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"Make an altar out of acacia wood, for burning incense.
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It is to be square, 18 inches long and 18 inches wide, and it is to be 36 inches high. Its projections at the four corners are to form one piece with it.
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Cover its top, all four sides, and its projections with pure gold, and put a gold border around it.
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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.
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Make these poles of acacia wood and cover them with gold.
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Put this altar outside the curtain which hangs in front of the Covenant Box. That is the place where I will meet you.
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Every morning when Aaron comes to take care of the lamps, he is to burn sweet-smelling incense on it.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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The LORD said to Moses,
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"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.
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Everyone included in the census must pay the required amount of money, weighed according to the official standard. Everyone must pay this as an offering to me.
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Everyone being counted in the census, that is, every man twenty years old or older, is to pay me this amount.
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The rich man is not to pay more, nor the poor man less, when they pay this amount for their lives.
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Collect this money from the people of Israel and spend it for the upkeep of the Tent of my presence. This tax will be the payment for their lives, and I will remember to protect them."
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The LORD said to Moses,
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"Make a bronze basin with a bronze base. Place it between the Tent and the altar, and put water in it.
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Aaron and his sons are to use the water to wash their hands and feet
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before they go into the Tent or approach the altar to offer the food offering. Then they will not be killed.
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They must wash their hands and feet, so that they will not die. This is a rule which they and their descendants are to observe forever."
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The LORD said to Moses,
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"Take the finest spices---12 pounds of liquid myrrh, 6 pounds of sweet-smelling cinnamon, 6 pounds of sweet-smelling cane,
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and 12 pounds of cassia (all weighed according to the official standard). Add one gallon of olive oil,
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and make a sacred anointing oil, mixed like perfume.
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Use it to anoint the Tent of my presence, the Covenant Box,
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the table and all its equipment, the lampstand and its equipment, the altar for burning incense,
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the altar for burning offerings, together with all its equipment, and the washbasin with its base.
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Dedicate these things in this way, and they will be completely holy, and anyone or anything that touches them will be harmed by the power of its holiness.
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Then anoint Aaron and his sons, and ordain them as priests in my service.
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Say to the people of Israel, 'This holy anointing oil is to be used in my service for all time to come.
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It must not be poured on ordinary men, and you must not use the same formula to make any mixture like it. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy.
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Whoever makes any like it or uses any of it on anyone who is not a priest will no longer be considered one of my people.' "
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The LORD said to Moses, "Take an equal part of each of the following sweet spices---stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense.
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Use them to make incense, mixed like perfume. Add salt to keep it pure and holy.
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Beat part of it into a fine powder, take it into the Tent of my presence, and sprinkle it in front of the Covenant Box. Treat this incense as completely holy.
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Do not use the same formula to make any incense like it for yourselves. Treat it as a holy thing dedicated to me.
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If anyone makes any like it for use as perfume, he will no longer be considered one of my people."
1
The LORD said to Moses,
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"I have chosen Bezalel, the son of Uri and grandson of Hur, from the tribe of Judah,
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and I have filled him with my power. I have given him understanding, skill, and ability for every kind of artistic work---
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for planning skillful designs and working them in gold, silver, and bronze;
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for cutting jewels to be set; for carving wood; and for every other kind of artistic work.
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I have also selected Oholiab son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan, to work with him. I have also given great ability to all the other skilled workers, so that they can make everything I have commanded to be made:
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the Tent of my presence, the Covenant Box and its lid, all the furnishings of the Tent,
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the table and its equipment, the lampstand of pure gold and all its equipment, the altar for burning incense,
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the altar for burnt offerings and all its equipment, the washbasin and its base,
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the magnificent priestly garments for Aaron and his sons to use when they serve as priests,
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the anointing oil, and the sweet-smelling incense for the Holy Place. In making all these things, they are to do exactly as I have commanded you."
