Clothes for the Priests

28 {The Lord said to Moses,} “Tell your brother Aaron and his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to come to you from the people of Israel. These men will serve me as priests. ²“Make special clothes for your brother Aaron. These clothes will give him honor and respect. ³There are skilled men among the people who can make these clothes. I have given these men special wisdom. Tell those men to make the clothes for Aaron. These clothes will show that he serves me in a special way. Then he can serve me as a priest. ⁴These are the clothes the men should make: the Judgment Pouch,* the Ephod,* a blue robe, a white woven robe, a turban* and a sash (belt). The men must make these special clothes for your brother Aaron and his sons. Then Aaron and his sons can serve me as priests. ⁵Tell the men to use gold threads, fine linen,* and blue, purple and red yarn.

The Ephod and the Sash

⁶“Use gold threads, fine linen,* and blue, purple, and red yarn to make the Ephod.* This must be the work of a very skilled person. ⁷At each shoulder of the Ephod there should be a shoulder piece. These shoulder pieces should be tied to the two corners of the Ephod. ⁸“The men will very carefully weave a sash (belt) for the Ephod. This sash must be made the same way as the Ephod—use gold threads, fine linen,* and blue, purple, and red yarn. ⁹“Take two onyx stones. Write the names of the twelve sons of Israel (Jacob) on these jewels. ¹⁰Write six names on one jewel and six names on the other jewel. Write the names in order, from the oldest son to the youngest. ¹¹Cut the names of the sons of Israel on these stones. Do this the way a worker makes a seal.* Put the jewels in gold settings. ¹²Then put these two jewels on the shoulder pieces of the Ephod. Aaron will wear this special coat when he stands before the Lord. And the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel will be on the Ephod. These jewels will cause God to remember the people of Israel. ¹³Use fine gold to hold the stones on the Ephod. ¹⁴Twist chains of pure gold together like a rope. Make two of these gold chains and fasten them to the gold settings.

The Judgment Pouch

¹⁵“Make the Judgment Pouch* for the high priest. Skilled workers should make this pouch like they made the Ephod.* They must use gold threads, fine linen,* and blue, purple, and red yarn. ¹⁶The Judgment Pouch should be folded double to make a square {pocket}. It should be 1 span* long and 1 span wide. ¹⁷Put four rows of beautiful jewels on the Judgment Pouch. The first row of jewels should have a ruby, a topaz, and a beryl. ¹⁸The second row should have a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald. ¹⁹The third row should have a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst. ²⁰The fourth row should have a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper. Set all these jewels in gold. ²¹There will be twelve jewels on the Judgment Pouch—one jewel for each of the sons of Israel (Jacob). Write the name of one of the sons of Israel on each of the stones. Cut these names into each stone like a worker makes a seal.* ²²“Make chains of pure gold for Judgment Pouch.* These chains must be braided like a rope. ²³Make two gold rings and put them on two corners of the Judgment Pouch. ²⁴Put the two golden chains through the two rings at the corners of the Judgment Pouch. ²⁵Fasten the other ends of the gold chains to the two settings. This will fasten them to the two shoulder pieces of the Ephod* on the front. ²⁶Make two more gold rings and put them on the other two corners of the Judgment Pouch. This will be on the inside edge of the Judgment Pouch next to the Ephod. ²⁷Make two more gold rings and put them on the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the Ephod. Put the gold rings above the sash (belt) of the Ephod. ²⁸Use blue ribbon to tie the rings of the Judgment Pouch to the rings of the Ephod. In this way the Judgment Pouch will rest close to the sash and will be held against the Ephod. ²⁹“When Aaron enters the Holy Place,* he must wear the Judgment Pouch.* In this way he will wear the names of the twelve sons of Israel over his heart. And the Lord will always be reminded of them. ³⁰Put the Urim and Thummim* inside the Judgment Pouch. They will be over Aaron’s heart when he goes before the Lord. So Aaron will always carry with him a way of judging the people of Israel when he is before the Lord.

