Exodus 28

1 “Next, have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to serve Me as priests.

“Summon your [older] brother Aaron and his sons—Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ([Set them apart/They are the ones whom I have chosen]) from [the rest of] the Israeli people, in order that they can serve me [by being] priests.

2 Make holy garments for your brother Aaron, to give him glory and splendor.

[Tell the people to] make beautiful clothes for Aaron, clothes that are [suitable for one who] has this dignified and sacred [work].

3 You are to instruct all the skilled craftsmen, whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom, to make garments for Aaron’s consecration, so that he may serve Me as priest.

Talk to all the skilled workmen, those to whom I have given special ability. [Tell them] to make clothes for Aaron, for him to wear when he is (set apart/dedicated) [to become] a priest to serve me.

4 These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make these holy garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so that they may serve Me as priests.

These are the clothes that they are to make: A sacred pouch for Aaron to wear over his chest, a sacred apron, a robe, an embroidered tunic/gown, a (turban/cloth to wrap around his head), and a sash/waistband. These are the clothes that your [older] brother Aaron and his sons must wear as they serve me [by doing the work that] priests do.

5 They shall use gold, along with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.

The skilled workmen must use fine linen and blue, purple, and red yarn/thread to make these clothes.”

6 They are to make the ephod of finely spun linen embroidered with gold, and with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn.

“The skilled workmen must make the sacred apron from fine linen, and skillfully embroider it with blue, purple, and red yarn/thread.

7 It shall have two shoulder pieces attached at two of its corners, so it can be fastened.

It must have two shoulder straps, to join the front part to the back part.

8 And the skillfully woven waistband of the ephod must be of one piece, of the same workmanship—with gold, with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and with finely spun linen.

A carefully-woven sash, which must be made from the same materials as the sacred apron, must be [sewn] onto the sacred apron.

9 Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel:

[A skilled workman] must take two [expensive] onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the twelve sons of Jacob.

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

He must engrave the names in the order in which Jacob’s sons were born. He must engrave six names on one stone, and the other six names on the other stone.

11 Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings.

A gem-cutter should engrave these names on the stones. Then he should enclose the stones in (settings/tiny gold frames).

12 Fasten both stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear their names on his two shoulders as a memorial before the LORD.

Then he should fasten the stones onto the shoulder straps [of the sacred apron], to represent the twelve Israeli tribes. In that way, Aaron will carry the names of the tribes on his shoulders in order that [I], Yahweh, will never forget [my people] (OR, in order that [he will always] remember that [those tribes belong to] Yahweh).

13 Fashion gold filigree settings

The settings for the stones must be made from gold.

14 and two chains of pure gold, made of braided cord work; and attach these chains to the settings.

[Tell them to] make two tiny chains that are braided like cords, and fasten the chains to the settings.”

15 You are also to make a breastpiece of judgment with the same workmanship as the ephod. Construct it with gold, with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and with finely spun linen.

“[Tell the skilled workman to] make a sacred pouch for Aaron to wear over his chest. [He will use the things he puts into the pouch] to determine [my answers to the questions he asks]. It must be made of the same materials as the sacred apron, and embroidered in the same way.

16 It must be square when folded over double, a span long and a span wide.

It is to be square, and the material must be folded double, so that it is (9 in./22 cm.) on each side.

17 And mount on it a setting of gemstones, four rows of stones: In the first row there shall be a ruby, a topaz, and an emerald;

[The skilled workman must] fasten four rows of valuable stones onto the pouch. In the first row he must put a [red] ruby, a [yellow] topaz, and a [red] garnet.

18 in the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond;

In the second row he must put a [green] emerald, a [blue] sapphire, and a [clear/white] diamond.

19 in the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;

In the third row he must put a [red] jacinth, a [white] agate, and a [purple] amethyst.

20 and in the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. Mount these stones in gold filigree settings.

In the fourth row he must put a [yellow] beryl, a [red] carnelian, and a [green] jasper.

21 The twelve stones are to correspond to the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.

A gem-cutter should engrave on each of these twelve stones the name of one of the sons of Jacob. These names will represent the twelve Israeli tribes.

22 For the breastpiece, make braided chains like cords of pure gold.

The two [chains] that are made from pure gold and braided like cords are for [attaching] the sacred pouch [to the sacred apron].

23 You are also to make two gold rings and fasten them to the two corners of the breastpiece.

[The workman must] make two gold rings, and attach them to the upper corners of the sacred pouch.

24 Then fasten the two gold chains to the two gold rings at the corners of the breastpiece,

[He must make] two gold cords, and fasten one end of each cord to one of the rings.

