Exodus 28:15-30

GOD’S WORD Translation

The Breastplate^(A)

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.