Jezekiel 40

1 And it came to pass in the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, in the first month, on the tenth [day] of the month, in the fourteenth year after the taking of the city, in that day the hand of the Lord was upon me, and brought me

At the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month of the twenty-fifth year of our exile, (fourteenth years after Jerusalem had been captured), was the exact day that the Lord's power came over me and he took me there to the city.

2 in a vision of God into the land of Israel, and set me on a very high mountain, and upon it [there was] as it were the frame of a city before [me].

God took me to the country of Israel in vision and set me down on a very high mountain. On the south side of the mountain there were buildings that seemed to be a city.

3 And he brought me in there, and, behold, [there was] a man, and the appearance of him was as the appearance of shining brass, and in his hand was a builder's line, and a measuring reed; and he stood at the gate.

When he took me there I saw a man who looked like shining bronze. He was holding a linen cord and a measuring rod as he stood in the entrance way.

4 And the man said to me, Look with your eyes at him whom you have seen, son of man, and hear with your ears, and lay up in your heart all things that I show you; for you have come in hither that [I] might show you, and you shall show all things that you see to the house of Israel.

“Son of man,” he told me, “watch with your eyes, listen with your ears. Concentrate on everything I'm about to show you, because that's the reason you were brought here. You are to explain to the people of Israel what you've been shown, everything you see.”

5 And behold a wall round about the house without, and in the man's hand a reed, the measure [of it was] six cubits by the cubit, and a span: and he measured across the front wall; the breadth was equal to the reed, and the length of it equal to the reed.

I could see a wall that surrounded the Temple. The measuring rod the man was holding was six long cubits in length (a long cubit is a cubit plus a handbreadth). He measured the wall as six cubits thick and six cubits high.

6 And he entered by seven steps into the gate that looks eastward, and he measured across the porch of the gate equal to the reed.

Then he went up the steps of the east-facing gate. He measured the gate's threshold as six cubits deep.

7 And the chamber was equal in length to the reed, and equal in breadth to the reed; and the porch between the chambers six cubits; and the second chamber equal in breadth to the reed, and equal in length to the reed, and the porch five cubits.

Beyond that were alcoves that measured six cubits by six cubits, with five cubits between the alcoves. The threshold of the inside entrance facing the porch measured six cubits.

8 And the third chamber equal in length to the reed, and equal in breadth to the reed.

Then he measured the entrance porch.

9 And the porch of the gateway (near the porch of the gate) eight cubits; and the posts there of two cubits; and the porch of the gate was inward:

It was eight cubits deep, and its posts were two cubits thick. The entrance porch faced the Temple.

10 and the chambers of the gate of the chamber in front [were] three on one side and three on the other, and [there was] one measure to the three: [there was] one measure to the porches on this side and on that.

There were three alcoves on each side of the east gate entrance that all measured the same. The posts on each side also measured the same.

11 And he measured the breadth of the door of the gateway, ten cubits; and the breadth of the gateway thirteen cubits.

He measured the width of the entrance gateway as ten cubits. It was thirteen cubits long.

12 And the space before the chambers was narrowed to a cubit in front of the chambers on this side and on that side: and the chamber was six cubits this way, and six cubits that way.

A wall one cubit high was in front of alcove, and the alcoves measured six cubits by six cubits.

13 And he measured the gate from the wall of one chamber to the wall of the other chamber: the breadth was twenty-five cubits, the one gate over against the other gate.

Then he measured the entrance gateway from the roof of one alcove to the roof of the one opposite. It was twenty-five cubits from one doorway to the opposite doorway.

14 And the open space of the porch of the gate without, was twenty cubits to the chambers round about the gate.

Then he measured the distance between the posts as sixty cubits. The gateway led all the way around to the courtyard.

15 And the open space of the gate without to the open space of the porch of the gate within was fifty cubits.

It was fifty cubits from the gateway entrance to the far side of the inside porch.

16 And [there were] secret windows to the chambers, and to the porches within the gate of the court round about, and in the same manner windows to the porches round about within: and on the porch [there were] palm-trees on this side and on that side.

