Exodus 28

¹ "Have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests.

² Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, to give him dignity and honor.

³ Tell all the skilled workers, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, to make garments for Aaron's consecration, so he may serve me as priest.

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

⁵ Have them use gold, and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.

⁶ "Make the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely twisted linen—the work of a skilled craftsman.

⁷ It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to its two corners, so it can be fastened.

⁸ Its skillfully woven waistband is to be like it—of one piece with the ephod and made of gold, and of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely twisted linen.

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

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

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 settings

¹² and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear their names on his shoulders before the LORD as a reminder.

¹³ Make gold settings

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

¹⁵ "Make a breastpiece for making decisions—the work of a skilled craftsman. Make it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely twisted linen.

¹⁶ It is to be square—a span long and a span wide—and folded double.

¹⁷ Then mount four rows of precious stones on it. The first row is to be carnelian, chrysolite, and beryl;

¹⁸ the second row turquoise, lapis lazuli, and emerald;

¹⁹ the third row jacinth, agate, and amethyst;

²⁰ the fourth row topaz, onyx, and jasper. Mount them in gold settings.

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

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

²³ Make two gold rings for it and fasten them to two corners of the breastpiece.

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

²⁵ and attach the other ends of the chains to the two settings, joining them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front.

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

²⁷ Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband.

²⁸ The rings of the breastpiece are to be tied to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, connecting it to the waistband so that the breastpiece will not swing out from the ephod.

²⁹ "Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he is to bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece for making decisions, as a continual reminder before the LORD.

³⁰ Also put the Urim and the Thummim into the breastpiece, so they are over Aaron's heart whenever he comes before the LORD. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the LORD.

³¹ "Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth,

³² with an opening for the head in the center. There is to be a woven edge around this opening, like the collar of a garment, so that it will not tear.

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

³⁴ alternating a gold bell and a pomegranate all around the hem of the robe.

³⁵ Aaron is to wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the LORD and when he comes out, so that he will not die.

³⁶ "Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD.

³⁷ Fasten it with a blue cord to the front of the turban.

³⁸ It is to be on Aaron's forehead, so that he bears the guilt connected with the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever those gifts may be. It is to be on his forehead continually so that they will be acceptable to the LORD.

³⁹ "Weave the tunic of fine linen and make the turban of fine linen. The sash is to be the work of an embroiderer.

⁴⁰ Make tunics, sashes, and headbands for Aaron's sons, to give them dignity and honor.

⁴¹ After you put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.

⁴² Make linen undergarments for them, reaching from the waist to the thigh, to cover their bare flesh.

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 do not incur guilt and die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants.