Ezekiel 40-44

The Temple Area Restored 1In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the fall of the city—on that very day the hand of the LORD was on me and he took me there. 2In visions of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city. 3He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze; he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand.

4The man said to me, “Son of man, look carefully and listen closely and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the people of Israel everything you see.”

The East Gate to the Outer Court 5I saw a wall completely surrounding the temple area. The length of the measuring rod in the man’s hand was six long cubits, That is, about 11 feet or about 3.2 meters; also in verse 12. The long cubit of about 21 inches or about 53 centimeters is the basic unit of measurement of length throughout chapters 40–48. each of which was a cubit and a handbreadth. He measured the wall; it was one measuring rod thick and one rod high. 6Then he went to the east gate. He climbed its steps and measured the threshold of the gate; it was one rod deep.

7The alcoves for the guards were one rod long and one rod wide, and the projecting walls between the alcoves were five cubits That is, about 8 3/4 feet or about 2.7 meters; also in verse 48 thick. And the threshold of the gate next to the portico facing the temple was one rod deep. 8Then he measured the portico of the gateway;

9it Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts gateway facing the temple; it was one rod deep. 9 Then he measured the portico of the gateway; it was eight cubits That is, about 14 feet or about 4.2 meters deep and its jambs were two cubits That is, about 3 1/2 feet or about 1 meter thick. The portico of the gateway faced the temple. 10Inside the east gate were three alcoves on each side; the three had the same measurements, and the faces of the projecting walls on each side had the same measurements. 11Then he measured the width of the entrance of the gateway; it was ten cubits and its length was thirteen cubits. That is, about 18 feet wide and 23 feet long or about 5.3 meters wide and 6.9 meters long 12In front of each alcove was a wall one cubit high, and the alcoves were six cubits square. 13Then he measured the gateway from the top of the rear wall of one alcove to the top of the opposite one; the distance was twenty-five cubits That is, about 44 feet or about 13 meters; also in verses 21, 25, 29, 30, 33 and 36 from one parapet opening to the opposite one. 14He measured along the faces of the projecting walls all around the inside of the gateway—sixty cubits. That is, about 105 feet or about 32 meters The measurement was up to the portico Septuagint; Hebrew projecting wall facing the courtyard. The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain. 15The distance from the entrance of the gateway to the far end of its portico was fifty cubits. That is, about 88 feet or about 27 meters; also in verses 21, 25, 29, 33 and 36

16The alcoves and the projecting walls inside the gateway were surmounted by narrow parapet openings all around, as was the portico; the openings all around faced inward. The faces of the projecting walls were decorated with palm trees.

The Outer Court 17Then he brought me into the outer court. There I saw some rooms and a pavement that had been constructed all around the court; there were thirty rooms along the pavement. 18It abutted the sides of the gateways and was as wide as they were long; this was the lower pavement.

19Then he measured the distance from the inside of the lower gateway to the outside of the inner court; it was a hundred cubits That is, about 175 feet or about 53 meters; also in verses 23, 27 and 47 on the east side as well as on the north.

The North Gate 20Then he measured the length and width of the north gate, leading into the outer court. 21Its alcoves—three on each side—its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements as those of the first gateway. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 22Its openings, its portico and its palm tree decorations had the same measurements as those of the gate facing east. Seven steps led up to it, with its portico opposite them.

23There was a gate to the inner court facing the north gate, just as there was on the east. He measured from one gate to the opposite one; it was a hundred cubits.

The South Gate 24Then he led me to the south side and I saw the south gate. He measured its jambs and its portico, and they had the same measurements as the others. 25The gateway and its portico had narrow openings all around, like the openings of the others. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 26Seven steps led up to it, with its portico opposite them; it had palm tree decorations on the faces of the projecting walls on each side.

27The inner court also had a gate facing south, and he measured from this gate to the outer gate on the south side; it was a hundred cubits.

