Ezekiel 40-48

The Voice

The description and measurements of the new temple are both complex and staggering. The outer walls form a square with priestly kitchens for preparing sacrifices and food on each corner. On the four sides of the temple complex, a total of thirty chambers line the perimeter wall. The actual temple and inner courtyard is a smaller version of the outer walls, three gates (east, north, and south), and outer courtyard. As Ezekiel walks in a westerly direction from the outer east gate, he ascends a set of stairs that leads to the outer courtyard where he then goes up another staircase to the inner courtyard and altar where he then finds a third staircase leading to the temple portico and the two holy and most holy chambers of the Eternal’s sanctuary.

Ezekiel’s mysterious tour guide first begins at the eastern outer gate facing the rising sun. Then he takes Ezekiel to the outer courtyard where he measures the north gate before taking him to the south gate for its measurements. They then enter the inner courtyard via its south gate. Now at the inner courtyard, they follow the same path of measuring the east and north gates. Finally, after exiting the north gate of the inner courtyard, they move to the original east gate of the outer courtyard where Ezekiel witnesses the awesome return of the Eternal’s presence.

40 During the 25th year of our exile (which was the 14th year after Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem), at the beginning of the year on the 10th day of the month, the Eternal took hold of me and brought me to the ruined city. ²In the visions God showed me, He carried me into the land of Israel and put me on top of a very high mountain. Southward, there was a building that looked like a city unto itself. ³God led me to that place, and there I saw a man whose appearance gleamed as if he were made of bronze. He stood at the structure’s gate with a linen tape for long measurements and a reed for short measurements.

The Man (to Ezekiel): ⁴Son of man, sharpen your senses! See with your eyes, and listen with your ears! Take notice of everything I am about to show you, because you are here to see what I do and to relay it all to the people of Israel.

The measuring reed is a long cubit, at 20 to 21 inches, rather than a short cubit at 18 inches. The sheer grandeur of this new temple and city and its surrounding land—along with its most prominent, divine dweller—calls for nothing less than royal measurements.

⁵I saw a wall surrounding the temple. The measuring reed in the man’s hand was about 10½ feet long. He measured the wall and found it to be about 10½ feet thick and 10½ feet high. ⁶He walked around to the wall of the eastern gate and climbed its steps. He measured the depth of the gate’s entrance, and it was 10½ feet deep as well.

⁷Inside the gate, the side guard chambers on each side were about 10½ feet square, with 8¾-feet-thick walls between each of them. The threshold of the gate entrance nearest to the portico that faced the temple was about 10½ feet deep. ⁸Then he measured the portico that faced the temple; it was also 10½ feet deep. ⁹But the portico on the inner side of the gate complex was 14 feet with columns of 3½ feet. ¹⁰The eastern gate had 3 chambers on each side. All 3 chambers, as well as all of the columns, had the exact same measurements. ¹¹Then he measured the entrance of the east gate: it was 17½ feet wide and 22¾ feet long. ¹²The short barrier stood in front of each guard chamber; it was 21 inches high on both sides. The chambers themselves were 10½ feet square. ¹³He then measured the distance between the top of the back wall of one chamber to the top of the wall opposite of it: 43¾ feet. ¹⁴Then he measured the length of the gate-complex portico at 35 feet, which stretched to the outer courtyard.^[a] ¹⁵The measurement from the outer courtyard gate entrance to the farthest end of the outer courtyard at the inner portico of the inner east gate was 87½ feet. ¹⁶This inner gateway complex had windows with multiple recessed frames toward the side chambers and columns, as did the portico. And all the columns were decorated with palm trees.

¹⁷Then the man with the appearance of bronze led me to the outer courtyard. There, I saw a paved walkway all around the courtyard. Thirty chambers had been built on all four sides of the outer courtyard facing the walkway. ¹⁸This lower walkway for the outer courtyard was laid in front of the chambers and connected all the gates and was as wide as the gates were long. ¹⁹The man then measured the area between the inner entrance of the lower east gate and the outside of the inner courtyard upper gate. It was about 175 feet on the east and the north.

²⁰Then I followed my guide to the north gateway at the outer courtyard and measured its length and width. ²¹It had 3 chambers on each side, and all of their columns and porticos had the exact same measurements as the first east gate: 87½ feet long and 43¾ feet wide. ²²All its windows, its porticos, and its decorations of palm trees had the exact same measurements as the east gate. There were 7 steps from the outside of the gate complex leading up to it, and the portico was on the opposite side of the gate from the steps. ²³Facing the lower north gate was another gate that led to the inner courtyard, just as an inner court gate faced the lower east gate. The man measured the distance between one gate and the one opposite of it, and the distance was 175 feet.

²⁴Then I followed him south along the wall where I saw the south gate. He took measurements of its columns and porticos and found that they were the same size as the other gates’. ²⁵The gate complex and its porticos had the same kind of windows with multiple recessed frames all around it as the other ones did. It was 87½ feet long and 43¾ feet wide. ²⁶There were 7 steps leading up to it, and the portico was on the opposite side of the gate from the steps. The columns on both sides were adorned with palm trees. ²⁷There was also a lower south gate that led to the outer courtyard facing the upper south gate, and the man measured the distance between one gate and the one opposite of it, on the southern side. The distance was 175 feet.

²⁸Then I followed him to the inner court across from the south gate. He took measurements of the gate complex and discovered it had the exact same dimensions as the others. ²⁹Its chambers, columns, and porticos were the exact same as the others. The gate and its porticos had the same kind of windows with multiple recessed frames all around. It was 87½ feet long and 43¾ feet wide. ³⁰The interior gate had porticos all around that were 43¾ feet wide and 8¾ feet deep. ³¹Eight steps led up to its porticos, which faced the outer courtyard. Palm trees decorated the columns.

³²Then I followed my guide to the inner courtyard on the eastern side, and he took measurements of the gate complex and discovered it had the exact same measurements as the others. ³³Its chambers, columns, and porticos were the exact same as the others. The gate and its porticos had the same kind of windows with multiple recessed frames all around. It was 87½ feet long and 43¾ feet wide. ³⁴Eight steps led up to its porticos, which faced the outer courtyard. Palm trees decorated the columns.

³⁵Then I followed the man around the inner court to the interior north gate. He took measurements and discovered it had the exact same measurements as the others. ³⁶Its chambers, columns, and porticos were the exact same as the others. The gate had windows with multiple recessed frames all around. It was 87½ feet long and 43¾ feet wide. ³⁷Eight steps led up to its porticos, which faced the outer courtyard. Palm trees decorated the columns.

³⁸Near the porticos in each of the inner gates was a chamber with a doorway. There the burnt offerings were cleansed after their slaughter but before their offering. ³⁹Inside of the portico, there were four tables (two on each side) where the whole burnt offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings were slaughtered. ⁴⁰There were also two tables outside at each outer wall of the portico where one would climb up to the north gate. ⁴¹This means there were eight tables in all—four inside each gate and four outside. These tables were where the offerings were slaughtered. ^42-43There were also four tables carved from stone used for the burnt offerings. They were 31½ inches square and 21 inches high and held the flesh of the offerings. The tools used to slaughter the sacrificial animals for burnt offerings rested on these tables. Hooks, about 3 inches long, were attached to the walls around the stone tables. The meats for the burnt offerings were prepared on these tables.

⁴⁴There were two chambers for the singers and the priests within the inner court, just outside the inner gate. One chamber was on the side of the north gate and faced the south. The other chamber was on the side of the south^[b] gate and faced the north.

The Man (to Ezekiel): ⁴⁵The chamber that faces south is designated for the priests who take care of the temple. ⁴⁶But the chamber that faces north is set aside for the priests who take care of the altar. They are all sons of Zadok and are the only Levites allowed to approach the Eternal and to minister before Him at the altar.

⁴⁷Then the man took measurements of the inner courtyard: it was 175 feet square. The altar sat in front of the temple in the inner courtyard.

⁴⁸Then I followed him to the temple’s portico, and he took the measurements of the portico’s columns. They were 8¾ feet wide on both sides. The gate entrance was [24½ feet deep, and the walls were]^[c] 5¼ feet wide on both sides. ⁴⁹The portico was 30 feet long and 18 feet wide. There were steps leading^[d] up to the portico, as well as columns like the Jachin and Boaz columns of Solomon’s temple on both sides.

41 Then I followed the man whose appearance was like bronze to the outer nave of the temple; he took measurements of the pillars. Each was 10½ feet wide on each side.

Now Ezekiel is at the outer porch or nave of the actual temple structure. He watches as the man measures the holy place and then proceeds deeper into the recesses of the most holy place. Ezekiel cannot enter these areas because he is not one of the “sons of Zadok” (40:46).

²The entrance was 17½ feet wide. The walls on both sides of the entrance were 8¾ feet wide. He measured the outer nave of the temple and discovered it was 70 feet long and 35 feet wide. ³Then he went inside by himself and took measurements of the columns of the entrance to the inner sanctuary. Each column was 3½ feet wide, the entrance was 10½ feet wide, and the [walls on each side of it were]^[e] 12¼ feet long. ⁴Then the man took measurements of the inner sanctuary, which was 35 feet long and wide.

The Man: This inner sanctuary is the most holy place in all the temple.

