Exodus, 28

1. "From among the Israelites have your brother Aaron, together with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, brought to you, that they may be my priests.

1. 'From among the Israelites, summon your brother Aaron and his sons to be priests in my service: Aaron and Aaron's sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

2. For the glorious adornment of your brother Aaron you shall have sacred vestments made.

2. For your brother Aaron you will make sacred vestments to give dignity and magnificence.

3. Therefore, to the various expert workmen whom I have endowed with skill, you shall give instructions to make such vestments for Aaron as will set him apart for his sacred service as my priest.

3. You will instruct all the skilled men, whom I have endowed with skill, to make Aaron's vestments for his consecration to my priesthood.

4. These are the vestments they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a brocaded tunic, a miter and a sash. In making these sacred vestments which your brother Aaron and his sons are to wear in serving as my priests,

4. These are the vestments which they must make: a pectoral, an ephod, a robe, an embroidered tunic, a turban and a belt. They must make sacred vestments for your brother Aaron and his sons, for them to be priests in my service.

5. they shall use gold, violet, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen.

5. They will use gold and violet material, red-purple and crimson, and finely woven linen.

6. "The ephod they shall make of gold thread and of violet, purple and scarlet yarn, embroidered on cloth of fine linen twined.

6. 'They will make the ephod of finely woven linen embroidered with gold, violet-purple, red-purple and crimson.

7. It shall have a pair of shoulder straps joined to its two upper ends.

7. It will have two shoulder-straps joined to it; it will be joined to them by its two edges.

8. The embroidered belt of the ephod shall extend out from it and, like it, be made of gold thread, of violet, purple and scarlet yarn, and of fine linen twined.

8. The waistband on the ephod to hold it in position must be of the same workmanship and be of a piece with it: of gold, violet-purple, red-purple and crimson materials and finely woven linen.

9. "Get two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel:

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

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

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

11. As a gem-cutter engraves a seal, so shall you have the two stones engraved with the names of the sons of Israel and then mounted in gold filigree work.

11. By the stone-carver's art -- seal engraving -- you will engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You will have them mounted in gold settings

12. Set these two stones on the shoulder straps of the ephod as memorial stones of the sons of Israel. Thus Aaron shall bear their names on his shoulders as a reminder before the LORD.

12. and will put the two stones on the shoulder-straps of the ephod, to commemorate the sons of Israel. In this way Aaron will bear their names on his two shoulders, before Yahweh, as a reminder.

13. Make filigree rosettes of gold,

13. You will also make golden rosettes,

14. as well as two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords, and fasten the cordlike chains to the filigree rosettes.

14. and two chains of pure gold twisted like cord, and will attach the cord-like chains to the rosettes.

15. "The breastpiece of decision you shall also have made, embroidered like the ephod with gold thread and violet, purple and scarlet yarn on cloth of fine linen twined.

15. 'You will make the breastplate of judgement of the same embroidered work as the ephod; you will make it of gold, violet-purple, red-purple and crimson materials and finely woven linen.

16. It is to be square when folded double, a span high and a span wide.

16. It must be square and doubled over, a span in length and a span in width.

17. On it you shall mount four rows of precious stones: in the first row, a carnelian, a topaz and an emerald;

17. In it you will set four rows of stones: a sard, topaz and emerald for the first row;

18. in the second row, a garnet, a sapphire and a beryl;

18. for the second row, a garnet, sapphire and diamond;

19. in the third row, a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst;

19. for the third row, a hyacinth, a ruby and an amethyst;

20. in the fourth row, a chrysolite, an onyx and a jasper. These stones are to be mounted in gold filigree work,

20. and for the fourth row, a beryl, a cornelian and a jasper. These must be mounted in gold settings.

21. twelve of them to match the names of the sons of Israel, each stone engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.

21. The stones will correspond to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve like their names, engraved like seals, each with the name of one of the twelve tribes.

22. "When the chains of pure gold, twisted like cords, have been made for the breastpiece,

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

23. you shall then make two rings of gold for it and fasten them to the two upper ends of the breastpiece.

23. and on the breastplate you will make two gold rings, putting the two rings on the two outside edges of the breastplate

24. The gold cords are then to be fastened to the two rings at the upper ends of the breastpiece,

24. and fastening the two gold cords to the two rings on the outside edges of the breastplate.

25. the other two ends of the cords being fastened in front to the two filigree rosettes which are attached to the shoulder straps of the ephod.

25. The other two ends of the cords you will fasten to the two rosettes, putting these on the shoulder-straps of the ephod, on the front.

