Exodus, 28

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

1. Set apart of the sons of Israel your brother Aaron and his sons, and summon them to be priests in my service: Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

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

2. For Aaron, your brother, you are to make sacred vestments to give him dignity and magnificence.

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

3. You are to instruct all the ablest craftsmen (I myself filled them with wisdom), to make Aaron's vestments for his consecration to my priesthood.

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

4. These are the vestments they must make: Breastpiece, Ephod, robe, embroidered tunic, turban and belt. Your brother, Aaron, and his sons will serve me with these sacred vestments.

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

5. For them you shall use gold, purple wool, violet shade and red, crimson wool, and fine twined linen.

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

6. They are to make the Ephod of gold, purple wool, violet shade and red, crimson wool and fine twined linen, the work of a skilled embroiderer.

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

7. It must have two shoulder straps fitted to it to join its two ends together.

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

8. The woven band on it to hold it on is to be of similar workmanship and to form one piece with it: this must be of gold thread, purple wool, violet shade and red, crimson wool, and fine twined linen.

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

9. You will then take two precious stones and engrave them with the names of the sons of Israel,

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

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

11. With the art of a jeweler, of an engraver of seals, you are to engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel, and mount them in settings of gold mesh.

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

12. You are to fasten the two stones commemorating the sons of Israel to the shoulder straps of the Ephod. In this way Aaron will bear their names on his shoulders in the presence of Yahweh, that he may remember them.

13. And thou shalt make ouches [of] gold;

13. You must also make golden rosettes,

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

14. and two chains of pure gold twisted like cord; you are to attach these cordlike chains to the rosettes.

15. And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning 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.

15. You are to make the Breastpiece of judgment, finely embroidered, of the same workmanship as the apron. You are to make it of gold, purple wool, violet shade and red, crimson wool, and fine twined linen.

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

16. It is to be square and doubled over nine inches 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.

17. In this you are to set four rows of stones: sard, topaz, carbuncle, for the first row;

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

18. emerald, sapphire, diamond for the second row;

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

19. for the third row, hyacinth, ruby, amethyst;

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

20. and for the fourth row, beryl, onyx, jasper. These are to 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.

21. There are to be twelve according to the number of the sons of Israel whose names are engraved on them. They are to be engraved like seals, each with the name of one of the twelve tribes.

22. And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends [of] wreathen work [of] pure gold.

22. For the Breastpiece you will make chains of pure gold twisted like cords,

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

23. and also two gold rings and fix them to its two upper corners.

24. And thou shalt put the two wreathen [chains] of gold in the two rings [which are] on the ends of the breastplate.

24. You must fasten the two gold cords to the two rings fixed on the corners of the Breastpiece.

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

25. The other two ends of the cords you must fasten to the two rosettes, so that they will be attached to the shoulder straps of the Ephod, on the front.

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

26. You are to make two gold rings and fix them to the two lower corners of the Breastpiece, on the inner hem, next to the Ephod, on the front.

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

27. You are to make two more gold rings and fix them low down on the front of the two shoulder pieces of the Ephod, close to the seam, above the woven band of the Ephod.

28. And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that [it] may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.

28. You must secure the Breastpiece by passing a ribbon of violet-purple through its rings and those of the Ephod, so that the Breastpiece will sit above the woven band and not come apart from the Ephod.

29. And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy [place], for a memorial before the LORD continually.

29. So when Aaron enters the sanctuary wearing the Breastpiece of judgment, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel on his breast to call them to mind continually in the presence of Yahweh.

30. And thou shalt put in the breastplate 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.

30. In the Breastpiece of judgment you will put the Urim and the Thummim by means of which he takes the decisions for the Israelites. Aaron shall have them on his breast when he goes into Yahweh's presence.

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

31. You are to make the robe of the Ephod entirely of violet-purple.

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

32. In the center it must have an opening for the head, with a border woven around the neck to keep the robe from being torn.

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

33. You shall decorate the lower hem with pomegranates of purple wool, violet shade and red, crimson wool, and fine twined linen,

34. A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.

34. and you shall fit gold bells between: gold bells and pomegranates will be alternately all around the lower hem of the robe.

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

35. Aaron is to wear this robe when he serves before God, so that the tinkling of the bells will be heard whenever he enters the sanctuary and goes into Yahweh's presence, or leaves it; if he does not, he will die.

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

36. You are to make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it 'Consecrated to the Lord.'

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

37. You will tie this to the front of the headpiece with a ribbon of violet-purple.

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.

38. Aaron is to wear it on his forehead, and so take on himself any sins which the sons of Israel may have committed in any of their sacred offerings. Aaron must always wear this plate on his forehead, to draw down on the Israelites the goodwill of Yahweh.

39. And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre [of] fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle [of] needlework.

39. You shall also weave the shirt of fine linen, and make a headpiece of fine linen, and a belt, the work of a skilled 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.

40. You are to make shirt and belt and headdress for the sons of Aaron to make them dignified and beautiful.

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

41. You will put all these ornaments on your brother Aaron and his sons. You will then anoint and invest and consecrate them to serve me in the priesthood.

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

42. You are to make them linen shorts to cover their nakedness from waist to thigh.

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

43. Aaron and his sons must wear these when they go into the Tent of Meeting and when they approach the altar to serve the sanctuary. If they do not, they will be guilty and die. This is a permanent rule for Aaron and for his descendants after him.