Garments for the Priesthood(A)

28 “Now take (B)Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as (C)priest, Aaron and Aaron’s sons: (D)Nadab, Abihu, (E)Eleazar, and Ithamar. And (F)you shall make [a]holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. So (G)you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, (H)whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest. And these are the garments which they shall make: (I)a breastplate, (J)an [b]ephod, (K)a robe, (L)a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and (M)a sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister to Me as priest.

The Ephod

“They shall take the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen, (N)and they shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, artistically worked. It shall have two shoulder straps joined at its two edges, and so it shall be joined together. And the [c]intricately woven band of the ephod, which is on it, shall be of the same workmanship, made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen.

“Then you shall take two onyx (O)stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel: 10 six of their names on one stone and six names on the other stone, in order of their (P)birth. 11 With the work of an (Q)engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall set them in settings of gold. 12 And you shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So (R)Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders (S)as a memorial. 13 You shall also make settings of gold, 14 and you shall make two chains of pure gold like braided cords, and fasten the braided chains to the settings.

The Breastplate(T)

15 (U)“You shall make the breastplate of judgment. Artistically woven according to the workmanship of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, you shall make it. 16 It shall be doubled into a square: a span shall be its length, and a span shall be its width. 17 (V)And you shall put settings of stones in it, four rows of stones: The first row shall be a [d]sardius, a topaz, and an emerald; this shall be the first row; 18 the second row shall be a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 the third row, a [e]jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row, a [f]beryl, an [g]onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold settings. 21 And the stones shall have the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, each one with its own name; they shall be according to the twelve tribes.

22 “You shall make chains for the breastplate at the end, like braided cords of pure gold. 23 And you shall make two rings of gold for the breastplate, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 24 Then you shall put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate; 25 and the other two ends of the two braided chains you shall fasten to the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in the front.

26 “You shall make two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the edge of it, which is on the inner side of the ephod. 27 And two other rings of gold you shall make, and put them on the two shoulder straps, underneath the ephod toward its front, right at the seam above the [h]intricately woven band of the ephod. 28 They shall bind the breastplate by means of its rings to the rings of the ephod, using a blue cord, so that it is above the intricately woven band of the ephod, and so that the breastplate does not come loose from the ephod.

29 “So Aaron shall (W)bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgment over his heart, when he goes into the holy place, as a memorial before the Lord continually. 30 And (X)you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the [i]Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the Lord. So Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel over his heart before the Lord continually.

Other Priestly Garments(Y)

31 (Z)“You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 There shall be an opening for his head in the middle of it; it shall have a woven binding all around its opening, like the opening in a coat of mail, so that it does not tear. 33 And upon its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, all around its hem, and bells of gold between them all around: 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe all around. 35 And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he goes into the holy place before the Lord and when he comes out, that he may not die.

36 (AA)“You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet:

HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

37 And you shall put it on a blue cord, that it may be on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban. 38 So it shall be on Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may (AB)bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel hallow in all their [j]holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be (AC)accepted before the Lord.

39 “You shall (AD)skillfully weave the tunic of fine linen thread, you shall make the turban of fine linen, and you shall make the sash of woven work.

40 (AE)“For Aaron’s sons you shall make tunics, and you shall make sashes for them. And you shall make [k]hats for them, for glory and (AF)beauty. 41 So you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him. You shall (AG)anoint them, (AH)consecrate them, and [l]sanctify them, that they may minister to Me as priests. 42 And you shall make (AI)for them linen trousers to cover their [m]nakedness; they shall [n]reach from the waist to the thighs. 43 They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they come into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near (AJ)the altar to minister in the holy place, that they (AK)do not incur [o]iniquity and die. (AL)It shall be a statute forever to him and his descendants after him.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 28:2 sacred
  2. Exodus 28:4 Ornamented vest
  3. Exodus 28:8 ingenious work of
  4. Exodus 28:17 Or ruby
  5. Exodus 28:19 Or amber
  6. Exodus 28:20 Or yellow jasper
  7. Exodus 28:20 Or carnelian
  8. Exodus 28:27 ingenious work of
  9. Exodus 28:30 Lit. Lights and the Perfections
  10. Exodus 28:38 sacred
  11. Exodus 28:40 headpieces or turbans
  12. Exodus 28:41 set them apart
  13. Exodus 28:42 bare flesh
  14. Exodus 28:42 Lit. be
  15. Exodus 28:43 guilt

28 And bring thou near 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. And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for beauty. And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to sanctify him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office. And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a coat of checker work, a [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. And they shall take the gold, and the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, and the fine linen.