⁵Then he walked over to the temple wall and took its measurements and the measurements of each chamber surrounding the temple. The wall of the temple was 10½ feet thick, and each side chamber was 7 feet wide. ^6-7The side chambers were built in 3 stories (one right on top of the other), and there were 30 chambers on each level. The chambers on the second story were wider than those on the first, and the chambers on the third story were wider than the second’s. To keep the second and third stories from overhanging the temple’s sacred space, the wall separating the temple’s inner chamber and the side chambers widened from top to bottom. One entered the third story by climbing stairs through the first and second stories. ⁸I noticed the temple floor was higher than the rest of the complex. This raised foundation was also the foundation of the side chambers, and it was 10½ feet thick. ⁹The wall on the outside of the side chambers was 8¾ feet thick. The open area between the temple’s side chambers ¹⁰and the priests’ chambers circumscribed the temple, 35 feet around. ¹¹In that open space were two entrances to the temple’s side chambers. One of the entrances was on the north side, and the other one was on the south side. The open area was exactly 8¾ feet wide all around the temple.

¹²On the west end of the complex there was a structure that faced the temple courtyard. It was 122½ feet wide and 157½ feet long. Its walls were 8¾ feet thick. ¹³Then the man measured the temple and discovered that it was 175 feet long. The courtyard of the temple plus the western structure and its walls measured 175 feet as well. ¹⁴The eastern courtyard in front of the temple was 175 feet wide. ¹⁵Then he measured the length of the western structure and the galleries on both sides that faced the courtyard west of the temple. It, too, was 175 feet.

The temple’s nave and outer portico^[f] ¹⁶were paneled.^[g] The recessed windows were trimmed in wood. The interior walls and the space between the floor and the windows were all covered with wood. ^17-18Images of winged guardians^[h] and palm trees were carved into the wood above the entrance that led to the sanctuary and also all over the walls of the inner and outer sanctuaries. The two symbols alternated palm tree, guardian, palm tree, etc. Each winged guardian was carved with only two faces: ¹⁹the face of a man peered in the direction of the palm tree on one side, and the face of a lion gazed in the direction of the palm tree on the other side. This relief encompassed the entire temple. ²⁰Carvings of winged guardians and palm trees covered the wall of the sanctuary in the space between the floor and the top of the entrance.

²¹The doorframes leading into the outer sanctuary were square, as were the ones leading to the inner sanctuary. ²²The altar was made of wood. It was 5¼ feet high and 3½ feet square. All of it—its base, horns, and sides—was made of wood.

The Man (to Ezekiel): This is the table that sits before the Eternal.

²³The outer nave and the inner holy place each had a double door. ²⁴Each door was made of two panels hinged together.^[i] ²⁵On the doors of the outer sanctuary were carvings of winged guardians and palm trees—the exact same images that were on the walls. A wooden roof hung over the front of the outside portico. ²⁶On both side walls of the portico were windows that had carvings of palm trees. There were roofs over all the side chambers of the temple.

Ezekiel’s descriptions of the Jerusalem temple are often difficult to comprehend. Since Jerusalem’s temple was completely destroyed, archaeology is helpful in reconstructing Ezekiel’s description of it. In Northern Syria lie the ruins of a temple at ‘Ain Dara‘ that closely resemble the biblical descriptions of God’s temple. It, too, had three rooms, winged beings guarding the holiest place, and an eastern gate through which a deity entered. But what might be the most helpful parallel between it and Jerusalem’s temple are its windows. Carved into the stone are false windows, each with three successively smaller window frames—the largest frame on the outside and the smallest on the inside. Apparently this architectural detail was popular in ornate Near Eastern buildings during the first millennium b.c., especially in temples, and it sheds light on Ezekiel’s obscure description.

42 Then the man whose appearance was like bronze took me north into the outer courtyard. He brought me to the chambers that were opposite the open area around the temple and opposite the outside wall on the northern end. ²This building with its north-facing door was 175 feet long and 87½ feet wide. ³Facing a 35-foot-wide section of the inner court and facing the paved area of the outer court were rows of chambers 3 stories high. ⁴An interior passageway ran in front of each chamber. It was 17½ feet wide and ran the entire length of the gallery, 175 feet. The doors faced north. ⁵All the upper chambers were narrower because the galleries took up more space than they did on the first and second levels. ⁶There were no columns for the chambers on the third level—no columns like the ones in the courtyards—so the chambers on the third level were set back further than the chambers on the first and second levels. ⁷The wall behind the chambers ran parallel to them and the outer courtyard for a distance of 87½ feet. ⁸On the side next to the outer courtyard, the row of chambers was 87½ feet long. On the side nearest to the sanctuary it was 175 feet long. ⁹The chambers on the first level could be entered from the east when coming in from the outer courtyard.

These chambers on the wall surrounding the inner courtyard are where the priests prepare themselves for their sacred duties.

¹⁰There were rows of chambers on the south^[j] side of the temple, just like on the north, separating the inner and outer courtyards. ¹¹There was a walkway in front of them. These chambers were exactly like the chambers on the northern side—same measurements and architecture. ¹²In front of each walkway in the south chambers was a doorway near the wall that could be entered from the east when coming in from the outer courtyard.

The Man (to Ezekiel): ¹³The north and south chambers that face the courtyard around the temple are sacred, set apart for the priests who come near to the Eternal to eat the holiest of offerings. In those sacred chambers, the priests store the holiest of offerings—grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings. ¹⁴As soon as the priests enter into the sacred areas, they can’t leave and go into the outer courtyard until they first take off their holy clothes in which they have ministered to the Lord. These ministerial clothes are sacred. They must put on other clothes before they go anywhere other people are allowed to be, because their priestly garments can’t come into contact with anything impure.

¹⁵When the man completed taking measurements inside the temple, he took me out through the lower eastern gate and began measuring around the temple complex. ¹⁶He took his measuring reed and measured the entire east side. It was 875 feet long. ^17-19He measured the north, south, and west sides; and they, too, were each 875 feet long. ²⁰He measured the temple complex on all four sides. The wall around it formed a square 875 feet by 875 feet. It served to separate the sacred from the common.

43 Then the man whose appearance was like bronze led me to the gate that faced the east. ²There, I witnessed the glory of the God of Israel storming from the east. His voice thundered like a great waterfall. The entire earth reflected His shining glory.

Just as God’s glorious presence departs Jerusalem for Babylon in the east (Ezekiel 10), so He returns with spectacular fullness to the eastern gate of a restored temple.

³The vision I saw then was just like the vision I saw when He arrived to destroy the city and was kindred to the vision I had near the Chebar Canal. I fell on my face to the ground. ⁴The glory of the Eternal entered the temple by the east gate, ⁵and the Spirit picked me up and brought me to the inner courtyard so I could watch as the Eternal’s glory filled the temple.

⁶While the man stood beside me, I heard a voice addressing me from inside the temple.

Eternal One: ⁷Son of man, this temple is the home of My throne on earth and the place where I’ll rest My feet. I will dwell here among My people Israel forever. Never again will the Israelites or their kings desecrate My holy name. Never again will they prostitute themselves by worshiping false gods or erecting monuments to their dead kings. ⁸They defiled My name and committed disgusting acts right next to My sacred space by putting their thresholds and doorposts right next to Mine with only a wall separating Me from their idols. This is why I consumed them in My wrath. ⁹Now it’s time for the people to change—to put away their whoring and the monuments to their dead kings. If they do that, then I will dwell among them forever.

¹⁰Son of man, go to the people of Israel, and give them a detailed description of the temple you have seen so that they will feel ashamed of their abhorrent living. Give them some time to study the plan. ¹¹If they express shame for all they have done, explain to them the temple design, the structure, the complex’s entrances and exits, its rules and regulations. Write it down so that everyone can see the design and the regulations and be sure to follow the specifications and rules when the time comes. ¹²Now here is My directive concerning the temple: the mountaintop and everything around the temple must be regarded as sacred ground. Pay strict attention to this directive concerning the temple.

¹³The following measurements are the dimensions of the altar. They were taken with the long measure, which is 21 inches long. The gutter at the base of the altar is 21 inches deep and 21 inches wide and has a 9-inch rim around the edge of it. These are the heights of each part of the altar: ¹⁴The altar rises from the ground 3½ feet to the lower ledge that is 21 inches wide; from there it rises an additional 7 feet to an upper ledge that is also 21 inches wide. ¹⁵The altar’s hearth rises another 7 feet and has 4 horns that protrude from each of its 4 corners. ¹⁶The altar’s hearth is square, 21 feet by 21 feet. ¹⁷The upper ledge is square, too, 24½ feet on each side. The rim around it is 10½ inches, and the base is 21 inches wide all around. The steps of the altar face east.

Burnt offerings are arguably the most important sacrifices and the centerpiece of the temple practices. They are performed every morning and evening without fail, at every festival holiday, and by individuals for various personal reasons. The burnt offerings differ from other offerings because they are totally consumed in the fire. No meat is left over to serve the priests and Levites or to be the main course in a festival meal; everything is offered up to God. The burnt offerings attract God’s attention to the temple because they rise up to heaven with a pleasing aroma. Before the people can begin their steady stream of offerings to God, the altar itself must be consecrated to Him.

