Making Garments for the Priests- by the Lord God’s Intelligent Design |
Exodus 28:1-43 The Second Book of Moses Called Exodus |
[The Lord God told this to Moses:] Take Aaron, your brother & his sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar & Ithamar from among the children [people] of Israel [so that] they may minister to Me in the priest’s office. |
You shall make holy garments for Aaron for glory & beauty & you shall speak to all who are wise [skillful artists,] whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, [so] that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, [so] that he may minister to Me in the priest’s office. |
These are the garments they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod [decorative vestment usually worn by a high priest,] a robe, an [embroidered] coat, a [turban] & a girdle [sash.] They shall make holy garments for Aaron & his sons, [so] that he may minister to Me in the priest’s office. |
[They shall use:] gold, blue, purple, scarlet & fine linen. They shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple & scarlet [thread] & fine [woven] linen with [skillful artistic] work. It shall have 2 shoulder pieces joined at [its] 2 edges, so it [can] be joined together. The [intricately woven sash] on it shall be [made] of the same [items & workmanship,] even of gold, blue, purple, scarlet [thread] & fine [woven] linen. |
With the work of an engraver of stone, like the engravings of a signet [ring,] you shall take 2 onyx stones & [carve] them with the names of the [12] children of Israel in the order of their birth, 6 of the names [carved] on the 1 stone & 6 on the other & they will put them into [settings] of gold. |
And you shall put the 2 stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial [for] the [12] children of Israel [a.k.a. Jacob.] And Aaron shall [carry] their names before the Lord upon his 2 shoulders for a memorial. |
You shall also make [settings] of gold & make 2 chains of pure gold [like twisted gold cords that are to be] fastened to the [settings.] |
You shall make a breastplate of judgment with [skillful artistic work similar to] the work of the ephod & it shall be made of gold, blue, purple & scarlet [thread] & fine [woven] linen that shall be doubled into a square & the length & [width will both] be a span. You shall [put] settings of stones in it in 4 rows. |
The 1st row shall [have] a [ruby,] topaz & [red garnet.] The 2nd row shall [have] an emerald, sapphire & a diamond. The 3rd row a [Lapis Lazuli,] agate & amethyst & the 4th row a [yellow jasper,] onyx & jasper which shall [all] be in gold [settings.] |
[Each] of the stones shall be [carved,] like the engraving of a signet [ring] with a different name of the 12 sons of Israel according to the 12 tribes. You shall make 2 chains for the breastplate at the end [like twisted gold cords,] chains of pure gold & [make] 2 rings of gold to put on the ends of the breastplate. |
The 2 [other] ends of [twisted] chains of gold shall be put in the 2 rings on the ends of the breastplate & the other 2 ends of the 2 [braided] chains shall be fastened to the 2 [settings] & put them on the shoulders on the [front] of the ephod. |
You shall make 2 other rings of gold that go on the 2 [inside edges] of the ephod & 2 other rings of gold will be put [underneath] the 2 shoulder straps right at [its seam] toward the ephod’s front, but above the [intricately woven] girdle of the ephod. |
They shall bind the breastplate by means of its rings to the rings of the ephod with blue [cord] above the [intricately woven] girdle of the ephod, so that the breastplate [doesn’t come] loose from the ephod. |
Aaron shall bear the name of the sons of Israel [over] his heart on the breastplate of judgment, when he goes into the holy place, [as] a memorial before the Lord continually. |
And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment, the Urim & Thummim [the Lights & the Perfections] & they shall be [over] Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the Lord. And Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel [over] his heart before the Lord continually. |
You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue & there shall be an [opening for his head] in the middle of it with [woven] binding around the opening [like the opening in a coat of mail,] so that it [doesn't tear.] |
Upon the hem [of the robe] you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple & scarlet & [all around] the hem & it [shall have] a golden bell & a pomegranate [pattern] [all around] the hem of the garment. |
It shall be on Aaron [when he ministers] & the sound [will] be heard when he [goes] into the Holy Place before the Lord & when he comes out, [so] that he doesn’t die. You shall make a plate of pure gold & have it [carved] like a signet [ring:] HOLINESS TO THE LORD. |
You shall put it on a blue lace [cord, so] it may be on the [front] of the [turban] on Aaron’s [forehead, so] that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children [people] of Israel shall hallow [of] all their holy gifts & it shall always be on his forehead, [so] that they may be accepted before the Lord. |
You shall embroider the coat & the [turban] of fine linen & you shall make the girdle of needlework. For Aaron’s sons you shall make [linen tunics] & girdles for them & [hats] for them, for glory & beauty. You shall put them on Aaron, your brother & his sons with him. |
You [Moses] shall anoint them, consecrate them & sanctify them, [so] they may [serve] Me in the priest’s office. And you shall make for them linen [trousers] that reach from the [waist] to the thighs to cover their nakedness [bare flesh under the robe.] |
They shall be on Aaron & his sons when they come into the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near the altar to minister in the holy place, [so] that they don’t bear [any] iniquity & die. It shall be a statute to him & his [descendants] after him. |