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.
13. Each man who is counted must pay 1/2 shekel of silver. (That is 1/2 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 1/2 shekel, and the poor must not give less than 1/2 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.”