Exodus 39:8-21

Modern English Version

Making the Breastplate^(A)

⁸ He made the breastplate, the work of a skillful workman, like the workmanship of the ephod: of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet, and fine twisted linen. ⁹ It was square. They made the breastplate folded double, a span^[a] long and a span wide when doubled. ¹⁰ They set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle was the first row; ¹¹ the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; ¹² the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; ¹³ and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold filigree. ¹⁴ The stones were corresponding to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, corresponding to their names, like the engravings of a signet, each with its name, corresponding to the twelve tribes.

¹⁵ They made on the breastplate braided chains like cords of pure gold. ¹⁶ They made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate. ¹⁷ They put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate. ¹⁸ The other two ends of the two braided chains they fastened in the two filigree settings and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front of it. ¹⁹ They made two rings of gold and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the edge of it which was on the inner side of the ephod. ²⁰ They made two other golden rings and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the front of it, over against where it joined, above the waistband of the ephod. ²¹ They bound the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it might be above the waistband of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not come loose from the ephod, just as the Lord commanded Moses.