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Exodus 28

1“And you, bring near to you Aaron your brother and his sons with him from among the sons of Israel, to serve me as priests: Aaron, and Aaron's sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 2Make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and beauty. 3Speak to all who are skilled of heart, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, so that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him to serve me as priest. 4These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a patterned tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make holy garments for Aaron your brother and for his sons, to serve me as priests. 5They are to take the gold, the blue, purple, and crimson yarn, and the fine linen.

6“They are to make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and crimson yarn and fine twisted linen, the work of a skilled designer. 7It is to have two shoulder pieces joined to its two ends, so that it is joined together. 8Its skillfully woven band, which is on it, is to be made like it and of one piece with it: gold, blue, purple, and crimson yarn and fine twisted linen. 9Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10six of their names on one stone and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, according to their birth. 11As a stoneworker engraves a seal, engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel; make them enclosed in settings of gold. 12Put the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear their names before Yahweh on his two shoulders as a remembrance. 13Make settings of gold, 14and two chains of pure gold. Make them twisted like cords, and attach the cord-like chains to the settings.

15“Make a breastpiece of judgment, the work of a skilled designer. Make it like the work of the ephod; make it of gold, blue, purple, and crimson yarn and fine twisted linen. 16It is to be square and folded double, a span long and a span wide. 17Set in it settings of stones, four rows of stones: a row of carnelian, topaz, and emerald, the first row; 18the second row, turquoise, lapis lazuli, and moonstone; 19the third row, jacinth, agate, and amethyst; 20and the fourth row, beryl, onyx, and jasper. They are to be enclosed in gold in their settings. 21The stones are to correspond to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names, engraved like seals, each with its name, for the twelve tribes. 22Make for the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. 23Make two gold rings for the breastpiece and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece. 24Put the two gold cords through the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece. 25Attach the other two ends of the two cords to the two settings, and attach them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at its front. 26Make two gold rings and put them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inner edge facing the ephod. 27Make two gold rings and put them on the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its front, close to its joining, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 28Tie the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it lies above the band of the ephod and the breastpiece does not come loose from the ephod. 29Aaron is to bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment over his heart when he enters the holy place, as a continual remembrance before Yahweh. 30Put the Urim and the Thummim into the breastpiece of judgment, so that they are over Aaron's heart when he enters before Yahweh. Aaron is to bear the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before Yahweh continually.

31“Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue. 32It is to have an opening for the head in its middle. Its opening is to have a woven binding around it, like the opening of a coat of armor, so that it does not tear. 33On its hem make pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson 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 is to wear it when he serves. Its sound is to be heard when he enters the holy place before Yahweh and when he comes out, so that he does not die.

36“Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, as on a seal, ‘Holiness to Yahweh.’ 37Attach it to a blue cord, so that it is on the turban; it is to be at the front of the turban. 38It is to be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron is to bear the guilt connected with the holy things that the sons of Israel consecrate in all their holy gifts. It is to be on his forehead continually, so that they may be accepted before Yahweh. 39Weave the tunic in a pattern of fine linen, and make a turban of fine linen. Make a sash, the work of an embroiderer. 40For Aaron's sons make tunics and sashes, and make caps for them, for glory and beauty. 41Clothe Aaron your brother and his sons with him in these garments. Anoint them, ordain them, and consecrate them, so that they serve me as priests. 42Make linen undergarments for them to cover their naked flesh; they are to reach from the waist to the thighs. 43Aaron and his sons are to wear them when they enter the tent of meeting or approach the altar to serve in the holy place, so that they do not bear guilt and die. It is a lasting statute for him and for his offspring after him.

Translation notes 7

28:2–4 — Glory, beauty, and skill. These are the garments' stated purposes and the craftspeople's qualifications. “Skilled of heart” preserves the Hebrew association of skill and understanding with the heart; it does not mean merely sincere. The spirit of skill is God-given ability, without an added claim about each craftsperson's prophetic office.

28:6–14 — Ephod and names. The ephod is a distinctive priestly garment with shoulder pieces and a woven band; its complete shape is not specified here. The names represent Israel's twelve ancestral sons and tribes. “Onyx” is a provisional identification of the Hebrew stone-name, not a certain modern mineral determination.

28:15–21 — Breastpiece and stones. A span is a hand-span, an ancient length measure. The twelve English gemstone names are provisional: ancient stone-names do not map with certainty to modern mineral classifications. The four rows, three stones per row, and twelve engraved names are more secure than several particular identifications.

28:29–30 — Judgment; Urim and Thummim. “Judgment” can concern a decision or ruling, not only punishment. The breastpiece is associated with priestly decision-making. Urim and Thummim preserve the Hebrew names of objects used in seeking divine decisions; this passage does not explain their form or operation. Aaron bears the people's names and judgment over his heart.

28:31–35 — Robe opening and bells. The comparison for the reinforced opening is a technical expression traditionally understood as armor. The alternating bells and pomegranates and the warning about death are retained; the text does not explain the warning by describing an otherwise unattested retrieval rope or rescue procedure.

28:36–38 — Holiness and guilt. The plate declares consecration to Yahweh. “Bear the guilt” retains Aaron's representative burden in relation to the people's holy gifts; it does not itself specify a complete theory of how that guilt is removed.

28:41–43 — Ordain; naked flesh. “Ordain” renders the idiom fill their hands, appointing them to priestly service; the literal hand-filling appears in the following ritual. “Naked flesh” refers to the genital area covered by the linen undergarments. The distinction between Aaron's turban and his sons' caps follows the different Hebrew terms.