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.
“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 You are to have holy clothing made for your brother Aaron to make him look splendid and dignified.
[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 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.
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 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.
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 The workers are to use gold thread, together with blue, purple, and crimson thread, and finely-spun 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-woven linen embroidered with gold, and with blue, purple, and crimson thread, skillfully worked.
“The skilled workmen must make the sacred apron from fine linen, and skillfully embroider it with blue, purple, and red yarn/thread.
7 Two shoulder pieces are to be attached to the front and back pieces.
It must have two shoulder straps, to join the front part to the back part.
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.
A carefully-woven sash, which must be made from the same materials as the sacred apron, must be [sewn] onto the sacred apron.
9 Engrave on two onyx stones the names of the Israelite tribes,
[A skilled workman] must take two [expensive] onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the twelve sons of Jacob.
10 six names on one stone and six on the other, in birth order.
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 on the two stones the same way a jeweler engraves a personal seal. Then place the stones in ornamental gold settings.
A gem-cutter should engrave these names on the stones. Then he should enclose the stones in (settings/tiny gold frames).
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.
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 Make ornamental gold settings
The settings for the stones must be made from gold.
14 and two braided chains of pure gold, and fasten 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 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.
“[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 has to be square when folded, measuring around nine inches in length and width.
It is to be square, and the material must be folded double, so that it is (9 in./22 cm.) on each side.
17 Attach an arrangement of precious stones in four rows as follows. In the first row carnelian, peridot, and 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 turquoise, lapis lazuli, and sardonyx.
In the second row he must put a [green] emerald, a [blue] sapphire, and a [clear/white] diamond.
19 In the third row jacinth, agate, and amethyst.
In the third row he must put a [red] jacinth, a [white] agate, and a [purple] amethyst.
20 In the fourth row topaz, beryl, and jasper. Place these stones in ornamental gold settings.
In the fourth row he must put a [yellow] beryl, a [red] carnelian, and a [green] jasper.
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.
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 Make cords of braided chains from pure gold to attach the breastpiece.
The two [chains] that are made from pure gold and braided like cords are for [attaching] the sacred pouch [to the sacred apron].
23 Make two gold rings and fasten them to the two top corners of the breastpiece.
[The workman must] make two gold rings, and attach them to the upper corners of the sacred pouch.
24 Attach the two gold chains to the two gold rings on 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 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.
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 two lower 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 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.
[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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 Make the robe that goes with the ephod exclusively from 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 in the middle at the top. Stitch a woven collar around the opening to strengthen it so it won't 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 using blue, purple, and crimson thread and attach them all the way around its 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 having the gold bells and the pomegranates alternate.
Between each of these decorations, they must fasten a tiny gold bell.
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.
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 Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it like 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 Attach it to the front of the turban using a blue cord.
They should fasten this ornament to the front of the turban by a blue cord.
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.
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 Weave the tunic with finely-spun linen and make the turban of the same material, and also make sash and have it embroidered.
“[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 headdresses for Aaron's sons, so that they will look splendid and dignified.
“[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 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.
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 undershorts to cover their bare bodies, reaching 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 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 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.”
