Exodus 28

1 And take thou to thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to me in the priest's office, [even] Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.

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.

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

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

3 And thou shalt speak to all [that are] wise in heart, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister to me in the priest's office.

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.

4 And these [are] the garments which they shall make; a breast-plate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a miter, and a girdle; and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister to me in the priest's office.

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.

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

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

6 And they shall make the ephod [of] gold, [of] blue, and [of] purple, [of] scarlet, and fine twined linen, with curious work.

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.

7 It shall have the two shoulder-pieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and [so] it shall be joined together.

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

8 And the curious girdle of the ephod, which [is] upon it, shall be of the same, according to its work; [even of] gold, [of] blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

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.

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

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

10 Six of their names on one stone, and [the] six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.

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

11 With the work of an engraver in stone, [like] the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.

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.

12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod [for] stones of memorial to the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.

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.

13 And thou shalt make ouches [of] gold;

You must make settings of gold

14 And two chains [of] pure gold at the ends; [of] wreathed work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathed chains to the ouches.

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

15 And thou shalt make the breast-plate of judgment with curious work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; [of] gold, [of] blue, and [of] purple, and [of] scarlet, and [of] fine twined linen shalt thou make it.

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.

16 Foursquare it shall be, [being] doubled; a span [shall be] its length, and a span [shall be] its breadth.

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

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

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

18 And the second row [shall be] an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.

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

19 And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.

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

20 And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings.

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

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

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.

22 And thou shalt make upon the breast-plate chains at the ends [of] wreathed work [of] pure gold.

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

23 And thou shalt make upon the breast-plate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breast-plate.

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

24 And thou shalt put the two wreathed [chains] of gold in the two rings [which are] on the ends of the breast-plate.

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

25 And [the other] two ends of the two wreathed [chains] thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put [them] on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod before it.

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.

26 And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breast-plate in its border, which [is] in the side of the ephod inward.

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.

27 And two [other] rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, towards the forepart of it, over against the [other] coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.

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.

28 And they shall bind the breast-plate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that [it] may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breast-plate be not loosed from the ephod.

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.

29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breast-plate of judgment upon his heart, when he entereth into the holy [place], for a memorial before the LORD continually.

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.

30 And thou shalt put in the breast-plate 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.

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.

31 And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all [of] blue.

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

32 And there shall be a hole in the top of it, in the midst of it: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.

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.

33 And [beneath], upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates [of] blue, and [of] purple, and [of] scarlet, round about its hem; and bells of gold between them around it.

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

34 A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe around it.

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.

35 And it shall be upon Aaron, to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in to the holy [place] before the LORD, and when he cometh out; that he may not die.

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.

36 And thou shalt make a plate [of] pure gold, and engrave upon it, [like] the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

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

37 And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the miter; upon the front of the miter it shall be.

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

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

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.

39 And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the miter [of] fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle [of] needle-work.

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.

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

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

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

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 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness: from the loins even to the thighs they shall reach:

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

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

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.