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28 And bring thou near unto thee Aharon thy brother, and his banim with him, from the midst of the Bnei Yisroel, that he may minister unto Me in the kohen’s office, even Aharon, Nadav and Avihu, Eleazar and Itamar, Bnei Aharon.

And thou shalt make Bigdei Kodesh for Aharon thy brother for kavod and tiferet.

And thou shalt speak unto all that are of chochmei lev, whom I have filled with the Ruach Chochmah, that they may make Bigdei Aharon to set him apart as kodesh, that he may minister unto Me in the kohen’s office.

And these are HaBegadim which they shall make: a Choshen, and an Ephod, and a Me’il, and a Kesones of a box-like knitting work, a Mitznefet, and an Avnet; and they shall make Bigdei Kodesh for Aharon thy brother, and his Banim, that he may minister unto Me in the kohen’s office.

And they shall take zahav, and turquoise, and purple, and scarlet wool, and linen.

And they shall make the Ephod of zahav, of turquoise, and of purple, of scarlet wool, and twisted linen, with ma’aseh choshev (artistic embroidery).

It shall have the two ketefot (shoulder straps) thereof joined at the two sides thereof; and so it shall be joined together.

And the Cheishev of his Ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of zahav, of turquoise, and purple, and scarlet wool, and twisted linen.

And thou shalt take two avnei shoham (onyx stones), and engrave on them the Shemot of the Bnei Yisroel:

10 Shisha of their Shemot on one even (stone), and the other Shemot of the shisha remaining on the other even (stone), according to toldot (in the order in which they were born).

11 With the work of a charash even (engraver in gemstones), like the engravings of a chotam (signet ring), shalt thou engrave the two avanim with the Shemot Bnei Yisroel; thou shalt make them to be set in mishbetzot zahav (filigrees of gold).

12 And thou shalt fasten the two avanim upon the Kitfot HaEphod for avnei zikaron (memorial stones) unto the Bnei Yisroel; and Aharon shall bear their Shemot before Hashem upon his two ketefayim for a zikaron.

13 And thou shalt make mishbetzot zahav (filigrees of gold);

14 And two sharsherot zahav tahor (chains of pure gold) at the edges; of braided artistic work shalt thou make them, and fasten the braided sharsherot (chains) to the mishbetzot (filigrees).

15 And thou shalt make the Choshen Mishpat with artistic work; like the work of the Ephod thou shalt make it; of zahav, of turquoise, and of purple, and of scarlet wool, and of twisted linen, shalt thou make it.

16 Ravu’a (foursquare, square) it shall be folded; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the width thereof.

17 And thou shalt set in it settings of even (stone), four rows of gemstones: the first row shall be a odem, a pitdah, and barekes: this shall be the first row.

18 And the second row shall be nofech, sapphire, and yahalom.

19 And the third row a leshem, shevo, and achlamah.

20 And the fourth row tarshish, shoham, and yashfeh; they shall be set in zahav in their settings.

21 And the avanim (gemstones) shall be for the Shemot Bnei Yisroel, Shteym Esreh (Twelve), according to their Shemot, like the engravings of a chotam (signet ring); every one with shmo shall they be according to the Shnei Asar Shevet (Twelve Tribes).

22 And thou shalt make for the Choshen at the edges of braided artistic work of zahav tahor (pure gold).

23 And thou shalt make upon the Choshen two rings of zahav, and shalt fasten the two rings on the two ends of the Choshen.

24 And thou shalt fasten the two ropes of zahav on the two rings which are on the ends of the Choshen.

25 And the other two ends of the two ropes thou shalt fasten in the two mishbetzot (filigrees), and attach them to the Ketefot HaEphod (Shoulder Straps of the Ephod) toward its front.

26 And thou shalt make two rings of zahav, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the Choshen on the lower border thereof, on the inside toward the Ephod.

27 And two other rings of zahav thou shalt make, and shalt put them on at the bottom of the Kitfot HaEphod toward the front thereof, opposite the seam thereof, above the Cheishev HaEphod (Belt of the Ephod).

28 And they shall bind the Choshen by the rings thereof unto the rings of the Ephod with a turquoise woolen cord, that it may be above the Cheishev HaEphod, and that the Choshen be not loosed from the Ephod.

29 And Aharon shall bear the Shemot Bnei Yisroel in the Choshen HaMishpat upon his lev, when he goeth in unto HaKodesh, for a zikaron (memorial) before Hashem tamid.

30 And thou shalt put in the Choshen HaMishpat the Urim and the Tummim; and they shall be upon the lev Aharon, when he goeth in before Hashem; and Aharon shall nasa (bear [see this word Yeshayah 53:12]) the Mishpat Bnei Yisroel upon his lev before Hashem tamid.

31 And thou shalt make the Me’il HaEphod all of turquoise wool.

32 And there shall be a head opening in the top of it, in the middle thereof; it shall have a border of artistic embroidery around the head opening of it, like the head opening of a coat of mail; that it be not torn.

33 And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of turquoise, and of purple, and of scarlet, around the hem thereof; and bells of zahav between them round about:

34 A bell of zahav and a pomegranate, a bell of zahav and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the Me’il round about.

