« | Exodus 30 | » |
1 "Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense.
2 It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high �its horns of one piece with it.
3 Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.
4 Make two gold rings for the altar below the molding�two on each of the opposite sides�to hold the poles used to carry it.
5 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
6 Put the altar in front of the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law�before the atonement cover that is over the tablets of the covenant law�where I will meet with you.
7 "Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps.
8 He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the LORD for the generations to come.
9 Do not offer on this altar any other incense or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it.
10 Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come. It is most holy to the LORD."
11 Then the LORD said to Moses,
12 "When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the LORD a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them.
13 Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD.
14 All who cross over, those twenty years old or more, are to give an offering to the LORD.
15 The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives.
16 Receive the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will be a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD, making atonement for your lives."
17 Then the LORD said to Moses,
18 "Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it.
19 Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it.
20 Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the LORD,
21 they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come."
22 Then the LORD said to Moses,
23 "Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant calamus,
24 500 shekels of cassia�all according to the sanctuary shekel�and a hin of olive oil.
25 Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil.
26 Then use it to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law,
27 the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense,
28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand.
29 You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.
30 "Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.
31 Say to the Israelites, 'This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come.
32 Do not pour it on anyone else's body and do not make any other oil using the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred.
33 Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from their people.' "
34 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take fragrant spices�gum resin, onycha and galbanum�and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts,
35 and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred.
36 Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you.
37 Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the LORD.
38 Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from their people."
Today’s New International Version (TNIV)
Today’s New International Version (TNIV) is a contemporary English translation of the Bible that was first published in its complete form in 2005 by the International Bible Society, now known as Biblica. The TNIV is a revision of the New International Version (NIV), which was initially released in 1978. The primary goal of the TNIV was to update the language and address gender inclusivity while maintaining the readability and accuracy that made the NIV popular. The translation aimed to reflect contemporary English usage and to be accessible to a broad audience, including both men and women.
One of the key features of the TNIV is its commitment to gender-inclusive language. The translators sought to avoid gender-specific terms where the original texts did not explicitly require them, thereby making the text more inclusive and reflective of modern linguistic sensibilities. For example, where the original Greek or Hebrew text used terms that referred to both men and women, the TNIV translated them in a gender-neutral manner. This approach aimed to make the Bible more accessible and relatable to all readers, ensuring that no one felt excluded by the language used.
The TNIV also made several other updates to enhance clarity and readability. The translators incorporated the latest biblical scholarship and linguistic research to ensure that the translation accurately conveyed the meaning of the original texts. They aimed to strike a balance between maintaining the formal equivalence of the original languages and using dynamic equivalence to make the text more understandable for contemporary readers. This involved updating archaic words and phrases, improving sentence structures, and clarifying ambiguous passages without losing the essence of the original scriptures.
Despite its strengths, the TNIV faced significant controversy and criticism, particularly from conservative Christian groups and scholars. Critics argued that the gender-inclusive language could potentially distort the intended meaning of the biblical texts and that the changes were driven more by cultural trends than by faithful adherence to the original manuscripts. The debate over the TNIV’s translation choices led to its eventual discontinuation, with Biblica deciding to focus on updating the NIV instead. However, the TNIV’s influence can still be seen in subsequent revisions of the NIV, which have incorporated some of the gender-inclusive principles and linguistic updates introduced by the TNIV.