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 thou shalt take thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may serve me as priest — 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 shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for ornament.

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 shalt speak with all [that are] wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to hallow him, that he may serve me as 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.

And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a cloak, and a checkered vest, a turban, and a girdle; and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may serve me as priest.

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

And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined byssus,

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

and shall make the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, scarlet and twined byssus, of artistic work.

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

It shall have two shoulder-pieces joined at the two ends thereof, where it is 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 girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to its work of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet and twined byssus.

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

And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the children 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 six names of the rest 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.

According to the work of an engraver in stone, as the engravings of a seal, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel; surrounded by enclosures of gold shalt thou make them.

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 shalt put the two stones upon the shoulder-pieces of the ephod [as] stones of memorial for the children of Israel; and Aaron shall bear their names before Jehovah upon his two shoulders for a memorial.

13 Make ornamental gold settings

And thou shalt make enclosures of gold;

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

and two chains of pure gold; of laced work shalt thou make them, of wreathen work, and fasten the wreathen chains to the enclosures.

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 shalt make the breastplate of judgment of artistic work, like the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined byssus shalt thou make it.

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

Square shall it be, doubled; a span the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof.

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

And thou shalt set in it settings of stones — four rows of stones: [one] row, a sardoin, a topaz, and an emerald — the first row;

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

and the second row, a carbuncle, a sapphire, and a diamond;

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

and the third row, an opal, 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 chrysolite, and an onyx, and a jasper; enclosed in gold shall they be 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 children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, engraved as a seal: every one according to his name shall they be for the twelve tribes.

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

And thou shalt make on the breastplate chains of laced work, of wreathen work, of pure gold.

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

And thou shalt make on the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt 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 shalt put the two wreathen [cords] of gold in the two rings on 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 two ends of the two wreathen [cords] thou shalt fasten to the two enclosures, and shalt put [them] on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, on the front thereof.

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 shalt make two rings of gold, and shalt put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the border thereof, which faceth the ephod inwards.

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 two rings of gold shalt thou make, and shalt put them upon the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod underneath, to the front thereof just by the coupling thereof, above the girdle 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 with its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the girdle 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 children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment on his heart, when he goes in to the sanctuary, 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 shalt put into the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, that they may be upon Aaron's heart when he goeth in before Jehovah; and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before Jehovah continually.

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

And thou shalt make the cloak 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 its opening for the head shall be in the midst thereof; there shall be a binding of woven work at its opening round about; as the opening of a coat of mail, it shall be in it — it shall not rend.

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

And on the skirts thereof thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, round about the skirts thereof; 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, in the skirts of the cloak 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 on Aaron for service; that his sound may be heard when he goeth into the sanctuary before Jehovah, and when he cometh out, that he may not die.

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

And thou shalt make a thin plate of pure gold, and engrave on it, as the engravings of a seal, Holiness to Jehovah!

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

And thou shalt put it on a lace of blue, and it shall be upon the turban — upon the front of the turban shall it be.

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 children of Israel shall hallow in all gifts of their holy things; and it shall be continually on 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 shalt weave the vest of byssus; and thou shalt make a turban of byssus; and thou shalt make a girdle of embroidery.

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

And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make vests; and thou shalt make for them girdles; and high caps shalt thou make for them, for glory and for ornament.

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 shalt clothe with them Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and hallow them, that they may serve me as priests.

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

And thou shalt make them linen trousers to cover the flesh of nakedness; from the loins even to the hips shall they 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 his sons when they enter into the tent of meeting, or when they come near to the altar to serve in the sanctuary; that they may not bear iniquity and die — an everlasting statute for him and his seed after him.