Exodus 28
1 “Bring your brother Aaron and his sons with him to you, from among the Israelites, so that he may serve me as priest: Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.
2 Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, for glory and beauty.
3 You shall speak to all who are skilled, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, so that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, so that he may serve me as priest.
4 These are the garments they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a checkered tunic, a turban, and a sash. They shall make sacred garments for your brother Aaron and for his sons, so that they may serve me as priests.
5 They shall take the gold, the blue, the purple, the scarlet, and the fine linen.
6 They shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely twisted linen, skillfully woven.
7 It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to it at its two ends, so that it may be fastened together.
8 The skillfully woven waistband on it shall be made in one piece with it, of the same materials: gold, 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 remaining six names on the other stone, in the order of their birth.
11 With the work of a gem engraver, like the engraving of a seal, engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. Set them in gold settings, surrounded by gold.
12 “Place the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders as a memorial.
13 Make gold settings,
14 and make two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords. Attach the corded chains to the settings.”
15 “Make the breastpiece of judgment, skillfully woven. Make it like the work of the ephod: of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely twisted linen.
16 It shall be square and folded double, a span long and a span wide.
17 Set in it a mounting of stones, four rows of stones: the first row shall be a ruby, a topaz, and an emerald;
18 the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond;
19 the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
20 the fourth row, a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold settings.
21 The stones shall correspond to the names of the sons of Israel: twelve in number, according to their names. Each shall be engraved like a seal, with its name, corresponding to the twelve tribes.
22 “Make braided chains for the breastpiece, twisted like cords, of pure gold.
23 Make two gold rings for the breastpiece and put the two rings at its two ends.
24 Put the two gold cords through the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece,
25 and attach the two ends of the cords to the two settings. Then put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, at the front.
26 Make two gold rings and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inner edge next to the ephod.
27 Make two gold rings and put them on the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, underneath, at the front, near the seam above the waistband of the ephod.
28 The breastpiece shall be tied by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it rests on the waistband of the ephod and does not come loose from it.
29 Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastpiece of judgment over his heart when he enters the holy place, as a memorial before the LORD continually.
30 Put the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece of judgment; they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he enters before the LORD. Aaron shall continually bear the judgment of the Israelites over his heart before the LORD.
31 Make the robe of the ephod entirely blue.
32 There shall be an opening for the head in its middle, with a woven edge around the opening, like the opening of a coat of mail, so that it will not tear.”
33 “Make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn around its hem, with gold bells between them all around.
34 A gold bell and a pomegranate, a gold bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe.
35 Aaron shall wear it when he ministers. Its sound shall 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, like the engraving of a seal: ‘Holy to the LORD.’
37 Attach it to a blue cord, and place it on the turban, at the front of the turban.
38 It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear the guilt connected with the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate, in all their holy gifts. It shall always be on his forehead, so that they may be accepted before the LORD.
39 Weave the fine linen tunic in a checkered pattern. Make a turban of fine linen, and make an embroidered sash.
40 For Aaron’s sons, make tunics, sashes, and headpieces, for glory and beauty.
41 Clothe your brother Aaron and his sons with these garments. Anoint them, ordain them, and consecrate them, so that they may serve me as priests.
42 Make linen undergarments for them to cover their nakedness; they shall extend from the hips to the thighs.
43 Aaron and his sons shall wear them when 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 a permanent statute for him and his descendants after him.”
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