Eternal One: ¹⁸Son of man, this is what I, the Eternal Lord, have to say regarding the regulations for the altar after it is built; these apply to burnt offerings and sprinkling blood on the altar. ¹⁹For a sin offering, give a young bull to the Levitical priests who belong to Zadok’s line; these are permitted to come before Me to serve. ²⁰Take some of the young bull’s blood and wipe it all over the altar’s four horns, the four corners of the upper ledge, and its rim. This ceremony will cleanse the altar and cover any of the impurities. ²¹Then take the young bull to the appointed area outside the temple complex and burn its carcass. ²²On the second day, offer another sin offering—a perfect male goat—and cleanse the altar the same way you cleansed it with the bull. ²³After you have finished this part of the cleansing ritual, find a perfect young bull and a perfect young ram from the flock and bring them to the altar. ²⁴Present them to the Eternal, and the priests will throw salt on them and give them as a burnt offering to the Eternal. ²⁵Then every day after that for seven days, you are to offer a male goat at the altar as a sin offering. Along with the male goat, you are to prepare a perfect young bull and a perfect ram from the flock. ²⁶Present these offerings for seven days in a row, and they will cleanse and cover the altar, dedicating it for service. ²⁷After the seven days of cleansing are over, the priests will offer your burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar. This will begin on the eighth day and continue forever. Then I, the Eternal Lord, will accept you and your offerings.

44 Then the man whose appearance was like bronze led me back to the eastern gate where the Eternal One had entered, but I could see that the outer gate was now closed.

Eternal One (to Ezekiel): ²This gate must remain closed. It will never be opened again for anyone to walk through. The Eternal God of Israel has entered through this gate, so it must remain shut for all time. ³Only the prince is allowed inside the gateway to sit and feast before the Eternal. He will not go all the way through the gate but only through the portico of the gateway where he will stop and sit. He’ll exit the same way he came in.

⁴Then he led me back through the inner northern gate to stand in front of the temple. From there I witnessed the Eternal’s glory illuminating His temple. I fell and buried my face in the ground.

Eternal One: ⁵Son of man, look closely and listen carefully. Pay attention to all I am about to tell you. I am going to lay out the rules and regulations for My temple. Take note of those having to do with entering the temple and exiting the sanctuary. ⁶Tell the rebellious people of Israel living in exile what the Eternal Lord says: “I’ve had it with your disgusting actions, people of Israel! ⁷Not only do you engage in shocking behaviors, but you have the audacity to bring the uncircumcised—in heart and in flesh—into My sanctuary, knowing they’ll contaminate it. You allowed them in even as you offered My food, the fat and blood of the sacrifices, on the altar. In doing so, you shattered our pact. ⁸When you should have been upholding your side of the covenant and taking care of My holy things yourselves, you put outsiders in charge of My sanctuary.”

⁹This is what I, the Eternal Lord, have to say: “Do not let any foreigner—even if he lives among the people of Israel—come into My sanctuary because foreigners are uncircumcised in both their hearts and their flesh. ¹⁰The Levites who abandoned Me when the rest of Israel strayed and pursued their idols instead of Me will bear the consequences for the wicked things they have done. ¹¹They are still allowed to minister in My sanctuary, guard the temple outer gates, and serve in the temple proper. They are allowed to slaughter the burnt offerings and other sacrifices for the people, and to help serve them. ¹²But because they acted as a stumbling block to Israel and helped the people worship their worthless idols, I have made an oath that they must pay for the wicked things they have done. This I, the Eternal One, promise. ¹³They are not allowed to approach Me as the priests do. In fact, they aren’t permitted anywhere near Me or any of My sacred things and holy offerings. They must endure the shame of their shocking and deplorable actions. ¹⁴But I will still allow them to be in charge of the maintenance of the temple and keep it running day to day.

¹⁵“As for the Levitical priests who are the descendants of Zadok—the ones who took care of My holy place even as the rest of Israel strayed—they will draw near to Me and serve Me. They will stand before Me in the sanctuary and present offerings of fat and blood. ¹⁶They are permitted to enter My sanctuary, draw near to My holy table, and accomplish all that priestly service requires. ¹⁷When the Zadokite priests enter a gate to the inner courtyard, they should already be clothed in linen. They are not allowed to wear any wool clothing while serving inside the temple or inside any gate to the inner courtyard. ¹⁸I want them to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments. They should not wear any clothing that will cause them to perspire. ¹⁹When they enter the outer courtyard where all the people congregate, they should remove the linen clothes they wore while serving and leave them in the sacred chambers. They are to dress in regular clothing so that they do not pass on holiness to the people who may come in contact with their clothing. ²⁰They are not allowed to shave their heads or have long hair. They are always to keep their hair neatly trimmed. ²¹Priests are not allowed to consume wine before they enter the inner courtyard. ²²The priests are not allowed to marry widows or women who are divorced. They are only allowed to marry virgins of Israelite ancestry or widows of other priests. ²³They are responsible for teaching My people Israel the line between the sacred and common. They are to instruct My people on how to detect what is ritually pure and impure. ²⁴I want the priests to act as the judges to resolve any dispute among My people. They are to judge and make their decisions according to the statutes I’ve outlined. The priests must uphold My rules and regulations regarding all My required feasts and all My holy Sabbaths. ²⁵Priests are not allowed to defile themselves by being in the presence of a dead person. The only exception is when the corpse is that of a close relative: mother or father, son or daughter, brother or unwed sister. In that situation a priest may be near and defile himself. ²⁶After the priest has been ritually purified from death’s defilement, he is required to wait seven days before returning to his duties. ²⁷When he does return to the sanctuary, he is to enter the inner court and first present a sin offering for himself before ministering for others.

²⁸“The priests are to have only one inheritance: Me. I am their inheritance. You are to allot them only one possession in Israel: Me. I am their possession. ²⁹As for the food they eat, they are to consume the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings brought to the temple by the people. Everything devoted to Me will be theirs. ³⁰The priests are to receive the first and finest gifts of your firstfruit offerings, even your grain offerings, so that your household will be blessed. ³¹The priests are not allowed to eat any animal—bird or beast—that dies of natural causes or is torn apart by a predator.”

45 Eternal One: When you divide the land among the people to determine inheritance, you must set aside a plot of land for the Eternal as His sacred ground. It is to be 8⅓ miles long and 6⅔ miles^[k] wide; every bit of it will be regarded as holy. ²Within this sacred ground, designate a 875-foot square for the temple. Leave a strip of land 87½ feet wide around the perimeter of the temple. ³And from these sacred grounds allot a section of land 8⅓ miles long by 3⅓ miles wide to place the sanctuary, which will contain the most holy place. ⁴These sacred lands will be set apart for the priests who serve in the sanctuary and draw near to the Eternal. They will build their homes there, not far from the holy precincts of the sanctuary. ⁵As for the other half of the sacred ground—an area of 8⅓ miles long and 3⅓ miles wide—it will be designated for the Levites who serve in the temple. They will live there and possess those cities. ⁶Next to this sacred land, you are to set aside a strip of land 8⅓ miles long and 1⅔ miles wide to build a city. This will be common land that belongs to all the people of Israel. ⁷The prince is to have possession of the land on either side of the sacred grounds and the common property of the city. His land will run westward from the west side and eastward from the east side occupying an area equal to one of the tribal inheritances. ⁸This will be the prince’s own section of land in Israel. Never again will My princes rob and oppress My people. Then they are to divide the rest of the land between the tribes of Israel.

Ezekiel’s vision of the land of Israel once the Jews return from exile has several significant features: each tribe receives a similar allotment of land, the rulers are given property of their own (so the tribes don’t have to support them), the temple is situated in the exact center of the country, and the priests and Levites all live around the temple itself (instead of being scattered among the tribes). These changes in the nation’s political and social structure reflect many of the changes that take place during the exile.

Eternal One (to the princes of Israel): ⁹That’s enough tyranny, you princes of Israel! Stop your abuse and persecutions! Do the right thing; choose to be just in your actions. Stop cheating and depriving My people of their land. I, the Eternal Lord, insist!

¹⁰I command you to be honest in your commerce. You are to use accurate and fair weights and measures. ¹¹Regarding measures, the standard dry measure and liquid measure are to have a similar volume, about 6 bushels or 55 gallons, making the standard dry unit of measurement ⅗ of a bushel and the standard liquid unit of measurement 5½ gallons. ¹²Regarding weights, one small counterweight will weigh ⅖ of an ounce, and one large counterweight will weigh 1¼ pounds.

¹³You are to offer the following: 1⁄60 of your wheat, 1⁄60 of your barley, ¹⁴one percent of your oil, ¹⁵and one sheep from every flock of two hundred that wanders the rich watering places of Israel. I, the Eternal Lord, declare that these gifts will act as the grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings that will cover the wrongs of the people and will be offered on your behalf by the priests. ¹⁶Everyone in Israel will be required to give these offerings to the prince in Israel. ¹⁷Then it will be the prince’s responsibility to provide the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings at all the sacred festivals, the new moon festivals, the Sabbaths, and all the rest of the feasts appointed for Israel. Using the animals and produce he’s collected, the prince will provide the sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings to cover the wrongs done by the people of Israel.

(to Ezekiel) ¹⁸On the first day of the first month, take a perfect young bull and purify the sanctuary. ¹⁹The priest will smear some blood of the sin offering on the temple doorposts, on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the gateposts of the entrance to the inner courtyard. ²⁰On the seventh day of the month, do this same ritual for anyone who strays from Me unknowingly. Cover the impurities of the temple this way.

²¹On the fourteenth day of the first month, I want you to observe the Passover for seven days. During the feast, I want you to eat only yeast-free bread. ²²When that day arrives, it is the prince’s responsibility to provide a bull for himself and for all the people of the land as a sin offering. ²³Every day for the seven days of the feast, the prince is to bring seven perfect bulls and seven perfect rams as a burnt offering to the Eternal. Also, he will present a male goat each day as a sin offering. ²⁴The prince is also to provide a grain offering: ⅗ of a bushel of grain mixed with one gallon of oil for each bull and each ram. ²⁵The seven-day feast begins on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. On each of the seven days, the prince is responsible for providing the same sin offerings, burnt offerings, and grain offerings (made from grain and oil).

