Exodus 28

Garments of the Priests

1 "Then 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, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons. 2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 You shall speak to all the *28:3 Lit wise of heartskillful people whom I have endowed with *28:3 I.e., artistic skillthe 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 *28:4 Or pouchbreastpiece, 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 the gold, the *28:5 Or bluish; LXX hyacinth in color, and so throughout the chviolet, the purple, the scarlet material, and the fine linen.

6 "They shall also make 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, *28:8 Lit from itof 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 *28:10 Lit secondother stone, according to their birth. 11 *28:11 Lit A work of a lapidary, engravings of a sealAs a jeweler engraves a signet, you shall engrave the two stones according to the names of the sons of Israel; you shall *28:11 Lit make them to be surroundedset 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 carry their names before the Lord on his two shoulders as a memorial. 13 And 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 "You shall make a *28:15 Or pouchbreastpiece 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 *28:16 About 9 in. or 23 cmspan *28:16 Lit itsin length and a *28:16 About 9 in. or 23 cmspan *28:16 Lit itsin width. 17 And you shall *28:17 Lit fill in a setting of stones, four rows of stonesmount 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 according to his name for the twelve tribes. 22 You shall also make on the *28:22 Or pouch, and so through v 30breastpiece 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 you shall put in the breastpiece of judgment the *28:30 I.e., lights and perfectionsUrim 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 "You shall make the robe of the ephod all of violet. 32 There shall be an opening *28:32 Or for his headat 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 *28:35 Lit for ministeringwhen 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 a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engravings of a signet, ‘Holy to the Lord.’ 37 You shall *28:37 Lit placefasten 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 *28:38 Or beartake 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 they may be accepted before the Lord.

39 "And you shall weave 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 *28:39 Lit variegator; i.e., a weaver in colorsweaver.

40 "For Aaron’s sons you shall also make tunics; you shall also make sashes for them, and you shall make *28:40 Lit headgearcaps 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 anoint them and *28:41 Lit fill their handordain them and consecrate them, so that they may serve Me as priests. 42 You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their bare flesh; they shall *28:42 Lit bereach 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 when they approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they do not incur *28:43 Or wrongdoingguilt and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and to his *28:43 Lit seeddescendants after him.