Exodus 39:8-21

New International Reader's Version

The Chest Cloth

⁸ Skilled workers made the chest cloth. They made it like the linen apron. They used thin gold wire, and blue, purple and bright red yarn, and finely twisted linen. ⁹ The chest cloth was nine inches square. It was folded in half. ¹⁰ The workers put four rows of valuable jewels on it. Carnelian, chrysolite and beryl were in the first row. ¹¹ Turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald were in the second row. ¹² Jacinth, agate and amethyst were in the third row. ¹³ And topaz, onyx and jasper were in the fourth row. The workers put them in fancy gold settings. ¹⁴ They used a total of 12 stones. There was one stone for each of the names of the sons of Israel. Each stone was carved with the name of one of the 12 tribes.

¹⁵ The workers made braided chains out of pure gold for the chest cloth. They made them like ropes. ¹⁶ They made two fancy gold settings and two gold rings. They connected them to two corners of the chest cloth. ¹⁷ They joined the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the chest cloth. ¹⁸ They joined the other ends of the chains to the two settings. They joined them to the shoulder straps on the front of the linen apron. ¹⁹ The workers made two gold rings. They connected them to the other two corners of the chest cloth. They put them on the inside edge next to the apron. ²⁰ Then they made two more gold rings. They connected them to the bottom of the shoulder straps on the front of the apron. They put them close to the seam. They put them right above the waistband of the apron. ²¹ They tied the rings of the chest cloth to the rings of the apron with blue cord. That connected it to the waistband. Then the chest cloth would not swing out from the linen apron. The workers did those things just as the Lord had commanded Moses.