The Gates to the Inner Court 28Then he brought me into the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate; it had the same measurements as the others. 29Its alcoves, its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements as the others. The gateway and its portico had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 30(The porticoes of the gateways around the inner court were twenty-five cubits wide and five cubits deep.)

31Its portico faced the outer court; palm trees decorated its jambs, and eight steps led up to it. 32Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gateway; it had the same measurements as the others. 33Its alcoves, its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements as the others. The gateway and its portico had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.

34Its portico faced the outer court; palm trees decorated the jambs on either side, and eight steps led up to it. 35Then he brought me to the north gate and measured it. It had the same measurements as the others, 36as did its alcoves, its projecting walls and its portico, and it had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.

37Its portico Septuagint (see also verses 31 and 34); Hebrew jambs faced the outer court; palm trees decorated the jambs on either side, and eight steps led up to it.

The Rooms for Preparing Sacrifices 38A room with a doorway was by the portico in each of the inner gateways, where the burnt offerings were washed. 39In the portico of the gateway were two tables on each side, on which the burnt offerings, sin offerings Or purification offerings and guilt offerings were slaughtered. 40By the outside wall of the portico of the gateway, near the steps at the entrance of the north gateway were two tables, and on the other side of the steps were two tables. 41So there were four tables on one side of the gateway and four on the other—eight tables in all—on which the sacrifices were slaughtered. 42There were also four tables of dressed stone for the burnt offerings, each a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide and a cubit high. That is, about 2 2/3 feet long and wide and 21 inches high or about 80 centimeters long and wide and 53 centimeters high On them were placed the utensils for slaughtering the burnt offerings and the other sacrifices.

43And double-pronged hooks, each a handbreadth That is, about 3 1/2 inches or about 9 centimeters long, were attached to the wall all around. The tables were for the flesh of the offerings.

The Rooms for the Priests 44Outside the inner gate, within the inner court, were two rooms, one Septuagint; Hebrew were rooms for singers, which were at the side of the north gate and facing south, and another at the side of the south Septuagint; Hebrew east gate and facing north. 45He said to me, “The room facing south is for the priests who guard the temple,

46and the room facing north is for the priests who guard the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who are the only Levites who may draw near to the LORD to minister before him.”

47Then he measured the court: It was square—a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide. And the altar was in front of the temple.

The New Temple 48He brought me to the portico of the temple and measured the jambs of the portico; they were five cubits wide on either side. The width of the entrance was fourteen cubits That is, about 25 feet or about 7.4 meters and its projecting walls were Septuagint; Hebrew entrance was three cubits That is, about 5 1/4 feet or about 1.6 meters wide on either side. 49The portico was twenty cubits That is, about 35 feet or about 11 meters wide, and twelve Septuagint; Hebrew eleven cubits That is, about 21 feet or about 6.4 meters from front to back. It was reached by a flight of stairs, Hebrew; Septuagint Ten steps led up to it and there were pillars on each side of the jambs.

1Then the man brought me to the main hall and measured the jambs; the width of the jambs was six cubits That is, about 11 feet or about 3.2 meters; also in verses 3, 5 and 8 on each side. One Hebrew manuscript and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts side, the width of the tent

2The entrance was ten cubits That is, about 18 feet or about 5.3 meters wide, and the projecting walls on each side of it were five cubits That is, about 8 3/4 feet or about 2.7 meters; also in verses 9, 11 and 12 wide. He also measured the main hall; it was forty cubits long and twenty cubits wide. That is, about 70 feet long and 35 feet wide or about 21 meters long and 11 meters wide 3Then he went into the inner sanctuary and measured the jambs of the entrance; each was two cubits That is, about 3 1/2 feet or about 1.1 meters; also in verse 22 wide. The entrance was six cubits wide, and the projecting walls on each side of it were seven cubits That is, about 12 feet or about 3.7 meters wide.

4And he measured the length of the inner sanctuary; it was twenty cubits, and its width was twenty cubits across the end of the main hall. He said to me, “This is the Most Holy Place.” 5Then he measured the wall of the temple; it was six cubits thick, and each side room around the temple was four cubits That is, about 7 feet or about 2.1 meters wide. 6The side rooms were on three levels, one above another, thirty on each level. There were ledges all around the wall of the temple to serve as supports for the side rooms, so that the supports were not inserted into the wall of the temple.

