Exodus 30:11-16

Expanded Bible

The Tax for the Meeting Tent

¹¹ The Lord said to Moses, ¹² “When you ·count [register] the ·people [^Lsons; children] of Israel, every person must ·buy back [ransom; atone for] his life from the Lord so that no ·terrible things [disaster; plague] will happen to the people when you ·number [register] them. ¹³ Every person who is ·counted [registered] must pay ·one-fifth of an ounce of silver [^Lhalf a shekel]. (·This is set by using one-half of the Holy Place measure, which weighs two-fifths of an ounce [^L…according to the shekel of the Holy Place which is twenty gerahs].) This amount is a ·gift [contribution] to the Lord. ¹⁴ Every person who is ·counted [registered] and is twenty years old or older must give this ·amount [gift; contribution] to the Lord. ¹⁵ A rich person must not give more than ·one-fifth of an ounce [^La half shekel], and a poor person must not give less. You are ·paying this to the Lord to buy back your lives [giving a gift/contribution to the Lord as a ransom/atonement for your life]. ¹⁶ ·Gather [Take] from the ·people [^Lsons; children] of Israel this ·money [silver] paid to ·buy back their lives [^Latone; ransom], and ·spend [give] it on things for the ·service [work] in the Meeting Tent. This payment will remind the Lord that the ·Israelites’ [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel’s] lives have been ·bought back [ransomed; atoned].”