Exodus 28

1 Have your brother Aaron come to you, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. They of all the Israelites are to serve me as priests.

And bring thou near to thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the sons of Israel, that he may minister to me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.

2 You are to have holy clothing made for your brother Aaron to make him look splendid and dignified.

And thou shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for beauty.

3 You are to give instructions to all the skilful workers, to those who have received from me their abilities, as to how to make clothing for Aaron's dedication, so that he can serve me as priest.

And thou shall speak to all who are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron's garments to sanctify him, that he may minister to me in the priest's office.

4 These are the clothes for them to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a pleated tunic, a turban, and a sash. These are the holy clothes they shall make for your brother Aaron and his sons so that they can serve me as priests.

And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a tunic of checker work, a miter, and a sash. And they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister to me in the priest's office.

5 The workers are to use gold thread, together with blue, purple, and crimson thread, and finely-spun linen.

And they shall take the gold, and the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, and the fine linen.

6 They are to make the ephod of finely-woven linen embroidered with gold, and with blue, purple, and crimson thread, skillfully worked.

And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the skilful workman.

7 Two shoulder pieces are to be attached to the front and back pieces.

It shall have two shoulder-pieces joined to the two ends of it, that it may be joined together.

8 The waistband of the ephod is to be one piece made in the same way, using gold thread, with blue, purple, and crimson thread, and with finely-woven linen.

And the skillfully woven band, which is upon it, with which to gird it on, shall be like the work of it and of the same piece, of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

9 Engrave on two onyx stones the names of the Israelite tribes,

And thou shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel:

10 six names on one stone and six on the other, in birth order.

six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the six that remain on the other stone, according to their birth.

11 Engrave the names on the two stones the same way a jeweler engraves a personal seal. Then place the stones in ornamental gold settings.

With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, thou shall engrave the two stones, according to the names of the sons of Israel. Thou shall make them to be enclosed in settings of gold.

12 Attach both stones to the shoulder pieces of the ephod as reminders for the Israelite tribes. Aaron is to wear their names on his two shoulders to remind the Israelites that he represents them when he goes into the Lord's presence.

And thou shall put the two stones upon the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before Jehovah upon his two shoulders for a memorial.

13 Make ornamental gold settings

And thou shall make settings of gold,

14 and two braided chains of pure gold, and fasten these chains to the settings.

and two chains of pure gold, like cords shall thou make them, of wreathen work. And thou shall put the wreathen chains on the settings.

15 You are also to make a breastpiece for decisions in the same skilful way as the ephod, to be used in determining the Lord's will. Make it using gold thread, with blue, purple, and crimson thread, and with finely-woven linen.

And thou shall make a breastplate of judgment, the work of the skilful workman. Thou shall make it like the work of the ephod: of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, thou shall make it.

16 It has to be square when folded, measuring around nine inches in length and width.

It shall be foursquare and double, a span shall be the length of it, and a span the breadth of it.

17 Attach an arrangement of precious stones in four rows as follows. In the first row carnelian, peridot, and emerald.

And thou shall set in it settings of stones, four rows of stones: a row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row,

18 In the second row turquoise, lapis lazuli, and sardonyx.

and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond,

19 In the third row jacinth, agate, and amethyst.

and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst,

20 In the fourth row topaz, beryl, and jasper. Place these stones in ornamental gold settings.

and the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be enclosed in gold in their settings.

21 Each of the twelve stones will be engraved like a personal seal with the name of one of the twelve Israelites tribes and will represent them.

And the stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one according to his name; they shall be for the twelve tribes.

22 Make cords of braided chains from pure gold to attach the breastpiece.

And thou shall make upon the breastplate chains like cords, of wreathen work of pure gold.

23 Make two gold rings and fasten them to the two top corners of the breastpiece.

And thou shall make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.

24 Attach the two gold chains to the two gold rings on the corners of the breastpiece,

And thou shall put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings at the ends of the breastplate.