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The LORD commanded Moses
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to tell the people of Israel, "Keep the Sabbath, my day of rest, because it is a sign between you and me for all time to come, to show that I, the LORD, have made you my own people.
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You must keep the day of rest, because it is sacred. Whoever does not keep it, but works on that day, is to be put to death.
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You have six days in which to do your work, but the seventh day is a solemn day of rest dedicated to me. Whoever does any work on that day is to be put to death.
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The people of Israel are to keep this day as a sign of the covenant.
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It is a permanent sign between the people of Israel and me, because I, the LORD, made heaven and earth in six days, and on the seventh day I stopped working and rested."
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When God had finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets on which God himself had written the commandments.
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When the people saw that Moses had not come down from the mountain but was staying there a long time, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, "We do not know what has happened to this man Moses, who led us out of Egypt; so make us a god to lead us."
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Aaron said to them, "Take off the gold earrings which your wives, your sons, and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me."
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So all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron.
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He took the earrings, melted them, poured the gold into a mold, and made a gold bull-calf. The people said, "Israel, this is our god, who led us out of Egypt!"
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Then Aaron built an altar in front of the gold bull-calf and announced, "Tomorrow there will be a festival to honor the LORD."
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Early the next morning they brought some animals to burn as sacrifices and others to eat as fellowship offerings. The people sat down to a feast, which turned into an orgy of drinking and sex.
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The LORD said to Moses, "Hurry and go back down, because your people, whom you led out of Egypt, have sinned and rejected me.
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They have already left the way that I commanded them to follow; they have made a bull-calf out of melted gold and have worshiped it and offered sacrifices to it. They are saying that this is their god, who led them out of Egypt.
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I know how stubborn these people are.
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Now, don't try to stop me. I am angry with them, and I am going to destroy them. Then I will make you and your descendants into a great nation."
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But Moses pleaded with the LORD his God and said, " LORD, why should you be so angry with your people, whom you rescued from Egypt with great might and power?
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Why should the Egyptians be able to say that you led your people out of Egypt, planning to kill them in the mountains and destroy them completely? Stop being angry; change your mind and do not bring this disaster on your people.
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Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Remember the solemn promise you made to them to give them as many descendants as there are stars in the sky and to give their descendants all that land you promised would be their possession forever."
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So the LORD changed his mind and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.
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Moses went back down the mountain, carrying the two stone tablets with the commandments written on both sides.
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God himself had made the tablets and had engraved the commandments on them.
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Joshua heard the people shouting and said to Moses, "I hear the sound of battle in the camp."
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Moses said, "That doesn't sound like a shout of victory or a cry of defeat; it's the sound of singing."
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When Moses came close enough to the camp to see the bull-calf and to see the people dancing, he became furious. There at the foot of the mountain, he threw down the tablets he was carrying and broke them.
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He took the bull-calf which they had made, melted it, ground it into fine powder, and mixed it with water. Then he made the people of Israel drink it.
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He said to Aaron, "What did these people do to you, that you have made them commit such a terrible sin?"
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Aaron answered, "Don't be angry with me; you know how determined these people are to do evil.
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They said to me, 'We don't know what has happened to this man Moses, who brought us out of Egypt; so make us a god to lead us.'
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I asked them to bring me their gold ornaments, and those who had any took them off and gave them to me. I threw the ornaments into the fire and out came this bull-calf!"
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Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get out of control and make fools of themselves in front of their enemies.
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So he stood at the gate of the camp and shouted, "Everyone who is on the LORD's side come over here!" So all the Levites gathered around him,
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and he said to them, "The LORD God of Israel commands every one of you to put on your sword and go through the camp from this gate to the other and kill your brothers, your friends, and your neighbors."
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The Levites obeyed, and killed about three thousand men that day.
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Moses said to the Levites, "Today you have consecrated yourselves as priests in the service of the LORD by killing your sons and brothers, so the LORD has given you his blessing."
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The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a terrible sin. But now I will again go up the mountain to the LORD; perhaps I can obtain forgiveness for your sin."
