Exodus 28
God instructs Moses to have Aaron and his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, serve as priests. Moses is to have skilled craftsmen make holy vestments for Aaron, including a breastplate, ephod, tunic, headdress, and wide belt, using gold, hyacinth, purple, scarlet, and fine linen. The ephod is to have two onyx stones with the names of the sons of Israel engraved on them, and the breastplate is to have twelve stones, each with the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The vestments are to be worn by Aaron when he enters the Sanctuary, serving as a reminder of the sons of Israel and carrying their names before the Lord.
1"Also, join to yourself your brother Aaron, with his sons from the midst of the sons of Israel, so that they may exercise the priesthood for me: Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar2And you shall make a holy vestment for Aaron, your brother, with glory and elegance3And you shall speak to all the wise of heart, whom I have filled with the spirit of prudence, so that they may make the vestments of Aaron, in which, having been sanctified, he may minister to me4Now these shall be the vestments that they shall make: A breastplate and an ephod, a tunic and a close-fit linen garment, a headdress and a wide belt. They shall make the holy vestments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so that they may exercise the priesthood for me5And they shall receive gold, and hyacinth, and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine linen6Then they shall make the ephod of gold, and hyacinth, and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine twisted linen, wrought with diverse colors7It shall have two edges joined at the top on both sides, so that they may respond as one8Likewise, the weaving and all the detail work shall be of gold, and hyacinth, and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine twisted linen9And you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel10six names on one stone, and the remaining six on the other, according to the order of their birth11By the work of a sculptor and the skill of a jeweler, you shall engrave them with the names of the sons of Israel, enclosed and encompassed with gold12And you shall place them on both sides of the ephod, as a memorial to the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall carry their names before the Lord, upon both shoulders, as a remembrance13You shall also make hooks of gold14and two little chains of the purest gold, linked to one another, which you shall insert into the hooks15Likewise, you shall make the breastplate of judgment, wrought with diverse colors according to the weaving of the ephod: of gold, hyacinth and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine twisted linen16It shall have four corners and be doubled. It shall have the measure of the palm of a hand, both in length and in width17And you shall set within it four rows of stones. In the first row, there shall be a sardius stone, and a topaz, and an emerald18In the second, there shall be a garnet, a sapphire, and a jasper19In the third, there shall be a zircon, an agate, and an amethyst20In the fourth, there shall be a chrysolite, an onyx, and a beryl. They shall be set in gold by their rows21And these shall have the names of the sons of Israel. With twelve names shall they be engraved: each stone with one name from the twelve tribes22You shall make chains of the purest gold, linked one to another, on the breastplate23and two rings of gold, which you shall place at both ends of the breastplate24And the golden chains, you shall join to the rings, which are at its edges25And the ends of the chains themselves, you shall couple with two hooks, on both sides of the ephod, which looks toward the breastplate26You shall also make two rings of gold, which you shall place at the ends of the breastplate, at the borders which are away from the region of the ephod and which look toward its back27And then you shall also make two other rings of gold, which are to be suspended on both sides at the bottom of the ephod, which looks out opposite the face of the lower juncture, so that the breastplate can be fitted to the ephod28And it shall be drawn tight to the rings of the breastplate, by the rings of the ephod, with a hyacinth band, so that the well-constructed juncture will remain in place, and the breastplate and the ephod will not be able to be separated from one another29And Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgment upon his chest, when he enters into the Sanctuary, as a memorial in the presence of the Lord in eternity30Then you shall place in the breastplate of judgment, Doctrine and Truth, which shall then be upon Aaron’s chest, when he enters before the Lord. And he shall wear the judgment of the sons of Israel on his chest, in the sight of the Lord always31And you shall make the tunic for the ephod entirely of hyacinth32and the head will be above its middle, with a hem woven around it, just as is usually made at the end parts of a garment, so that it may not be easily broken33Yet truly, beneath it, at the base of the same tunic, all around, you shall make something like pomegranates, from hyacinth, and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, with little bells set in their midst34So then, there shall be a little golden bell and a pomegranate, and again another golden bell and a pomegranate35And Aaron will be vested with it during the office of his ministry, so that the sound may be heard when he enters and exits the Sanctuary, in the sight of the Lord, and so that he may not die36And you shall make a plate of the purest gold, in which you shall engrave, with the skill of a sculptor, ‘Holy to the Lord.37And you shall fasten it with a band of hyacinth, and it shall be upon the headdress38hanging in front of the high priest. And Aaron shall carry the iniquities of that which the sons of Israel have offered and sanctified, in all their gifts and donations. But the plate will always be at his forehead, so that the Lord may be well pleased with them39And you shall draw the tunic tight with fine linen, and you shall make a headdress of fine linen, and a wide belt, wrought with embroidery40Furthermore, for the sons of Aaron, you shall prepare linen tunics, and wide belts as well as headdresses, with glory and elegance41And with all these you shall vest your brother Aaron, and his sons with him. And you shall consecrate all their hands, and you shall sanctify them, so that they may exercise the priesthood for me42You shall also make linen undergarments, in order to cover the flesh of their nakedness, from the kidneys all the way to the thighs43And Aaron and his sons will use them when they enter the tabernacle of the testimony, and when they approach toward the altar, in order to minister in the sanctuary, lest, being guilty of iniquity, they may die. It shall be a law forever for Aaron, and for his offspring after him.
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