Exodus 28

1 Call to yourself Aaron your brother and his sons—Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar—from among the Israelites so that they may serve me as priests.

And do thou take to thyself both Aaron thy brother, and his sons, even [them] of the children of Israel; so that Aaron, and Nadab and Abiud, and Eleazar and Ithamar, sons of Aaron, may minister to me.

2 You must make for Aaron, your brother, garments that are set apart to me. These garments will be for his honor and splendor.

And thou shalt make holy apparel for Aaron thy brother, for honour and glory.

3 You must speak to all people who are wise in heart, those whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, so that they may make Aaron's garments to set him apart to serve me as my priest.

And speak thou to all those who are wise in understanding, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom and perception; and they shall make the holy apparel of Aaron for the sanctuary, in which [apparel] he shall minister to me as priest.

4 The garments that they must make are a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of woven work, a turban, and a sash. They must make these garments that are set them apart to me. They will be for your brother Aaron and his sons so that they may serve me as priests.

And these are the garments which they shall make: the breast-plate, and the shoulder-piece, and the full-length robe, and the tunic with a fringe, and the tire, and the girdle; and they shall make holy garments for Aaron and his sons to minister to me as priests.

5 Craftsmen must use fine linen that is gold, blue, purple, and scarlet.

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

6 They must make the ephod of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet wool, and of fine-twined linen. It must be the work of a skillful craftsman.

And they shall make the shoulder-piece of fine linen spun, the woven work of the embroiderer.

7 It must have two shoulder pieces attached to its two upper corners.

It shall have two shoulder-pieces joined together, fastened on the two sides.

8 Its finely-woven waistband must be like the ephod; it must be made of one piece with the ephod, made of fine twined linen that is gold, blue, purple, and scarlet.

And the woven work of the shoulder-pieces which is upon it, shall be of one piece according to the work, of pure gold and blue and purple, and spun scarlet and fine twined linen.

9 You must take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of Israel's twelve sons.

And thou shalt take the two stones, the stones of emerald, and thou shalt grave on them the names of the children of Israel.

10 Six of their names must be on one stone, and six names must be on the other stone, in order of the sons' birth.

Six names on the first stone, and the other six names on the second stone, according to their births.

11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engraving on a signet, you must engrave the two stones with the names of Israel's twelve sons. You must mount the stones in settings of gold.

[It shall be] the work of the stone-engraver's art; as the graving of a seal thou shalt engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel.

12 You must put the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, to be stones to remind Yahweh of Israel's sons. Aaron will carry their names before Yahweh on his two shoulders as a reminder to him.

And thou shalt put the two stones on the shoulders of the shoulder-piece: they are memorial-stones for the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel before the Lord on his two shoulders, a memorial for them.

13 You must make settings of gold

And thou shalt make circlets of pure gold;

14 and two braided chains of pure gold like cords, and you must attach the chains to the settings.

and thou shalt make two fringes of pure gold, variegated with flowers wreathen work; and thou shalt put the wreathen fringes on the circlets, fastening them on their shoulder-pieces in front.

15 You must make a breastpiece for decision making, the work of a skillful workman, fashioned like the ephod. Make it of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet wool, and of fine linen.

And thou shalt make the oracle of judgment, the work of the embroiderer: in keeping with the ephod, thou shalt make it of gold, and blue and purple, and spun scarlet, and fine linen spun.

16 It is to be square. You must fold the breastpiece double. It must be one span long and one span wide.

Thou shalt make it square: it shall be double; of a span the length of it, and of a span the breadth.

17 You must place in it four rows of precious stones. The first row must have a ruby, a topaz, and a garnet.

And thou shalt interweave with it a texture of four rows of stone; there shall be a row of stones, a sardius, a topaz, and emerald, the first row.

18 The second row must have an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.

And the second row, a carbuncle, a sapphire, and a jasper.

19 The third row must have a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst.

And the third row, a ligure, an agate, an amethyst:

20 The fourth row must have a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper. They must be mounted in gold settings.

and the fourth row, a chrysolite, and a beryl, and an onyx stone, set round with gold, bound together with gold: let them be according to their row.

21 The stones must be arranged by the names of Israel's twelve sons, each in order by name. They must be like the engraving on a signet ring, each name standing for one of the twelve tribes.

And let the stones of the names of the children of Israel be twelve according to their names, engravings as of seals: let them be for the twelve tribes each according to the name.

22 You must make on the breastpiece chains like cords, braided work of pure gold.

And thou shalt make on the oracle woven fringes, a chain-work of pure gold.

23 You must make two rings of gold for the breastpiece and must attach them to the two ends of the breastpiece.

And Aaron shall take the names of the children of Israel, on the oracle of judgment on his breast; a memorial before God for him as he goes into the sanctuary.