35 And it shall be upon Aharon lesharet (to minister); and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto HaKodesh before Hashem, and when he cometh out, that he die not.

36 And thou shalt make a Tzitz zahav tahor (head plate of pure gold), and engrave upon it, like the engravings of a chotam (signet ring), KODESH LAHASHEM.

37 And thou shalt put it on a turquoise cord, that it may be upon the Mitznefet; upon the forefront of the Mitznefet it shall be.

38 And it shall be upon metzach Aharon (forehead of Aharon), that Aharon may nasa (bear [see this word Yeshayah 53:12]) the avon of the kodashim (holy things), which the Bnei Yisroel shall set apart as kodesh in all their mattanot kadoshot (holy gifts); and it shall be always upon his metzach (forehead), that they may be leratzon (accepted, acceptable) before Hashem.

39 And thou shalt embroider the Kesones of fine linen, and thou shalt make the Mitznefet of fine linen, and thou shalt make the Avnet of artistic embroidery.

40 And for Bnei Aharon thou shalt make Kuttanot (Tunics), and thou shalt make for them Avnetim, and Migba’ot shalt thou make for them, for kavod and for tiferet.

41 And thou shalt put them upon Aharon thy brother, and his banim with him; and shalt anoint them, and ordain them, and set them apart as kodesh, that they may minister unto Me in the kohen’s office.

42 And thou shalt make them mikhnesei bahd (linen undergarments) to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach;

43 And they shall be upon Aharon, and upon his banim, when they come in unto the Ohel Mo’ed, or when they come near unto the Mizbe’ach lesharet (to minister) in HaKodesh; that they incur not avon, and die; it shall be a chukkat olahm unto him and his zera after him.

The Priestly Garments

28 “Have Aaron(A) your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu,(B) Eleazar and Ithamar,(C) so they may serve me as priests.(D) Make sacred garments(E) for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor.(F) Tell all the skilled workers(G) to whom I have given wisdom(H) in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest. These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece,(I) an ephod,(J) a robe,(K) a woven tunic,(L) a turban(M) and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests. Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.(N)

The Ephod(O)

“Make the ephod(P) of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen—the work of skilled hands. It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to two of its corners, so it can be fastened. Its skillfully woven waistband(Q) 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.

“Take two onyx stones and engrave(R) on them the names of the sons of Israel 10 in the order of their birth—six names on one stone and the remaining six on the other. 11 Engrave 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 settings 12 and 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(S) as a memorial(T) before the Lord. 13 Make gold filigree settings 14 and two braided chains of pure gold, like a rope, and attach the chains to the settings.

The Breastpiece(U)

15 “Fashion a breastpiece(V) 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. 16 It is to be square—a span[a] long and a span wide—and folded double. 17 Then mount four rows of precious stones(W) on it. The first row shall be carnelian, chrysolite(X) and beryl; 18 the second row shall be turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald; 19 the third row shall be jacinth, agate and amethyst; 20 the fourth row shall be topaz, onyx and jasper.[b] Mount them in gold filigree settings. 21 There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel,(Y) each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.(Z)

22 “For the breastpiece make braided chains of pure gold, like a rope. 23 Make two gold rings for it and fasten them to two corners of the breastpiece. 24 Fasten the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece, 25 and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. 26 Make two gold rings and attach them to the other two corners 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 on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod. 28 The 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,(AA) 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. 30 Also put the Urim and the Thummim(AB) 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(AC)

31 “Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, 32 with an opening for the head in its center. There shall be a woven edge like a collar[c] around this opening, so that it will not tear. 33 Make pomegranates(AD) of blue, purple and scarlet yarn around the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. 34 The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe. 35 Aaron 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(AE) of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: holy to the Lord.(AF) 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 the guilt(AG) 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(AH) to the Lord.

39 “Weave the tunic(AI) of fine linen and make the turban(AJ) of fine linen. The sash is to be the work of an embroiderer. 40 Make tunics, sashes and caps for Aaron’s sons(AK) to give them dignity and honor.(AL) 41 After you put these clothes(AM) on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint(AN) and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.(AO)

42 “Make linen undergarments(AP) as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh. 43 Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the tent of meeting(AQ) or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place,(AR) so that they will not incur guilt and die.(AS)

“This is to be a lasting ordinance(AT) for Aaron and his descendants.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 28:16 That is, about 9 inches or about 23 centimeters
  2. Exodus 28:20 The precise identification of some of these precious stones is uncertain.
  3. Exodus 28:32 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

28 And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.

And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.

And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.

And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.

It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together.

And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:

10 Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.

11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.

12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memorial.

13 And thou shalt make ouches of gold;

14 And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.

15 And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.

16 Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof.

17 And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row.

18 And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.

19 And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.

20 And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings.

21 And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.

22 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold.

23 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.

24 And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate.

25 And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it.

26 And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward.

27 And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.

28 And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.

29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually.

30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the Lord: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually.

31 And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue.

32 And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.

33 And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:

34 A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.

35 And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Lord, and when he cometh out, that he die not.

36 And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, Holiness To The Lord.

37 And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.

38 And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.

39 And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework.

40 And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.

41 And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.

42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:

43 And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.