The alcoves and their pillars had narrow windows on all of the inside of the gateway. The porches also had windows on all of the inside. All the posts were decorated with palm tree designs.

17 And he brought me into the inner court, and, behold, [there were] chambers, and peristyles round about the court; thirty chambers within the ranges of columns.

He took me into the outer courtyard. I saw rooms and a pavement had been constructed around the courtyard. There were thirty rooms facing the pavement.

18 And the porticos were behind the gates; according to the length of the gates, was the lower peristyle.

This was termed the lower pavement and it extended along the sides of the gateways and was the same length as them.

19 And he measured the breadth of the court, from the open space of the outer gate inwards to the open space of the gate looking outwards: a hundred cubits [was the distance to the place] of the gate looking eastward: and he brought me to the north;

He measured the distance from the front of the lower gateway to the far side of the inner courtyard as one hundred cubits, both to the east side and the north.

20 and behold a gate looking northwards [belonging to] the outer court, and he measured it, both the length of it and the breadth;

He also measured the length and width of the gateway of the outer courtyard that faced north.

21 and the chambers, three on this side and three on that; and the posts, and the porches, and the palm-trees thereof: and they were according to the measures of the gate that looks eastward: the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof was twenty-five cubits.

Its three alcoves on both sides, its posts, and its porch all measured the same as the first gateway and was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.

22 And its windows, and its porches, and its palm-trees, were according to [the dimensions of] the gate looking eastward; and they went up to it by seven steps; and the porches were within.

Its windows, porch, and palm tree decorations were the same as those of the east-facing gate. It had seven steps leading up to it, with its porch facing them.

23 And [there was] a gate to the inner court looking towards the north gate, after the manner of the gate looking towards the east; and he measured the court from gate to gate, a hundred cubits.

There was an entrance to the inner courtyard facing the north gate, just like the east gate. He measured the distance from the entrance to the gate as a hundred cubits.

24 And he brought me to the south side, and behold a gate looking southwards: and he measured it, and its chambers, and its posts, and its porches, according to these dimensions.

He took me to the south side, and I saw a gateway that faced south. He measured its posts and its porch, and they measured the same as those previously.

25 And its windows and its porches round about were according to the windows of the porch: the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof was five and twenty cubits.

Both the gateway and its porch had windows all around it that were like the other windows. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.

26 And it had seven steps, and porches within: and it [had] palm-trees on the posts, one on one side, and one on the other side.

It had seven steps leading up to it, and its porch faced them. It had one post on each side with palm tree designs on them.

27 And [there was] a gate opposite the gate of the inner court southward: and he measured the court from gate to gate, a hundred cubits in breadth southward.

The inner courtyard also had an entrance facing south, and he measured the distance from the entrance to the south gate as a hundred cubits.

28 And he brought me into the inner court of the south gate: and he measured the gate according to these measures;

He took me into the inner courtyard through the south gate, and he measured the south gate. It measured the same as those previously.

29 and the chambers, and the posts,

Its alcoves, posts, and porch had the same measurements as those previously. The gateway and its porch had windows all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.

30 and the porches, according to these measures: and [there were] windows to it and to the porches round about: its length was fifty cubits, and [its] breadth twenty-five cubits,

(The other surrounding porches measured twenty-five cubits long and five cubits deep.)

31 from the porch to the outer court: and [there were] palm-trees to the post [thereof], and eight steps.

Its porch faced the outer courtyard, and its pillars were decorated with palm tree designs. It had eight steps leading up to it.

32 And he brought me in at the gate that looks eastward: and he measured it according to these measures:

He took me to the inner courtyard on the east side. He measured the gateway and it measured the same as those previously.

33 and the chambers, and the posts, and the porches according to these measures: and [there were] windows to it, and porches round about: the length of it was fifty cubits, and the breadth of it twenty-five cubits.

Its alcoves, posts, and porch measured the same as those previously. The gateway and its porch had windows all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.

