The Altar of Incense^(A)

30 “Make an altar^(B) of acacia wood for burning incense.^{(C) 2} It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high^[a]—its horns^(D) of one piece with it. ³ Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.^{(E) 4} Make two gold rings^(F) for the altar below the molding—two on each of the opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it. ⁵ Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.^{(G) 6} Put the altar in front of the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law—before the atonement cover^(H) that is over the tablets of the covenant law—where I will meet with you.

⁷ “Aaron must burn fragrant incense^(I) on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. ⁸ He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come.^{(J) 9} Do not offer on this altar any other incense^(K) or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. ¹⁰ Once a year^(L) Aaron shall make atonement^(M) on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering^[b](N) for the generations to come.^(O) It is most holy to the Lord.”

Atonement Money

¹¹ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹² “When you take a census^(P) of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom^(Q) for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague^(R) will come on them when you number them. ¹³ Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel,^[c] according to the sanctuary shekel,^(S) which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord. ¹⁴ All who cross over, those twenty years old or more,^(T) are to give an offering to the Lord. ¹⁵ The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less^(U) when you make the offering to the Lord to atone for your lives. ¹⁶ Receive the atonement^(V) money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting.^(W) It will be a memorial^(X) for the Israelites before the Lord, making atonement for your lives.”

Basin for Washing

¹⁷ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹⁸ “Make a bronze basin,^(Y) with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. ¹⁹ Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet^(Z) with water^(AA) from it. ²⁰ Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die.^(AB) Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the Lord, ²¹ they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance^(AC) for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”^(AD)

Anointing Oil

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, ²³ “Take the following fine spices:^(AE) 500 shekels^[d] of liquid myrrh,^(AF) half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon,^(AG) 250 shekels^[e] of fragrant calamus,^{(AH) 24} 500 shekels^(AI) of cassia^(AJ)—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin^[f] of olive oil. ²⁵ Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer.^(AK) It will be the sacred anointing oil.^{(AL) 26} Then use it to anoint^(AM) the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law, ²⁷ the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, ²⁸ the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. ²⁹ You shall consecrate them^(AN) so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.^(AO)

³⁰ “Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate^(AP) them so they may serve me as priests.^{(AQ) 31} Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil^(AR) for the generations to come.^{(AS) 32} Do not pour it on anyone else’s body and do not make any other oil using the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred.^{(AT) 33} Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off^(AU) from their people.’”

Incense

³⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices^(AV)—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, ³⁵ and make a fragrant blend of incense,^(AW) the work of a perfumer.^(AX) It is to be salted and pure and sacred. ³⁶ Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, where I will meet^(AY) with you. It shall be most holy^(AZ) to you. ³⁷ Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy^(BA) to the Lord. ³⁸ Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off^(BB) from their people.”

Psalm 41^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Released From the Law, Bound to Christ

7 Do you not know, brothers and sisters^(A)—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? ² For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him.^{(B) 3} So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress.^(C) But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.

⁴ So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law^(D) through the body of Christ,^(E) that you might belong to another,^(F) to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. ⁵ For when we were in the realm of the flesh,^[a](G) the sinful passions aroused by the law^(H) were at work in us,^(I) so that we bore fruit for death.^{(J) 6} But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law^(K) so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.^(L)

The Law and Sin

⁷ What shall we say, then?^(M) Is the law sinful? Certainly not!^(N) Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law.^(O) For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”^{[b](P) 8} But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,^(Q) produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.^{(R) 9} Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. ¹⁰ I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life^(S) actually brought death. ¹¹ For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,^(T) deceived me,^(U) and through the commandment put me to death. ¹² So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.^(V)

¹³ Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good^(W) to bring about my death,^(X) so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

¹⁴ We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual,^(Y) sold^(Z) as a slave to sin.^{(AA) 15} I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.^{(AB) 16} And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.^{(AC) 17} As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.^{(AD) 18} For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.^[c](AE) For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.^{(AF) 20} Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.^(AG)

²¹ So I find this law at work:^(AH) Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being^(AI) I delight in God’s law;^{(AJ) 23} but I see another law at work in me, waging war^(AK) against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin^(AL) at work within me. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?^{(AM) 25} Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!^(AN)

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law,^(AO) but in my sinful nature^[d] a slave to the law of sin.^(AP)

Life Through the Spirit

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation^(AQ) for those who are in Christ Jesus,^{(AR) 2} because through Christ Jesus^(AS) the law of the Spirit who gives life^(AT) has set you^[e] free^(AU) from the law of sin^(AV) and death. ³ For what the law was powerless^(AW) to do because it was weakened by the flesh,^[f](AX) God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh^(AY) to be a sin offering.^[g](AZ) And so he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirement^(BA) of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.^(BB)

⁵ Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires;^(BC) but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.^{(BD) 6} The mind governed by the flesh is death,^(BE) but the mind governed by the Spirit is life^(BF) and peace. ⁷ The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God;^(BG) it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those who are in the realm of the flesh^(BH) cannot please God.

⁹ You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh^(BI) but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.^(BJ) And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,^(BK) they do not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you,^(BL) then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life^[h] because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead^(BM) is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies^(BN) because of^[i] his Spirit who lives in you.

¹² Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.^{(BO) 13} For if you live according to the flesh, you will die;^(BP) but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body,^(BQ) you will live.^(BR)

¹⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God^(BS) are the children of God.^{(BT) 15} The Spirit^(BU) you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again;^(BV) rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^[j] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[k] Father.”^{(BW) 16} The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit^(BX) that we are God’s children.^{(BY) 17} Now if we are children, then we are heirs^(BZ)—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings^(CA) in order that we may also share in his glory.^(CB)

Present Suffering and Future Glory

¹⁸ I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.^{(CC) 19} For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God^(CD) to be revealed. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it,^(CE) in hope ²¹ that^[l] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay^(CF) and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.^(CG)

²² We know that the whole creation has been groaning^(CH) as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,^(CI) groan^(CJ) inwardly as we wait eagerly^(CK) for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.^{(CL) 24} For in this hope we were saved.^(CM) But hope that is seen is no hope at all.^(CN) Who hopes for what they already have? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.^(CO)

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit^(CP) himself intercedes for us^(CQ) through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts^(CR) knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes^(CS) for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good^(CT) of those who love him, who^[m] have been called^(CU) according to his purpose.^{(CV) 29} For those God foreknew^(CW) he also predestined^(CX) to be conformed to the image of his Son,^(CY) that he might be the firstborn^(CZ) among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And those he predestined,^(DA) he also called;^(DB) those he called, he also justified;^(DC) those he justified, he also glorified.^(DD)

More Than Conquerors

³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things?^(DE) If God is for us,^(DF) who can be against us?^{(DG) 32} He who did not spare his own Son,^(DH) but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge^(DI) against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns?^(DJ) No one. Christ Jesus who died^(DK)—more than that, who was raised to life^(DL)—is at the right hand of God^(DM) and is also interceding for us.^{(DN) 35} Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?^(DO) Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?^{(DP) 36} As it is written:

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors^(DR) through him who loved us.^{(DS) 38} For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[o] neither the present nor the future,^(DT) nor any powers,^{(DU) 39} neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God^(DV) that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.^(DW)