Whoever won the privilege of the shovel [service] took the silver shovel and ascended to the top of the [Outer] Altar, [and] he cleared away the coals to this side and to that side and scooped out [from the inner coals]. He descended, and poured [these coals] into [the shovel] of gold. About a kav of coals would become scattered from it, and he would sweep them into the stream. And on the Sabbath he would invert the copper pot over them.  The copper pot was a large vessel [which] holds a lesech, and two chains [were connected] to [the copper pot]: One [chain] that [a Kohen] would pull on and [the pot] would descend, and one [chain] [a Kohen] would hold onto from above so that [the pot] would not roll. It served three purposes: [They] inverted it over the coals and over a [dead] sheretz on the Sabbath, and they lowered the ash from the top of the Altar in it.

They reached [the area] between the Antechamber and the Altar; one [Kohen] took the “shovel” and threw it between the Antechamber and the Altar.  A person could not hear the voice of his fellow in Jerusalem due to the sound of the “shovel.” And [the sound] served three purposes: A Kohen who heard its sound would know that his brethren, the Kohanim, would be entering [the Heichal] to prostrate themselves, and he would run and come. And a Levi who heard its sound would know that his brethren, the Leviim, would be entering [the Courtyard] to chant the song, and he would run and come. And the head of the maamad would post the tamei [Kohanim] at the eastern gateway [to the Temple Mount].

They began ascending the steps of the Antechamber. [The two Kohanim] who won the privileges of clearing the ash from the Inner Altar and from the Menorah would go ahead of them: [The Kohen] who won the privilege of clearing the ash from the Inner Altar entered [the Heichal] and took the basket, and prostrated himself and exited. [The Kohen] who won the privilege of clearing the ash from the Menorah entered [the Heichal] and [if] he found the two easternmost lamps burning, he would clear the ash of the eastern [lamp], and [would] leave the western [lamp] burning, because from it [the Kohen] would kindle the [other lamps of the] Menorah in the evening. [If] he found that [the western lamp] went out, he would clear its ash and light it from the [fire of the] Olah Altar. He took the jug from the second step, and prostrated himself and exited.

[The Kohen] who won the privilege of the shovel [service] heaped up the coals on top of the [Inner] Altar and flattened them with the bottom of the shovel, and prostrated himself and exited.