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Clothes for the Priests

39 They used blue, purple and red thread to make woven clothes for the priests. They were to wear these when they served in the Holy Place. They also made the holy clothes for Aaron as the Lord had commanded Moses.

They made the holy vest of gold and blue, purple and red thread, and fine linen. They hammered the gold into sheets. Then they cut the gold into long, thin strips. They worked the gold into the blue, purple and red thread, and fine linen. This was done by a skilled craftsman. They made the shoulder straps for the holy vest. These straps were attached to the top corners of the vest. Then the shoulder straps were tied together over each shoulder. The skillfully woven belt was made in the same way. It was joined to the holy vest as one piece. It was made of gold and blue, purple and red thread, and fine linen. It was made the way the Lord commanded Moses.

They put gold around the onyx stones. Then they wrote the names of the sons of Israel on these gems. They did that as a person carves words and designs on a seal. Then they attached the gems on the shoulder straps of the holy vest. These gems are reminders of the 12 sons of Israel. This was done the way the Lord had commanded Moses.

The skilled craftsmen made the chest covering. It was made like the holy vest. It was made of gold and blue, purple and red thread, and fine linen. The chest covering was square, nine inches long and nine inches wide. It was folded double to make a pocket. 10 Then they put four rows of beautiful jewels on it. In the first row there was a ruby, a topaz and a yellow quartz. 11 In the second row there was a turquoise, a sapphire and an emerald. 12 In the third row there was a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst. 13 In the fourth row there was a chrysolite, an onyx and a jasper. Gold was put around these jewels to attach them to the chest covering. 14 The names of the sons of Israel were carved on these 12 jewels as a person carves a seal. Each jewel had the name of 1 of the 12 tribes of Israel.

15 They made chains of pure gold for the chest covering. They were twisted together like a rope. 16 The workers made two gold pieces and two gold rings. They put the two gold rings on the two upper corners of the chest covering. 17 Then they put two gold chains in the two rings. These are at the ends of the chest covering. 18 They fastened the other two ends of the chains to the two gold pieces. Then they attached these gold pieces to the two shoulder straps in the front of the holy vest. 19 They made two more gold rings and put them at the lower corners of the chest covering. They put them on the inside edge next to the holy vest. 20 Then they made two more gold rings on the bottom of the shoulder straps in front of the holy vest. These rings were near the seam, just above the woven belt of the holy vest. 21 They used a blue ribbon and tied the rings of the chest covering to the rings of the holy vest. This connected it to the woven belt. In this way the chest covering would not swing out from the holy vest. They did all these things the way the Lord commanded.

22 Then they made the outer robe to be worn under the holy vest. It was woven of blue cloth. 23 They made a hole in the center of the outer robe. A woven collar was sewn around this hole so it would not tear. 24 Then they made balls like pomegranates of blue, purple and red thread, and fine linen. They hung them around the bottom of the outer robe. 25 They also made bells of pure gold. They hung these around the bottom of the outer robe between the balls. 26 So around the bottom of the outer robe there was a bell and a pomegranate ball, a bell and a pomegranate ball. The priest wore this outer robe when he served as priest, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

27 They wove inner robes of fine linen for Aaron and his sons. 28 And they made turbans and underclothes of fine linen. 29 Then they made the cloth belt of fine linen and blue, purple and red thread. Designs were sewn onto the cloth. These things were made as the Lord had commanded Moses.

30 They made a strip of pure gold, which is the holy crown. They carved these words in the gold: “Holy to the Lord.” They did it as one might carve on a seal. 31 Then they tied this flat piece to the turban with a blue ribbon. This was done as the Lord had commanded Moses.

32 So all the work on the Meeting Tent was finished. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 33 Then they brought the Holy Tent to Moses: the Tent and all its furniture, hooks, frames, crossbars, posts and bases; 34 the covering made of male sheep skins colored red, the covering made of fine leather and the curtain that covered the entrance to the Most Holy Place; 35 the Ark of the Covenant, its poles and lid; 36 the table, all its containers and the bread that showed they were in God’s presence; 37 the pure gold lampstand with its lamps in a row, all its tools and the olive oil for the light; 38 the gold altar, the special olive oil used for appointing priests, the sweet-smelling incense, and the curtain that covered the entrance to the Tent; 39 the bronze altar and its screen, its poles and all its tools, the bowl and its stand; 40 the curtains for the courtyard with their posts and bases, the curtain that covered the entry to the courtyard, the cords, pegs and all the things in the Meeting Tent. 41 They brought the clothes for the priests to wear when they served in the Holy Tent: the holy clothes for Aaron the priest and the clothes for his sons. They wore these when they served as priests.