46 This is what the Eternal Lord has to say:

Eternal One: During the six working days of each week, I want you to close the east gate of the inner courtyard; but keep it open on the seventh day, the Sabbath, and on the new moon. ²The prince is to enter from the outside through the portico of the gateway and stand directly outside the gate where he can watch the priests offer his burnt offerings and peace offerings. He is to worship as his offerings are being made, and then exit the same way he entered. The priests won’t shut the gate until the evening. ³On Sabbaths and new moons, the rest of the people are to worship the Eternal at the entrance to that gate. ⁴I want the prince to give this burnt offering to Me, the Eternal, on the Sabbath: six lambs and a ram—all perfect. ⁵I want him to give a grain offering along with it as is customary: ⅗ of a bushel of grain and a gallon of oil with the ram and as much grain and oil as he is able for each lamb. ⁶During each new moon celebration, I want the prince to offer a young bull, six lambs, and a ram—all perfect. ⁷He is to provide a customary grain offering as well: ⅗ of a bushel of grain and one gallon of oil for each ram and bull, and as much grain and oil as he can for each lamb. ⁸The prince is to enter the temple through the portico of the eastern gate and exit the same way.

⁹When the people of the land come together to worship the Eternal at the regularly scheduled feasts, all those who come in through the north gate are to go out through the south gate, and all those who come in through the south gate are to go out through the north gate. They will exit the temple through the opposite gate so they continue to move straight ahead. ¹⁰During these feasts, the prince will walk with everyone else, entering and exiting at the same time and in the same way as the commoners.

¹¹At all the feasts and the regularly scheduled festivals, the customary grain offering is to always be the same: ⅗ of a bushel of grain plus one gallon of oil for each bull and each ram, and as much grain and oil as is available for each lamb. ¹²Whenever the prince gives a voluntary offering to the Eternal, be it a burnt offering or a peace offering, he will have the same privileges as he does for all Sabbath offerings: the east gate will be opened for him. He will offer his burnt offering or peace offering as he does on the Sabbath. After he leaves, the priests are to close the east gate.

¹³Every single morning, I want the priests to offer a perfect one-year-old lamb to Me as a burnt offering. ¹⁴Along with it each morning you are to offer a grain offering: ⅒ of a bushel of grain mixed with ⅓ gallon of oil in order to moisten the flour. This grain offering is to be an ordinance you observe for all time. ¹⁵The lamb, the grain, and the oil are to be offered every single morning as a regular burnt offering.

¹⁶This is what the Eternal Lord has to say:

Eternal One: If the prince gives one of his sons a piece of property as his inheritance—the property I allotted him on either side of My land—that piece will belong to all the descendants of that son and never leave the family. ¹⁷But if the prince gives a piece of property to one of his servants, it will be leased by the servant only until the fiftieth year—the jubilee year when liberty is granted; then the inheritance will return to the prince. The prince’s inheritance belongs to his sons alone. It is never to leave the family. ¹⁸Similarly, the prince must never demand possession of other people’s property and evict them from their own land. He is to give his sons their inheritance from his own property. This way, none of My people will be separated from his property.

¹⁹The man whose appearance was like bronze then took me through the entrance next to the gateway and led me to the priests’ sacred chambers, which faced northward. He took me to a place on the far western side.

The Man (to Ezekiel): ²⁰This is where the priests are to boil the meat of the guilt offerings and sin offerings and bake the bread made from the grain offerings, so that they won’t have to transport the gifts through the outer courtyard and accidentally transmit holiness to the people.

^21-22Then my guide brought me to the outer courtyard and took me to each of its four corners. In each corner were smaller, confined courts, each measuring 70 feet long and 52½ feet wide. ²³There was a stone shelf that ran along the inside wall of each of the four courts. Beneath these stone shelves were hearths.

The Man (to Ezekiel): ²⁴These are kitchens. Everyone who serves in the temple will boil the peoples’ sacrifices here.

47 The man whose appearance was like bronze led me back to the temple’s entryway. There I observed a stream of water bubbling up from beneath the temple threshold, flowing eastward in the same direction the temple faced. The water was running parallel to the temple’s wall south of the altar.

This flowing, running, living water cleanses, heals, and restores everything in its path.

²My guide led me through the north gate and took me around the outside wall to the east gate. I looked and could see the water trickling out from the south end of the east gate.

³The man walked toward the east with a measuring line in his hand and measured off 1,750 feet or about ⅓ mile. Then we walked together through the ankle-deep water. ⁴He measured off another 1,750 feet, and we walked together now through water that was knee-deep. He measured as we walked another 1,750 feet, and we waded together through water that was waist-deep. ⁵Then he measured off another 1,750 feet, but this time I couldn’t wade any farther because the water was too deep. Now the stream of water had become a river, deep enough for swimming.

The Man: ⁶Son of man, have you seen anything like this?

Then my guide brought me back to the river’s edge. ⁷When we got back there, I looked and saw orchards along both sides of the river.

The Man: ^8-9This river flows eastward and runs down into the Jordan Valley to the place where it flows into the Dead Sea. The moment it meets the sea, the salty water becomes fresh. Swarms of creatures will flourish wherever this river flows. Schools of fish will swim through currents of fresh water, for wherever this water flows everything will come alive! ¹⁰From Engedi to Eneglaim, fishermen will stand upon the shore and spread out their nets! They will come there because the waters contain many fish of various kinds, just as the Mediterranean Sea^[l] does. ¹¹However, the swamps and marshes won’t become fresh; these will continue to provide salt. ¹²All kinds of trees will flourish along both sides of the river. Their leaves won’t wither, and their fruit won’t fail. Every month they will bear a fresh crop of fruit because they are nourished from the water that flows from the temple sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves will be for healing.

The Eternal Lord has this to say regarding the land:

Eternal One: ¹³Here’s how I want you to divide up the land for the inheritance of the twelve tribes of Israel (Joseph’s descendants are to be given two portions of land). ¹⁴I want you to divide it up equally. I made an oath to your ancestors that this land would be your inheritance, and I am keeping My promise.

The distribution of land to resident aliens is a marked change in Israelite custom. Prior to the exile, foreigners and outsiders had a special status among the Israelites. They were considered members of the community, participating in civic (though not governmental) activities, allowed to worship at the temple in a restricted capacity, and protected under God’s law. Leviticus 19 explains that Israelites were to love their foreign neighbors, treating them with special care because they were disadvantaged—as widows and orphans were—because they were not allowed to own land in Israel and therefore often couldn’t provide for themselves.

But God’s new law changes this. For the first time, resident aliens who adopt the worship of Israel’s God may legally join with the tribes and enjoy all of God’s blessings in Israel. This only makes sense for the exiles who return to the land from all over the world and have difficulty proving their Israelite heritage. As generous as this law may seem, it is not the first instance of God’s grace to those outside Israel; His kindness is demonstrated over and over again in the pages of Scripture. The very monarchy of Israel is descended from a resident alien, Ruth, the grandmother of King David. Certainly God loves equally all who know and worship Him.

^15-16Here are the boundaries of the land: The northern boundary will run east from the Mediterranean Sea through Hethlon and along to Lebo-hamath and then Zedad. From there it will go through Berothah and Sibraim (which lie on the border between Damascus and Hamath), all the way to Hazer-hatticon (near the border of Hauran). ¹⁷This northern boundary will stretch from the Mediterranean Sea to Hazar-enan (on the northern border of Damascus) and the border of Hamath on the far north. ¹⁸The eastern boundary will run south between Hauran and Damascus along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel to the Dead Sea, all the way to Tamar. ¹⁹The southern boundary will run west from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, then along the brook of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. ²⁰The western boundary will run along the coast of the Mediterranean from south to north, opposite Lebo-hamath.

²¹I want you to divide up this land among the tribes of Israel. ²²Allocate it to yourselves and to the foreigners who have chosen to live among you and raise their children. Consider them native Israelites. They are to be given a portion of the land as their inheritance no different than the tribes of Israel. ²³They are to receive land in the area of the tribe with whom they immigrate.

So says the Eternal Lord.

48 Eternal One: Here are the tribes and their allocated regions from north to south: Dan will have the land in the far north. It will run west to east along the road from Hethlon to Lebo-hamath to Hazer-enan (on the border of Damascus and next to Hamath). ²Asher will get the territory south of Dan’s border from east to west. ³Naphtali will be allotted the region immediately south of Asher’s border from east to west. ⁴Manasseh will have the land south of Naphtali’s border from east to west. ⁵Ephraim will get the territory that borders Manasseh on the south from east to west. ⁶Reuben will be allotted the region immediately south of Ephraim from east to west. ⁷Judah will have the land south of Reuben’s border from east to west.

⁸The land adjoining Judah’s southern border from east to west is to be set aside as sacred ground. It will be 8⅓ miles wide and as long as the other tribal regions from east to west. The temple complex will sit at the center, ⁹in an area dedicated to the Eternal One that is 8⅓ miles long and 3⅓ miles wide. ^10-11The priests will be allotted an area that is 8⅓ miles wide along its northern border, 3⅓ miles wide along its eastern and western borders, and 8⅓ miles wide along its southern border. The temple of the Eternal will sit at the center of the sacred ground. It will be set aside specifically for the priests who descended from Zadok, the only people who remained faithful to Me when all of Israel, including the Levites, abandoned Me. ^12-13This sacred ground will be allotted to them when the rest of the land is distributed to the other tribes. To its north will be the Levites’ sector. It will be the same size and shape as the land given to the priests: 8⅓ miles long and 3⅓ miles wide. ¹⁴Neither the priests nor the Levites may sell or trade any of this land. No one is to put it to any other use, for this land is holy to the Eternal One.

