Aaron and His Sons Called Near
28 1 Bring Aaron your brother to you, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests — Aaron, and Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
Garments for Glory and Beauty
2 Make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 Speak to all who are skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom, so that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that 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 holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, so that they may serve me as priests. 5 They are to use gold, and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.
The Ephod
6 They are to make the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen, the work of a skilled craftsman.
Shoulder Stones of Remembrance
7 It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it can be joined together. 8 And the skillfully woven band on it is to be made to match it, of one piece with it: of gold, and 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 of their names on one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. 11 As a jeweler engraves a seal, so you are to engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel; you are to set them in gold filigree. 12 Set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel; and Aaron is to bear their names before me on his two shoulders as a remembrance. 13 Make settings of gold filigree, 14 and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and attach the twisted chains to the settings.
The Breastpiece
15 Make a breastpiece of judgment, the work of a skilled craftsman. Make it like the work of the ephod: of gold, and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely twisted linen.
Twelve Stones, Twelve Names
16 It is to be square and doubled, about nine inches long and nine inches wide. 17 Set in it four rows of stones. The first row is to be carnelian, topaz, and beryl; 18 the second row turquoise, lapis lazuli, and emerald; 19 the third row jacinth, agate, and amethyst; 20 and the fourth row beryl, onyx, and jasper. They are to be set in gold filigree. 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 chains of pure gold, twisted like cords. 23 Make two gold rings for the breastpiece, and fasten the two rings to its two edges. 24 Then fasten the two gold cords to the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece, 25 and attach the other two ends of the cords to the two settings of filigree, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. 26 Make two gold rings and put them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. 27 Make two more gold rings and attach them to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front, close to its seam just above the woven band of the ephod. 28 The breastpiece is to be bound by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue, so that it rests on the woven band of the ephod and does not come loose from it. 29 So Aaron is to bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of judgment whenever he enters the Holy Place, as a continual remembrance before me. 30 And put the Urim and the Thummim into the breastpiece of judgment, so that they will be over Aaron's heart whenever he goes in before me. Thus Aaron will continually bear the means of judgment for the sons of Israel over his heart before me. 1 1 v30 The Urim and Thummim were sacred objects the high priest carried in the breastpiece to discern our Father's decisions for his people.
The Robe and the Golden Plate
31 Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue,
Holy to Our Father
32 with an opening for the head in the middle of it. Around the opening there is to be a woven binding, like the opening of a collar, so that it will not tear. 33 On its hem make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn all around, with gold bells between them, 34 a gold bell and a pomegranate, a gold bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe. 35 Aaron is to wear it whenever he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before me and when he comes out, so that he will not die.
36 Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a seal: "Holy to our Father." 37 Fasten it on the turban with a cord of blue; it is to be on the front of the turban. 38 It is to be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron will bear the guilt connected with the holy things the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It will be on his forehead continually, so that they may be accepted before me. 39 Weave the tunic of fine linen, make the turban of fine linen, and make the sash with embroidery. 40 For Aaron's sons make tunics, sashes, and caps, for glory and for beauty. 41 Put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him, and anoint them, ordain them, and consecrate them, so that they may serve me as priests. 42 Make linen undergarments for them to cover their naked flesh, reaching from the hips to the thighs. 43 Aaron and his sons are to 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 statute for him and for his offspring after him.