Garments for the Priests 1 UST Have your older brother Aaron and his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, come close to you and away from the Israelites, so they can be my priests. BSB BSB: “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.
2 UST Make holy vestments for your brother Aaron, so{ he reflects my} honor and beauty. BSB BSB: Make holy garments for your brother Aaron, to give him glory and splendor.
3 UST Talk to all the skilled artisans, those whom I have made excellent at crafting things. Tell them to make vestments for Aaron to wear when you dedicate him to become a priest to serve me. BSB BSB: 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.
4 UST They should make these vestments: a sacred pouch{ for Aaron to wear over his breast}, a sacred apron, a robe, an embroidered tunic, a turban, and a waistband. They must make these holy vestments so that your older brother Aaron and his sons can{ wear them as they} serve me by doing the work that priests do. BSB BSB: 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.
5 UST The skilled workmen should receive fine linen and gold, blue, purple, and red thread{ to make the vestments}. BSB BSB: They shall use gold, along with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.
The Ephod (Exodus 39:1–7)
6 UST The skilled workmen must make the sacred apron from finely twisted linen. They must skillfully embroider it with blue, purple, and red thread, and with{ fine} gold{ thread}. BSB BSB: They are to make the ephod of finely spun linen embroidered with gold, and with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn.
7 UST It must have two shoulder straps attached on both edges to connect it together. BSB BSB: It shall have two shoulder pieces attached at two of its corners, so it can be fastened.
8 UST Make a carefully woven belt that matches the sacred apron. Make it from the same piece of cloth as the apron.(That cloth was finely twisted linen with{ skillfully embroidered} blue, purple, red thread, and{ fine} gold{ thread}.) Sew it onto the apron. BSB BSB: 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.
9 UST Take two onyx stones and carve Jacob’ s{ 12} sons’ names on them. BSB BSB: Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel:
10 UST { Carve the names} in the order in which Jacob’ s sons were born.{ Carve} six names on one stone and the other six names on the other stone. BSB BSB: six of their names on one stone and the remaining six on the other, in the order of their birth.
11 UST A gem cutter should carve these names in the two stones like he is making a signet ring. Then he should mount the stones in decorative gold settings. BSB BSB: 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 UST Fasten the memorial stones onto the shoulder straps of the sacred apron. Then Aaron will memorialize the names of the 12 tribes of Israel by carrying them on his shoulders whenever he serves Yahweh. BSB BSB: 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.
13 UST Make the decorative settings for the stones from gold. BSB BSB: Fashion gold filigree settings
14 UST Make two chains of purified gold by braiding gold like cords and fasten the cord chains to the decorative settings. BSB BSB: and two chains of pure gold, made of braided cord work; and attach these chains to the settings.
The Breastpiece (Exodus 39:8–21)
15 UST Make a sacred pouch for decision- making. Make it of the same materials as the sacred apron, and skillfully embroider it in the same way with gold, blue, purple, and red finely twisted linen. BSB BSB: 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.
16 UST Fold the material double so that it is a square 23 centimeters long and 23 centimeters wide. BSB BSB: It must be square when folded over double, a span long and a span wide.
17 UST Fasten four rows of valuable stones onto the pouch. In the first row, put a red ruby, a yellow topaz, and a green emerald. BSB BSB: 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;
18 UST Put a green turquoise, a blue sapphire, and a clear diamond in the second row. BSB BSB: in the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond;
19 UST Put a red jacinth, a white agate, and a purple amethyst in the third row. BSB BSB: in the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
20 UST Put a yellow beryl, an onyx, and a green jasper in the fourth row. Mount all these stones in decorative gold settings. BSB BSB: and in the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. Mount these stones in gold filigree settings.
21 UST { A gem cutter should carve} the name of one of the 12 sons of Jacob into each of these stones like he is making signet rings. These name- stones will represent the 12 tribes of Israel. BSB BSB: 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.
22 UST Attach two chains that they made from purified gold and braided like cords to the sacred pouch. BSB BSB: For the breastpiece, make braided chains like cords of pure gold.