25 and fasten the other ends of the two chains to the two filigree settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front.

He must fasten the other end of each cord to the two settings [that enclose the stones]. In that way, the sacred pouch will be attached to the shoulder straps of the sacred apron.

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

Then [he must] make two more gold rings, and attach them to the lower corners of the sacred pouch, on the inside edges, next to the sacred apron.

27 Make two additional gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on its front, near its seam just above its woven waistband.

[He must] make two more gold rings, and attach them to the lower part of the front of the shoulder straps, near to where [the shoulder straps] are joined [to the sacred apron], just above the carefully-woven sash/waistband.

28 The rings of the breastpiece shall be tied to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue yarn, so that the breastpiece is above the waistband of the ephod and does not swing out from the ephod.

The skilled workman must tie the rings on the sacred pouch to the rings on the sacred apron with a blue cord, so that the sacred pouch is above the sash/waistband and does not come loose from the sacred apron.

29 Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he shall bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of judgment, as a continual reminder before the LORD.

In that way, Aaron will have the names of the twelve Israeli tribes in the sacred pouch close to his chest when he enters the Holy Place. This will remind him that I, Yahweh, [will never forget my people] (OR, [that he represents my people when he talks to me, Yahweh]).

30 And place the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece of judgment, so that they will also be over Aaron’s heart whenever he comes before the LORD. Aaron will continually carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the LORD.

Put into the sacred pouch the two things that the priest will use to determine my answers to the questions he asks. In that way, they will be close to his chest when he enters [the Holy Place to talk] to me. He will use them to find out what is my will for the Israeli people.”

31 You are to make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth,

“[Tell the workmen to] use only blue [cloth] to make the robe that is to be worn underneath the priest’s sacred apron.

32 with an opening at its top in the center. Around the opening shall be a woven collar with an opening like that of a garment, so that it will not tear.

It is to have an opening through which [the priest] can put his head. They must sew a border around this opening, to keep the material from tearing.

33 Make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn all the way around the lower hem, with gold bells between them,

At the lower edge on the robe, they must fasten [decorations that look like] pomegranate fruit. They must be [woven from] blue, purple, and red yarn/thread.

34 alternating the gold bells and pomegranates around the lower hem of the robe.

Between each of these decorations, they must fasten a tiny gold bell.

35 Aaron must wear the robe whenever he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he enters or exits the sanctuary before the LORD, so that he will not die.

When Aaron enters the Holy Place [in the Sacred Tent] to do his work as a priest and when he leaves the Sacred Tent, the bells will ring [as he walks]. As a result, he will not die [because of disobeying my instructions].

36 You are to make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD.

“[Tell them to] make a tiny ornament of pure gold, and tell a (skilled workman/gem-cutter) to engrave on it the words, ‘Dedicated to Yahweh.’

37 Fasten to it a blue cord to mount it on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban.

They should fasten this ornament to the front of the turban by a blue cord.

38 And it will be worn on Aaron’s forehead, so that he may bear the iniquity of the holy things that the sons of Israel consecrate with regard to all their holy gifts. It shall always be on his forehead, so that they may be acceptable before the LORD.

Aaron must always wear this on his forehead. In that way, Aaron himself will show [that he accepts] the guilt if the Israeli people offer [their sacrifices] to me in a way that is not correct, and I, Yahweh, will accept their sacrifices.

39 You are to weave the tunic with fine linen, make the turban of fine linen, and fashion an embroidered sash.

“[Tell them to] weave the long-sleeved tunic/gown from fine linen. Also, they must make from fine linen a turban and a sash/waistband, and embroider [designs on it].

40 Make tunics, sashes, and headbands for Aaron’s sons, to give them glory and splendor.

“[Tell them to] make beautiful long-sleeved tunics/gowns, sashes, and caps for Aaron’s sons. Make ones that will be suitable for those who have this dignified work.

41 After you put these garments on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint them, ordain them, and consecrate them so that they may serve Me as priests.

Put these clothes on your [older] brother Aaron and on his sons. Then (set them apart/dedicate them) for this work by anointing them [with olive oil], in order that they may serve me [by being] priests.

42 Make linen undergarments to cover their bare flesh, extending from waist to thigh.

Also [tell them to] make linen undershorts for them. The undershorts should extend from their waists to their thighs, in order that no one can see their private parts.

43 Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they will not incur guilt and die. This is to be a permanent statute for Aaron and his descendants.

Aaron and his sons must always wear those undershorts when they enter the Sacred Tent or when they come near to the altar to offer sacrifices in the Holy Place. If they do not obey this command, I will cause them to die. Aaron and all his male descendants must obey this rule forever.”