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Exodus 28-30
New American Standard Bible

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. 2 And you shall make (C)holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 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. 4 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. 5 They shall take (G)the gold, the [d]violet, the purple, the scarlet material, and the fine linen.

6 “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. 7 It shall have two shoulder pieces joined to its two ends, so that it may be joined. 8 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. 9 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.

Consecration of the Priests

29 “(AB)Now this is [aa]what you shall do to them to consecrate them to serve as priests to Me: take one bull and two rams without blemish, 2 and (AC)unleavened bread and unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers [ab]spread with oil; you shall make them of fine wheat flour. 3 And you shall put them in one basket, and present them in the basket along with the bull and the two rams. 4 Then (AD)you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 5 And you shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the (AE)tunic and (AF)the robe of the ephod, and (AG)the ephod and (AH)the [ac]breastpiece, and wrap his waist with the skillfully (AI)woven band of the ephod; 6 and you shall set the (AJ)turban on his head and put (AK)the holy crown on the turban. 7 Then you shall take (AL)the anointing oil and pour it on his head, and anoint him. 8 You shall also bring his sons and put (AM)tunics on them. 9 And you shall wrap their waists with (AN)sashes, Aaron and his sons, and fit [ad]caps on them, and they shall have (AO)the priesthood by a permanent statute. So you shall [ae](AP)ordain Aaron and his sons.

The Sacrifices

10 “Then you shall bring the bull in front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall (AQ)lay their hands on the head of the bull. 11 And you shall slaughter the bull before the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 12 Then you shall (AR)take some of the blood of the bull and put it on (AS)the horns of the altar with your finger; and you shall pour out all the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 13 And you shall (AT)take all the fat that covers the entrails, and the [af]lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and offer them up in smoke on the altar. 14 But (AU)the flesh of the bull and its hide and its refuse, you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering.

15 “(AV)You shall also take the one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram; 16 and you shall slaughter the ram and take its blood and sprinkle it around on the altar. 17 Then you shall cut the ram into its pieces, and wash its entrails and its legs, and put them [ag]with its pieces and [ah]its head. 18 And you shall offer up in smoke the whole ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to the Lord: (AW)it is a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord.

19 “Then (AX)you shall take the [ai]other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram. 20 And you shall slaughter the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the lobes of his sons’ right ears, and on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet, and sprinkle the rest of the blood around on the altar. 21 Then you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the (AY)anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and on his garments, and on his sons and on his sons’ garments with him; so he and his garments shall be consecrated, as well as his sons and his sons’ garments with him.

22 “You shall also take the fat from the ram and the fat tail, and the fat that covers the entrails and the [aj]lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of [ak]ordination), 23 and one loaf of bread, and (AZ)one cake of bread mixed with oil, and one wafer from the basket of unleavened bread which is set before the Lord; 24 and you shall put [al]all these [am]in the [an]hands of Aaron and [ao]in the [ap]hands of his sons, and shall wave them as a wave offering before the Lord. 25 Then (BA)you shall take them from their hands, and offer them up in smoke on the altar on the burnt offering for a soothing aroma before the Lord; it is an offering by fire to the Lord.

26 “Then you shall take (BB)the breast of Aaron’s ram of [aq]ordination, and wave it as a wave offering before the Lord; and it shall be your portion. 27 You shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the [ar]contribution which was waved and which was [as]offered from the ram of [at]ordination, from the one which was for Aaron and from the one which was for his sons. 28 It shall be for Aaron and his sons as their portion forever from the sons of Israel, for it is [au]a contribution; and it shall be [av]a contribution from the sons of Israel from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, their [aw]contribution to the Lord.

29 “(BC)The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him, [ax]so that they may be anointed and ordained in them. 30 For seven days the one of his sons who is priest in his place shall put them on when he enters the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place.

