3. Cover its top, all four sides, and its projections with pure gold, and put a gold border round it.
4. Make two gold carrying rings for it and attach them below the border on two sides to hold the poles with which it is to be carried.
5. Make these poles of acacia wood and cover them with gold.
6. Put this altar outside the curtain which hangs in front of the Covenant Box. That is the place where I will meet you.
7. Every morning when Aaron comes to get the lamps ready, he is to burn sweet-smelling incense on it.
8. He must do the same when he lights the lamps in the evening. This offering of incense is to continue without interruption for all time to come.
9. Do not offer on this altar any forbidden incense, any animal offering, or any grain offering, and do not pour out any wine offering on it.
10. Once a year Aaron is to perform the ritual for purifying the altar by putting on its four projections the blood of the animal sacrificed for sin. This is to be done every year for all time to come. This altar is to be completely holy, dedicated to me, the Lord.”
11. The Lord said to Moses,
12. “When you take a census of the people of Israel, each man is to pay me a price for his life, so that no disaster will come on him while the census is being taken.