Add parallel Print Page Options

He made the breastpiece, in skilled work, like the work of the ephod, of gold, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen.(A) It was square; the breastpiece was made double, a span in length and a span in width when doubled. 10 They set in it four rows of stones. A row of carnelian,[a] chrysolite, and emerald was the first row; 11 and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire,[b] and a moonstone;(B) 12 and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 13 and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper; they were enclosed in settings of gold filigree. 14 There were twelve stones with names corresponding to the names of the sons of Israel; they were engraved like signets, each with its name, for the twelve tribes.(C) 15 They made on the breastpiece chains of pure gold, twisted like cords, 16 and they made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece,(D) 17 and they put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. 18 Two ends of the two cords they had attached to the two settings of filigree; in this way they attached it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. 19 Then they made two rings of gold and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod.(E) 20 They made two rings of gold and attached them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its joining above the decorated band of the ephod. 21 They bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it should lie on the decorated band of the ephod and that the breastpiece should not come loose from the ephod, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 39.10 The identification of several of these stones is uncertain
  2. 39.11 Or lapis lazuli

Making the Breastpiece

He(A) also made the embroidered[a] breastpiece with the same workmanship as the ephod of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen. They made the breastpiece square and folded double, nine inches long and nine inches wide.[b] 10 They mounted four rows of gemstones[c] on it.

The first row was

a row of carnelian, topaz, and emerald;[d]

11 the second row,

a turquoise,[e] a lapis lazuli, and a diamond;[f]

12 the third row,

a jacinth,[g] an agate, and an amethyst;

13 and the fourth row,

a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper.

They were surrounded with gold filigree in their settings.

14 The twelve stones corresponded to the names of Israel’s sons. Each stone was engraved like a seal with one of the names of the twelve tribes.

15 They made braided chains of pure gold cord for the breastpiece. 16 They also fashioned two gold filigree settings and two gold rings and attached the two rings to its two corners. 17 Then they attached the two gold cords to the two gold rings on the corners of the breastpiece. 18 They attached the other ends of the two cords to the two filigree settings, and in this way they attached them to the ephod’s shoulder pieces in front. 19 They made 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. 20 They made two more gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the ephod’s two shoulder pieces on its front, close to its seam,[h] above the ephod’s woven waistband. 21 Then they tied the breastpiece from its rings to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue yarn, so that the breastpiece was above the ephod’s waistband and did not come loose from the ephod. They did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 39:8 Or woven
  2. 39:9 Lit a span its length and a span its width
  3. 39:10 Many of these stones cannot be identified with certainty.
  4. 39:10 Or beryl
  5. 39:11 Or malachite, or garnet
  6. 39:11 Hb uncertain; LXX, Vg read jasper
  7. 39:12 Hb obscure
  8. 39:20 The place where the shoulder pieces join the front of the ephod