Exodus 39:8-21

The Breastplate and its Fastenings

v. 8. And he made the breastplate of cunning work, a production of the highest artistic skill, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

v. 9. It was foursquare, half a cubit either way; they made the breastplate double, the material forming a sort of pocket; a span was the length thereof and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled.

v. 10. And they set in it four rows of stones, precious gems. The first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle; this was the first row.

v. 11. And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.

v. 12. And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.

v. 13. And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper; they were enclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings, in the settings by which they were fastened to the cloth.

v. 14. And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, everyone with his name, according to the twelve tribes.

v. 15. And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold, braided of gold wire.

v. 16. And they made two ouches of gold, the settings continued in the form of clasps, or buckles, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate.

v. 17. And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.

v. 18. And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, in the clasps connected with the two onyx stones on the shoulders, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it.

v. 19. And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward, on the lower end inside, facing the ephod.

v. 20. And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, on the ephod, in front, beneath the breastplate, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, where it was held together, above the curious girdle of the ephod.

v. 21. And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, with threads made of the hyacinth-colored material, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod, as the Lord commanded Moses. Cf Exodus 28:15-Joel :.