祭司聖衣的規定

28 「你要從以色列百姓當中把你的哥哥亞倫和他四個兒子——拿答、亞比戶、以利亞撒和以他瑪帶到你身邊,立他們為祭司事奉我。 你要為你哥哥亞倫做一件聖衣,顯出他職位的榮耀和尊貴。 你要吩咐所有我賦予智慧的巧手裁縫師為亞倫縫製衣服,使他分別出來,做聖潔的祭司事奉我。 他們要做的聖衣包括胸牌、以弗得、外袍、雜色的內袍、禮冠和腰帶。要為你哥哥亞倫及其眾子做這樣的聖衣,好讓他們做祭司事奉我。 要用金線和細麻線及藍色、紫色、朱紅色的線製作聖衣。

以弗得

「以弗得要用金線和細麻線及藍色、紫色、朱紅色的線精工製作。 要在以弗得兩邊用兩條肩帶縫合起來。 用金線和細麻線及藍色、紫色、朱紅色的線精工製作一條帶子,縫在以弗得上,連成一整件。

「你要找兩塊紅瑪瑙,刻上以色列十二個兒子的名字, 10 按他們的長幼次序,每一塊寶石刻上六個名字。 11 要用工匠雕刻圖章的方法將他們的名字刻在兩塊寶石上,把寶石鑲在兩個金框裡面。 12 然後將鑲著金框的寶石縫在以弗得的兩條肩帶上,作以色列人的紀念石。亞倫要把他們的名字放在肩上,在耶和華面前作紀念。 13 要做兩個金框, 14 並像搓繩子一樣用純金搓成兩條金鏈,把鏈子連接在鑲寶石的金框上。

胸牌

15 「要精心製作一個用來明白上帝旨意的胸牌,製作的方法和造以弗得一樣,用金線和細麻線及藍色、紫色、朱紅色的線製作。 16 胸牌是方形的,長寬各二十二釐米,分成上下兩層。 17 上面要鑲上四行寶石:第一行是紅寶石、黃玉和翠玉; 18 第二行是綠寶石、藍寶石和金剛石; 19 第三行是紫瑪瑙、白瑪瑙和紫晶; 20 第四行是水蒼玉、紅瑪瑙和碧玉。這些寶石都要用金框圍著,鑲在胸牌上。 21 要用刻圖章的方法在每一顆寶石上刻一個以色列兒子的名字,十二顆寶石代表十二支派。

22 「要用純金擰成兩條像繩子一樣的鏈子,連在胸牌上, 23 造兩個金環安在胸牌兩端, 24 把鏈子穿在金環上, 25 再把金鏈的另一端接在以弗得肩帶的兩個金框上。 26 造兩個金環,安在胸牌下端靠近以弗得內側的兩邊。 27 再造兩個金環安在以弗得前面兩條肩帶的下端,靠近接縫處,在精緻的以弗得腰帶上方。 28 再用一條藍色的繩子繫住以弗得和胸牌上面的金環,使胸牌貼在精工織成的以弗得腰帶上,不會從以弗得上鬆脫。 29 亞倫進聖所時,要佩戴這塊刻著以色列眾子名字的胸牌,在耶和華面前常作紀念。 30 又要把烏陵和土明放在胸牌裡面,亞倫到耶和華面前的時候,要佩帶這胸牌,以便明白上帝的旨意,為以色列人做決定。

外袍

31 「也要縫製一件藍色的以弗得的外袍, 32 袍上要留領口,還要在領口周圍織領邊,好像鎧甲上的領口,免得領口破裂。 33 外袍的底邊要另外用藍色、紫色、朱紅色的線做成石榴狀的飾物,石榴中間要掛金鈴鐺。 34 一個石榴一個金鈴鐺,相間排列,圍在外袍的底邊。 35 亞倫事奉的時候,要穿上這外袍,以便他進聖所到耶和華面前和出聖所的時候,鈴鐺會發出響聲,他就不至於死。

