A modern English translation drawn directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Translated word-for-word where possible, by a committee with scholarly oversight.
Uses the same source texts as the ESV, NASB, and most academic Bibles, including the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Nestle-Aland critical edition.
Exodus 28
Exodus 28 is the twenty-eighth chapter of the book of Exodus and the chapter of the priestly garments. The 43-verse chapter sets apart Aaron and his sons as priests and describes the sacred vestments that will be made for them, garments designed "for glory and beauty."
The chapter opens with the LORD telling Moses to bring his brother Aaron and Aaron's four sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, near to serve as priests. Skilled craftsmen filled with the spirit of wisdom are to make the garments.
The first garment is the ephod, woven of gold thread, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine twisted linen. It has two shoulder pieces. Two onyx stones, mounted in gold filigree, are engraved with the names of the twelve tribes, six on each stone in order of birth, and set on the shoulder pieces. Aaron will bear the names of the sons of Israel on his shoulders before the LORD as a memorial.
Over the ephod hangs the breastpiece of judgment, a square pouch nine inches on each side, made of the same materials. It holds twelve precious stones in four rows of three, each engraved with the name of a tribe. Gold chains and blue cords fasten it to the ephod. Inside it Aaron places the Urim and Thummim, the means by which the priest will inquire of the LORD for the Israelites. Aaron carries the breastpiece over his heart as a continual remembrance.
The robe of the ephod is woven entirely of blue, with an opening for the head that does not tear. Around its hem alternate pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn with gold bells, so that the sound is heard when Aaron enters and leaves the Holy Place.
The turban is wrapped of fine linen. A plate of pure gold is fastened to the front of it with a blue cord, engraved with the words "HOLY TO THE LORD." Aaron wears it on his forehead so that he may bear the guilt of any consecrated gift the Israelites bring.
For Aaron's sons, the chapter prescribes simpler garments: tunics of fine linen, sashes, and headbands. Linen undergarments from waist to thigh are required for all the priests when they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar. This is a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants.
Verse 1. “Next, have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to serve Me as priests.
Verse 2. Make holy garments for your brother Aaron, to give him glory and splendor.
Verse 3. You are to instruct all the skilled craftsmen, whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom, to make garments for Aaron’s consecration, so that he may serve Me as priest.
Verse 4. These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make these holy garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so that they may serve Me as priests.
Verse 5. They shall use gold, along with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.
Verse 6. They are to make the ephod of finely spun linen embroidered with gold, and with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn.
Verse 7. It shall have two shoulder pieces attached at two of its corners, so it can be fastened.
Verse 8. And the skillfully woven waistband of the ephod must be of one piece, of the same workmanship—with gold, with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and with finely spun linen.
Verse 9. Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel:
Verse 10. six of their names on one stone and the remaining six on the other, in the order of their birth.
Verse 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.
Verse 12. Fasten both stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear their names on his two shoulders as a memorial before the LORD.
Verse 13. Fashion gold filigree settings
Verse 14. and two chains of pure gold, made of braided cord work; and attach these chains to the settings.
Verse 15. You are also to make a breastpiece of judgment with the same workmanship as the ephod. Construct it with gold, with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and with finely spun linen.
Verse 16. It must be square when folded over double, a span long and a span wide.
Verse 17. And mount on it a setting of gemstones, four rows of stones: In the first row there shall be a ruby, a topaz, and an emerald;
Verse 18. in the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond;
Verse 19. in the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
Verse 20. and in the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. Mount these stones in gold filigree settings.
Verse 21. The twelve stones are to correspond to the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.
Verse 22. For the breastpiece, make braided chains like cords of pure gold.
Verse 23. You are also to make two gold rings and fasten them to the two corners of the breastpiece.
Verse 24. Then fasten the two gold chains to the two gold rings at the corners of the breastpiece,
Verse 25. and fasten the other ends of the two chains to the two filigree settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front.
Verse 26. Make two more gold rings and attach them to the other two corners of the breastpiece, on the inside edge next to the ephod.
Verse 27. Make two additional gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on its front, near its seam just above its woven waistband.
Verse 28. The rings of the breastpiece shall be tied to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue yarn, so that the breastpiece is above the waistband of the ephod and does not swing out from the ephod.
Verse 29. Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he shall bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of judgment, as a continual reminder before the LORD.
Verse 30. And place the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece of judgment, so that they will also be over Aaron’s heart whenever he comes before the LORD. Aaron will continually carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the LORD.
Verse 31. You are to make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth,
Verse 32. with an opening at its top in the center. Around the opening shall be a woven collar with an opening like that of a garment, so that it will not tear.
Verse 33. Make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn all the way around the lower hem, with gold bells between them,
Verse 34. alternating the gold bells and pomegranates around the lower hem of the robe.
Verse 35. Aaron must wear the robe whenever he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he enters or exits the sanctuary before the LORD, so that he will not die.
Verse 36. You are to make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD.
Verse 37. Fasten to it a blue cord to mount it on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban.
Verse 38. And it will be worn on Aaron’s forehead, so that he may bear the iniquity of the holy things that the sons of Israel consecrate with regard to all their holy gifts. It shall always be on his forehead, so that they may be acceptable before the LORD.
Verse 39. You are to weave the tunic with fine linen, make the turban of fine linen, and fashion an embroidered sash.
Verse 40. Make tunics, sashes, and headbands for Aaron’s sons, to give them glory and splendor.
Verse 41. After you put these garments on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint them, ordain them, and consecrate them so that they may serve Me as priests.
Verse 42. Make linen undergarments to cover their bare flesh, extending from waist to thigh.
Verse 43. Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they will not incur guilt and die. This is to be a permanent statute for Aaron and his descendants.
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