Exodus 28:15–30

THE BREASTPIECE

¹⁵“You^j are to make an embroidered breastpiece for making decisions. Make it with the same workmanship as the ephod; make it of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen. ¹⁶It must be square and folded double, nine inches long and nine inches wide.^{B 17}Place a setting of gemstones^C on it, four rows of stones:

The first row should be

a row of carnelian, topaz, and emerald;^D

¹⁸the second row,

a turquoise,^E a lapis lazuli, and a diamond;^F

¹⁹the third row,

a jacinth,^G an agate, and an amethyst;

²⁰and the fourth row,

a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper.

They should be adorned with gold filigree in their settings. ²¹The twelve stones are to correspond to the names of Israel’s sons. Each stone must be engraved like a seal, with one of the names of the twelve tribes.

²²“You are to make braided chains of pure gold cord work for the breastpiece. ²³Fashion two gold rings for the breastpiece and attach them to its two corners. ²⁴Then attach the two gold cords to the two gold rings at the corners of the breastpiece. ²⁵Attach the other ends of the two cords to the two filigree settings, and in this way attach them to the ephod’s shoulder pieces in the front. ²⁶Make two other gold rings and put them at the two other corners of the breastpiece on the edge that is next to the inner border of the ephod. ²⁷Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the ephod’s two shoulder pieces on its front, close to its seam,^I and above the ephod’s woven waistband. ²⁸The artisans are to tie the breastpiece from its rings to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue yarn, so that the breastpiece is above the ephod’s waistband and does not come loose from the ephod.

²⁹“Whenever he enters the sanctuary, Aaron is to carry the names of Israel’s sons over his heart on the breastpiece for decisions, as a continual reminder before the Lord. ³⁰Place the Urim and Thummim^a in the breastpiece for decisions, so that they will also be over Aaron’s heart whenever he comes before the Lord. Aaron will continually carry the means of decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.