¹⁵Another strip of land will be available to the rest of Israel for building houses and pasturing their animals. It will be 8⅓ miles long and 1⅔ miles wide. A city will be built in the heart of this land. ¹⁶It is to be arranged as a square, measuring 1½ miles on each side: north, south, east, and west. ¹⁷Around the perimeter of the city will be an open area extending 150 yards to the north, south, east, and west. ¹⁸The rest of the land running south of the priests’ allotment will be used to grow food for those who work in the city. It will stretch 3⅓ miles to the east and 3⅓ miles to the west of the city. ¹⁹Anyone who works in the city—regardless of his tribal affiliation—will be allowed to farm the land. ²⁰The entire area will be a square that measures 8⅓ miles on every side; you are to set aside this ground as holy for the priests and Levites, for the temple, and for the city as I’ve directed.

²¹The land located on both sides—east and west—of the sacred ground and the city is to be given to the prince. It will stretch 8⅓ miles to the east and 8⅓ miles to the west of the Levites’, priests’, and the city’s squares of land. So the prince will have two areas of land adjoining the sacred ground containing the temple complex at its center. ²²The prince gets one share (in two sections adjacent to the sacred ground) between Judah’s southern border and Benjamin’s northern border.

²³Here are the remaining tribes and their allocated regions: Benjamin will have the territory directly south of the prince’s and the city’s lands from the east to the west. ²⁴Simeon will get the land that borders Benjamin’s southern border from east to west. ²⁵Issachar will be allotted the region south of the border of Simeon from east to west. ²⁶Zebulun will have the land adjoining Issachar’s southern border from east to west. ²⁷Gad will get the territory south of Zebulun’s border from east to west. ²⁸The southern border of Gad will run from Tamar in the east to the waters of Meribath-kadesh and along the brook of Egypt all the way to the Mediterranean Sea.^[m] ²⁹This is how I want you to divide the land between the tribes of Israel. Their portions will be their inheritances.

^30-31As for the exits from the city—the city gates—they are to be named after the tribes of Israel. On the north wall, which is 1½ miles long, the three gates are to be named after Reuben, Judah, and Levi. ³²On the east wall, which is 1½ miles long, the three gates are to be named after Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan. ³³On the south wall, which is 1½ miles long, the three gates are to be named after Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun. ³⁴On the west wall, which is 1½ miles long, the three gates are to be named after Gad, Asher, and Naphtali. ³⁵The total distance around the city will be 6 miles. From that day forward, the name of the city will be The Eternal One Lives There.

Footnotes

40:14 Meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
40:44 Hebrew manuscripts read, “east.”
40:48 Hebrew manuscripts omit this portion.
40:49 Hebrew manuscripts read, “and by these steps.”
41:3 Hebrew manuscripts read, “width of the threshold was.”
41:15 Hebrew manuscripts read, “and the porticoes of the court.”
41:16 Hebrew manuscripts read, “the thresholds.”
41:17-18 Hebrew, cherubim
41:24 Each had two portions that opened: either they were swinging doors allowing for a double opening divided in the middle or they were bi-fold doors that could be opened half way or completely creating a larger passageway.
42:10 Hebrew manuscripts read, “east.”
45:1 Hebrew manuscripts read, “three miles.”
47:10 Literally, Great Sea
48:28 Literally, Great Sea

Ezekiel 40-48

New International Version

The Temple Area Restored

40 In 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^(A)—on that very day the hand of the Lord was on me^(B) and he took me there. ²In visions^(C) of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain,^(D) 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;^(E) he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod^(F) 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,^(G) for that is why you have been brought here. Tell^(H) the people of Israel everything you see.^(I)”

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,^[a] each of which was a cubit and a handbreadth. He measured^(J) the wall; it was one measuring rod thick and one rod high.

⁶Then he went to the east gate.^(K) He climbed its steps and measured the threshold of the gate; it was one rod deep. ⁷The alcoves^(L) for the guards were one rod long and one rod wide, and the projecting walls between the alcoves were five cubits^[b] 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^[c] was eight cubits^[d] deep and its jambs were two cubits^[e] 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.^[f] 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^[g] 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.^[h] The measurement was up to the portico^[i] facing the courtyard.^[j]^(M) ¹⁵The distance from the entrance of the gateway to the far end of its portico was fifty cubits.^[k] 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.^(N)

The Outer Court

¹⁷Then he brought me into the outer court.^(O) There I saw some rooms and a pavement that had been constructed all around the court; there were thirty rooms^(P) along the pavement.^(Q) 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;^(R) it was a hundred cubits^[l]^(S) 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^(T)—three on each side—its projecting walls and its portico^(U) had the same measurements as those of the first gateway. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. ²²Its openings, its portico^(V) 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.^(W) 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.^(X)

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^(Y) 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.^(Z) 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.^(AA) ²⁷The inner court^(AB) 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.^(AC)

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^(AD) as the others. ²⁹Its alcoves,^(AE) 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.^(AF) ³⁰(The porticoes^(AG) of the gateways around the inner court were twenty-five cubits wide and five cubits deep.) ³¹Its portico^(AH) faced the outer court; palm trees decorated its jambs, and eight steps led up to it.^(AI)

³²Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gateway; it had the same measurements^(AJ) as the others. ³³Its alcoves,^(AK) 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^(AL) 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^(AM) and measured it. It had the same measurements^(AN) as the others, ³⁶as did its alcoves,^(AO) its projecting walls and its portico, and it had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. ³⁷Its portico^[m]^(AP) faced the outer court; palm trees decorated the jambs on either side, and eight steps led up to it.^(AQ)

The Rooms for Preparing Sacrifices

³⁸A room with a doorway was by the portico in each of the inner gateways, where the burnt offerings^(AR) were washed. ³⁹In the portico of the gateway were two tables on each side, on which the burnt offerings,^(AS) sin offerings^[n]^(AT) and guilt offerings^(AU) were slaughtered.^(AV) 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^(AW) for the burnt offerings, each a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide and a cubit high.^[o] On them were placed the utensils for slaughtering the burnt offerings and the other sacrifices.^(AX) ⁴³And double-pronged hooks, each a handbreadth^[p] 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^[q] at the side of the north gate and facing south, and another at the side of the south^[r] gate and facing north. ⁴⁵He said to me, “The room facing south is for the priests who guard the temple,^(AY) ⁴⁶and the room facing north^(AZ) is for the priests who guard the altar.^(BA) These are the sons of Zadok,^(BB) who are the only Levites who may draw near to the Lord to minister before him.^(BC)”

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.^(BD)

The New Temple

⁴⁸He brought me to the portico of the temple^(BE) and measured the jambs of the portico; they were five cubits wide on either side. The width of the entrance was fourteen cubits^[s] and its projecting walls were^[t] three cubits^[u] wide on either side. ⁴⁹The portico^(BF) was twenty cubits^[v] wide, and twelve^[w] cubits^[x] from front to back. It was reached by a flight of stairs,^[y] and there were pillars^(BG) on each side of the jambs.

41 Then the man brought me to the main hall^(BH) and measured the jambs; the width of the jambs was six cubits^[z] on each side.^[aa] ²The entrance was ten cubits^[ab] wide, and the projecting walls on each side of it were five cubits^[ac] wide. He also measured the main hall; it was forty cubits long and twenty cubits wide.^[ad]^(BI)

³Then he went into the inner sanctuary and measured the jambs of the entrance; each was two cubits^[ae] wide. The entrance was six cubits wide, and the projecting walls on each side of it were seven cubits^[af] 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.^(BJ) He said to me, “This is the Most Holy Place.^(BK)”

⁵Then he measured the wall of the temple; it was six cubits thick, and each side room around the temple was four cubits^[ag] wide. ⁶The side rooms were on three levels, one above another, thirty^(BL) 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.^(BM) 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^(BN) 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^[ah] wide. The wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length was ninety cubits.^[ai]

¹³Then he measured the temple; it was a hundred cubits^[aj] 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.^(BO)

¹⁵Then he measured the length of the building facing the courtyard at the rear of the temple, including its galleries^(BP) 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^(BQ) 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.^(BR) 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^(BS) cherubim^(BT) and palm trees.^(BU) Palm trees alternated with cherubim. Each cherub had two faces:^(BV) 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.^(BW) 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^(BX) had a rectangular doorframe, and the one at the front of the Most Holy Place was similar. ²²There was a wooden altar^(BY) three cubits^[ak] high and two cubits square^[al]; its corners, its base^[am] and its sides were of wood. The man said to me, “This is the table^(BZ) that is before the Lord.” ²³Both the main hall^(CA) and the Most Holy Place had double doors.^(CB) ²⁴Each door had two leaves—two hinged leaves^(CC) 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.^(CD)

The Rooms for the Priests

42 Then the man led me northward into the outer court and brought me to the rooms^(CE) opposite the temple courtyard^(CF) and opposite the outer wall on the north side.^(CG) ²The building whose door faced north was a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide.^[an] ³Both in the section twenty cubits^[ao] from the inner court and in the section opposite the pavement of the outer court, gallery^(CH) faced gallery at the three levels.^(CI) ⁴In front of the rooms was an inner passageway ten cubits wide and a hundred cubits^[ap] long.^[aq] Their doors were on the north.^(CJ) 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^(CK) on the east side as one enters them from the outer court.

