Garments for the Priests
1 “Bring Aaron your brother and his sons with him, near to you from among the Israelites, that he may minister to me in the priest’s office: Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons. 2 You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.
3 You shall speak to all who are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister as my priest. 4 These are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a fitted tunic, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister as my priest. 5 They shall use the gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.”
The Ephod
6 “They shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and finely woven linen, crafted by skilled workman. 7 It shall have two shoulder straps joined to the two ends of it so that it may be joined together. 8 The skillfully woven waistband of the ephod shall be made like it and of one piece; made with gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and finely spun linen.
9 You shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the Israelites, 10 six of their names on the one stone and the names of the six that remain on the other stone, in the order of their birth. 11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, engrave the two stones, according to the names of the Israelites. Enclose them in settings of gold. 12 Put the two stones on the shoulder straps of the ephod, to be memorial stones for the Israelites. Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders as a memorial.
13 You shall make settings of gold, 14 and two chains of pure gold. Make them like cords of braided work and put the braided chains on the settings.”
The Breastplates
15 “You shall make a breastplate of judgment, crafted by skilled workman. Make it like the work of the ephod, of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely woven linen. 16 It shall be square and folded double, nine inches long and nine inches wide.
17 You shall mount four rows of stones in it, the first row will be a row of ruby, topaz, and beryl; 18 the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald; 19 the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree. 21 The stones shall correspond to the names of the sons of Israel; twelve, engraved like a seal, according to each name of the twelve tribes of Israel.
22 You shall make on the breastplate, chains like cords, of braided work of pure gold. 23 On the breastplate, make two rings of gold and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 24 Put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings at the ends of the breastplate. 25 The other two ends of the two braided chains, put on the two settings and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in the front.
26 You shall make two rings of gold, and shall fasten them to the two corners of the breastplate, on its inside edge, which is next to the inner border of the ephod.
27 You shall make two rings of gold and shall put them on the two shoulder straps of the ephod underneath, in its front, close to its coupling, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 28 They shall bind the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, so that the breastplate may not swing out from the ephod.
29 Aaron shall bear the names of the Israelites in the breastplate of judgment on his heart, when he goes in to the holy place, as a continual memorial before the Lord. 30 You shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the Lord. Aaron shall bear the judgment of the Israelites on his heart before the Lord continually.”
Additional Priestly Garments
31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 It shall have a hole for the head in the center. Encase the hole with a binding of woven work so that it will not tear, creating an opening like a collar.
33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and of purple and of scarlet, all around its hem, with bells of gold between and around them, 34 a repeating golden bell and pomegranate, around the hem of the robe.
35 It shall be on Aaron to minister, and its sound shall be heard when he goes in to 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 engravings of a signet, ‘HOLY TO THE LORD.’
37 You shall put it on a lace of blue, and it shall be on the front of the sash. 38 It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear the guilt connected with the holy things, which the Israelites consecrate in all their holy gifts, and it shall always be on his forehead so that they may be accepted before the Lord.
39 You shall weave the tunic with fine linen. You shall make a turban of fine linen. You shall make a sash, the work of the embroiderer.
40 You shall make tunics for Aaron’s sons. You shall make sashes for them. You shall make headbands for them, for glory and for beauty.
41 You shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him and shall anoint them, and consecrate them and sanctify them so that they may minister to me in the priest’s office.
42 You shall make them linen pants to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the waist to the thighs. 43 They shall be on Aaron and on his sons, when they go in to the Tent of Meeting or when they come near to the altar to minister in the holy place so that they do not bear iniquity and die. This shall be a statute forever to him and to his offspring.”