2. A cubit shall be the length of it, and a cubit the breadth of it; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height of it: its horns shall be of one piece with it.
3. And you shall overlay it with pure gold, the top of it, and the sides of it round about, and its horns; and you shall make unto it a molding of gold round about.
4. And two golden rings shall you make for it under its molding, by its two corners, upon the two sides of it shall you make it; and they shall be places for the poles with which to bear it.
5. And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
6. And you shall put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with you.
7. And Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning: when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.
8. And when Aaron lights the lamps at evening, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.
9. You shall offer no unholy incense on it, nor burnt sacrifice, nor grain offering; neither shall you pour a drink offering on it.
10. And Aaron shall make an atonement upon its horns once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD.
11. And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
12. When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when you number them; that there be no plague among them, when you number them.
13. This they shall give, every one that passes among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) a half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.
14. Every one included among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.
15. The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
16. And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.