¹⁰On the south side^[ar] along the length of the wall of the outer court, adjoining the temple courtyard^(CL) and opposite the outer wall, were rooms^(CM) 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^(CN) and south rooms^(CO) facing the temple courtyard^(CP) 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,^(CQ) the sin offerings^[as]^(CR) and the guilt offerings^(CS)—for the place is holy.^(CT) ¹⁴Once the priests enter the holy precincts, they are not to go into the outer court until they leave behind the garments^(CU) 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.^(CV)”

¹⁵When he had finished measuring what was inside the temple area, he led me out by the east gate^(CW) and measured the area all around: ¹⁶He measured the east side with the measuring rod; it was five hundred cubits.^[at]^[au] ¹⁷He measured the north side; it was five hundred cubits^[av] 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^(CX) the area^(CY) on all four sides. It had a wall around it,^(CZ) five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide,^(DA) to separate the holy from the common.^(DB)

God’s Glory Returns to the Temple

43 Then the man brought me to the gate facing east,^(DC) ²and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters,^(DD) and the land was radiant with his glory.^(DE) ³The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he^[aw] came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. ⁴The glory^(DF) of the Lord entered the temple through the gate facing east.^(DG) ⁵Then the Spirit^(DH) lifted me up^(DI) and brought me into the inner court, and the glory^(DJ) of the Lord filled the temple.^(DK)

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^(DL) 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^(DM) my holy name—neither they nor their kings—by their prostitution and the funeral offerings^[ax] for their kings at their death.^[ay]^(DN) 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.^(DO)

¹⁰“Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed^(DP) 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^[az] and laws. Write these down before them so that they may be faithful to its design and follow all its regulations.^(DQ)

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

The Great Altar Restored

¹³“These are the measurements of the altar^(DT) in long cubits,^[ba] that cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth: Its gutter is a cubit deep and a cubit wide, with a rim of one span^[bb] 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.^[bc] 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.^[bd] ¹⁵Above that, the altar hearth^(DU) is four cubits high, and four horns^(DV) project upward from the hearth. ¹⁶The altar hearth is square, twelve cubits^[be] long and twelve cubits wide.^(DW) ¹⁷The upper ledge^(DX) also is square, fourteen cubits^[bf] long and fourteen cubits wide. All around the altar is a gutter of one cubit with a rim of half a cubit.^[bg] The steps^(DY) of the altar face east.^(DZ)”

¹⁸Then he said to me, “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: These will be the regulations for sacrificing burnt offerings^(EA) and splashing blood^(EB) against the altar when it is built: ¹⁹You are to give a young bull^(EC) as a sin offering^[bh] to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok,^(ED) who come near^(EE) 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^(EF) and on the four corners of the upper ledge^(EG) and all around the rim, and so purify the altar^(EH) 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.^(EI)

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.^(EJ) ²⁴You are to offer them before the Lord, and the priests are to sprinkle salt^(EK) on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the Lord.

²⁵“For seven days^(EL) 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.^(EM) 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^(EN) on, the priests are to present your burnt offerings^(EO) and fellowship offerings^(EP) on the altar. Then I will accept you, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

The Priesthood Restored

44 Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east,^(EQ) 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.^(ER) 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^(ES) of the Lord. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.^(ET)”

⁴Then the man brought me by way of the north gate^(EU) to the front of the temple. I looked and saw the glory of the Lord filling the temple^(EV) of the Lord, and I fell facedown.^(EW)

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^(EX) to the temple and all the exits of the sanctuary.^(EY) ⁶Say to rebellious Israel,^(EZ) ‘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^(FA) and flesh into my sanctuary, desecrating my temple while you offered me food, fat and blood, and you broke my covenant.^(FB) ⁸Instead of carrying out your duty in regard to my holy things, you put others in charge of my sanctuary.^(FC) 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.^(FD)

¹⁰“‘The Levites who went far from me when Israel went astray^(FE) and who wandered from me after their idols must bear the consequences of their sin.^(FF) ¹¹They may serve in my sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and serving in it; they may slaughter the burnt offerings^(FG) and sacrifices for the people and stand before the people and serve them.^(FH) ¹²But because they served them in the presence of their idols and made the people of Israel fall^(FI) into sin, therefore I have sworn with uplifted hand^(FJ) that they must bear the consequences of their sin, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(FK) 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^(FL) of their detestable practices.^(FM) ¹⁴And I will appoint them to guard the temple for all the work that is to be done in it.^(FN)

¹⁵“‘But the Levitical priests, who are descendants of Zadok^(FO) 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^(FP) and blood, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(FQ) ¹⁶They alone are to enter my sanctuary; they alone are to come near my table^(FR) to minister before me and serve me as guards.^(FS)

¹⁷“‘When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen clothes;^(FT) 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^(FU) on their heads and linen undergarments^(FV) around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire.^(FW) 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^(FX) through contact with their garments.^(FY)

²⁰“‘They must not shave^(FZ) their heads or let their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of their heads trimmed.^(GA) ²¹No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court.^(GB) ²²They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may marry only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests.^(GC) ²³They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common^(GD) and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.^(GE)

²⁴“‘In any dispute, the priests are to serve as judges^(GF) and decide it according to my ordinances. They are to keep my laws and my decrees for all my appointed festivals,^(GG) and they are to keep my Sabbaths holy.^(GH)

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.^(GI) ²⁶After he is cleansed, he must wait seven days.^(GJ) ²⁷On the day he goes into the inner court of the sanctuary^(GK) to minister in the sanctuary, he is to offer a sin offering^[bi]^(GL) for himself, declares the Sovereign Lord.

²⁸“‘I am to be the only inheritance^(GM) the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession. ²⁹They will eat^(GN) the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings; and everything in Israel devoted^[bj] to the Lord^(GO) will belong to them.^(GP) ³⁰The best of all the firstfruits^(GQ) and of all your special gifts will belong to the priests. You are to give them the first portion of your ground meal^(GR) so that a blessing^(GS) may rest on your household.^(GT) ³¹The priests must not eat anything, whether bird or animal, found dead^(GU) or torn by wild animals.^(GV)

Israel Fully Restored

45 “‘When you allot the land as an inheritance,^(GW) you are to present to the Lord a portion of the land as a sacred district, 25,000 cubits^[bk] long and 20,000^[bl] cubits^[bm] wide; the entire area will be holy.^(GX) ²Of this, a section 500 cubits^[bn] square^(GY) is to be for the sanctuary, with 50 cubits^[bo] around it for open land. ³In the sacred district, measure off a section 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits^[bp] wide. In it will be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. ⁴It will be the sacred portion of the land for the priests,^(GZ) who minister in the sanctuary and who draw near to minister before the Lord. It will be a place for their houses as well as a holy place for the sanctuary.^(HA) ⁵An area 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide will belong to the Levites, who serve in the temple, as their possession for towns to live in.^[bq]^(HB)

⁶“‘You are to give the city as its property an area 5,000 cubits^[br] wide and 25,000 cubits long, adjoining the sacred portion; it will belong to all Israel.^(HC)

⁷“‘The prince will have the land bordering each side of the area formed by the sacred district and the property of the city. It will extend westward from the west side and eastward from the east side, running lengthwise from the western to the eastern border parallel to one of the tribal portions.^(HD) ⁸This land will be his possession in Israel. And my princes will no longer oppress my people but will allow the people of Israel to possess the land according to their tribes.^(HE)

⁹“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You have gone far enough, princes of Israel! Give up your violence and oppression^(HF) and do what is just and right.^(HG) Stop dispossessing my people, declares the Sovereign Lord. ¹⁰You are to use accurate scales,^(HH) an accurate ephah^[bs]^(HI) and an accurate bath.^[bt] ¹¹The ephah^(HJ) and the bath are to be the same size, the bath containing a tenth of a homer and the ephah a tenth of a homer; the homer is to be the standard measure for both. ¹²The shekel^[bu] is to consist of twenty gerahs.^(HK) Twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels equal one mina.^[bv]

¹³“‘This is the special gift you are to offer: a sixth of an ephah^[bw] from each homer of wheat and a sixth of an ephah^[bx] from each homer of barley. ¹⁴The prescribed portion of olive oil, measured by the bath, is a tenth of a bath^[by] from each cor (which consists of ten baths or one homer, for ten baths are equivalent to a homer). ¹⁵Also one sheep is to be taken from every flock of two hundred from the well-watered pastures of Israel. These will be used for the grain offerings, burnt offerings^(HL) and fellowship offerings to make atonement^(HM) for the people, declares the Sovereign Lord. ¹⁶All the people of the land will be required to give this special offering to the prince in Israel. ¹⁷It will be the duty of the prince to provide the burnt offerings, grain offerings and drink offerings at the festivals, the New Moons^(HN) and the Sabbaths^(HO)—at all the appointed festivals of Israel. He will provide the sin offerings,^[bz] grain offerings, burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to make atonement for the Israelites.^(HP)

¹⁸“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In the first month^(HQ) on the first day you are to take a young bull without defect^(HR) and purify the sanctuary.^(HS) ¹⁹The priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple, on the four corners of the upper ledge^(HT) of the altar^(HU) and on the gateposts of the inner court. ²⁰You are to do the same on the seventh day of the month for anyone who sins unintentionally^(HV) or through ignorance; so you are to make atonement for the temple.