24 You must attach the two golden chains to the two corners of the breastpiece.

And thou shalt put the fringes on the oracle of judgment; thou shalt put the wreaths on both sides of the oracle,

25 You must attach the other ends of the two braided chains to the two settings. Then you must attach those to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at its front.

and thou shalt put the two circlets on both the shoulders of the ephod in front.

26 You must make two rings of gold, and you must put them on the other two corners of the breastpiece, on the edge next to the inner border.

And thou shalt put the Manifestation and the Truth on the oracle of judgment; and it shall be on the breast of Aaron, when he goes into the holy place before the Lord; and Aaron shall bear the judgments of the children of Israel on his breast before the Lord continually.

27 You must make two more gold rings, and you must attach them to the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the front of the ephod, close to its seam above the finely-woven waistband of the ephod.

And thou shalt make the full-length tunic all of blue.

28 They must tie the breastpiece by its rings to the ephod's rings with a blue cord, so that it might be attached just above the ephod's woven waistband. This is so that the breastpiece might not become unattached from the ephod.

And the opening of it shall be in the middle having a fringe round about the opening, the work of the weaver, woven together in the joining of the same piece that it might not be rent.

29 When Aaron goes into the holy place, he must carry the names of the people of Israel over his heart in the breastpiece for decision making, as a continuing memorial before Yahweh.

And under the fringe of the robe below thou shalt make as it were pomegranates of a flowering pomegranate tree, of blue, and purple, and spun scarlet, and fine linen spun, under the fringe of the robe round about: golden pomegranates of the same shape, and bells round about between these.

30 You are to put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece for decision making, so they may be over Aaron's heart when he goes in before Yahweh. Thus Aaron will always carry the means for making decisions for the people of Israel over his heart before Yahweh.

A bell by the side of a golden pomegranate, and flower-work on the fringe of the robe round about.

31 You will make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue fabric.

And the sound of Aaron shall be audible when he ministers, as he goes into the sanctuary before the Lord, and has he goes out, that he die not.

32 It must have an opening for the head in the middle. The opening must have a woven edge round about so that it does not tear. This must be the work of a weaver.

And thou shalt make a plate [of] pure gold, and thou shalt grave on it [as] the graving of a signet, Holiness of the Lord.

33 On the bottom hem, you must make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn all around. Gold bells must be between them all around.

And thou shalt put it on the spun blue cloth, and it shall be on the mitre: it shall be in the front of the mitre.

34 There must be a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate—and so on—all around the hem of the robe.

And it shall be on the forehead of Aaron; and Aaron shall bear away the sins of their holy things, all that the children of Israel shall sanctify of every gift of their holy things, and it shall be on the forehead of Aaron continually acceptable for them before the Lord.

35 The robe is to be on Aaron when he serves, so that its sound can be heard when he goes into the holy place before Yahweh and when he leaves. This is so that he does not die.

And the fringes of the garments [shall be] of fine linen; and thou shalt make a tire of fine linen, and thou shalt make a girdle, the work of the embroiderer.

36 You must make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving on a signet, “Holy to Yahweh.”

And for the sons of Aaron thou shalt make tunics and girdles, and thou shalt make for them tires for honour and glory.

37 You must attach this plate by a blue cord to the front of the turban.

And thou shalt put them on Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, and thou shalt anoint them and fill their hands: and thou shalt sanctify them, that they may minister to me in the priest's office.

38 It must be on Aaron's forehead; he must always bear any guilt that might attach to the offering of the holy gifts that the Israelites set apart to Yahweh. The turban must be always on his forehead so that Yahweh may accept their gifts.

And thou shalt make for them linen drawers to cover the nakedness of their flesh; they shall reach from the loins to the thighs.

39 You must make the coat with fine linen, and you must make a turban of fine linen. You must also make a sash, the work of an embroiderer.

And Aaron shall have them, and his sons, whenever they enter into the tabernacle of witness, or when they shall advance to the altar of the sanctuary to minister, so they shall not bring sin upon themselves, lest they die: [it is] a perpetual statute for him, and for his seed after him.

40 For Aaron's sons you must make coats, sashes, and headbands for their honor and splendor.

41 You must clothe Aaron your brother, and his sons with him. You must anoint them, ordain them, and set them apart to me, so that they may serve me as priests.

42 You must make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh, that will cover them from the waist to the thighs.

43 Aaron and his sons must wear these garments when they enter the tent of meeting or when they approach the altar to serve in the holy place. They must do this so they would not be guilty or else they would die. This is a permanent law for Aaron and his descendants after him.