1‘Let Aaron your brother be brought to you from among the Israelites, with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so that they may serve me as priests.2Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honour.3Tell all the skilled workers to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so that he may serve me as priest.4These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so that they may serve me as priests.5Make them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.
The ephod
6‘Make the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen – the work of skilled hands.7It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to two of its corners, so that it can be fastened.8Its skilfully woven waistband is to be like it – of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen.9‘Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel10in the order of their birth – six names on one stone and the remaining six on the other.11Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings12and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders as a memorial before the Lord.13Make gold filigree settings14and two braided chains of pure gold, like a rope, and attach the chains to the settings.
The breastpiece
15‘Fashion a breastpiece for making decisions – the work of skilled hands. Make it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen.16It is to be square – a span[1] long and a span wide – and folded double.17Then mount four rows of precious stones on it. The first row shall be carnelian, chrysolite and beryl;18the second row shall be turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald;19the third row shall be jacinth, agate and amethyst;20the fourth row shall be topaz, onyx and jasper.[2] Mount them in gold filigree settings.21There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.22‘For the breastpiece make braided chains of pure gold, like a rope.23Make two gold rings for it and fasten them to two corners of the breastpiece.24Fasten the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece,25and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front.26Make two gold rings and attach them to the other two corners of the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod.27Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod.28The rings of the breastpiece are to be tied to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband, so that the breastpiece will not swing out from the ephod.29‘Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord.30Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.
Other priestly garments
31‘Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth,32with an opening for the head in its centre. There shall be a woven edge like a collar[3] around this opening, so that it will not tear.33Make pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn around the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them.34The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate round the hem of the robe.35Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he comes out, so that he will not die.36‘Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: Holy to the Lord.37Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban.38It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and he will bear the guilt involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be on Aaron’s forehead continually so that they will be acceptable to the Lord.39‘Weave the tunic of fine linen and make the turban of fine linen. The sash is to be the work of an embroiderer.40Make tunics, sashes and caps for Aaron’s sons to give them dignity and honour.41After you put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.42‘Make linen undergarments as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh.43Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the tent of meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they will not incur guilt and die. ‘This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants.
Exodus 28
English Standard Version
The Priests’ Garments
1“Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. (Ex 6:23; Nu 18:7; Heb 5:4)2And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. (Ex 28:40; Ex 29:5; Ex 29:29; Ex 31:10; Ex 39:1; Le 8:7; Le 8:30; Nu 20:26; Nu 20:28)3You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. (Ex 31:6; Ex 35:10; Ex 35:25; Ex 36:1)4These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests. (Ex 28:6; Ex 28:15; Ex 28:31; Ex 28:39; Le 8:7)5They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. (Ex 25:3)6“And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked. (Ex 39:2)7It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together.8And the skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. (Ex 28:27; Ex 29:5; Ex 39:5; Le 8:7)9You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel,10six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth.11As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree.12And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for remembrance. (Ex 28:29; Nu 16:40; Jos 4:7; Zec 6:14)13You shall make settings of gold filigree,14and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings.15“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. (Ex 39:8)16It shall be square and doubled, a span[1] its length and a span its breadth.17You shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius,[2] topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row; (Eze 28:13; Re 21:19)18and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond;19and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;20and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree.21There 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.22You shall make for the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold.23And you shall make for the breastpiece two rings of gold, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece.24And you shall put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece.25The 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.26You shall make two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod.27And 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 skillfully woven band of the ephod. (Ex 28:8)28And 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.29So 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 remembrance before the Lord. (Ex 28:12; Ex 28:30)30And in the breastpiece of judgment 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. (Le 8:8; Nu 27:21; De 33:8; 1Sa 23:9; 1Sa 28:6; 1Sa 30:7; Ezr 2:63; Ne 7:65)31“You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. (Ex 39:22)32It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment,[3] so that it may not tear.33On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them,34a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe.35And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die.36“You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the Lord.’ (Le 8:9; Zec 14:20)37And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban.38It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord. (Le 10:17; Nu 18:1; Isa 53:11; Eze 4:4; Joh 1:29; Heb 9:28; 1Pe 2:24)39“You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash embroidered with needlework.40“For Aaron’s sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty. (Ex 28:2; Ex 39:27; Ex 39:41; Eze 44:17)41And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. (Ex 29:7; Ex 29:9; Ex 30:30; Ex 40:13; Ex 40:15; Le 10:7; Le 21:10; Heb 7:28)42You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the hips to the thighs; (Le 6:10; Le 16:4; Eze 44:18)43and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bear guilt and die. This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him. (Ex 27:21; Le 5:1; Le 5:17; Le 20:19)