²¹“‘In the first month on the fourteenth day you are to observe the Passover,^(HW) a festival lasting seven days, during which you shall eat bread made without yeast. ²²On that day the prince is to provide a bull as a sin offering for himself and for all the people of the land.^(HX) ²³Every day during the seven days of the festival he is to provide seven bulls and seven rams^(HY) without defect as a burnt offering to the Lord, and a male goat for a sin offering.^(HZ) ²⁴He is to provide as a grain offering^(IA) an ephah for each bull and an ephah for each ram, along with a hin^[ca] of olive oil for each ephah.^(IB)

²⁵“‘During the seven days of the festival,^(IC) which begins in the seventh month on the fifteenth day, he is to make the same provision for sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings and oil.^(ID)

46 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The gate of the inner court^(IE) facing east^(IF) is to be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon^(IG) it is to be opened. ²The prince is to enter from the outside through the portico^(IH) of the gateway and stand by the gatepost. The priests are to sacrifice his burnt offering^(II) and his fellowship offerings. He is to bow down in worship at the threshold of the gateway and then go out, but the gate will not be shut until evening.^(IJ) ³On the Sabbaths^(IK) and New Moons the people of the land are to worship in the presence of the Lord at the entrance of that gateway.^(IL) ⁴The burnt offering the prince brings to the Lord on the Sabbath day is to be six male lambs and a ram, all without defect. ⁵The grain offering given with the ram is to be an ephah,^[cb] and the grain offering with the lambs is to be as much as he pleases, along with a hin^[cc] of olive oil for each ephah.^(IM) ⁶On the day of the New Moon^(IN) he is to offer a young bull, six lambs and a ram, all without defect.^(IO) ⁷He is to provide as a grain offering one ephah with the bull, one ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as he wants to give, along with a hin of oil for each ephah.^(IP) ⁸When the prince enters, he is to go in through the portico^(IQ) of the gateway, and he is to come out the same way.^(IR)

⁹“‘When the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed festivals,^(IS) whoever enters by the north gate to worship is to go out the south gate; and whoever enters by the south gate is to go out the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which they entered, but each is to go out the opposite gate. ¹⁰The prince is to be among them, going in when they go in and going out when they go out.^(IT) ¹¹At the feasts and the appointed festivals, the grain offering is to be an ephah with a bull, an ephah with a ram, and with the lambs as much as he pleases, along with a hin of oil for each ephah.^(IU)

¹²“‘When the prince provides^(IV) a freewill offering^(IW) to the Lord—whether a burnt offering or fellowship offerings—the gate facing east is to be opened for him. He shall offer his burnt offering or his fellowship offerings as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and after he has gone out, the gate will be shut.^(IX)

¹³“‘Every day you are to provide a year-old lamb without defect for a burnt offering to the Lord; morning by morning^(IY) you shall provide it.^(IZ) ¹⁴You are also to provide with it morning by morning a grain offering, consisting of a sixth of an ephah^[cd] with a third of a hin^[ce] of oil^(JA) to moisten the flour. The presenting of this grain offering to the Lord is a lasting ordinance.^(JB) ¹⁵So the lamb and the grain offering and the oil shall be provided morning by morning for a regular^(JC) burnt offering.^(JD)

¹⁶“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: If the prince makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his sons, it will also belong to his descendants; it is to be their property by inheritance.^(JE) ¹⁷If, however, he makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, the servant may keep it until the year of freedom;^(JF) then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance belongs to his sons only; it is theirs. ¹⁸The prince must not take^(JG) any of the inheritance^(JH) of the people, driving them off their property. He is to give his sons their inheritance out of his own property, so that not one of my people will be separated from their property.’”

¹⁹Then the man brought me through the entrance^(JI) at the side of the gate to the sacred rooms facing north,^(JJ) which belonged to the priests, and showed me a place at the western end. ²⁰He said to me, “This is the place where the priests are to cook the guilt offering and the sin offering^[cf] and bake the grain offering, to avoid bringing them into the outer court and consecrating^(JK) the people.”^(JL)

²¹He then brought me to the outer court and led me around to its four corners, and I saw in each corner another court. ²²In the four corners of the outer court were enclosed^[cg] courts, forty cubits long and thirty cubits wide;^[ch] each of the courts in the four corners was the same size. ²³Around the inside of each of the four courts was a ledge of stone, with places for fire built all around under the ledge. ²⁴He said to me, “These are the kitchens where those who minister at the temple are to cook the sacrifices of the people.”

The River From the Temple

47 The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water^(JM) coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar.^(JN) ²He then brought me out through the north gate^(JO) and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side.

³As the man went eastward with a measuring line^(JP) in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits^[ci] and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. ⁴He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. ⁵He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river^(JQ) that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross.^(JR) ⁶He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?”

Then he led me back to the bank of the river. ⁷When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river.^(JS) ⁸He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah,^[cj]^(JT) where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh.^(JU) ⁹Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live.^(JV) ¹⁰Fishermen^(JW) will stand along the shore; from En Gedi^(JX) to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets.^(JY) The fish will be of many kinds^(JZ)—like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea.^(KA) ¹¹But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt.^(KB) ¹²Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river.^(KC) Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit^(KD) fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary^(KE) flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.^(KF)”

The Boundaries of the Land

¹³This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “These are the boundaries^(KG) of the land that you will divide among the twelve tribes of Israel as their inheritance, with two portions for Joseph.^(KH) ¹⁴You are to divide it equally among them. Because I swore with uplifted hand to give it to your ancestors, this land will become your inheritance.^(KI)

¹⁵“This is to be the boundary of the land:^(KJ)

“On the north side it will run from the Mediterranean Sea^(KK) by the Hethlon road^(KL) past Lebo Hamath to Zedad, ¹⁶Berothah^[ck]^(KM) and Sibraim (which lies on the border between Damascus and Hamath),^(KN) as far as Hazer Hattikon, which is on the border of Hauran. ¹⁷The boundary will extend from the sea to Hazar Enan,^[cl] along the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This will be the northern boundary.^(KO)

¹⁸“On the east side the boundary will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, to the Dead Sea and as far as Tamar.^[cm] This will be the eastern boundary.^(KP)

¹⁹“On the south side it will run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah Kadesh,^(KQ) then along the Wadi of Egypt^(KR) to the Mediterranean Sea.^(KS) This will be the southern boundary.

²⁰“On the west side, the Mediterranean Sea will be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo Hamath.^(KT) This will be the western boundary.^(KU)

²¹“You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. ²²You are to allot it as an inheritance^(KV) for yourselves and for the foreigners^(KW) residing among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.^(KX) ²³In whatever tribe a foreigner resides, there you are to give them their inheritance,” declares the Sovereign Lord.^(KY)

The Division of the Land

48 “These are the tribes, listed by name: At the northern frontier, Dan^(KZ) will have one portion; it will follow the Hethlon road^(LA) to Lebo Hamath;^(LB) Hazar Enan and the northern border of Damascus next to Hamath will be part of its border from the east side to the west side.

²“Asher^(LC) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Dan from east to west.

³“Naphtali^(LD) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Asher from east to west.

⁴“Manasseh^(LE) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Naphtali from east to west.

⁵“Ephraim^(LF) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Manasseh^(LG) from east to west.^(LH)

⁶“Reuben^(LI) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Ephraim from east to west.

⁷“Judah^(LJ) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Reuben from east to west.

⁸“Bordering the territory of Judah from east to west will be the portion you are to present as a special gift. It will be 25,000 cubits^[cn] wide, and its length from east to west will equal one of the tribal portions; the sanctuary will be in the center of it.^(LK)

⁹“The special portion you are to offer to the Lord will be 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits^[co] wide.^(LL) ¹⁰This will be the sacred portion for the priests. It will be 25,000 cubits long on the north side, 10,000 cubits wide on the west side, 10,000 cubits wide on the east side and 25,000 cubits long on the south side. In the center of it will be the sanctuary of the Lord.^(LM) ¹¹This will be for the consecrated priests, the Zadokites,^(LN) who were faithful in serving me^(LO) and did not go astray as the Levites did when the Israelites went astray.^(LP) ¹²It will be a special gift to them from the sacred portion of the land, a most holy portion, bordering the territory of the Levites.

¹³“Alongside the territory of the priests, the Levites will have an allotment 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide. Its total length will be 25,000 cubits and its width 10,000 cubits.^(LQ) ¹⁴They must not sell or exchange any of it. This is the best of the land and must not pass into other hands, because it is holy to the Lord.^(LR)

¹⁵“The remaining area, 5,000 cubits^[cp] wide and 25,000 cubits long, will be for the common use of the city, for houses and for pastureland. The city will be in the center of it ¹⁶and will have these measurements: the north side 4,500 cubits,^[cq] the south side 4,500 cubits, the east side 4,500 cubits, and the west side 4,500 cubits.^(LS) ¹⁷The pastureland for the city will be 250 cubits^[cr] on the north, 250 cubits on the south, 250 cubits on the east, and 250 cubits on the west. ¹⁸What remains of the area, bordering on the sacred portion and running the length of it, will be 10,000 cubits on the east side and 10,000 cubits on the west side. Its produce will supply food for the workers of the city.^(LT) ¹⁹The workers from the city who farm it will come from all the tribes of Israel. ²⁰The entire portion will be a square, 25,000 cubits on each side. As a special gift you will set aside the sacred portion, along with the property of the city.

²¹“What remains on both sides of the area formed by the sacred portion and the property of the city will belong to the prince. It will extend eastward from the 25,000 cubits of the sacred portion to the eastern border, and westward from the 25,000 cubits to the western border. Both these areas running the length of the tribal portions will belong to the prince, and the sacred portion with the temple sanctuary will be in the center of them.^(LU) ²²So the property of the Levites and the property of the city will lie in the center of the area that belongs to the prince. The area belonging to the prince will lie between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin.