36 「你也要用純金造一塊牌子,以刻印章的方法刻上『奉獻給耶和華』的字樣, 37 再拿一條藍色帶子,把它繫在禮冠前面。 38 亞倫要把這金牌戴在額上,表示他承擔以色列人獻聖物時的過犯,這聖物是以色列百姓特別獻上的禮物。這金牌要常常留在亞倫的額上,好使百姓蒙耶和華悅納。

39 「要用雜色的細麻線織成祭司的內袍,用細麻布做禮冠,腰帶上要有刺繡, 40 也要為亞倫的兒子們縫製內袍、腰帶、帽子,顯出他們職位的榮耀和尊貴。 41 你哥哥亞倫及其眾子穿上這些衣服後,你要用油膏立他們,使他們分別出來,做聖潔的祭司事奉我。

褲子

42 「要用細麻布為他們做褲子,以遮蓋下體,褲子要從腰部到大腿。 43 亞倫父子們進出會幕或到聖所的祭壇事奉的時候,都要穿上褲子,免得因為觸犯聖禮而死亡。這是亞倫及其子孫永遠當遵守的條例。

Garments of the Priests

28 “Then (A)bring forward to yourself your brother Aaron, and his sons with him, from among the sons of Israel, to serve as priest to Me—Aaron, (B)Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons. And you shall make (C)holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. You shall speak to all the [a](D)skillful people (E)whom I have endowed with [b]the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may serve as priest to Me. And these are the garments which they shall make: a [c](F)breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a tunic of checkered work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so that he may serve as priest to Me. They shall take (G)the gold, the [d]violet, the purple, the scarlet material, and the fine linen.

“They shall also make (H)the ephod of gold, of violet, purple, and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen, the work of the skilled embroiderer. It shall have two shoulder pieces joined to its two ends, so that it may be joined. The skillfully woven band of its overlay, which is on it, shall be like its workmanship, [e]of the same material: of gold, of violet and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. And you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10 six of their names on the one stone and the names of the remaining six on the [f]other stone, according to their birth. 11 [g]As a jeweler engraves a signet, you shall engrave the two stones according to the names of the sons of Israel; you shall [h]set them in filigree settings of gold. 12 And you shall put the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of memorial for the sons of Israel, and Aaron shall (I)carry their names before the Lord on his two shoulders (J)as a memorial. 13 And (K)you shall make filigree settings of gold, 14 and two chains of pure gold; you shall make them of twisted cord work, and you shall put the corded chains on the filigree settings.

15 (L)You shall make a [i]breastpiece of judgment, the work of a skilled embroiderer; like the work of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, of violet, purple, and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen you shall make it. 16 It shall be square and folded double, a [j]span [k]in length and a [l]span [m]in width. 17 And you shall [n]mount on it four rows of stones; the first row shall be a row of ruby, topaz, and emerald; 18 and the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper; they shall be set in gold filigree. 21 The stones shall be engraved according to the names of the sons of Israel: twelve, according to their names; they shall be like the engravings of a signet, each (M)according to his name for the twelve tribes. 22 You shall also make on the [o]breastpiece twisted chains of cord work in pure gold. 23 And you shall make on the breastpiece two rings of gold, and shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece. 24 And you shall put the two cords of gold on the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece. 25 You shall put the other two ends of the two cords on the two filigree settings, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, at the front of it. 26 And you shall make two rings of gold and place them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on the edge of it, which is toward the inner side of the ephod. 27 And you shall make two rings of gold and put them on the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on the front of it close to the place where it is joined, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 28 And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a violet cord, so that it will be on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece will not come loose from the ephod. 29 So Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment over his heart when he enters the Holy Place, as a memorial before the Lord continually. 30 And (N)you shall put in the breastpiece of judgment the [p](O)Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the Lord; and Aaron shall carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the Lord continually.