Food of the Priests

31 “Now you shall take the ram of [ay]ordination and (BD)boil its flesh in a holy place. 32 Then Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the bread that is in the basket, at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 33 So (BE)they shall eat [az]those things by which atonement was made [ba]at their ordination and consecration; but a [bb](BF)layman shall not eat them, because they are holy. 34 And (BG)if any of the flesh of [bc]ordination or any of the bread remains until morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire; it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.

35 “So you shall do for Aaron and for his sons, according to all that I have commanded you; you shall [bd]ordain them for (BH)seven days. 36 (BI)Each day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement, and you shall [be]purify the altar when you make atonement [bf]for it, and (BJ)you shall anoint it to consecrate it. 37 For seven days you shall make atonement [bg]for the altar and consecrate it; then (BK)the altar shall be most holy, and whatever touches the altar shall be holy.

38 “Now (BL)this is what you shall offer on the altar: two one-year-old lambs each day, continuously. 39 The (BM)one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the [bh]other lamb you shall offer at [bi]twilight; 40 and there shall be a [bj]tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a [bk]fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering with one lamb. 41 The [bl]other lamb you shall offer at [bm]twilight, and shall offer with it [bn]the same grain offering and [bo]the same drink offering as in the morning, for a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord. 42 It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the doorway of the tent of meeting before the Lord, (BN)where I will meet with you, to speak to you there. 43 I will meet there with the sons of Israel, and it shall be consecrated by My glory. 44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar; I will also consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve as priests to Me. 45 And (BO)I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God. 46 And they shall know that (BP)I am the Lord their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, so that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God.

The Altar of Incense

30 “Now you shall make (BQ)an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. 2 Its length shall be [bp]a cubit, and its width a cubit; it shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits; its horns shall be [bq]of one piece with it. 3 You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its [br]sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around for it. 4 You shall also make two gold rings for it under its molding; you shall make them on its two sides—on [bs]opposite sides—and [bt]they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. 5 And you shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 6 You shall put [bu]this altar in front of the veil that is [bv]near the ark of the testimony, in front of the [bw](BR)atoning cover that is over the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you. 7 Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps. 8 And when Aaron sets up the lamps at [bx]twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. 9 You shall not offer any [by]strange incense on [bz]this altar, or burnt offering, or meal offering; and you shall not pour out a drink offering on it. 10 However, Aaron shall (BS)make atonement on its horns once a year; he shall make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.”

11 The Lord also spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “When you take (BT)a [ca]census of the sons of Israel [cb]to count them, then each one of them shall give (BU)a ransom for [cc]himself to the Lord, when you [cd]count them, so that there will be no plague among them when you [ce]count them. 13 This is what everyone who [cf]is counted shall give: half a [cg]shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary ((BV)the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as a [ch]contribution to the Lord. 14 Everyone who [ci]is counted, from twenty years old and over, shall give the [cj]contribution to the Lord. 15 The rich shall not pay more, and the poor shall not pay less, than the half shekel, when you give the [ck]contribution to the Lord to make atonement for [cl]yourselves. 16 And you shall take the atonement money from the sons of Israel and give it for the service of the tent of meeting, so that it may be a memorial for the sons of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for [cm]yourselves.”

17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “You shall also make (BW)a basin of [cn]bronze, with its base of bronze, for washing; and you shall (BX)put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it. 19 Aaron and his sons shall (BY)wash their hands and their feet from it; 20 when they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, so that they do not die; or when they approach the altar to minister, by offering up in smoke a fire sacrifice to the Lord. 21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they do not die; and (BZ)it shall be a permanent statute for them, for [co]Aaron and his [cp]descendants throughout their generations.”

The Anointing Oil

22 Moreover, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Take also for yourself the finest of spices: of liquid myrrh [cq]five hundred shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, 250, and of fragrant cane 250, 24 and of cassia 500, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a [cr]hin. 25 You shall make [cs]from these a holy anointing oil, a fragrant mixture of ointments, the work of a perfumer; it shall be (CA)a holy anointing oil. 26 And (CB)you shall anoint the tent of meeting with it, and the ark of the testimony, 27 and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, 28 and the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin and its stand. 29 You shall also consecrate them, so that they may be most holy; whatever touches them shall be holy. 30 And (CC)you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, so that they may serve as priests to Me. 31 Furthermore, you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. 32 It shall not be poured on [ct]anyone’s body, nor shall you make any like it in [cu]the same proportions; (CD)it is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33 (CE)Whoever mixes any like it or whoever puts any of it on a [cv]layman [cw](CF)shall be cut off from his people.’”