23 UST Make two gold rings for the sacred pouch and attach them to the pouch’ s{ upper} corners. BSB BSB: You are also to make two gold rings and fasten them to the two corners of the breastpiece.
24 UST Fasten one end of each gold cord to one of the rings on the top corner of the pouch. BSB BSB: Then fasten the two gold chains to the two gold rings at the corners of the breastpiece,
25 UST Fasten the other end of each cord to the two decorative settings that enclose the stones. Then put those on the front side of the shoulder straps of the sacred apron. BSB BSB: 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.
26 UST 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. BSB BSB: Make two more gold rings and attach them to the other two corners of the breastpiece, on the inside edge next to the ephod.
27 UST Make two more gold rings and attach them to the lower part of the front of the shoulder straps near where the shoulder straps join the sacred apron just above the sash. BSB BSB: 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.
28 UST 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 and does not come loose from the sacred apron. BSB BSB: 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.
29 UST Therefore, whenever he enters the Holy Place where Yahweh is, Aaron will continually memorialize the names of the 12 tribes of Israel by carrying them close to his chest, in the sacred pouch for making decisions. BSB BSB: 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.
30 UST Put the{ things called} Urim and Thummim into the sacred pouch that he uses to know how I judged. In that way, they will be close to his chest when Aaron comes to talk to me. Aaron must always wear the items that reveal how I judge the Israelites on his chest when he meets with me. BSB BSB: 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.
Additional Priestly Garments (Exodus 39:22–31)
31 UST Make the robe{ that Aaron will wear underneath his} sacred apron from only blue material. BSB BSB: You are to make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth,
32 UST Make an opening in the middle through which the priest can put his head. Weave a reinforced border around this opening to keep the collar from tearing. BSB BSB: 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.
33 UST All around the lower edge on the robe, fasten{ decorations that look like} pomegranate fruit. Make them from blue, purple, and red yarn. Also{ hang} gold bells in between the pomegranates. BSB BSB: Make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn all the way around the lower hem, with gold bells between them,
34 UST { So the pattern will be} one gold bell and then one pomegranate{ and then repeat} all the way around the bottom of the robe. BSB BSB: alternating the gold bells and pomegranates around the lower hem of the robe.
35 UST Whenever Aaron enters or leaves my presence in the Holy Place in the sacred tent for his priestly ministry, he must wear the robe. I will hear the bells, and he will not die. BSB BSB: 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.
36 UST Make a decoration from purified gold and carve into it the words,‘Dedicated to Yahweh,’ just like carving a signet ring. BSB BSB: You are to make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD.
37 UST Fasten this ornament to the front of the turban by a blue cord. BSB BSB: Fasten to it a blue cord to mount it on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban.
38 UST Aaron must always wear the turban on his forehead so that I will accept the things that the Israelites dedicate to me. If there is anything wrong with anything they dedicate to me, Aaron will be guilty instead of the people. BSB BSB: 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.
39 UST Weave the long- sleeved tunic from fine linen. Also make the turban from fine linen. A skilled weaver must make the waistband. BSB BSB: You are to weave the tunic with fine linen, make the turban of fine linen, and fashion an embroidered sash.
40 UST Make long- sleeved tunics, waistbands, and caps for Aaron’ s sons so{ they reflect my} honor and beauty. BSB BSB: Make tunics, sashes, and headbands for Aaron’s sons, to give them glory and splendor.
41 UST Put these clothes on your older brother Aaron and on his sons. Then consecrate them and authorize them to be my priests by anointing them{ with olive oil}. BSB BSB: 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.
42 UST Make linen undershorts for them. The undershorts should extend from their waists to their thighs in order that no one can see their genitalia. BSB BSB: Make linen undergarments to cover their bare flesh, extending from waist to thigh.
43 UST Aaron 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. In this way, they will not be guilty, and they will not die. Aaron and all his male descendants must obey this rule forever. BSB BSB: 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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