31 (P)You shall make the robe of the ephod all of violet. 32 There shall be an opening [q]at its top in the middle of it; around its opening there shall be a binding of woven work, like the opening of a coat of mail, so that it will not be torn. 33 You shall make on its hem pomegranates of violet, purple, and scarlet material all around on its hem, and bells of gold between them all around: 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, all around on the hem of the robe. 35 It shall be on Aaron [r]when he ministers; and its sound shall be heard when he enters and leaves the Holy Place before the Lord, so that he will not die.

36 “You shall also make (Q)a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engravings of a signet, ‘(R)Holy to the Lord.’ 37 You shall [s]fasten it on a violet cord, and it shall be on the turban; it shall be at the front of the turban. 38 It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall [t](S)take away the guilt of the holy things which the sons of Israel consecrate, regarding all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, so that (T)they may be accepted before the Lord.

39 “And you shall weave (U)the tunic of checkered work of fine linen, and shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash, the work of a [u]weaver.

40 “For Aaron’s sons you shall also make (V)tunics; you shall also make sashes for them, and you shall make [v](W)caps for them, for glory and for beauty. 41 Then you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him; and you shall (X)anoint them and [w]ordain them and consecrate them, so that they may serve Me as priests. 42 You shall make for them (Y)linen undergarments to cover their bare flesh; they shall [x]reach from the waist even to the thighs. 43 And they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they enter the tent of meeting, or (Z)when they approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they do not incur [y]guilt and die. (AA)It shall be a statute forever to him and to his [z]descendants after him.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 28:3 Lit wise of heart
  2. Exodus 28:3 I.e., artistic skill
  3. Exodus 28:4 Or pouch
  4. Exodus 28:5 Or bluish; LXX hyacinth in color, and so throughout the ch
  5. Exodus 28:8 Lit from it
  6. Exodus 28:10 Lit second
  7. Exodus 28:11 Lit A work of a lapidary, engravings of a seal
  8. Exodus 28:11 Lit make them to be surrounded
  9. Exodus 28:15 Or pouch
  10. Exodus 28:16 About 9 in. or 23 cm
  11. Exodus 28:16 Lit its
  12. Exodus 28:16 About 9 in. or 23 cm
  13. Exodus 28:16 Lit its
  14. Exodus 28:17 Lit fill in a setting of stones, four rows of stones
  15. Exodus 28:22 Or pouch, and so through v 30
  16. Exodus 28:30 I.e., lights and perfections
  17. Exodus 28:32 Or for his head
  18. Exodus 28:35 Lit for ministering
  19. Exodus 28:37 Lit place
  20. Exodus 28:38 Or bear
  21. Exodus 28:39 Lit variegator; i.e., a weaver in colors
  22. Exodus 28:40 Lit headgear
  23. Exodus 28:41 Lit fill their hand
  24. Exodus 28:42 Lit be
  25. Exodus 28:43 Or wrongdoing
  26. Exodus 28:43 Lit seed

The Holy Clothes(A)

28 ⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “Out of all the Israelites, bring your brother Aaron and his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar to you. They will serve me as priests. Make holy clothes for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor.

“Tell all those who have the skill—those to whom I have given this ability—to make Aaron’s clothes. These clothes will set him apart as holy when he serves me as priest. These are the clothes they will make: a breastplate, an ephod and the robe that is worn with it, another specially woven linen robe, the chief priest’s turban, and a cloth belt. They will make these holy clothes for your brother Aaron and his sons so that they can serve me as priests. They must use gold, violet, purple, and bright red yarn, and fine linen.

The Ephod(B)

“Make the ephod out of fine linen yarn. Creatively work gold, violet, purple, and bright red yarn into the fabric. It will have two shoulder straps attached at the ⌞top⌟ corners so that it can be fastened. Make the belt that is attached to the ephod out of the same fabric. Take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel 10 in birth order—six of their names on one stone and the remaining six on the other. 11 Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the same way a jeweler engraves a signet ring. Mount them in gold settings, 12 and fasten them on the shoulder straps of the ephod as reminders of who the Israelites are. In this way Aaron will carry their names on his shoulders as a reminder in the Lord’s presence. 13 Make gold settings 14 and two chains of pure gold, twisted like ropes, and fasten these chains to the settings.

