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 evening 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.