Exodus 28:15-30
English Standard Version
15 (A)“You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it—of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it. 16 It shall be square and doubled, a span[a] its length and a span its breadth. 17 (B)You shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius,[b] topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row; 18 and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree. 21 There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. 22 You shall make for the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. 23 And you shall make for the breastpiece two rings of gold, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. 24 And you shall put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. 25 The two ends of the two cords you shall attach to the two settings of filigree, and so attach it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. 26 You shall make two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. 27 And you shall make two rings of gold, and attach them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the (C)skillfully woven band of the ephod. 28 And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it may lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, so that the breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod. 29 (D)So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular (E)remembrance before the Lord. 30 And in the breastpiece of judgment (F)you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron's heart, when he goes in before the Lord. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord regularly.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Exodus 28:16 A span was about 9 inches or 22 centimeters
- Exodus 28:17 The identity of some of these stones is uncertain
Exodus 28:15-30
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Breastpiece
15 “You(A) are to make an embroidered breastpiece for making decisions.[a] Make it with the same workmanship as the ephod; make it of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen. 16 It must be square and folded double, nine inches long and nine inches wide.[b] 17 Place a setting of gemstones[c] on it, four rows of stones:
The first row should be
a row of carnelian, topaz, and emerald;[d]
18 the second row,
a turquoise,[e] a sapphire,[f] and a diamond;[g]
19 the third row,
a jacinth,[h] an agate, and an amethyst;
20 and the fourth row,
a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper.
They should be adorned with gold filigree in their settings. 21 The 12 stones are to correspond to the names of Israel’s sons. Each stone must be engraved like a seal, with one of the names of the 12 tribes.
22 “You are to make braided chains[i] of pure gold cord work for the breastpiece. 23 Fashion two gold rings for the breastpiece and attach them to its two corners. 24 Then attach the two gold cords to the two gold rings at the corners of the breastpiece. 25 Attach the other ends of the two cords to the two filigree settings, and in this way attach them to the ephod’s shoulder pieces in the front. 26 Make two other gold rings and put them at the two other corners of the breastpiece on the edge that is next to the inner border of the ephod. 27 Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the ephod’s two shoulder pieces on its front, close to its seam,[j] and above the ephod’s woven waistband. 28 The craftsmen are to tie the breastpiece from its rings to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue yarn, so that the breastpiece is above the ephod’s waistband and does not come loose from the ephod.
29 “Whenever he enters the sanctuary, Aaron is to carry the names of Israel’s sons over his heart on the breastpiece for decisions, as a continual reminder before the Lord. 30 Place the Urim and Thummim(B) in the breastpiece for decisions, so that they will also be over Aaron’s heart whenever he comes before the Lord. Aaron will continually carry the means of decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Exodus 28:15 Used for determining God’s will; Nm 27:21
- Exodus 28:16 Lit a span its length and a span its width
- Exodus 28:17 Many of these stones cannot be identified with certainty.
- Exodus 28:17 Or beryl
- Exodus 28:18 Or malachite, or garnet
- Exodus 28:18 Or lapis lazuli
- Exodus 28:18 Hb obscure; LXX, Vg read jasper
- Exodus 28:19 Hb obscure
- Exodus 28:22 The same chains mentioned in v. 14
- Exodus 28:27 The place where the shoulder pieces join the front of the ephod
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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