Other Clothes for the Priests

³¹“Make a blue robe for the Ephod.* ³²Make a hole in the center for the head. And sew a piece of cloth around the edge of this hole. This cloth will {be like a collar that} keeps the hole from tearing. ³³Use blue, purple, and red yarn to make cloth pomegranates.* Hang these pomegranates around the bottom edge of the robe. And hang gold bells between the pomegranates. ³⁴So around the bottom edge of the robe there should be bells and pomegranates. There should be a bell between each pomegranate. ³⁵Aaron will wear this robe when he serves as a priest. The bells will ring as Aaron goes into the Holy Place* to stand before the Lord. And the bells will ring as he leaves the Holy Place. This way Aaron will not die. ³⁶“Make a strip of pure gold and carve words into the gold the way people make a seal.* Write these words: HOLY TO THE LORD. ³⁷Fasten the gold strip to a blue ribbon. Tie the blue ribbon around the turban.* The gold strip should be on the front of the turban. ³⁸Aaron will wear this on his head. In this way he will remove the guilt if anything is wrong with the gifts of the people of Israel.* These are the gifts the people give to the Lord. Aaron will always wear this on his head so that the Lord will accept the gifts of the people. ³⁹“Use fine linen to make the white woven robe. And use fine linen to make the turban.* The sash (belt) should have designs sewn into it. ⁴⁰Also make coats, belts, and turbans for Aaron’s sons. This will give them honor and respect. ⁴¹Put the clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons. Then pour the special oil on them to make them priests. This will make them holy, and they will serve me as priests. ⁴²“Use linen* to make underclothes for the priests. These underclothes will cover them from the waist to the thighs. ⁴³Aaron and his sons must wear these clothes anytime they enter the Meeting Tent.* They must wear these clothes when they come near to the altar to serve as priests in the Holy Place. If they don’t wear these clothes, then they will be guilty of wrong, and they will have to die. All this should be a law that continues forever for Aaron and all his family after him.”

Judgment Pouch A piece of clothing like a bib or an apron that covered the high priest’s chest. Ephod A special coat worn by the priests. turban Head covering made by wrapping a long piece of cloth around the head or around a cap worn on the head. linen Thread or cloth made from the fibers of the flax plant. seal Small stones with designs cut into them. Pressed into wet clay or hot wax, they made a special mark. 1 span About 9” (23cm). This is the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger. Holy Place One of the two rooms in the Holy Tent. Urim and Thummim Used by the priest to learn God’s answer to questions. They were probably like lots—stones, sticks, or bones that were thrown like dice. pomegranates A red fruit about the size of an orange. seal Small stones with designs cut into them. Pressed into wet clay or hot wax, they made a special mark. turban Head covering made by wrapping a long piece of cloth around the head or around a cap worn on the head. In this way … Israel Literally, “It will keep him holy when he bears the guilt from the gifts of the people of Israel.” linen Thread or cloth made from the fibers of the flax plant. Meeting Tent The Holy Tent (tabernacle) where the people of Israel went to meet with God.

