Exodus 28:2-20

2Make special clothes for Aaron. They will be beautiful clothes to show that he deserves honour.

3I have given special skills to some workers so that they know how to make beautiful things. Tell them to make clothes for Aaron. They will show that I have chosen him to serve me as my priest.

4These are the clothes that they must make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a long shirt, a linen hat, and a long belt of cloth. They must make these special clothes for your brother Aaron and for his sons. Then Aaron and his sons will serve me as my priests.

5The workers who have special skills must use beautiful material that is gold, blue, purple and red, as well as good linen.

6Use gold, blue, purple and red material, as well as good linen, to make the ephod. A worker should use special skills to make it so that it looks beautiful.

7Fix pieces of cloth on its two edges. These will go over the priest's shoulders to join the front and the back parts of the ephod.

8Make a beautiful belt to tie around the ephod. The belt and the ephod must be one piece of work. Use the same materials to make both of them: gold, blue, purple and red material, and good linen.

9Take two onyx stones and write on them with a sharp tool. Write the names of the sons of Israel.

10Begin with the name of the oldest son and finish with the name of the youngest son. Write six names on one stone and six names on the other stone.

11A worker who has skill to cut letters into metal must do this work. Then fix the stones into beautiful gold around their edges.

12Fix the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod so that they show the names of the 12 sons of Israel. Aaron will carry the names on his shoulders as he serves the Lord. Then the Lord will remember to bless his people.

13Use gold to make beautiful pieces to hold the stones.

14And use pure gold to make two thin chains, like strings. Fix these chains to the gold pieces that hold the onyx stones.

15A worker must use special skills to make a breastpiece so that it looks beautiful. The breastpiece will help the priest to know what God is saying. Make it like the ephod. Use gold, blue, purple and red material, and good linen to make it.

16Bend a piece of cloth over to make a square pocket, 22 centimetres long and 22 centimetres wide.

17Then fix four rows of jewels on it. These are the names of the jewels: a ruby, a topaz and a beryl in the first row;

18a turquoise, a sapphire and an emerald in the second row;

19a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst in the third row;

20a chrysolite, an onyx and a jasper in the fourth row. Fix each jewel into beautiful gold around its edges.