25 and then fasten the opposite ends of the two chains to the ornamental gold settings on the shoulder pieces of the front side of the ephod.

And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shall put on the two settings, and put them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod in the forepart of it.

26 Make two more gold rings and attach them to the two lower corners of the breastpiece, on the inside edge next to the ephod.

And thou shall make two rings of gold, and thou shall put them upon the two ends of the breastplate, upon the edge of it, which is toward the side of the ephod inward.

27 Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the front side of the ephod, near where it joins its woven waistband.

And thou shall make two rings of gold, and shall put them on the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod underneath, in the forepart of it, close by the coupling of it, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod.

28 Tie the rings of the breastpiece to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue thread, so that the breastpiece won't come loose from the ephod.

And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings of it to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be upon the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.

29 Like this, whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will wear the names of the Israelite tribes over his heart on the breastpiece, as a constant reminder before the Lord.

And Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goes in to the holy place, for a memorial before Jehovah continually.

30 Place the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece of decision, so that they too will be over Aaron's heart whenever he comes into the Lord's presence. Aaron will continually carry the means of gaining decisions over his heart before the Lord.

And thou shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goes in before Jehovah. And Aaron shall bear the judgment of the sons of Israel upon his heart before Jehovah continually.

31 Make the robe that goes with the ephod exclusively from blue cloth,

And thou shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue.

32 with an opening in the middle at the top. Stitch a woven collar around the opening to strengthen it so it won't tear.

And it shall have a hole for the head in the midst of it. It shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of a coat of mail, that it be not torn.

33 Make pomegranates using blue, purple, and crimson thread and attach them all the way around its hem, with gold bells between them,

And upon the skirts of it thou shall make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the skirts of it, and bells of gold between them round about:

34 having the gold bells and the pomegranates alternate.

a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the skirts of the robe round about.

35 Aaron is to wear the robe whenever he serves, and the sound it makes will be heard when he enters or leaves the sanctuary as he goes into the Lord's presence, so that he won't die.

And it shall be upon Aaron to minister. And the sound of it shall be heard when he goes in to the holy place before Jehovah, and when he comes out, that he does not die.

36 Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it like a seal, “Holy to the Lord.”

And thou shall make a plate of pure gold, and engrave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLY TO JEHOVAH.

37 Attach it to the front of the turban using a blue cord.

And thou shall put it on a lace of blue, and it shall be upon the miter. It shall be upon the forefront of the miter.

38 Aaron will wear it on his forehead, so that he may take responsibility for the guilt of the offerings the Israelites make, and this applies to all their holy gifts. It must always remain on his forehead in order that the people are accepted in the Lord's presence.

And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead. And Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the sons of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts. And it shall always be upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before Jehovah.

39 Weave the tunic with finely-spun linen and make the turban of the same material, and also make sash and have it embroidered.

And thou shall weave the tunic in checker work of fine linen. And thou shall make a miter of fine linen. And thou shall make a sash, the work of the embroiderer.

40 Make tunics, sashes, and headdresses for Aaron's sons, so that they will look splendid and dignified.

And for Aaron's sons thou shall make tunics. And thou shall make for them sashes, and head-coverings thou shall make for them, for glory and for beauty.

41 Put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons and then anoint them and ordain them. Dedicate them so that they can serve me as priests.

And thou shall put them upon Aaron thy brother, and upon his sons with him, and shall anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to me in the priest's office.

42 Make linen undershorts to cover their bare bodies, reaching from waist to thigh.

And thou shall make for them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness, from the loins even to the thighs they shall reach.

43 Aaron and his sons are to wear them when they enter the Tent of Meeting or when they approach the altar to serve in the Holy Place, so that they will not bring guilt on themselves and die. This is a law for Aaron and his descendants forever.

And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they go in to the tent of meeting, or when they come near to the altar to minister in the holy place, that they not bear iniquity, and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and to his seed after him.