The Incense

34 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take for yourself spices—stacte, onycha, and galbanum, spices and pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each. 35 You shall make incense from it all, a skillful mixture, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. 36 And you shall crush some of it very fine, and put part of it in front of the testimony in the tent of meeting (CG)where I will meet with you; it shall be most holy to you. 37 And the incense which you shall make, (CH)you shall not make in [cx]the same proportions for yourselves; it shall be holy to you for the Lord. 38 (CI)Whoever makes any like it, to [cy]use as perfume, [cz]shall be cut off from his people.”

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
  27. Exodus 29:1 Lit the thing which
  28. Exodus 29:2 Or anointed
  29. Exodus 29:5 Or pouch
  30. Exodus 29:9 Lit headgear
  31. Exodus 29:9 Lit fill the hand of
  32. Exodus 29:13 Or appendage on
  33. Exodus 29:17 Lit on
  34. Exodus 29:17 Lit on its
  35. Exodus 29:19 Lit second
  36. Exodus 29:22 Or appendage on
  37. Exodus 29:22 Lit filling
  38. Exodus 29:24 Lit the whole
  39. Exodus 29:24 Lit on
  40. Exodus 29:24 Lit palms
  41. Exodus 29:24 Lit on
  42. Exodus 29:24 Lit palms
  43. Exodus 29:26 Lit filling
  44. Exodus 29:27 Or uplifted offering
  45. Exodus 29:27 Lit lifted up
  46. Exodus 29:27 Lit filling
  47. Exodus 29:28 Or uplifted offering
  48. Exodus 29:28 Or uplifted offering
  49. Exodus 29:28 Or uplifted offering
  50. Exodus 29:29 Lit for anointing in them and filling their hand in them
  51. Exodus 29:31 Lit filling
  52. Exodus 29:33 Lit them
  53. Exodus 29:33 Lit to fill their hand to sanctify them
  54. Exodus 29:33 Lit stranger
  55. Exodus 29:34 Lit filling
  56. Exodus 29:35 Lit fill their hand
  57. Exodus 29:36 Or offer a sin offering on the altar
  58. Exodus 29:36 Lit upon
  59. Exodus 29:37 Lit upon
  60. Exodus 29:39 Lit second
  61. Exodus 29:39 Lit between the two evenings
  62. Exodus 29:40 About 3 qt. or 2.8 liters
  63. Exodus 29:40 About 0.95 qt. or 0.9 liter
  64. Exodus 29:41 Lit second
  65. Exodus 29:41 Lit between the two evenings
  66. Exodus 29:41 Lit according to the grain offering of the morning
  67. Exodus 29:41 Lit according to its
  68. Exodus 30:2 About 1.5 ft. long and wide and 3 ft. high or 45 cm and 90 cm
  69. Exodus 30:2 Lit from itself
  70. Exodus 30:3 Lit walls
  71. Exodus 30:4 Lit its two
  72. Exodus 30:4 Lit it
  73. Exodus 30:6 Lit it
  74. Exodus 30:6 Lit upon; or over
  75. Exodus 30:6 Also called mercy seat; i.e., where blood was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement
  76. Exodus 30:8 Lit between the two evenings
  77. Exodus 30:9 I.e., prohibited
  78. Exodus 30:9 Lit it
  79. Exodus 30:12 Lit sum
  80. Exodus 30:12 Lit for their being mustered
  81. Exodus 30:12 Lit his soul
  82. Exodus 30:12 Lit muster
  83. Exodus 30:12 Lit muster
  84. Exodus 30:13 Lit passes over to those who are mustered
  85. Exodus 30:13 A shekel was about 0.5 oz. or 14 gm
  86. Exodus 30:13 Or uplifted offering
  87. Exodus 30:14 See note 1 v 13
  88. Exodus 30:14 Or uplifted offering of the Lord
  89. Exodus 30:15 Or uplifted offering of the Lord
  90. Exodus 30:15 Lit your souls
  91. Exodus 30:16 Lit your souls
  92. Exodus 30:18 Or copper
  93. Exodus 30:21 Lit him
  94. Exodus 30:21 Lit seed
  95. Exodus 30:23 About 15.5 and 7.75 lb. or 7 and 3.5 kg
  96. Exodus 30:24 About 1 gallon or 3.8 liters
  97. Exodus 30:25 Lit it
  98. Exodus 30:32 Lit the flesh of mankind
  99. Exodus 30:32 Lit its proportion
  100. Exodus 30:33 Lit stranger
  101. Exodus 30:33 Lit even he shall
  102. Exodus 30:37 Lit its proportion
  103. Exodus 30:38 Lit smell of it
  104. Exodus 30:38 Lit even he shall
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Exodus 28-30
New International Version