7The side rooms all around the temple were wider at each successive level. The structure surrounding the temple was built in ascending stages, so that the rooms widened as one went upward. A stairway went up from the lowest floor to the top floor through the middle floor. 8I saw that the temple had a raised base all around it, forming the foundation of the side rooms. It was the length of the rod, six long cubits. 9The outer wall of the side rooms was five cubits thick. The open area between the side rooms of the temple 10and the priests’ rooms was twenty cubits wide all around the temple.

11There were entrances to the side rooms from the open area, one on the north and another on the south; and the base adjoining the open area was five cubits wide all around.

12The building facing the temple courtyard on the west side was seventy cubits That is, about 123 feet or about 37 meters wide. The wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length was ninety cubits. That is, about 158 feet or about 48 meters 13Then he measured the temple; it was a hundred cubits That is, about 175 feet or about 53 meters; also in verses 14 and 15 long, and the temple courtyard and the building with its walls were also a hundred cubits long.

14The width of the temple courtyard on the east, including the front of the temple, was a hundred cubits.

15Then he measured the length of the building facing the courtyard at the rear of the temple, including its galleries on each side; it was a hundred cubits. The main hall, the inner sanctuary and the portico facing the court, 16as well as the thresholds and the narrow windows and galleries around the three of them—everything beyond and including the threshold was covered with wood. The floor, the wall up to the windows, and the windows were covered. 17In the space above the outside of the entrance to the inner sanctuary and on the walls at regular intervals all around the inner and outer sanctuary 18were carved cherubim and palm trees. Palm trees alternated with cherubim. Each cherub had two faces: 19the face of a human being toward the palm tree on one side and the face of a lion toward the palm tree on the other. They were carved all around the whole temple.

20From the floor to the area above the entrance, cherubim and palm trees were carved on the wall of the main hall. 21The main hall had a rectangular doorframe, and the one at the front of the Most Holy Place was similar. 22There was a wooden altar three cubits That is, about 5 1/4 feet or about 1.5 meters high and two cubits square Septuagint; Hebrew long ; its corners, its base Septuagint; Hebrew length and its sides were of wood. The man said to me, “This is the table that is before the LORD .” 23Both the main hall and the Most Holy Place had double doors. 24Each door had two leaves—two hinged leaves for each door. 25And on the doors of the main hall were carved cherubim and palm trees like those carved on the walls, and there was a wooden overhang on the front of the portico. 26On the sidewalls of the portico were narrow windows with palm trees carved on each side. The side rooms of the temple also had overhangs.

The Rooms for the Priests 1Then the man led me northward into the outer court and brought me to the rooms opposite the temple courtyard and opposite the outer wall on the north side. 2The building whose door faced north was a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide. That is, about 175 feet long and 88 feet wide or about 53 meters long and 27 meters wide 3Both in the section twenty cubits That is, about 35 feet or about 11 meters from the inner court and in the section opposite the pavement of the outer court, gallery faced gallery at the three levels. 4In front of the rooms was an inner passageway ten cubits wide and a hundred cubits Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew and one cubit long. That is, about 18 feet wide and 175 feet long or about 5.3 meters wide and 53 meters long Their doors were on the north. 5Now the upper rooms were narrower, for the galleries took more space from them than from the rooms on the lower and middle floors of the building. 6The rooms on the top floor had no pillars, as the courts had; so they were smaller in floor space than those on the lower and middle floors. 7There was an outer wall parallel to the rooms and the outer court; it extended in front of the rooms for fifty cubits. 8While the row of rooms on the side next to the outer court was fifty cubits long, the row on the side nearest the sanctuary was a hundred cubits long.