²³“As for the rest of the tribes: Benjamin^(LV) will have one portion; it will extend from the east side to the west side.

²⁴“Simeon^(LW) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Benjamin from east to west.

²⁵“Issachar^(LX) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Simeon from east to west.

Footnotes

Ezekiel 40:5 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.
Ezekiel 40:7 That is, about 8 3/4 feet or about 2.7 meters; also in verse 48
Ezekiel 40:9 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts gateway facing the temple; it was one rod deep. ⁹Then he measured the portico of the gateway; it
Ezekiel 40:9 That is, about 14 feet or about 4.2 meters
Ezekiel 40:9 That is, about 3 1/2 feet or about 1 meter
Ezekiel 40:11 That is, about 18 feet wide and 23 feet long or about 5.3 meters wide and 6.9 meters long
Ezekiel 40:13 That is, about 44 feet or about 13 meters; also in verses 21, 25, 29, 30, 33 and 36
Ezekiel 40:14 That is, about 105 feet or about 32 meters
Ezekiel 40:14 Septuagint; Hebrew projecting wall
Ezekiel 40:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
Ezekiel 40:15 That is, about 88 feet or about 27 meters; also in verses 21, 25, 29, 33 and 36
Ezekiel 40:19 That is, about 175 feet or about 53 meters; also in verses 23, 27 and 47
Ezekiel 40:37 Septuagint (see also verses 31 and 34); Hebrew jambs
Ezekiel 40:39 Or purification offerings
Ezekiel 40:42 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
Ezekiel 40:43 That is, about 3 1/2 inches or about 9 centimeters
Ezekiel 40:44 Septuagint; Hebrew were rooms for singers, which were
Ezekiel 40:44 Septuagint; Hebrew east
Ezekiel 40:48 That is, about 25 feet or about 7.4 meters
Ezekiel 40:48 Septuagint; Hebrew entrance was
Ezekiel 40:48 That is, about 5 1/4 feet or about 1.6 meters
Ezekiel 40:49 That is, about 35 feet or about 11 meters
Ezekiel 40:49 Septuagint; Hebrew eleven
Ezekiel 40:49 That is, about 21 feet or about 6.4 meters
Ezekiel 40:49 Hebrew; Septuagint Ten steps led up to it
Ezekiel 41:1 That is, about 11 feet or about 3.2 meters; also in verses 3, 5 and 8
Ezekiel 41:1 One Hebrew manuscript and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts side, the width of the tent
Ezekiel 41:2 That is, about 18 feet or about 5.3 meters
Ezekiel 41:2 That is, about 8 3/4 feet or about 2.7 meters; also in verses 9, 11 and 12
Ezekiel 41:2 That is, about 70 feet long and 35 feet wide or about 21 meters long and 11 meters wide
Ezekiel 41:3 That is, about 3 1/2 feet or about 1.1 meters; also in verse 22
Ezekiel 41:3 That is, about 12 feet or about 3.7 meters
Ezekiel 41:5 That is, about 7 feet or about 2.1 meters
Ezekiel 41:12 That is, about 123 feet or about 37 meters
Ezekiel 41:12 That is, about 158 feet or about 48 meters
Ezekiel 41:13 That is, about 175 feet or about 53 meters; also in verses 14 and 15
Ezekiel 41:22 That is, about 5 1/4 feet or about 1.5 meters
Ezekiel 41:22 Septuagint; Hebrew long
Ezekiel 41:22 Septuagint; Hebrew length
Ezekiel 42:2 That is, about 175 feet long and 88 feet wide or about 53 meters long and 27 meters wide
Ezekiel 42:3 That is, about 35 feet or about 11 meters
Ezekiel 42:4 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew and one cubit
Ezekiel 42:4 That is, about 18 feet wide and 175 feet long or about 5.3 meters wide and 53 meters long
Ezekiel 42:10 Septuagint; Hebrew Eastward
Ezekiel 42:13 Or purification offerings
Ezekiel 42:16 See Septuagint of verse 17; Hebrew rods; also in verses 18 and 19.
Ezekiel 42:16 Five hundred cubits equal about 875 feet or about 265 meters; also in verses 17, 18 and 19.
Ezekiel 42:17 Septuagint; Hebrew rods
Ezekiel 43:3 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts I
Ezekiel 43:7 Or the memorial monuments; also in verse 9
Ezekiel 43:7 Or their high places
Ezekiel 43:11 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts regulations and its whole design
Ezekiel 43:13 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.
Ezekiel 43:13 That is, about 11 inches or about 27 centimeters
Ezekiel 43:14 That is, about 3 1/2 feet high and 1 3/4 feet wide or about 105 centimeters high and 53 centimeters wide
Ezekiel 43:14 That is, about 7 feet high and 1 3/4 feet wide or about 2.1 meters high and 53 centimeters wide
Ezekiel 43:16 That is, about 21 feet or about 6.4 meters
Ezekiel 43:17 That is, about 25 feet or about 7.4 meters
Ezekiel 43:17 That is, about 11 inches or about 27 centimeters
Ezekiel 43:19 Or purification offering; also in verses 21, 22 and 25
Ezekiel 44:27 Or purification offering; also in verse 29
Ezekiel 44:29 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord.
Ezekiel 45:1 That is, about 8 miles or about 13 kilometers; also in verses 3, 5 and 6
Ezekiel 45:1 Septuagint (see also verses 3 and 5 and 48:9); Hebrew 10,000
Ezekiel 45:1 That is, about 6 1/2 miles or about 11 kilometers
Ezekiel 45:2 That is, about 875 feet or about 265 meters
Ezekiel 45:2 That is, about 88 feet or about 27 meters
Ezekiel 45:3 That is, about 3 1/3 miles or about 5.3 kilometers; also in verse 5
Ezekiel 45:5 Septuagint; Hebrew temple; they will have as their possession 20 rooms
Ezekiel 45:6 That is, about 1 2/3 miles or about 2.7 kilometers
Ezekiel 45:10 An ephah was a dry measure having the capacity of about 3/5 bushel or about 22 liters.
Ezekiel 45:10 A bath was a liquid measure equaling about 6 gallons or about 22 liters.
Ezekiel 45:12 A shekel weighed about 2/5 ounce or about 12 grams.
Ezekiel 45:12 That is, 60 shekels; the common mina was 50 shekels. Sixty shekels were about 1 1/2 pounds or about 690 grams.
Ezekiel 45:13 That is, probably about 6 pounds or about 2.7 kilograms
Ezekiel 45:13 That is, probably about 5 pounds or about 2.3 kilograms
Ezekiel 45:14 That is, about 2 1/2 quarts or about 2.2 liters
Ezekiel 45:17 Or purification offerings; also in verses 19, 22, 23 and 25
Ezekiel 45:24 That is, about 1 gallon or about 3.8 liters
Ezekiel 46:5 That is, probably about 35 pounds or about 16 kilograms; also in verses 7 and 11
Ezekiel 46:5 That is, about 1 gallon or about 3.8 liters; also in verses 7 and 11
Ezekiel 46:14 That is, probably about 6 pounds or about 2.7 kilograms
Ezekiel 46:14 That is, about 1 1/2 quarts or about 1.3 liters
Ezekiel 46:20 Or purification offering
Ezekiel 46:22 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
Ezekiel 46:22 That is, about 70 feet long and 53 feet wide or about 21 meters long and 16 meters wide
Ezekiel 47:3 That is, about 1,700 feet or about 530 meters
Ezekiel 47:8 Or the Jordan Valley
Ezekiel 47:16 See Septuagint and 48:1; Hebrew road to go into Zedad, ¹⁶Hamath, Berothah.
Ezekiel 47:17 Hebrew Enon, a variant of Enan
Ezekiel 47:18 See Syriac; Hebrew Israel. You will measure to the Dead Sea.
Ezekiel 48:8 That is, about 8 miles or about 13 kilometers; also in verses 9, 10, 13, 15, 20 and 21
Ezekiel 48:9 That is, about 3 1/3 miles or about 5.3 kilometers; also in verses 10, 13 and 18
Ezekiel 48:15 That is, about 1 2/3 miles or about 2.7 kilometers
Ezekiel 48:16 That is, about 1 1/2 miles or about 2.4 kilometers; also in verses 30, 32, 33 and 34
Ezekiel 48:17 That is, about 440 feet or about 135 meters

The Voice (VOICE)

New International Version (NIV)

Ezekiel 40-48

The Voice

Footnotes

Ezekiel 40-48

New International Version

The Temple Area Restored

The East Gate to the Outer Court

The Outer Court

The North Gate

The South Gate

The Gates to the Inner Court

The Rooms for Preparing Sacrifices

The Rooms for the Priests

The New Temple

The Rooms for the Priests

God’s Glory Returns to the Temple

The Great Altar Restored

The Priesthood Restored

Israel Fully Restored

The River From the Temple

The Boundaries of the Land

The Division of the Land

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Ezekiel 40-48 The Voice

Footnotes

Ezekiel 40-48 New International Version

The Temple Area Restored

The East Gate to the Outer Court

The Outer Court

The North Gate

The South Gate

The Gates to the Inner Court

The Rooms for Preparing Sacrifices

The Rooms for the Priests

The New Temple

The Rooms for the Priests

God’s Glory Returns to the Temple

The Great Altar Restored

The Priesthood Restored

Israel Fully Restored

The River From the Temple

The Boundaries of the Land

The Division of the Land

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Ezekiel 40-48

The Voice

Ezekiel 40-48

New International Version