Garments for the priesthood
1Bring near to you your brother Aaron, and his sons with him, from among the Israelites, so that he may serve me as priest — Aaron, and his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 2Make holy garments for your brother Aaron, for glory and beauty. 3Speak to all who are skilled, whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom, and let them make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, so that he may serve me as priest. 4These are the garments they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so that they may serve me as priests. 5They shall use gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely woven linen. 6They shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely woven linen, the work of a skilled craftsman. 7It shall have two shoulder pieces joined to its two edges, so that it can be fastened. 8The skillfully woven waistband on it shall be made like it, of one piece with it: gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely woven linen. 9Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel — 10six of their names on the one stone and the remaining six names on the other stone, in the order of their birth. 11As a gem cutter engraves a seal, engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel; mount them in settings of gold filigree. 12Fasten the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel; Aaron shall bear their names before Yahweh on his two shoulders as a remembrance. 13Make settings of gold, 14and two chains of pure gold, twisted like a cord; fasten the twisted chains to the settings.
The breastpiece for decisions
15Make a breastpiece for decisions, worked skillfully like the ephod; make it of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely woven linen. 16It shall be square, folded double, a span long and a span wide. 17Mount on it a setting of stones, four rows of stones: the first row shall be carnelian, chrysolite, and beryl; 18the second row, turquoise, sapphire, and emerald; 19the third row, jacinth, agate, and amethyst; 20the fourth row, topaz, onyx, and jasper. They shall be mounted in gold filigree. 21The stones shall correspond to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve, one for each name, engraved like a seal, each with its name, for the twelve tribes. 22Make for the breastpiece chains of pure gold, twisted like a cord. 23Make two gold rings for the breastpiece and fasten them to its two ends. 24Fasten the two gold cords to the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece, 25and fasten the other two ends of the cords to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod, at the front. 26Make two gold rings and put them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on the edge facing the inside of the ephod. 27Make two more gold rings and fasten them to the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on the front, close to the seam, above the waistband of the ephod. 28They shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it rests above the waistband of the ephod and does not come loose from the ephod. 29So Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel on the breastpiece for decisions over his heart whenever he enters the Holy Place, as a continual remembrance before Yahweh. 30Put the Urim and the Thummim into the breastpiece for decisions, so that they are over Aaron’s heart whenever he comes before Yahweh; Aaron shall carry the means of decision for the sons of Israel over his heart before Yahweh continually.
The robe, the plate, and the priests’ garments
31Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue yarn. 32It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening of a coat of armor, so that it does not tear. 33Make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn around its hem, with gold bells between them all around — 34a gold bell and a pomegranate, a gold bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe. 35Aaron shall wear it when he serves, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before Yahweh and when he comes out, so that he does not die. 36Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a seal: HOLY TO YAHWEH. 37Fasten it with a blue cord onto the turban, on the front of the turban. 38It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear the guilt connected with the holy offerings that the Israelites consecrate, whatever their holy gifts may be; it shall always be on his forehead, so that they may be acceptable before Yahweh. 39Weave the tunic of fine linen, make the turban of fine linen, and make the sash the work of an embroiderer. 40For Aaron’s sons make tunics, sashes, and headbands, for glory and beauty. 41Clothe your brother Aaron and his sons with them, anoint them, ordain them, and consecrate them, so that they may serve me as priests. 42Make linen undergarments for them to cover their naked bodies, reaching from the waist to the thighs. 43Aaron and his sons shall wear them whenever they enter the tent of meeting or approach the altar to serve in the Holy Place, so that they do not incur guilt and die. This shall be a lasting statute for him and for his descendants after him.
