Instructions for the priests’ clothing

1“Summon your older brother Aaron and his sons—Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ◄Set them apart/They are the ones whom I have chosen► from the rest of the Israeli people, in order that they can serve me by being priests.

2Tell the people to make beautiful clothes for Aaron, clothes that are suitable for one who has this dignified and sacred work.

3Talk to all the skilled workmen, those to whom I have given special ability. Tell them to make clothes for Aaron, for him to wear when he is ◄set apart/dedicated► to become a priest to serve me.

4These are the clothes that they are to make: A sacred pouch for Aaron to wear over his chest, a sacred apron, a robe, an embroidered tunic/gown, a ◄turban/cloth to wrap around his head►, and a sash/waistband. These are the clothes that your older brother Aaron and his sons must wear as they serve me by doing the work that priests do.

5The skilled workmen must use fine linen and blue, purple, and red yarn/thread to make these clothes.”

Instructions for the sacred apron

6“The skilled workmen must make the sacred apron from fine linen, and skillfully embroider it with blue, purple, and red yarn/thread.

7It must have two shoulder straps, to join the front part to the back part.

8A carefully-woven sash, which must be made from the same materials as the sacred apron, must be sewn onto the sacred apron.

9A skilled workman must take two expensive onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the twelve sons of Jacob.

10He must engrave the names in the order in which Jacob’s sons were born. He must engrave six names on one stone, and the other six names on the other stone.

11A gem-cutter should engrave these names on the stones. Then he should enclose the stones in ◄settings/tiny gold frames►.

12Then he should fasten the stones onto the shoulder straps of the sacred apron, to represent the twelve Israeli tribes. In that way, Aaron will carry the names of the tribes on his shoulders in order that I, Yahweh, will never forget my people (OR, in order that he will always remember that those tribes belong to Yahweh).

13The settings for the stones must be made from gold.

14Tell them to make two tiny chains that are braided like cords, and fasten the chains to the settings.”

Instructions for the sacred pouch

15“Tell the skilled workman to make a sacred pouch for Aaron to wear over his chest. He will use the things he puts into the pouch to determine my answers to the questions he asks. It must be made of the same materials as the sacred apron, and embroidered in the same way.

16It is to be square, and the material must be folded double, so that it is ◄9 in./22 cm.► on each side.

17The skilled workman must fasten four rows of valuable stones onto the pouch. In the first row he must put a red ruby, a yellow topaz, and a red garnet.

18In the second row he must put a green emerald, a blue sapphire, and a clear/white diamond.

19In the third row he must put a red jacinth, a white agate, and a purple amethyst.

20In the fourth row he must put a yellow beryl, a red carnelian, and a green jasper.

21A gem-cutter should engrave on each of these twelve stones the name of one of the sons of Jacob. These names will represent the twelve Israeli tribes.

22The two chains that are made from pure gold and braided like cords are for attaching the sacred pouch to the sacred apron.

23The workman must make two gold rings, and attach them to the upper corners of the sacred pouch.

24He must make two gold cords, and fasten one end of each cord to one of the rings.

25He must fasten the other end of each cord to the two settings that enclose the stones. In that way, the sacred pouch will be attached to the shoulder straps of the sacred apron.

26Then he must make two more gold rings, and attach them to the lower corners of the sacred pouch, on the inside edges, next to the sacred apron.

27He must make two more gold rings, and attach them to the lower part of the front of the shoulder straps, near to where the shoulder straps are joined to the sacred apron, just above the carefully-woven sash/waistband.

28The skilled workman must tie the rings on the sacred pouch to the rings on the sacred apron with a blue cord, so that the sacred pouch is above the sash/waistband and does not come loose from the sacred apron.

29In that way, Aaron will have the names of the twelve Israeli tribes in the sacred pouch close to his chest when he enters the Holy Place. This will remind him that I, Yahweh, will never forget my people (OR, that he represents my people when he talks to me, Yahweh).

30Put into the sacred pouch the two things that the priest will use to determine my answers to the questions he asks. In that way, they will be close to his chest when he enters the Holy Place to talk to me. He will use them to find out what is my will for the Israeli people.”

Instructions for other clothes for the priests

31“Tell the workmen to use only blue cloth to make the robe that is to be worn underneath the priest’s sacred apron.

32It is to have an opening through which the priest can put his head. They must sew a border around this opening, to keep the material from tearing.

33At the lower edge on the robe, they must fasten decorations that look like pomegranate fruit. They must be woven from blue, purple, and red yarn/thread.

34Between each of these decorations, they must fasten a tiny gold bell.

35When Aaron enters the Holy Place in the Sacred Tent to do his work as a priest and when he leaves the Sacred Tent, the bells will ring as he walks. As a result, he will not die because of disobeying my instructions.

36“Tell them to make a tiny ornament of pure gold, and tell a ◄skilled workman/gem-cutter► to engrave on it the words, ‘Dedicated to Yahweh.’

37They should fasten this ornament to the front of the turban by a blue cord.

38Aaron must always wear this on his forehead. In that way, Aaron himself will show that he accepts the guilt if the Israeli people offer their sacrifices to me in a way that is not correct, and I, Yahweh, will accept their sacrifices.

39“Tell them to weave the long-sleeved tunic/gown from fine linen. Also, they must make from fine linen a turban and a sash/waistband, and embroider designs on it.

40“Tell them to make beautiful long-sleeved tunics/gowns, sashes, and caps for Aaron’s sons. Make ones that will be suitable for those who have this dignified work.

41Put these clothes on your older brother Aaron and on his sons. Then ◄set them apart/dedicate them► for this work by anointing them with olive oil, in order that they may serve me by being priests.

42Also tell them to make linen undershorts for them. The undershorts should extend from their waists to their thighs, in order that no one can see their private parts.

43Aaron and his sons must always wear those undershorts when they enter the Sacred Tent or when they come near to the altar to offer sacrifices in the Holy Place. If they do not obey this command, I will cause them to die. Aaron and all his male descendants must obey this rule forever.”