Ezekiel 43

1 Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looks toward the east.

The man took me back to the east gate.

2 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. And his voice was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory.

There I saw the glory of Israel's God coming from the east. His voice sounded like a thundering waterfall, and the earth blazed bright with his glory.

3 And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city. And the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar. And I fell upon my face.

The vision I saw was just like the vision I'd seen when he came to destroy the city of Jerusalem and like the visions I'd seen beside the River Kebar. I fell facedown on the ground.

4 And the glory of Jehovah came into the house by the way of the gate whose view is toward the east.

The glory of the Lord entered the Temple through the east gate.

5 And the Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court, and, behold, the glory of Jehovah filled the house.

Then the Spirit picked me up and took me into the inner courtyard, and the glory of the Lord filled the Temple.

6 And I heard speaking to me out of the house, and a man stood by me.

I heard someone speaking to me from inside the Temple while the man standing beside me.

7 And he said to me, Son of man, this is the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the sons of Israel forever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, and by the dead bodies of their kings in their high places,

He told me, “Son of man, this is where I have my throne. It's my home where I will live among the Israelites forever. The people of Israel and their kings won't ever again disgrace me and my holiness by their acts of prostitution and by their honoring their dead kings in their pagan high places.

8 in their setting of their threshold by my threshold, and their door-post beside my door-post, and there was but the wall between me and them. And they have defiled my holy name by their abominations which they have committed. Therefore I have consumed them in my anger.

When they built their homes right next to mine—their threshold beside my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall separating us—they disgraced me and my holiness by the disgusting sins they committed. That's why I destroyed them in my anger.

9 Now let them put away their whoredom, and the dead bodies of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them forever.

Now if they get rid of their prostitution and their pagan honoring of their dead kings, and I will live with them forever.

10 Thou, son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities, and let them measure the pattern.

Son of man, tell the people of Israel about the Temple and they'll be ashamed of their sins. Have them carefully consider its plan,

11 And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the form of the house, and the fashion of it, and the exits of it, and the entrances of it, and all the forms of it, and all the ordinances of it, and all the forms of it, and all the laws of it. And write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form of it, and all the ordinances of it, and do them.

and if they're ashamed of everything they've done, then explain to them the Temple's design, its layout, exits, and entrances—the complete plan—as well as all its regulations, specifications, and laws. Write them down as they watch, so that they can remember its complete plan and follow all its regulations.

12 This is the law of the house. Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit of it round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.

This is the Temple law: the whole area around the Temple on the mountain top is very holy. Pay attention: this is the Temple law.

13 And these are the measures of the altar by cubits (the cubit is a cubit and a handbreadth). The bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border of it by the edge of it round about a span. And this shall be the base of the altar.

These are the measurements of the altar in cubits (a cubit and the width of a hand): The gutter is to be one cubit deep and one cubit wide, with a rim one hand span wide along its edge. The back of the altar

14 And from the bottom upon the ground to the lower ledge shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit. And from the lesser ledge to the greater ledge shall be four cubits, and the breadth a cubit.

measured from the gutter on the ground to the lower ledge is to be two cubits. The ledge will measure one cubit wide. The distance from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge is to be four cubits, and the ledge one cubit wide.

15 And the upper altar shall be four cubits. And from the altar hearth and upward there shall be four horns.

The altar hearth is to be four cubits high, with four horns pointing upwards from it.

16 And the altar hearth shall be twelve long by twelve broad, square in the four sides of it.

The altar hearth shall be square, its four sides each measuring twelve cubits.

17 And the ledge shall be fourteen long by fourteen broad in the four sides of it. And the border about it shall be half a cubit, and the bottom of it shall be a cubit round about. And the steps of it shall look toward the east.

The ledge is also to be square, measuring fourteen cubits by fourteen cubits, with a half-cubit rim and a one-cubit gutter all around it. The altar steps are to face the east.”

18 And he said to me, Son of man, thus says the lord Jehovah: These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings on it, and to sprinkle blood on it.

Then he told me: “Son of man, this is what the Lord God says: These are the regulations regarding the altar once it's built, so that it can be used to sacrifice burnt offerings and to sprinkle blood on it:

19 Thou shall give to the priests the Levites who are of the seed of Zadok, who are near to me, to minister to me, says the lord Jehovah, a young bullock for a sin offering.

You shall give a young bull as a sin offering to the Leviticus priests from the family of Zadok, who come and minister before me, declares the Lord God.

20 And thou shall take of the blood of it, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the ledge, and upon the border round about. Thus thou shall cleanse it and make atonement for it.

Take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge, and all the way round the rim. This is how you shall purify the altar and set it right.

21 Thou shall also take the bullock of the sin offering, and it shall be burnt in the appointed place of the house, outside the sanctuary.

Then remove the bull for the sin offering and burn it in the designated place of the Temple area outside the sanctuary.

22 And on the second day thou shall offer a he-goat without blemish for a sin offering. And they shall cleanse the altar, as they cleansed it with the bullock.

On the second day you are to bring as male goat without defects as a sin offering, and the altar shall be purified as it was purified with the bull.

23 When thou have made an end of cleansing it, thou shall offer a young bullock without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish.

After you've finished the purifying process, you are to present a young bull and a ram, both free from defects.

24 And thou shall bring them near before Jehovah, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering to Jehovah.

You are to offer them to the Lord. The priests shall sprinkle salt on them and sacrifice them to the Lord as a burnt offering.

25 Seven days thou shall prepare each day a goat for a sin offering. They shall also prepare a young bullock, and a ram out of the flock, without blemish.

For seven days you are to supply a male goat daily for a sin offering. You are also to supply a young bull and a ram, they are both to have no defects.

26 Seven days they shall make atonement for the altar and purify it. So they shall consecrate it.

For seven days the priests are to set the altar right and purify it. This is how they will dedicate it.

27 And when they have accomplished the days, it shall be that upon the eighth day, and forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings. And I will accept you, says the lord Jehovah.

Once these days are over, then from the eighth day the priests are to present the burnt offerings and peace offerings of your people on the altar. Then I will accept all of you, declares the Lord God.”