9The lower rooms had an entrance on the east side as one enters them from the outer court. 10On the south side Septuagint; Hebrew Eastward along the length of the wall of the outer court, adjoining the temple courtyard and opposite the outer wall, were rooms 11with a passageway in front of them. These were like the rooms on the north; they had the same length and width, with similar exits and dimensions. Similar to the doorways on the north

12were the doorways of the rooms on the south. There was a doorway at the beginning of the passageway that was parallel to the corresponding wall extending eastward, by which one enters the rooms. 13Then he said to me, “The north and south rooms facing the temple courtyard are the priests’ rooms, where the priests who approach the LORD will eat the most holy offerings. There they will put the most holy offerings—the grain offerings, the sin offerings Or purification offerings and the guilt offerings—for the place is holy.

14Once the priests enter the holy precincts, they are not to go into the outer court until they leave behind the garments in which they minister, for these are holy. They are to put on other clothes before they go near the places that are for the people.” 15When he had finished measuring what was inside the temple area, he led me out by the east gate and measured the area all around: 16He measured the east side with the measuring rod; it was five hundred cubits. See Septuagint of verse 17; Hebrew rods; also in verses 18 and 19. Five hundred cubits equal about 875 feet or about 265 meters; also in verses 17, 18 and 19. 17He measured the north side; it was five hundred cubits Septuagint; Hebrew rods by the measuring rod. 18He measured the south side; it was five hundred cubits by the measuring rod. 19Then he turned to the west side and measured; it was five hundred cubits by the measuring rod. 20So he measured the area on all four sides. It had a wall around it, five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide, to separate the holy from the common.

God’s Glory Returns to the Temple 1Then the man brought me to the gate facing east, 2and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory. 3The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he Some Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts I came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. 4The glory of the LORD entered the temple through the gate facing east.

5Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. 6While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple. 7He said: “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet. This is where I will live among the Israelites forever. The people of Israel will never again defile my holy name—neither they nor their kings—by their prostitution and the funeral offerings Or the memorial monuments; also in verse 9 for their kings at their death. Or their high places 8When they placed their threshold next to my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them, they defiled my holy name by their detestable practices. So I destroyed them in my anger.

9Now let them put away from me their prostitution and the funeral offerings for their kings, and I will live among them forever. 10“Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins. Let them consider its perfection,

11and if they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the design of the temple—its arrangement, its exits and entrances—its whole design and all its regulations Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts regulations and its whole design and laws. Write these down before them so that they may be faithful to its design and follow all its regulations.

12“This is the law of the temple: All the surrounding area on top of the mountain will be most holy. Such is the law of the temple.

The Great Altar Restored 13“These are the measurements of the altar in long cubits, That is, about 21 inches or about 53 centimeters; also in verses 14 and 17. The long cubit is the basic unit for linear measurement throughout Ezekiel 40–48. that cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth: Its gutter is a cubit deep and a cubit wide, with a rim of one span That is, about 11 inches or about 27 centimeters around the edge. And this is the height of the altar: 14From the gutter on the ground up to the lower ledge that goes around the altar it is two cubits high, and the ledge is a cubit wide. That is, about 3 1/2 feet high and 1 3/4 feet wide or about 105 centimeters high and 53 centimeters wide From this lower ledge to the upper ledge that goes around the altar it is four cubits high, and that ledge is also a cubit wide. That is, about 7 feet high and 1 3/4 feet wide or about 2.1 meters high and 53 centimeters wide 15Above that, the altar hearth is four cubits high, and four horns project upward from the hearth. 16The altar hearth is square, twelve cubits That is, about 21 feet or about 6.4 meters long and twelve cubits wide.

17The upper ledge also is square, fourteen cubits That is, about 25 feet or about 7.4 meters long and fourteen cubits wide. All around the altar is a gutter of one cubit with a rim of half a cubit. That is, about 11 inches or about 27 centimeters The steps of the altar face east.” 18Then he said to me, “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: These will be the regulations for sacrificing burnt offerings and splashing blood against the altar when it is built: 19You are to give a young bull as a sin offering Or purification offering; also in verses 21, 22 and 25 to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok, who come near to minister before me, declares the Sovereign LORD . 20You are to take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar and on the four corners of the upper ledge and all around the rim, and so purify the altar and make atonement for it.