And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the skilful workman. It shall have two shoulder-pieces joined to the two ends thereof, that it may be joined together. And the skilfully woven band, which is upon it, wherewith to gird it on, shall be like the work thereof and of the same piece; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. And thou shalt take two [b]onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel: 10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the six that remain on the other stone, according to their birth. 11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones, according to the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be inclosed in settings of gold. 12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before Jehovah upon his two shoulders for a memorial. 13 And thou shalt make settings of gold, 14 and two chains of pure gold; like cords shalt thou make them, of wreathen work: and thou shalt put the wreathen chains on the settings.

15 And thou shalt make a breastplate of judgment, the work of the skilful workman; like the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, shalt thou make it. 16 Foursquare it shall be and double; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof. 17 And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, four rows of stones: a row of [c]sardius, topaz, and [d]carbuncle shall be the first row; 18 and the second row an [e]emerald, a sapphire, and a [f]diamond; 19 and the third row a [g]jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row a [h]beryl, and an [i]onyx, and a jasper: they shall be inclosed in gold in their settings. 21 And the stones shall be according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet, every one according to his name, they shall be for the twelve tribes. 22 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains like cords, of wreathen work of pure gold. 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. 24 And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings at the ends of the breastplate. 25 And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt put on the two settings, and put them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod in the forepart thereof. 26 And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate, upon the edge thereof, which is toward the side of the ephod inward. 27 And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and shalt put them on the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod underneath, in the forepart thereof, close by the coupling thereof, above the skilfully 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 upon the skilfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed 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 Jehovah continually. 30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment [j]the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before Jehovah: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before Jehovah continually.

31 And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 And [k]it shall have a hole for the head in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of a coat of mail, that it be not rent. 33 And upon the skirts of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the skirts thereof; and bells of gold between them round about: 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the skirts of the robe round about. 35 And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and the sound thereof shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before Jehovah, and when he cometh out, that he die not.

36 And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, Holy to Jehovah. 37 And thou shalt put it on a lace of blue, and it shall be upon the [l]mitre; upon the forefront of the [m]mitre it shall be. 38 And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall 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 Jehovah. 39 And thou shalt weave the coat in checker work of [n]fine linen, and thou shalt make a [o]mitre of [p]fine linen, and thou shalt make a girdle, the work of the embroiderer.

40 And for Aaron’s sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and head-tires shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty. 41 And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and upon his sons with him, and shalt anoint them, and [q]consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office. 42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach: 43 and they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they go in unto the tent of meeting, 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 unto his seed after him.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 28:4 Or, turban
  2. Exodus 28:9 Or, beryl
  3. Exodus 28:17 Or, ruby
  4. Exodus 28:17 Or, emerald
  5. Exodus 28:18 Or, carbuncle
  6. Exodus 28:18 Or, sardonyx
  7. Exodus 28:19 Or, amber
  8. Exodus 28:20 Or, chalcedony
  9. Exodus 28:20 Or, beryl
  10. Exodus 28:30 That is, the Lights and the Perfections.
  11. Exodus 28:32 Or, there shall be a hole in the top of it
  12. Exodus 28:37 Or, turban
  13. Exodus 28:37 Or, turban
  14. Exodus 28:39 Or, silk
  15. Exodus 28:39 Or, turban
  16. Exodus 28:39 Or, silk
  17. Exodus 28:41 Hebrew fill their hand.