Top of Page
Page Style
your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve Me as priests. 2 Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, for glory and for beauty. 3 You are to instruct all the skilled craftsmen whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom, to make Aaron’s garments, for his consecration him, so he may serve Me as priest. 4 These are the garments that 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 they may serve Me as priests. 5 They are to use gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.
6 “They are to make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen, skilfully worked. 7 It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so it can be joined together. 8 The intricately woven waistband that is on the ephod is to be of the same workmanship, and made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen.
9 “You are to 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 second stone in the order of their birth. 11 Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Mount them in gold filigree settings. 12 Then set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So Aaron will bear their names on his shoulders as a memorial before the Lord. 13 Make gold filigree settings 14 and two braided chains of pure gold, interlaced as with a cord, and attach the braided chains to the settings.
15 “You are to make the breastpiece for decisions. Make it like the ephod: of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen—the work of a skilled craftsman. 16 It it to be square and folded double, a span long and a span wide. 17 Then mount four rows of precious stones on it. In the first row there shall be a ruby, a topaz, and a beryl; 18 In the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 In the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and in the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper. Mount them in gold filigree. 21 The twelve stones are to correspond to the names of the sons of Israel. They are to be engraved like a seal, each one with its own name, for the twelve tribes.
22 “You are to make for the breastpiece braided chains of pure gold, like a cord. 23 Make two gold rings for the breastpiece and attach them to the corners. 24 Then fasten the two gold chains in the two rings at the corners of the breastpiece. 25 Fasten the other two ends of the braided chains to the two settings, and attach them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. 26 Make two gold rings and attach them to the other two edges of the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod. 27 Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces of the ephod on its front, close to the seam just above the woven waistband of the ephod. 28 The rings of breastpiece are to be tied to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that the breastpiece is above the waistband and does not come loose from the ephod.
29 “Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will carry the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece for decisions, as a continuing memorial before the Lord. 30 Also place Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece for decisions, and they will also be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always carry the means for making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.
31 “You are to make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth. 32 There shall be an opening for the head in its centre, with a woven binding all around its opening, like the opening in a coat of mail, so that it will not tear. 33 Make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn around its hem, with gold bells between them all around. 34 The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe. 35 Aaron must wear the robe when he ministers, and the tinkling will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he comes out, so that he does not die.
36 “You are to make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a seal:
HOLY TO THE LORD.
37 Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban. 38 It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and he will bear any guilt involved in the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate as their holy gifts. It is to be on Aaron’s forehead continually, so that they will be acceptable before the Lord.
39 “You are to weave the tunic from fine linen, make the turban of fine linen, and make a sash embroidered with needlework. 40 Make tunics, sashes, and headbands for Aaron’s sons, to give them glory and beauty. 41 Put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons; then you are to anoint them, ordain them, and consecrate them, so that they may serve Me as priests.
42 “Make linen undergarments for them as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thighs. 43 They are to be worn by Aaron and his sons when they come into the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they will not bring guilt on themselves and die.
“This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his future descendants.”