The Breastplate(C)

15 “Make the breastplate for decision-making as creatively as you make the ephod. Make it out of gold, violet, purple, and bright red yarn and out of fine linen yarn. 16 Fold it in half so that it’s 9 inches square. 17 Fasten four rows of precious stones on it. In the first row put red quartz, topaz, and emerald. 18 In the second row put turquoise, sapphire, and crystal. 19 In the third row put jacinth, agate, and amethyst. 20 In the fourth row put beryl, onyx, and gray quartz. Mount them in gold settings. 21 The stones correspond to the 12 sons of Israel, by name, each stone engraved (like a signet ring) with the name of one of the 12 tribes.

22 “For the breastplate make chains out of pure gold, twisted like ropes. 23 Make two gold rings for the breastplate. Attach them to the two ⌞top⌟ corners of the breastplate. 24 Then fasten the two gold ropes to the rings at the ⌞top⌟ corners of the breastplate. 25 Fasten the other ends of the ropes to the two settings on the shoulder straps of the ephod ⌞so that the breastplate hangs⌟ in front of it. 26 Make two gold rings, and fasten them to the other two corners of the breastplate on the inside edge next to the ephod. 27 Make two ⌞more⌟ gold rings, and fasten them to the bottom of the shoulder straps on the front of the ephod. This will be close to the seam just above the belt of the ephod. 28 Then the breastplate should be fastened by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a violet cord. This will attach it just above the belt of the ephod and will hold the breastplate in place.

29 “Whenever Aaron goes into the holy place, he will be carrying the names of the sons of Israel over his heart as a constant reminder in the Lord’s presence. He must do this by wearing the breastplate for decision-making. 30 Put the Urim and Thummim [a] into the breastplate for decision-making. They, too, will be over Aaron’s heart when he comes into the Lord’s presence. In this way whenever he’s in the Lord’s presence, Aaron will always be carrying over his heart the ⌞means for determining the Lord’s⌟ decisions for the Israelites.

Other Clothes for Aaron and His Sons(D)

31 “Make the robe that is worn with the ephod entirely of violet material. 32 Make an opening for the head in the center with a reinforced edge (like a leather collar) all around it to keep it from tearing. 33 All around the hem of the robe make pomegranates of violet, purple, and bright red yarn with gold bells in between— 34 a gold bell alternating with a pomegranate all around the hem of the robe. 35 Aaron must wear it when he serves as priest. The sound of the bells must be heard when he comes into and goes out of the Lord’s presence in the holy place so that he won’t die.

36 “Make a flower-shaped medallion out of pure gold, and engrave on it (as on a signet ring): Holy to the Lord. 37 Fasten a violet cord to it, and tie it so that it’s on the front of the turban. 38 It will be on Aaron’s forehead. He’s the one to be blamed for anything done wrong when the Israelites bring their holy offerings—whatever their gifts may be. The medallion must always be on Aaron’s forehead so that the Lord will accept their offerings.

39 “Make the specially woven inner robe of fine linen. Make the turban of fine linen, but the belt should be embroidered with colored yarn.

40 “Also make linen robes, belts, and turbans for Aaron’s sons. These clothes will give them dignity and honor. 41 Put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint them, ordain them, and set them apart to serve me as priests.

42 “Make linen undergarments to cover them down to their thighs. 43 Aaron and his sons must wear them when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to serve as priests in the holy place. Then they will be blameless and won’t die.

“This is a permanent law for him and his descendants.”

Footnotes

  1. 28:30 The Urim and Thummim were used by the chief priest to determine God’s answer to questions.