26. Make two other rings of gold and put them on the two lower ends of the breastpiece, on its edge that faces the ephod.

26. You will also make two gold rings and put them on the two edges of the breastplate, on the inner side, against the ephod;

27. Then make two more rings of gold and fasten them to the bottom of the shoulder straps next to where they join the ephod in front, just above its embroidered belt.

27. and you will make two gold rings and put them low down on the front of the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod, close to the join, above the waistband of the ephod.

28. Violet ribbons shall bind the rings of the breastpiece to the rings of the ephod, so that the breastpiece will stay right above the embroidered belt of the ephod and not swing loose from it.

28. The breastplate will be secured by a violet-purple cord passed through its rings and those of the ephod, so that the breastplate will sit above the waistband and not come apart from the ephod.

29. "Whenever Aaron enters the sanctuary, he will thus bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastpiece of decision over his heart as a constant reminder before the LORD.

29. Thus Aaron will bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgement, on his heart, when he enters the sanctuary, as a reminder, before Yahweh, always.

30. In this breastpiece of decision you shall put the Urim and Thummim, that they may be over Aaron's heart whenever he enters the presence of the LORD. Thus he shall always bear the decisions for the Israelites over his heart in the LORD'S presence.

30. To the breastplate of judgement you will add the urim and the thummim, and these will be on Aaron's heart when he goes into Yahweh's presence, and Aaron will bear the Israelites' judgement on his heart, in Yahweh's presence, always.

31. "The robe of the ephod you shall make entirely of violet material.

31. 'You will make the robe of the ephod entirely of violet-purple.

32. It shall have an opening for the head in the center, and around this opening there shall be a selvage, woven as at the opening of a shirt, to keep it from being torn.

32. In the centre it will have an opening for the head, the opening to have round it a border woven like the neck of a coat of mail, so that it will not get torn.

33. All around the hem at the bottom you shall make pomegranates, woven of violet, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen twined, with gold bells between them;

33. On its lower hem, you will make pomegranates of violet-purple, red-purple and crimson, and finely woven linen all round the hem, with golden bells between them all round:

34. first a gold bell, then a pomegranate, and thus alternating all around the hem of the robe.

34. a golden bell and then a pomegranate, alternately, all round the lower hem of the robe.

35. Aaron shall wear it when ministering, that its tinkling may be heard as he enters and leaves the LORD'S presence in the sanctuary; else he will die.

35. Aaron must wear it when he officiates, and the tinkling will be heard when he goes into the sanctuary into Yahweh's presence, or leaves it, and so he will not incur death.

36. "You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, as on a seal engraving, 'Sacred to the LORD.'

36. 'You will make a flower of pure gold and on it, as you would engrave a seal, you will engrave, "Consecrated to Yahweh".

37. This plate is to be tied over the miter with a violet ribbon in such a way that it rests on the front of the miter,

37. You will put it on a violet-purple cord; it will go on the turban; the front of the turban is the place where it must go.

38. over Aaron's forehead. Since Aaron bears whatever guilt the Israelites may incur in consecrating any of their sacred gifts, this plate must always be over his forehead, so that they may find favor with the LORD.

38. This will go on Aaron's brow, and Aaron will thus take on himself the short-comings in the holy things consecrated by the Israelites, in all their holy offerings. It will be on his brow permanently, to make them acceptable to Yahweh.

39. "The tunic of fine linen shall be brocaded. The miter shall be made of fine linen. The sash shall be of variegated work.

39. The tunic you will weave of fine linen, and make a turban of fine linen, and an embroidered waistband.

40. "Likewise, for the glorious adornment of Aaron's sons you shall have tunics and sashes and turbans made.

40. 'For the sons of Aaron you will make tunics and waistbands. You will also make them head-dresses to give dignity and magnificence.

41. With these you shall clothe your brother Aaron and his sons. Anoint and ordain them, consecrating them as my priests.

41. You will dress your brother Aaron and his sons in these; you will then anoint them, invest them and consecrate them to serve me in the priesthood.

42. You must also make linen drawers for them, to cover their naked flesh from their loins to their thighs.

42. You will also make them linen breeches reaching from waist to thigh, to cover their bare flesh.

43. Aaron and his sons shall wear them whenever they go into the meeting tent or approach the altar to minister in the sanctuary, lest they incur guilt and die. This shall be a perpetual ordinance for him and for his descendants.

43. Aaron and his sons will wear these when they go into the Tent of Meeting and when they approach the altar to serve in the sanctuary, as a precaution against incurring mortal guilt. This is a perpetual decree for Aaron and for his descendants after him.'