42 The Israelites had done all this work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 43 Moses looked closely at all the work. He saw they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them.

The Priestly Garments

39 From the blue, purple and scarlet yarn(A) they made woven garments for ministering in the sanctuary.(B) They also made sacred garments(C) for Aaron, as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Ephod(D)

They[a] made the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. They hammered out thin sheets of gold and cut strands to be worked into the blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen—the work of skilled hands. They made shoulder pieces for the ephod, which were attached to two of its corners, so it could be fastened. Its skillfully woven waistband was like it—of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen, as the Lord commanded Moses.

They mounted the onyx stones in gold filigree settings and engraved them like a seal with the names of the sons of Israel. Then they fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial(E) stones for the sons of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Breastpiece(F)

They fashioned the breastpiece(G)—the work of a skilled craftsman. They made it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. It was square—a span[b] long and a span wide—and folded double. 10 Then they mounted four rows of precious stones on it. The first row was carnelian, chrysolite and beryl; 11 the second row was turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald; 12 the third row was jacinth, agate and amethyst; 13 the fourth row was topaz, onyx and jasper.[c] They were mounted in gold filigree settings. 14 There were twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.(H)

15 For the breastpiece they made braided chains of pure gold, like a rope. 16 They made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings, and fastened the rings to two of the corners of the breastpiece. 17 They fastened the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece, 18 and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. 19 They made two gold rings and attached them to the other two corners of the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod. 20 Then they made two more gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod. 21 They tied the rings of the breastpiece to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband so that the breastpiece would not swing out from the ephod—as the Lord commanded Moses.

Other Priestly Garments(I)

22 They made the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth—the work of a weaver— 23 with an opening in the center of the robe like the opening of a collar,[d] and a band around this opening, so that it would not tear. 24 They made pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen around the hem of the robe. 25 And they made bells of pure gold and attached them around the hem between the pomegranates. 26 The bells and pomegranates alternated around the hem of the robe to be worn for ministering, as the Lord commanded Moses.

27 For Aaron and his sons, they made tunics of fine linen(J)—the work of a weaver— 28 and the turban(K) of fine linen, the linen caps and the undergarments of finely twisted linen. 29 The sash was made of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn—the work of an embroiderer—as the Lord commanded Moses.

30 They made the plate, the sacred emblem, out of pure gold and engraved on it, like an inscription on a seal: holy to the Lord.(L) 31 Then they fastened a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban,(M) as the Lord commanded Moses.

Moses Inspects the Tabernacle(N)

32 So all the work on the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was completed. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses.(O) 33 Then they brought the tabernacle(P) to Moses: the tent and all its furnishings, its clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases; 34 the covering of ram skins dyed red and the covering of another durable leather[e] and the shielding curtain; 35 the ark of the covenant law(Q) with its poles and the atonement cover; 36 the table(R) with all its articles and the bread of the Presence;(S) 37 the pure gold lampstand(T) with its row of lamps and all its accessories,(U) and the olive oil(V) for the light; 38 the gold altar,(W) the anointing oil,(X) the fragrant incense,(Y) and the curtain(Z) for the entrance to the tent; 39 the bronze altar(AA) with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the basin(AB) with its stand; 40 the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard;(AC) the ropes and tent pegs for the courtyard; all the furnishings for the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; 41 and the woven garments(AD) worn for ministering in the sanctuary, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when serving as priests.

42 The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses.(AE) 43 Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded.(AF) So Moses blessed(AG) them.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 39:2 Or He; also in verses 7, 8 and 22
  2. Exodus 39:9 That is, about 9 inches or about 23 centimeters
  3. Exodus 39:13 The precise identification of some of these precious stones is uncertain.
  4. Exodus 39:23 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  5. Exodus 39:34 Possibly the hides of large aquatic mammals