The Priestly Garments

28 “Have Aaron(A) your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu,(B) Eleazar and Ithamar,(C) so they may serve me as priests.(D) 2 Make sacred garments(E) for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor.(F) 3 Tell all the skilled workers(G) to whom I have given wisdom(H) in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest. 4 These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece,(I) an ephod,(J) a robe,(K) a woven tunic,(L) a turban(M) and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests. 5 Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.(N)

The Ephod(O)

6 “Make the ephod(P) of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen—the work of skilled hands. 7 It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to two of its corners, so it can be fastened. 8 Its skillfully woven waistband(Q) is to be like it—of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen.

9 “Take two onyx stones and engrave(R) on them the names of the sons of Israel 10 in the order of their birth—six 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 way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings 12 and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders(S) as a memorial(T) before the Lord. 13 Make gold filigree settings 14 and two braided chains of pure gold, like a rope, and attach the chains to the settings.

The Breastpiece(U)

15 “Fashion a breastpiece(V) for making decisions—the work of skilled hands. Make it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. 16 It is to be square—a span[a] long and a span wide—and folded double. 17 Then mount four rows of precious stones(W) on it. The first row shall be carnelian, chrysolite(X) and beryl; 18 the second row shall be turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald; 19 the third row shall be jacinth, agate and amethyst; 20 the fourth row shall be topaz, onyx and jasper.[b] Mount them in gold filigree settings. 21 There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel,(Y) each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.(Z)

22 “For the breastpiece make braided chains of pure gold, like a rope. 23 Make two gold rings for it and fasten them to two corners of the breastpiece. 24 Fasten the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece, 25 and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. 26 Make two gold rings and attach them to the other two corners of the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod. 27 Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod. 28 The rings of the breastpiece are to be tied to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband, so that the breastpiece will not swing out from the ephod.

29 “Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place,(AA) he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord. 30 Also put the Urim and the Thummim(AB) in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.

Other Priestly Garments(AC)

31 “Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, 32 with an opening for the head in its center. There shall be a woven edge like a collar[c] around this opening, so that it will not tear. 33 Make pomegranates(AD) of blue, purple and scarlet yarn around the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. 34 The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe. 35 Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will 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(AE) of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: holy to the Lord.(AF) 37 Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban. 38 It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and he will bear the guilt(AG) involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be on Aaron’s forehead continually so that they will be acceptable(AH) to the Lord.

39 “Weave the tunic(AI) of fine linen and make the turban(AJ) of fine linen. The sash is to be the work of an embroiderer. 40 Make tunics, sashes and caps for Aaron’s sons(AK) to give them dignity and honor.(AL) 41 After you put these clothes(AM) on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint(AN) and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.(AO)

42 “Make linen undergarments(AP) as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh. 43 Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the tent of meeting(AQ) or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place,(AR) so that they will not incur guilt and die.(AS)

“This is to be a lasting ordinance(AT) for Aaron and his descendants.

