible that helps people of all backgrounds engage with and understand the scriptures.