Exodus 28
The Priest’s Vestments
1 “Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar may minister to Me.
2 Then you shall make a holy garment for Aaron your brother, for honor and glory.
3 So you shall speak to all who are wise in understanding, whom I filled with the spirit of wisdom and perception, so they may make Aaron’s holy vestments for the sanctuary, in which he shall minister to Me as priest.
4 These are the garments they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a full-length robe, a skillfully woven tunic with a fringe, a turban, and a sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, so they may minister to Me as priests.
5 They shall take the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet fabric and fine linen,
6 and they shall make the ephod of fine spun linen, the woven work of a designer.
7 The two parts of the ephod shall be joined together, attached at their two hems.
8 The woven joining of the ephod, which is on it, shall be of the same workmanship, made of pure gold, and blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine woven linen.
9 Then you shall take two stones, emeralds, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel:
10 six of their names on one stone, and six names on the other stone, in the order of their birth.
11 With the work of the stone-engraver’s art, the engraving of a seal, you shall engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel.
12 You shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders as a memorial.
13 You shall also make bosses of gold,
14 and you shall make two fringes of pure gold intermixed with flowers, a braided work, and fasten the braided fringes to the bosses on the shoulder bands in front.
The Breastplate
15 “You shall make the oracle of judgment. Artistically woven according to the style of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet fabric and fine spun linen you shall make it.
16 It shall be doubled into a square: a span shall be its length, and a span its width.
17 Interwoven into this texture shall be a setting for four rows of stones. There shall be a row for a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald. This shall be the first row.†
18 The second row shall be a carbuncle, a sapphire, and a jasper;
19 the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
20 and the fourth row, a chrysolite, a beryl, and an onyx. They shall be set in gold settings, bound together with gold, according to their row.
21 The stones shall have the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names, as the engravings of seals, each one with its own name; they shall be according to the twelve tribes.
22 You shall make chains for the oracle, a braided work of pure gold.
23 Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel upon the oracle of judgment on his breast, as a memorial before God for him as he goes into the sanctuary.
24 You shall put fringes upon the oracle of judgment, and wreaths on both sides of the oracle. You shall put the two bosses on both shoulders of the ephod in the front.
25 You shall put the revelation and the truth on the oracle of judgment, which will be on the breast of Aaron when he enters the holy place in the Lord’s presence; and on his breast Aaron will discern the judgments for the children of Israel at all times.
Other Priestly Garments
26 “To go underneath the ephod, you shall make a full-length robe, entirely blue.
27 In the middle of it there shall be an opening for the head, the collar bordered in sheepskin, a woven piece. The hem shall be interwoven with the rest, to prevent ripping.
28 Beneath the border of the robe you shall make knobs as of a flowering pomegranate, constructed of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric and fine spun linen, all around the hem of the garment.
29 Hanging from each golden knob will be a flower-shaped bell all around the hem of the garment.
30 Its sound will be heard when Aaron is serving as a priest, entering and leaving the holy place before the Lord, that he not die.
31 You shall also make a plate of pure gold and, as the inscription of a seal, engrave on it: Holiness to the Lord.
32 You shall put it on a blue cord, and it shall be on the turban. It shall be on the front of the turban.
33 So it shall be on Aaron’s forehead. Aaron shall take away the defilements of the holy things which the children of Israel might dedicate, of their every gift of holy things. It shall always be on Aaron’s forehead to make them acceptable before the Lord.
34 “The appointments of the robes you shall make of linen. You shall make the turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash of woven work.
35 For Aaron’s sons you shall make robes and sashes for them, and turbans you shall make for them for honor and glory.
36 So you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him. You shall anoint them, consecrate their hands, and sanctify them so they may minister to Me as priests.
37 You shall make for them trousers to cover their naked skin from loin to thigh.
38 Thus Aaron and his sons shall wear them when they come into the tabernacle of testimony or when they come near the altar of the holy place to minister as priests, so they not bring guilt upon themselves so as to die. It shall be an ordinance forever to him and his seed after him.
Psalms 68
1 For the End, concerning things that shall be changed; by David. †
2 Save me, O God, for the waters flood my soul.
3 I am stuck in the mire of the sea, and there is no place to stand; I came into the depths of the sea, and the storm overwhelmed me.
4 I grow weary with crying; my throat is hoarse; My eyes fail me from hoping in my God.
5 Those who hate me without a cause multiplied even more than the hairs of my head; My enemies who persecute me unjustly have become strong; Then I paid for things I did not steal.
6 O God, You know my foolishness, And my transgressions are not hidden from You.
7 O Lord, O Lord of hosts, let not those who wait for You be put to shame because of me; O God of Israel, let not those who seek You feel ashamed because of me.
8 For Your sake I bore disgrace; Humiliation covered my face.
9 I am become a stranger to my brothers, An alien to my mother’s sons;
10 For the zeal of Your house consumed me, And the insults of those who disgraced You fell on me.
11 I bent down my soul with fasting, And it became a disgrace for me.
12 I also made sackcloth my garment, And I became a byword to them.
13 Those who sit at the gate were talking against me, And those who drink wine were singing about me.
14 But I, O Lord, pray with my prayer to You; It is the time of Your goodwill, O God, in the abundance of Your mercies; In the truth of Your salvation, hear me.
15 Save me from the mire, that I may not be stuck therein; Deliver me from those who hate me, and from the depths of the waters.
16 Let not a storm of water drown me; Neither let the deep swallow me up, Nor the well enclose its mouth upon me.
17 Hear me, O Lord, for Your mercy is good; According to Your abundant compassion, look upon me.
18 Turn not Your face from Your child, For I am afflicted; hear me speedily.
19 Give heed to my soul, and redeem it; Deliver me because of my enemies.
20 For You know my disgrace And my shame and humiliation; All who afflict me are before You.
Proverbs of Solomon 14
6 You will seek wisdom in the company of evil men, and you will not find it; But perception is easily found with the discerning.†
7 All things are contrary to a man without discernment, But the weapons of perception are wise lips.†
8 The wisdom of astute men will know their ways, But the folly of men without discernment is in their deceit.†
9 The houses of the lawless are due for purification, But the houses of the righteous are acceptable.
10 If the heart of a man is controlled by feelings, his soul is sorrowful, But when he rejoices, it is not mingled with arrogance.
Mark 15
Jesus Before Pilate
1 Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate.†
2 Then Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” He answered and said to him, “ It is as you say.”†
3 And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.†
4 Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, “Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You!”
5 But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.
6 Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.†
7 And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.
8 Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them.
9 But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
10 For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.
11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them.
12 Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
13 So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”
14 Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”
15 So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.†
Mocked by Soldiers
16 Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison.†
17 And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head,
18 and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
19 Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.
20 And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.