Consecration of the Priests(AU)

29 “This is what you are to do to consecrate(AV) them, so they may serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without defect.(AW) 2 And from the finest wheat flour make round loaves without yeast, thick loaves without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves without yeast and brushed with olive oil.(AX) 3 Put them in a basket and present them along with the bull and the two rams.(AY) 4 Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water.(AZ) 5 Take the garments(BA) and dress Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself and the breastpiece. Fasten the ephod on him by its skillfully woven waistband.(BB) 6 Put the turban(BC) on his head and attach the sacred emblem(BD) to the turban. 7 Take the anointing oil(BE) and anoint him by pouring it on his head. 8 Bring his sons and dress them in tunics(BF) 9 and fasten caps on them. Then tie sashes on Aaron and his sons.[d](BG) The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance.(BH)

“Then you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.

10 “Bring the bull to the front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.(BI) 11 Slaughter it in the Lord’s presence(BJ) at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 12 Take some of the bull’s blood and put it on the horns(BK) of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar.(BL) 13 Then take all the fat(BM) on the internal organs,(BN) the long lobe of the liver, and both kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar. 14 But burn the bull’s flesh and its hide and its intestines(BO) outside the camp.(BP) It is a sin offering.[e]

15 “Take one of the rams,(BQ) and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.(BR) 16 Slaughter it and take the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar. 17 Cut the ram into pieces and wash(BS) the internal organs and the legs, putting them with the head and the other pieces. 18 Then burn the entire ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma,(BT) a food offering presented to the Lord.

19 “Take the other ram,(BU) and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.(BV) 20 Slaughter it, take some of its blood and put it on the lobes of the right ears of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet.(BW) Then splash blood against the sides of the altar.(BX) 21 And take some blood(BY) from the altar and some of the anointing oil(BZ) and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Then he and his sons and their garments will be consecrated.(CA)

22 “Take from this ram the fat,(CB) the fat tail, the fat on the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, both kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh. (This is the ram for the ordination.) 23 From the basket of bread made without yeast, which is before the Lord, take one round loaf, one thick loaf with olive oil mixed in, and one thin loaf. 24 Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and have them wave them before the Lord as a wave offering.(CC) 25 Then take them from their hands and burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering for a pleasing aroma to the Lord, a food offering presented to the Lord.(CD) 26 After you take the breast of the ram for Aaron’s ordination, wave it before the Lord as a wave offering, and it will be your share.(CE)

27 “Consecrate those parts of the ordination ram that belong to Aaron and his sons:(CF) the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. 28 This is always to be the perpetual share from the Israelites for Aaron and his sons. It is the contribution the Israelites are to make to the Lord from their fellowship offerings.(CG)

29 “Aaron’s sacred garments(CH) will belong to his descendants so that they can be anointed and ordained in them.(CI) 30 The son(CJ) who succeeds him as priest and comes to the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place is to wear them seven days.

31 “Take the ram(CK) for the ordination and cook the meat in a sacred place.(CL) 32 At the entrance to the tent of meeting, Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread(CM) that is in the basket. 33 They are to eat these offerings by which atonement was made for their ordination and consecration. But no one else may eat(CN) them, because they are sacred. 34 And if any of the meat of the ordination ram or any bread is left over till morning,(CO) burn it up. It must not be eaten, because it is sacred.

35 “Do for Aaron and his sons everything I have commanded you, taking seven days to ordain them. 36 Sacrifice a bull each day(CP) as a sin offering to make atonement(CQ). Purify the altar by making atonement for it, and anoint it to consecrate(CR) it. 37 For seven days make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will be most holy, and whatever touches it will be holy.(CS)

38 “This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day:(CT) two lambs a year old. 39 Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight.(CU) 40 With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah[f] of the finest flour mixed with a quarter of a hin[g] of oil(CV) from pressed olives, and a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering.(CW) 41 Sacrifice the other lamb at twilight(CX) with the same grain offering(CY) and its drink offering as in the morning—a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord.

