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.

Now let Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, come near from among the children of Israel, so that they may be my priests, even Aaron, and Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, his sons.

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

And make holy robes for Aaron your brother, so that he may be clothed with glory and honour.

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.

Give orders to all the wise-hearted workmen, whom I have made full of the spirit of wisdom, to make robes for Aaron, so that he may be made holy as my priest.

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.

This is what they are to make: a priest's bag, an ephod, and a robe, and a coat of coloured needlework, a head-dress, and a linen band; they are to make holy robes for Aaron your brother and for his sons, so that they may do the work of priests for me.

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

They are to take the gold and blue and purple and red and the best 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 make the ephod of gold and blue and purple and red and the best linen, the work of a designer.

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

It is to have two bands stitched to it at the top of the arms, joining it 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 beautifully worked band, which goes on it, is to be of the same work and the same material, of gold and blue and purple and red and twisted linen-work.

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

You are to take two beryl stones, on which the names of the children of Israel are to be cut:

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

Six names on the one stone and six on the other, in the order of 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 a jeweller, like the cutting of a stamp, the names of the children of Israel are to be cut on them, and they are to be fixed in twisted frames 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 the two stones are to be placed on the ephod, over the arm-holes, to be stones of memory for the children of Israel: Aaron will have their names on his arms when he goes in before the Lord, to keep the Lord in mind of them.

13 Make ornamental gold settings

And you are to make twisted frames of gold;

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

And two chains of the best gold, twisted like cords; and have the chains fixed on to the frames.

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 make a priest's bag for giving decisions, designed like the ephod, made of gold and blue and purple and red and the best linen.

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

It is to be square, folded in two, a hand-stretch long and a hand-stretch wide.

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

And on it you are to put four lines of jewels; the first line is to be a cornelian, a chrysolite, and an emerald;

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

The second, a ruby, a sapphire, and an onyx;

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

The third, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;

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

The fourth, a topaz, a beryl, and a jasper; they are to be fixed in twisted frames of gold.

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.

The jewels are to be twelve in number, for the names of the children of Israel; every jewel having the name of one of the twelve tribes cut on it as on a stamp.

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

And you are to make two chains of gold, twisted like cords, to be fixed to the priest's bag.

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

And put two gold rings on the two ends of the bag.

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

Put the two gold chains on the two rings at the ends of the bag;

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.

Joining the other ends of the chains to the gold frames and putting them on the front of the ephod, at the top of the arms.

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.

Then make two gold rings and put them on the lower ends of the bag, at the edge of it on the inner side nearest to the ephod.

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 make two more gold rings and put them on the front of the ephod at the top of the arms, at the join, over the worked band:

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.

So that the rings on the bag may be fixed to the rings of the ephod by a blue cord and on to the band of the ephod, so that the bag may not come loose 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 so Aaron will have the names of the children of Israel on the priest's bag over his heart whenever he goes into the holy place, to keep the memory of them before the Lord.

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 in the bag you are to put the Urim and Thummim, so that they may be on Aaron's heart whenever he goes in before the Lord; and Aaron may have the power of making decisions for the children of Israel before the Lord at all times.

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

The robe which goes with the ephod is to be made 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.

With a hole at the top, in the middle of it; the hole is to be edged with a band to make it strong like the hole in the coat of a fighting-man, so that it may not be broken open.

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

And round the skirts of it put fruits in blue and purple and red, with bells of gold between;

34 having the gold bells and the pomegranates alternate.

A gold bell and a fruit in turn all round the skirts of the robe.

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.

Aaron is to put it on for his holy work; and the sound of it will be clear, when he goes into the holy place before the Lord, and when he comes out, keeping him safe from death.

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

You are to make a plate of the best gold, cutting on it, as on a stamp, these words: HOLY TO THE LORD.

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

Put a blue cord on it and put it on the front of the twisted head-dress:

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 will be over Aaron's brow, so that Aaron will be responsible for any error in all the holy offerings made by the children of Israel; it will be on his brow at all times, so that their offerings may be pleasing to the Lord.

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

The coat is to be made of the best linen, worked in squares; and you are to make a head-dress of linen, and a linen band worked in needlework.

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

And for Aaron's sons you are to make coats, and bands, and head-dresses, so that they may be clothed with glory and honour.

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.

These you are to put on Aaron, your brother, and on his sons, putting oil on them, separating them and making them holy, to do the work of priests to me.

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

And you are to make them linen trousers, covering their bodies from the middle to the knee;

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.

Aaron and his sons are to put these on whenever they go into the Tent of meeting or come near the altar, when they are doing the work of the holy place, so that they may be free from any sin causing death: this is to be an order for him and his seed after him for ever.