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Moses then returned to the LORD and said, "These people have committed a terrible sin. They have made a god out of gold and worshiped it.
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Please forgive their sin; but if you won't, then remove my name from the book in which you have written the names of your people."
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The LORD answered, "It is those who have sinned against me whose names I will remove from my book.
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Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about. Remember that my angel will guide you, but the time is coming when I will punish these people for their sin."
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So the LORD sent a disease on the people, because they had caused Aaron to make the gold bull-calf.
1
And Saul approved of his murder. That very day the church in Jerusalem began to suffer cruel persecution. All the believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout the provinces of Judea and Samaria.
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Some devout men buried Stephen, mourning for him with loud cries.
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But Saul tried to destroy the church; going from house to house, he dragged out the believers, both men and women, and threw them into jail.
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The believers who were scattered went everywhere, preaching the message.
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Philip went to the principal city in Samaria and preached the Messiah to the people there.
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The crowds paid close attention to what Philip said, as they listened to him and saw the miracles that he performed.
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Evil spirits came out from many people with a loud cry, and many paralyzed and lame people were healed.
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So there was great joy in that city.
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A man named Simon lived there, who for some time had astounded the Samaritans with his magic. He claimed that he was someone great,
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and everyone in the city, from all classes of society, paid close attention to him. "He is that power of God known as 'The Great Power,' " they said.
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They paid this attention to him because for such a long time he had astonished them with his magic.
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But when they believed Philip's message about the good news of the Kingdom of God and about Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
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Simon himself also believed; and after being baptized, he stayed close to Philip and was astounded when he saw the great wonders and miracles that were being performed.
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The apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had received the word of God, so they sent Peter and John to them.
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When they arrived, they prayed for the believers that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
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For the Holy Spirit had not yet come down on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
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Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
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Simon saw that the Spirit had been given to the believers when the apostles placed their hands on them. So he offered money to Peter and John,
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and said, "Give this power to me too, so that anyone I place my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit."
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But Peter answered him, "May you and your money go to hell, for thinking that you can buy God's gift with money!
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You have no part or share in our work, because your heart is not right in God's sight.
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Repent, then, of this evil plan of yours, and pray to the Lord that he will forgive you for thinking such a thing as this.
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For I see that you are full of bitter envy and are a prisoner of sin."
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Simon said to Peter and John, "Please pray to the Lord for me, so that none of these things you spoke of will happen to me."
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After they had given their testimony and proclaimed the Lord's message, Peter and John went back to Jerusalem. On their way they preached the Good News in many villages of Samaria.
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An angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get ready and go south to the road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This road is not used nowadays.)
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So Philip got ready and went. Now an Ethiopian eunuch, who was an important official in charge of the treasury of the queen of Ethiopia, was on his way home. He had been to Jerusalem to worship God and was going back home in his carriage. As he rode along, he was reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
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The Holy Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to that carriage and stay close to it."
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Philip ran over and heard him reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. He asked him, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
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The official replied, "How can I understand unless someone explains it to me?" And he invited Philip to climb up and sit in the carriage with him.
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The passage of scripture which he was reading was this: "He was like a sheep that is taken to be slaughtered, like a lamb that makes no sound when its wool is cut off. He did not say a word.
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He was humiliated, and justice was denied him. No one will be able to tell about his descendants, because his life on earth has come to an end."
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The official asked Philip, "Tell me, of whom is the prophet saying this? Of himself or of someone else?"
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Then Philip began to speak; starting from this passage of scripture, he told him the Good News about Jesus.
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As they traveled down the road, they came to a place where there was some water, and the official said, "Here is some water. What is to keep me from being baptized?"
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The official ordered the carriage to stop, and both Philip and the official went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
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When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away. The official did not see him again, but continued on his way, full of joy.
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Philip found himself in Azotus; he went on to Caesarea, and on the way he preached the Good News in every town.