21You are to take the bull for the sin offering and burn it in the designated part of the temple area outside the sanctuary. 22“On the second day you are to offer a male goat without defect for a sin offering, and the altar is to be purified as it was purified with the bull. 23When you have finished purifying it, you are to offer a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without defect.

24You are to offer them before the LORD, and the priests are to sprinkle salt on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the LORD . 25“For seven days you are to provide a male goat daily for a sin offering; you are also to provide a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without defect. 26For seven days they are to make atonement for the altar and cleanse it; thus they will dedicate it. 27At the end of these days, from the eighth day on, the priests are to present your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar. Then I will accept you, declares the Sovereign LORD .”

The Priesthood Restored 1Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east, and it was shut. 2The LORD said to me, “This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it. It is to remain shut because the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered through it.

3The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the LORD . He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.”

4Then the man brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple. I looked and saw the glory of the LORD filling the temple of the LORD, and I fell facedown. 5The LORD said to me, “Son of man, look carefully, listen closely and give attention to everything I tell you concerning all the regulations and instructions regarding the temple of the LORD . Give attention to the entrance to the temple and all the exits of the sanctuary. 6Say to rebellious Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Enough of your detestable practices, people of Israel! 7In addition to all your other detestable practices, you brought foreigners uncircumcised in heart and flesh into my sanctuary, desecrating my temple while you offered me food, fat and blood, and you broke my covenant. 8Instead of carrying out your duty in regard to my holy things, you put others in charge of my sanctuary.

9This is what the Sovereign LORD says: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh is to enter my sanctuary, not even the foreigners who live among the Israelites. 10“ ‘The Levites who went far from me when Israel went astray and who wandered from me after their idols must bear the consequences of their sin. 11They may serve in my sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and serving in it; they may slaughter the burnt offerings and sacrifices for the people and stand before the people and serve them. 12But because they served them in the presence of their idols and made the people of Israel fall into sin, therefore I have sworn with uplifted hand that they must bear the consequences of their sin, declares the Sovereign LORD . 13They are not to come near to serve me as priests or come near any of my holy things or my most holy offerings; they must bear the shame of their detestable practices.

14And I will appoint them to guard the temple for all the work that is to be done in it. 15“ ‘But the Levitical priests, who are descendants of Zadok and who guarded my sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from me, are to come near to minister before me; they are to stand before me to offer sacrifices of fat and blood, declares the Sovereign LORD .

16They alone are to enter my sanctuary; they alone are to come near my table to minister before me and serve me as guards. 17“ ‘When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen clothes; they must not wear any woolen garment while ministering at the gates of the inner court or inside the temple. 18They are to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire.

19When they go out into the outer court where the people are, they are to take off the clothes they have been ministering in and are to leave them in the sacred rooms, and put on other clothes, so that the people are not consecrated through contact with their garments. 20“ ‘They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of their heads trimmed. 21No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court. 22They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may marry only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests.

23They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.

24“ ‘In any dispute, the priests are to serve as judges and decide it according to my ordinances. They are to keep my laws and my decrees for all my appointed festivals, and they are to keep my Sabbaths holy. 25“ ‘A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person; however, if the dead person was his father or mother, son or daughter, brother or unmarried sister, then he may defile himself. 26After he is cleansed, he must wait seven days.

27On the day he goes into the inner court of the sanctuary to minister in the sanctuary, he is to offer a sin offering Or purification offering; also in verse 29 for himself, declares the Sovereign LORD . 28“ ‘I am to be the only inheritance the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession. 29They will eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings; and everything in Israel devoted The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord. to the LORD will belong to them. 30The best of all the firstfruits and of all your special gifts will belong to the priests. You are to give them the first portion of your ground meal so that a blessing may rest on your household. 31The priests must not eat anything, whether bird or animal, found dead or torn by wild animals.