Chapter 27

The Altar for Burnt Offerings. ¹ You shall make an altar^(A) of acacia wood, on a square, five cubits long and five cubits wide; it shall be three cubits high. ² At the four corners make horns^[a] that are of one piece with the altar. You shall then plate it with bronze. ³ Make pots for removing the ashes, as well as shovels, basins, forks, and fire pans; all these utensils you shall make of bronze. ⁴ Make for it a grating,^[b] a bronze network; make four bronze rings for it, one at each of its four corners. ⁵ Put it down around the altar, on the ground. This network is to be half as high as the altar. ⁶ You shall also make poles of acacia wood for the altar, and plate them with bronze. ⁷ These poles are to be put through the rings, so that they are on either side of the altar when it is carried. ⁸ Make the altar itself in the form of a hollow^[c] box. Just as it was shown you on the mountain, so it is to be made.

⁵ Instead,^(A) you shall seek out the place which the Lord, your God, chooses out of all your tribes and designates as his dwelling to put his name there.^[a](B) There you shall go, ⁶ bringing your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and personal contributions, your votive and voluntary offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and flocks.^(C)

^11 [a](A)then to the place which the Lord, your God, chooses as the dwelling place for his name you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and personal contributions, and every special offering you have vowed to the Lord. ¹² You shall rejoice in the presence of the Lord, your God, with your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves, as well as with the Levite within your gates, who has no hereditary portion with you.

^13 (B)Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings in any place you like, ¹⁴ but offer them in the place which the Lord chooses in one of your tribal territories; there you shall do what I command you.