The Ceremony for Appointing the Priests

29 {Then the Lord said to Moses,} “Now I will tell you what you must do to show that Aaron and his sons serve me in a special way as priests. Find one young bull and two young goats that have nothing wrong with them. ²Then use fine wheat flour without yeast to make bread. And use the same things to make cakes mixed with olive oil. And make small thin cakes spread with oil. ³Put this bread and the cakes in a basket. Then give the basket to Aaron and his sons. At the same time give them the bull and the two rams. ⁴“Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Meeting Tent.* Wash them with water. ⁵Put the special clothes on Aaron. Put on him the white woven robe and the blue robe that is worn with the Ephod.* Put the Ephod and the Judgment Pouch* on him. Then tie the beautiful sash (belt) on him. ⁶Put the turban* on his head. And put the special crown around the turban. ⁷Take the anointing oil* and pour it on Aaron’s head. This will show that Aaron is chosen for this work. ⁸“Then bring Aaron’s sons to that place. Put the white woven robes on them. ⁹Then tie sashes (belts) around their waists. Give them the special hats to wear. At that time they will begin to be priests. They will be priests because of the special law that will continue forever. This is the way you will make Aaron and his sons priests. ¹⁰“Then bring the bull to that place at the front of the Meeting Tent.* Aaron and his sons must put their hands on the bull’s head. ¹¹Then kill that bull there at the entrance to the Meeting Tent. The Lord will see this. ¹²Then take some of the bull’s blood and go to the altar.* Use your finger to put some blood on the horns of the altar. Pour all the blood that is left at the bottom of the altar. ¹³Then take all the fat from inside the bull, the fatty part of the liver, both kidneys, and the fat around them. Burn this fat on the altar. ¹⁴Then take the bull’s meat, his skin, and his other parts and go outside your camp. Burn these things there outside the camp. This is an offering to take away the sins of the priests. ¹⁵“Then tell Aaron and his sons to put their hands on the head of one of the rams. ¹⁶Kill that ram and save the blood. Throw the blood against the altar* on all four sides. ¹⁷Then cut the ram into several pieces. Wash all the parts from inside the ram and the legs. Put these things with the head and the other pieces of the ram. ¹⁸Then burn everything on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire to the Lord. Its smell will please the Lord. ¹⁹“Tell Aaron and his sons to put their hands on the other ram. ²⁰Kill that ram and save some of its blood. Put that blood on the right earlobes of Aaron and his sons. Also put some of the blood on the thumbs of their right hands. And put some of the blood on the big toes of their right feet. Then throw blood against all four sides of the altar. ²¹Then take some of the blood from the altar. Mix it with the special oil and sprinkle it on Aaron and his clothes. And sprinkle it on their sons and their clothes. This will show that Aaron and his sons serve me in a special way. And it will show that their clothes are used only at special times. ²²“Then take the fat from the ram. (This is the ram that will be used in the ceremony to make Aaron the high priest.) Take the fat from around the tail and the fat that covers the organs inside the body. Then take the fat that covers the liver, both kidneys and the fat on them, and the right leg. ²³Then take the basket of bread that you made without yeast. This is the basket you put before the Lord. Take these things out of the basket: one loaf of bread, one cake made with oil, and one small thin cake. ²⁴Give these things to Aaron and his sons. Tell them to hold these things in their hands before the Lord. This will be a special offering to the Lord. ²⁵Then take these things from Aaron and his sons and put them on the altar* with the ram. Then burn everything on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire to the Lord. Its smell will please the Lord. ²⁶“Then take the breast from the ram.* (This is the ram that will be used in the ceremony to make Aaron the high priest.) Hold the breast of the ram before the Lord as a special offering. Then take it back and keep it. This part of the animal will be for you. ²⁷Take the breast and the leg of the ram that was used to make Aaron the high priest and make those parts holy (special). Then give those special parts to Aaron and his sons. ²⁸The people of Israel will always give Aaron and his sons these parts. Those parts will always belong to the priests when the people of Israel make an offering to the Lord. When they give these parts to the priest, it will be the same as giving them to the Lord. ²⁹“Save those special clothes that were made for Aaron. Those clothes will belong to all his people who live after him. They will wear those clothes when they are chosen to be priests. ³⁰Aaron’s son will become the next high priest after him. That son will wear those clothes seven days when he comes to the Meeting Tent* to serve in the Holy Place.* ³¹“Cook the meat from the ram* that was used to make Aaron the high priest. Cook that meat in a holy place. ³²Then Aaron and his sons must eat the meat at the front door of the Meeting Tent.* And they must also eat the bread that is in the basket. ³³These offerings were used to take away their sins when they were made priests. Now they should eat those offerings. ³⁴If any of the meat from that ram or any of the bread is left the next morning, then it must be burned. You must not eat that bread or the meat because it should be eaten only in a special way at a special time. ³⁵“You must do all these things for Aaron and his sons. You must do them exactly as I told you. The ceremony for appointing them to be priests must continue for seven days. ³⁶You must kill one bull every day for seven days. This will be an offering for the sins of Aaron and his sons. You will use these sacrifices* to make the altar* pure. And pour olive oil on the altar to make it holy. ³⁷You will make the altar pure and holy for seven days. At that time the altar will become most holy. Anything that touches the altar will also be holy. ³⁸“Every day you must make an offering on the altar.* You must kill two lambs that are one year old. ³⁹Offer one lamb in the morning and the other in the evening. ^40–41When you kill the first lamb, also offer 8 cups* of fine wheat flour. Mix that flour with 1 quart* of wine as an offering. When you kill the second lamb in the evening, also offer the 8 cups of fine flour. And offer 1 quart* of wine. This is the same as you did in the morning. This will be a food offering for the Lord. When you burn this offering, the Lord will smell it, and it will please him. ⁴²“You must burn these things as an offering to the Lord every day. Do this at the entrance of the Meeting Tent* before the Lord. Continue to do this for all time. When you make the offering, I the Lord will meet you there and speak to you. 43I will meet with the people of Israel at that place. And my Glory* will make that place holy. 44“So I will make the Meeting Tent* holy. And I will make the altar* holy. And I will make Aaron and his sons holy so that they can serve me as priests. 45I will live with the people of Israel. I will be their God. 46The people will know that I am the Lord, their God. They will know that I am the One who led them out of Egypt so I could live with them. I am the Lord, their God.”

Meeting TentThe Holy Tent (tabernacle) where the people of Israel went to meet with God. Ephod A special coat worn by the priests. Judgment Pouch A piece of clothing like a bib or an apron that covered the high priest’s chest. turban Head covering made by wrapping a long piece of cloth around the head or around a cap worn on the head. anointing oil Fine olive oil that was poured on things or people to show they were chosen for a special work or purpose. Holy Place One of the rooms in the Holy Tent. ram(s) A male sheep. sacrifice(s) A gift to God. Usually it was a special animal that was killed and burned on an altar. altar A table or raised area used for offering sacrifices. 8 cups Literally, “1/10 of a measure.” 1 quart Literally, “1/4 hin.” Glory The Glory of the Lord. One of the forms God used when he appeared to people. It was like a bright shining light.