Then the Lord said to Moses, "Bring your brother Aaron and his sons—Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar—from among the Israelites, so that they may serve Me as priests. Make sacred garments for Aaron, garments that will give him dignity and honor. Tell the skilled men to whom I have given wisdom to craft these garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so that he may serve Me as priest.
These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. They must use gold, and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.
The ephod must be the work of a skilled craftsman, made of gold, blue, purple, scarlet yarn, and finely twisted linen. It shall have two shoulder pieces joined at its corners and a skillfully woven waistband of one piece with the ephod. Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, six on one stone and six on the other, in the order of their birth. Engrave them like a seal, mount them in gold filigree settings, and fasten them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones. Aaron will bear the names on his shoulders as a memorial before the Lord. Make gold filigree settings and two braided chains of pure gold, attaching them to the settings.
Fashion the breastpiece of judgment, the work of a skilled craftsman, made like the ephod with gold, blue, purple, scarlet yarn, and fine linen. It shall be square, folded double, a span long and wide. Mount on it four rows of precious stones: in the first row, a ruby, a topaz, and a beryl; in the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald; in the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; in the fourth row, a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper—twelve stones in all, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
For the breastpiece make braided chains of pure gold, and attach gold rings to its corners. Fasten the chains to the rings and attach them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. Make two more gold rings for the inside edge of the breastpiece and two more on the ephod near the waistband. Tie the rings together with blue cord, so that the breastpiece rests securely and does not swing loose. Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of judgment as a continual memorial before the Lord. Place the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so that Aaron will always carry the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.
Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, with an opening at the top like a collar, woven so it will not tear. Around the hem make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, alternating with gold bells. Aaron must wear it when he ministers, and the sound of the bells will be heard as he enters and leaves the Holy Place before the Lord, so that he will not die.
Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, "HOLY TO THE LORD." Attach it with a blue cord to the front of the turban. It will be on Aaron's forehead, and he will bear the guilt of the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, so that they may be acceptable before the Lord.
Weave the tunic of fine linen, the turban of fine linen, and the sash, the work of an embroiderer. For Aaron's sons make tunics, sashes, and headbands, to give them dignity and honor. After clothing Aaron and his sons, anoint, ordain, and consecrate them so they may serve Me as priests.
Make linen undergarments reaching from the waist to the thigh, and 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 do not incur guilt and die. This is a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants."