The Priests’ Chambers

42 Then the man led me out by way of the north gate into the outer court.(A) He brought me to the group of chambers opposite the temple yard and opposite the building(B) to the north. Along the length of the chambers, which was 175 feet,[a](C) there was an entrance on the north; the width was 87½ feet.[b] Opposite the 35 foot space[c] belonging to the inner court and opposite the paved surface(D) belonging to the outer court, the structure rose gallery by gallery(E) in three tiers. In front of the chambers was a walkway toward the inside,(F) 17½ feet[d] wide and 175 feet long,[e] and their entrances were on the north. The upper chambers were narrower because the galleries took away more space from them than from the lower and middle stories of the building. For they were arranged in three stories and had no pillars like the pillars of the courts;(G) therefore the upper chambers were set back from the ground more than the lower and middle stories. A wall on the outside ran in front of the chambers, parallel to them, toward the outer court; it was 87½ feet long. For the chambers on the outer court were 87½ feet long, while those facing the great hall were 175 feet long.(H) At the base of these chambers there was an entryway on the east side as one enters them from the outer court.(I)

10 In the thickness of the wall of the court toward the south,[f] there were chambers facing the temple yard(J) and the western building, 11 with a passageway in front of them, just like the chambers that faced north.(K) Their length and width, as well as all their exits, measurements, and entrances, were identical. 12 The entrance at the beginning of the passageway, the way in front of the corresponding[g] wall as one enters on the east side, was similar to the entrances of the chambers that were on the south side.

13 Then the man said to me, “The northern and southern chambers that face the courtyard are the holy chambers where the priests who approach the Lord will eat(L) the most holy offerings.(M) There they will deposit the most holy offerings—the grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings—for the place is holy.(N) 14 Once the priests have entered, they are not to go out from the holy area to the outer court until they have removed the clothes they minister in, for these are holy.(O) They are to put on other clothes before they approach the public area.”(P)

Outside Dimensions of the Temple Complex

15 When he finished measuring inside the temple complex, he led me out by way of the gate that faced east and measured all around the complex.(Q)

16 He measured the east side with a measuring rod;

it was 875 feet[h] by the measuring rod.[i]

17 He[j] measured the north side;

it was 875 feet by the measuring rod.

18 He[k] measured the south side;

it was 875 feet by the measuring rod.

19 Then he turned to the west side

and measured 875 feet by the measuring rod.

20 He measured the temple complex on all four sides. It had a wall all around it,(R) 875 feet long and 875 feet(S) wide, to separate the holy from the common.(T)

Return of the Lord’s Glory

43 He led me to the gate,(U) the one that faces east, and I saw the glory of the God of Israel(V) coming from the east.(W) His voice sounded like the roar of a huge torrent,(X) and the earth shone with his glory.(Y) The vision I saw(Z) was like the one I had seen when he[l] came to destroy the city,(AA) and like the ones I had seen by the Chebar Canal.(AB) I fell facedown.(AC) The glory of the Lord entered the temple by way of the gate that faced east.(AD) Then the Spirit lifted me up(AE) and brought me to the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.(AF)

While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from the temple.(AG) He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet,(AH) where I will dwell among the Israelites forever.(AI) The house of Israel and their kings will no longer defile my holy name by their religious prostitution and by the corpses[m](AJ) of their kings at their high places.[n](AK) Whenever they placed their threshold next to my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them, they were defiling my holy name by the detestable acts they committed.(AL) So I destroyed them in my anger. Now let them remove their prostitution and the corpses(AM) of their kings far from me, and I will dwell among them forever.(AN)

10 “As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel,(AO) so that they may be ashamed of their iniquities.(AP) Let them measure its pattern,(AQ) 11 and they will be ashamed of all that they have done. Reveal[o] the design of the temple to them—its layout with its exits and entrances(AR)—its complete design along with all its statutes, design specifications, and laws. Write it down in their sight(AS) so that they may observe its complete design and all its statutes and may carry them out.(AT) 12 This is the law of the temple: All its surrounding territory on top of the mountain(AU) will be especially holy. Yes, this is the law of the temple.

The Altar

13 “These are the measurements of the altar(AV) in units of length (each unit being the standard length plus three inches):[p](AW) The gutter is 21 inches[q] deep and 21 inches wide, with a rim of nine inches[r] around its edge. This is the base[s] of the altar. 14 The distance from the gutter on the ground to the lower ledge is 3½ feet,[t] and the width of the ledge is 21 inches. There are 7 feet[u] from the small ledge to the large ledge, whose width is also 21 inches. 15 The altar hearth[v] is 7 feet high, and four horns(AX) project upward from the hearth. 16 The hearth is square, 21 feet[w] long by 21 feet wide.(AY) 17 The ledge is 24½ feet[x] long by 24½ feet wide, with four equal sides.(AZ) The rim all around it is 10½ inches,[y] and its gutter is 21 inches all around it. The altar’s steps face east.”(BA)

18 Then he said to me, “Son of man,(BB) this is what the Lord God says: These are the statutes for the altar on the day it is constructed, so that burnt offerings(BC) may be sacrificed on it and blood may be splattered on it:(BD) 19 You are to give a bull from the herd(BE) as a sin offering(BF) to the Levitical priests who are from the offspring of Zadok,(BG) who approach me in order to serve me.”(BH) This is the declaration of the Lord God. 20 “You are to take some of its blood and apply it to the four horns(BI) of the altar, the four corners of the ledge, and all around the rim. In this way you will purify the altar and make atonement for it.(BJ) 21 Then you are to take away the bull for the sin offering, and it must be burned outside the sanctuary in the place appointed for the temple.(BK)

22 “On the second day you are to present an unblemished male goat as a sin offering. They will purify the altar just as they did with the bull. 23 When you have finished the purification, you are to present a young, unblemished bull(BL) and an unblemished ram from the flock.(BM) 24 You are to present them before the Lord; the priests will throw salt on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the Lord.(BN) 25 You will offer a goat for a sin offering each day for seven days.(BO) A young bull and a ram from the flock, both unblemished, are also to be offered. 26 For seven days the priests are to make atonement for the altar and cleanse it. In this way they will consecrate it[z] 27 and complete the days of purification. Then on the eighth day(BP) and afterward, the priests will offer your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar, and I will accept you.”(BQ) This is the declaration of the Lord God.

Footnotes

  1. 42:2 Lit 100 cubits, also in vv. 4,8
  2. 42:2 Lit 50 cubits, also in v. 7
  3. 42:3 Lit 20 cubits
  4. 42:4 Lit 10 cubits
  5. 42:4 LXX, Syr; MT reads wide, a way of one cubit
  6. 42:10 LXX; MT reads east
  7. 42:12 Or protective; Hb obscure
  8. 42:16 Lit 500 in rods, also in vv. 17,18,19
  9. 42:16 Lit rod all around, also in vv. 17,18,19
  10. 42:17 LXX reads Then he turned to the north and
  11. 42:18 LXX reads Then he turned to the south and
  12. 43:3 Some Hb mss, Theod, Vg; other Hb mss, LXX, Syr read I
  13. 43:7 Or monuments, also in v. 9
  14. 43:7 Some Hb mss, Theod, Tg read their death
  15. 43:10–11 LXX, Vg; MT reads pattern. 11 And if they are ashamed ... done, reveal
  16. 43:13 Lit in cubits (a cubit being a cubit plus a handbreadth)
  17. 43:13 Lit one cubit, also in vv. 14,17
  18. 43:13 Lit one span
  19. 43:13 LXX reads height
  20. 43:14 Lit two cubits
  21. 43:14 Lit four cubits, also in v. 15
  22. 43:15 Hb obscure
  23. 43:16 Lit 12 cubits
  24. 43:17 Lit 14 cubits
  25. 43:17 Lit one-half cubit
  26. 43:26 Lit will fill its hands

The Rooms for the Priests

42 Then the man led me northward into the outer court and brought me to the rooms(A) opposite the temple courtyard(B) and opposite the outer wall on the north side.(C) The building whose door faced north was a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide.[a] Both in the section twenty cubits[b] from the inner court and in the section opposite the pavement of the outer court, gallery(D) faced gallery at the three levels.(E) In front of the rooms was an inner passageway ten cubits wide and a hundred cubits[c] long.[d] Their doors were on the north.(F) Now 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. The 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. There was an outer wall parallel to the rooms and the outer court; it extended in front of the rooms for fifty cubits. While 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. The lower rooms had an entrance(G) on the east side as one enters them from the outer court.

10 On the south side[e] along the length of the wall of the outer court, adjoining the temple courtyard(H) and opposite the outer wall, were rooms(I) 11 with 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 12 were 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.