42 “For the generations to come(CZ) this burnt offering is to be made regularly(DA) at the entrance to the tent of meeting,(DB) before the Lord. There I will meet you and speak to you;(DC) 43 there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory.(DD)

44 “So I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests.(DE) 45 Then I will dwell(DF) among the Israelites and be their God.(DG) 46 They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt(DH) so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.(DI)

The Altar of Incense(DJ)

30 “Make an altar(DK) of acacia wood for burning incense.(DL) 2 It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high[h]—its horns(DM) of one piece with it. 3 Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.(DN) 4 Make two gold rings(DO) for the altar below the molding—two on each of the opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it. 5 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.(DP) 6 Put the altar in front of the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law—before the atonement cover(DQ) that is over the tablets of the covenant law—where I will meet with you.

7 “Aaron must burn fragrant incense(DR) on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. 8 He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come.(DS) 9 Do not offer on this altar any other incense(DT) or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. 10 Once a year(DU) Aaron shall make atonement(DV) on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering[i](DW) for the generations to come.(DX) It is most holy to the Lord.”

Atonement Money

11 Then the Lord said to Moses, 12 “When you take a census(DY) of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom(DZ) for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague(EA) will come on them when you number them. 13 Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel,[j] according to the sanctuary shekel,(EB) which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord. 14 All who cross over, those twenty years old or more,(EC) are to give an offering to the Lord. 15 The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less(ED) when you make the offering to the Lord to atone for your lives. 16 Receive the atonement(EE) money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting.(EF) It will be a memorial(EG) for the Israelites before the Lord, making atonement for your lives.”

Basin for Washing

17 Then the Lord said to Moses, 18 “Make a bronze basin,(EH) with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 19 Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet(EI) with water(EJ) from it. 20 Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die.(EK) Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the Lord, 21 they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance(EL) for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”(EM)

Anointing Oil

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, 23 “Take the following fine spices:(EN) 500 shekels[k] of liquid myrrh,(EO) half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon,(EP) 250 shekels[l] of fragrant calamus,(EQ) 24 500 shekels(ER) of cassia(ES)—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin[m] of olive oil. 25 Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer.(ET) It will be the sacred anointing oil.(EU) 26 Then use it to anoint(EV) the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law, 27 the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, 28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. 29 You shall consecrate them(EW) so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.(EX)

30 “Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate(EY) them so they may serve me as priests.(EZ) 31 Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil(FA) for the generations to come.(FB) 32 Do not pour it on anyone else’s body and do not make any other oil using the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred.(FC) 33 Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off(FD) from their people.’”

Incense

34 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices(FE)—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, 35 and make a fragrant blend of incense,(FF) the work of a perfumer.(FG) It is to be salted and pure and sacred. 36 Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, where I will meet(FH) with you. It shall be most holy(FI) to you. 37 Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy(FJ) to the Lord. 38 Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off(FK) from their people.”

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 28:16 That is, about 9 inches or about 23 centimeters
  2. Exodus 28:20 The precise identification of some of these precious stones is uncertain.
  3. Exodus 28:32 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  4. Exodus 29:9 Hebrew; Septuagint on them
  5. Exodus 29:14 Or purification offering; also in verse 36
  6. Exodus 29:40 That is, probably about 3 1/2 pounds or about 1.6 kilograms
  7. Exodus 29:40 That is, probably about 1 quart or about 1 liter
  8. Exodus 30:2 That is, about 1 1/2 feet long and wide and 3 feet high or about 45 centimeters long and wide and 90 centimeters high
  9. Exodus 30:10 Or purification offering
  10. Exodus 30:13 That is, about 1/5 ounce or about 5.8 grams; also in verse 15
  11. Exodus 30:23 That is, about 12 1/2 pounds or about 5.8 kilograms; also in verse 24
  12. Exodus 30:23 That is, about 6 1/4 pounds or about 2.9 kilograms
  13. Exodus 30:24 That is, probably about 1 gallon or about 3.8 liters
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Exodus 27
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