34 And [there were] porches [opening] into the inner court, and palm-trees on the posts on this side and on that side: and it [had] eight steps.

Its porch faced the outer courtyard, and its posts were decorated with palm tree designs. It had eight steps leading up to it.

35 And he brought me in at the northern gate, and measured [it] according to these measures;

He took me to the north gate and measured it. It measured the same as those previously,

36 and the chambers, and the posts, and the porches: and it [had] windows round about, and [it had] its porches: the length of it was fifty cubits, and the breadth twenty-five cubits.

including its alcoves, posts, and porch. The gateway and its porch had windows all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.

37 And its porches were towards the inner court; and [there were] palm-trees to the posts on this side and on that side: and it [had] eight steps.

Its porch faced the outer courtyard, and its posts were decorated with palm tree designs on all sides. It had eight steps leading up to it.

38 Its chambers and its door-ways, and its porches at the second gate [served as] a drain,

A room with a doorway stood beside by the porch of the inner gateways. This was where the burnt offering was washed.

39 that they might kill in it the sin-offerings, and the trespass-offerings.

Inside the gateway porch were two tables on both sides, where the sacrificial animals were slaughtered for burnt offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings.

40 And behind the drain for the whole burnt offerings at the north [gate], two tables eastward behind the second gate; and [behind] the porch of the gate two tables eastward.

Outside, on the way up to the entrance of the north gateway, were two tables on one side of the gate's porch and two tables on the other side.

41 Four on one side and four on the other side behind the gate; upon them they kill the victims, in front of the eight tables of sacrifices.

So there were four tables on the inside the of gateway and another four outside, making a total of eight tables. This is where the sacrifices were slaughtered.

42 And [there were] four tables of hewn stone for whole burnt offerings, the breadth [of them was] a cubit and a half, and the length [of them] two cubits [and] a half, and [their] height was a cubit: on them they shall place the instruments with which they kill there the whole burnt offerings and the victims.

There were also four tables of cut stone for the burnt offering. They each measured one and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide, and a cubit high. The tools used to slaughter the burnt offerings and the other sacrifices were placed on these tables.

43 And they shall have within a border of hewn stone round about of a span broad, and over the tables above screens for covering [them] from the wet and from the heat.

Hooks measuring the width of a hand were attached to the walls inside the room. The meat of the offering was to be placed on the tables.

44 And he brought me into the inner court, and behold [there were] two chambers in the inner court, one behind the gate looking to the north, turning southward, and one behind the southern gate, but which looks to the north.

Outside the inner gate but inside the inner courtyard were two rooms. One was beside the north gate and faced south; the other beside the south gate and faced north.

45 And he said to me, This chamber that looks to the south, is for the priests that keep the charge of the house.

The man told me: “The room that faces south is for the priests in charge of the Temple,

46 And the chamber that looks to the north is for the priests that keep the charge of the altar: they are the sons of Sadduc, those of the tribe of Levi who draw near to the Lord to serve him.

and the room that faces north is for the priests in charge of the altar. These priests are the descendants of Zadok and are the only Levites who are allowed to come near to the Lord and minister before him.”

47 And he measured the court, the length [whereof was] a hundred cubits, and the breadth a hundred cubits, on its four sides; and the altar in front of the house.

He measured the square courtyard: a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide. The altar stood in the courtyard in front of the Temple.

48 And he brought me into the porch of the house; and he measured the post of the porch, the breadth was five cubits on one side and five cubits on the other side; and the breadth of the door [was] fourteen cubits, and the side-pieces of the door of the porch [were] three cubits on one side, and three cubits on the other side.

He took me to the Temple porch and measured the pillars of the porch as five cubits on each side. The gateway was fourteen cubits wide and its sides measured three cubits.

49 And the length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth twelve cubits; and they went up to it by ten steps; and [there were] pillars to the porch, one on this side and one on that side.

The porch was twenty cubits wide and twelve cubits deep, and had ten steps leading up to it. There were columns by the posts, one on both sides.