13 Then he said to me, “The north(J) and south rooms(K) facing the temple courtyard(L) 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,(M) the sin offerings[f](N) and the guilt offerings(O)—for the place is holy.(P) 14 Once the priests enter the holy precincts, they are not to go into the outer court until they leave behind the garments(Q) 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.(R)

15 When he had finished measuring what was inside the temple area, he led me out by the east gate(S) and measured the area all around: 16 He measured the east side with the measuring rod; it was five hundred cubits.[g][h] 17 He measured the north side; it was five hundred cubits[i] by the measuring rod. 18 He measured the south side; it was five hundred cubits by the measuring rod. 19 Then he turned to the west side and measured; it was five hundred cubits by the measuring rod. 20 So he measured(T) the area(U) on all four sides. It had a wall around it,(V) five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide,(W) to separate the holy from the common.(X)

God’s Glory Returns to the Temple

43 Then the man brought me to the gate facing east,(Y) and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters,(Z) and the land was radiant with his glory.(AA) The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he[j] came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. The glory(AB) of the Lord entered the temple through the gate facing east.(AC) Then the Spirit(AD) lifted me up(AE) and brought me into the inner court, and the glory(AF) of the Lord filled the temple.(AG)

While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple. He said: “Son of man, this is the place of my throne(AH) 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(AI) my holy name—neither they nor their kings—by their prostitution and the funeral offerings[k] for their kings at their death.[l](AJ) When 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. Now let them put away from me their prostitution and the funeral offerings for their kings, and I will live among them forever.(AK)

10 “Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed(AL) of their sins. Let them consider its perfection, 11 and 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[m] and laws. Write these down before them so that they may be faithful to its design and follow all its regulations.(AM)

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

The Great Altar Restored

13 “These are the measurements of the altar(AP) in long cubits,[n] that cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth: Its gutter is a cubit deep and a cubit wide, with a rim of one span[o] around the edge. And this is the height of the altar: 14 From 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.[p] 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.[q] 15 Above that, the altar hearth(AQ) is four cubits high, and four horns(AR) project upward from the hearth. 16 The altar hearth is square, twelve cubits[r] long and twelve cubits wide.(AS) 17 The upper ledge(AT) also is square, fourteen cubits[s] long and fourteen cubits wide. All around the altar is a gutter of one cubit with a rim of half a cubit.[t] The steps(AU) of the altar face east.(AV)

18 Then he said to me, “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: These will be the regulations for sacrificing burnt offerings(AW) and splashing blood(AX) against the altar when it is built: 19 You are to give a young bull(AY) as a sin offering[u] to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok,(AZ) who come near(BA) to minister before me, declares the Sovereign Lord. 20 You are to take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar(BB) and on the four corners of the upper ledge(BC) and all around the rim, and so purify the altar(BD) and make atonement for it. 21 You are to take the bull for the sin offering and burn it in the designated part of the temple area outside the sanctuary.(BE)

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. 23 When you have finished purifying it, you are to offer a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without defect.(BF) 24 You are to offer them before the Lord, and the priests are to sprinkle salt(BG) on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the Lord.

25 “For seven days(BH) 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.(BI) 26 For seven days they are to make atonement for the altar and cleanse it; thus they will dedicate it. 27 At the end of these days, from the eighth day(BJ) on, the priests are to present your burnt offerings(BK) and fellowship offerings(BL) on the altar. Then I will accept you, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 42:2 That is, about 175 feet long and 88 feet wide or about 53 meters long and 27 meters wide
  2. Ezekiel 42:3 That is, about 35 feet or about 11 meters
  3. Ezekiel 42:4 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew and one cubit
  4. Ezekiel 42:4 That is, about 18 feet wide and 175 feet long or about 5.3 meters wide and 53 meters long
  5. Ezekiel 42:10 Septuagint; Hebrew Eastward
  6. Ezekiel 42:13 Or purification offerings
  7. Ezekiel 42:16 See Septuagint of verse 17; Hebrew rods; also in verses 18 and 19.
  8. Ezekiel 42:16 Five hundred cubits equal about 875 feet or about 265 meters; also in verses 17, 18 and 19.
  9. Ezekiel 42:17 Septuagint; Hebrew rods
  10. Ezekiel 43:3 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts I
  11. Ezekiel 43:7 Or the memorial monuments; also in verse 9
  12. Ezekiel 43:7 Or their high places
  13. Ezekiel 43:11 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts regulations and its whole design
  14. 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.
  15. Ezekiel 43:13 That is, about 11 inches or about 27 centimeters
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. Ezekiel 43:16 That is, about 21 feet or about 6.4 meters
  19. Ezekiel 43:17 That is, about 25 feet or about 7.4 meters
  20. Ezekiel 43:17 That is, about 11 inches or about 27 centimeters
  21. Ezekiel 43:19 Or purification offering; also in verses 21, 22 and 25