Read the Bible

¹ "You are to summon your brother Aharon and his sons to come from among the people of Isra'el to you, so that they can serve me as cohanim — Aharon and his sons Nadav, Avihu, El‘azar and Itamar. ² You are to make for your brother Aharon garments set apart for serving God, expressing dignity and splendor. ³ Speak to all the craftsmen to whom I have given the spirit of wisdom, and have them make Aharon's garments to set him apart for me, so that he can serve me in the office of cohen.

⁴ "The garments they are to make are these: a breastplate, a ritual vest, a robe, a checkered tunic, a turban and a sash. They are to make holy garments for your brother Aharon and his sons, so that he can serve me in the office of cohen. ⁵ They are to use gold; blue, purple and scarlet yarn; and fine linen.

⁶ "They are to make the ritual vest of gold, of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely woven linen, crafted by a skilled artisan. ⁷ Attached to its front and back edges are to be two shoulder-pieces that can be fastened together. ⁸ Its decorated belt is to be of the same workmanship and materials — gold; blue, purple and scarlet yarn; and finely woven linen. ⁹ Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Isra'el — ¹⁰ six of their names on one stone and the six remaining names on the other, in the order of their birth. ¹¹ An engraver should engrave the names of the sons of Isra'el on the two stones as he would engrave a seal. Mount the stones in gold settings, ¹² and put the two stones on the shoulder-pieces of the vest as stones calling to mind the sons of Isra'el. Aharon is to carry their names before Adonai on his two shoulders as a reminder.

(ii) ¹³ "Make gold squares ¹⁴ and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; attach the cord-like chains to the squares.

¹⁵ "Make a breastplate for judging. Have it crafted by a skilled artisan; make it like the work of the ritual vest — make it of gold; blue, purple and scarlet yarn; and finely woven linen. ¹⁶ When folded double it is to be square — a hand-span by a hand-span. ¹⁷ Put in it settings of stones, four rows of stones: the first row is to be a carnelian, a topaz and an emerald; ¹⁸ the second row a green feldspar, a sapphire and a diamond; ¹⁹ the third row an orange zircon, an agate and an amethyst; ²⁰ and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx and a jasper. They are to be mounted in their gold settings. ²¹ The stones will correspond to the names of the twelve sons of Isra'el; they are to be engraved with their names as a seal would be engraved, to represent the twelve tribes.

²² "On the breastplate, make two pure gold chains twisted like cords. ²³ Also for the breastplate, make two gold rings; and put the gold rings on the two ends of the breastplate. ²⁴ Put the two twisted gold chains in the two rings at the two ends of the breastplate; ²⁵ attach the other two ends of the twisted chains to the front of the shoulder-pieces of the ritual vest. ²⁶ Make two gold rings and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, at its edge, on the side facing in toward the vest. ²⁷ Also make two gold rings and attach them low on the front part of the vest's shoulder-pieces, near the join, above the vest's decorated belt. ²⁸ Then bind the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the vest with a blue cord, so that it can be on the vest's decorated belt, and so that the breastplate won't swing loose from the vest. ²⁹ Aharon will carry the names of the sons of Isra'el on the breastplate for judging, over his heart, when he enters the Holy Place, as a continual reminder before Adonai. ³⁰ You are to put the urim and the tumim in the breastplate for judging; they will be over Aharon's heart when he goes into the presence of Adonai. Thus Aharon will always have the means for making decisions for the people of Isra'el over his heart when he is in the presence of Adonai.

(iii) ³¹ "You are to make the robe for the ritual vest entirely of blue. ³² It is to have an opening for the head in the middle. Around the opening is to be a border woven like the neck of a coat of mail, so that it won't tear. ³³ On its bottom hem make pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet; and put them all the way around, with gold bells between them all the way around — ³⁴ gold bell, pomegranate, gold bell, pomegranate, all the way around the hem of the robe. ³⁵ Aharon is to wear it when he ministers, and its sound will be heard whenever he enters the Holy Place before Adonai and when he leaves, so that he won't die.

³⁶ "You are to make an ornament of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal, ‘Set apart for Adonai.' ³⁷ Fasten it to the turban with a blue cord, on the front of the turban, ³⁸ over Aharon's forehead. Because Aharon bears the guilt for any errors committed by the people of Isra'el in consecrating their holy gifts, this ornament is always to be on his forehead, so that the gifts for Adonai will be accepted by him.

³⁹ "You are to weave the checkered tunic of fine linen, make a turban of fine linen, and make a belt, the work of a weaver in colors. ⁴⁰ Likewise for Aharon's sons make tunics, sashes and headgear expressing dignity and splendor. ⁴¹ With them clothe your brother Aharon and his sons. Then anoint them, inaugurate them, and consecrate them, so that they will be able to serve me in the office of cohen. ⁴² Also make for them linen shorts reaching from waist to thigh, to cover their bare flesh. ⁴³ Aharon and his sons are to wear them when they go into the tent of meeting and when they approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they won't incur guilt and die. This is to be a perpetual regulation, both for him and for his descendants.