You shall make an altar to burn incense upon is literally “And you [singular] shall make an altar [for] letting incense go up in smoke.” (Incense is mentioned at 25.6 and described at 30.34-35.) The same word for burn is used in 29.13 in a different form. (See also verse 7 below.) Of acacia wood shall you make it simply specifies the kind of wood to be used, the same as for the larger altar (27.1). (See the comment on acacia wood at 25.10.) Good News Translation has condensed the verse in a more natural way: “Make an altar of acacia wood, for burning incense.” Since this verse begins a new section, it will be helpful in many languages to translate “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Have them make [or, build] an altar with acacia wood where you can burn incense’ ” or “The LORD continued to instruct Moses, saying, ‘Have them take acacia wood and build an altar for burning incense.’ ”

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .