Exodus 28

1 And thou shalt let come near unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may be a priest unto me; Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Elazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron.

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.

2 And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for ornament.

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

3 And thou shalt speak unto all that are wisehearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make garments for Aaron, to sanctify him, that he may be a priest unto me.

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.

4 And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a checkered coat, a mitre, and a girdle; and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and for his sons, to be a priest unto me.

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.

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

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

6 And they shall make the ephod, of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet yarn, and twisted linen, of weaver's work.

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

7 Two shoulder-pieces shall it have joined at the two edges thereof; by which it shall be joined together.

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

8 And the belt for girding, which is upon it, shall be of the same make, out of the same piece with itself; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn, and twisted linen.

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.

9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the children of Israel:

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

10 Six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, according to the order of their birth.

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

11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engraving of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel; fitted in settings of gold shalt thou make them.

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

12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulder-pieces of the ephod as stones of memorial unto the children of Israel; and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memorial.

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.

13 And thou shalt make casings of gold;

Make ornamental gold settings

14 And two chains of pure gold, with knots at the ends, of wreathed work shalt thou make them, and thou shalt fasten the wreathed chains to the casings.

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

15 And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment, of weaver's work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn, and of twisted linen, shalt thou make it.

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.

16 Four-square shall it be, double; a span in length, and a span in breadth.

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

17 And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row, a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald; this shall be the first row.

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

18 And the second row, a carbuncle, a sapphire, and a diamond.

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

19 And the third row, an opal, a turquoise, and an amethyst.

In the third row jacinth, agate, and amethyst.

20 And the fourth row, a chrysolite, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be fitted in golden casings when they are set in.

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

21 And the stones shall be according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names; [engraved] with the engraving of a signet, every one according to his name, shall they be for the twelve tribes.

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.

22 And thou shalt make on the breastplate chains with knots at the ends, of wreathed work, of pure gold.

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

23 And thou shalt make on the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.

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

24 And thou shalt put the two wreathed chains of gold in the two rings, on the ends of the breastplate.

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

25 And the [other] two ends of the two wreathed chains thou shalt fasten on the two casings, and put them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod on the outside thereof.

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.

26 And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them on the two ends of the breastplate on its border, which is on the opposite side of the ephod, inward.

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

27 And thou shalt make two more rings of gold, and shalt put them on the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod underneath, toward its front part, close by its seam, above the girdle of the ephod.

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.

28 And they shall fasten the breastplate by its rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may remain on the girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.

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.

29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually.

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.

30 And thou shalt put into the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the Lord; and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually.

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.

31 And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod altogether of blue woolen yarn.

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

32 And there shall be an opening in the top of it, in the midst thereof; it shall have a binding of woven work, round about its opening, as it is on the opening of a habergeon, so shall it be thereon, that it be not rent.

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

33 And thou shalt make on its lower hem pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn, round about its lower hem; and bells of gold between them round about:

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

34 A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, on the lower hem of the robe round about.

having the gold bells and the pomegranates alternate.

35 And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministereth; and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in into the holy place before the Lord, and when he cometh out, that he die not.

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.

36 And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engraving of a signet, Holy unto the Lord.

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

37 And thou shalt fasten it on a lace of blue, and it shall be upon the mitre; upon the front of the mitre shall it be.

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

38 And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead; and Aaron shall atone for the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be upon his forehead always, that they may be received in favor before the Lord.

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.

39 And thou shalt make the coat of linen checkered, and thou shalt make a mitre of linen, and a girdle shalt thou make of embroiderer's work.

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

40 And for Aaron's sons shalt thou make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles; and bonnets thou shalt make for them, for glory and for ornament.

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

41 And thou shalt clothe therewith Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and thou shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may be priests unto me.

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.

42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs shall they reach.

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

43 And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die; a statute for ever shall it be for him and for his seed after him.

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.