Ezekiel 43

1 The man took me back to the east gate.

And he led me to the gate which looked toward the way of the east.

2 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.

And behold, the glory of the God of Israel entered along the way of the east. And his voice was like the voice of many waters. And the earth was resplendent before his majesty.

3 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.

And I saw a vision in accord with the form that I had seen when he arrived so that he might destroy the city. And the form was in accord with the sight that I had seen beside the river Chebar. And I fell upon my face.

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

And the majesty of the Lord advanced into the temple, along the way of the gate which looked toward the east.

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

And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court. And behold, the house was filled with the glory of the Lord.

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

And I heard someone speaking to me from the house, and the man who was standing beside me

7 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.

said to me: “Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the steps of my feet, is where I live: in the midst of the sons of Israel forever. And the house of Israel, they and their kings, shall no longer defile my holy name by their fornications, and by the ruinous ways of their kings, and by exalted places.

8 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.

They have fabricated their threshold beside my threshold, and their doorposts beside my doorposts. And there was a wall between me and them. And they defiled my holy name by the abominations which they committed. Because of this, I consumed them in my wrath.

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

Now therefore, let them drive away their fornications, and the ruinous ways of their kings, from before me. And I will live in their midst forever.

10 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,

But as for you, son of man, reveal the temple to the house of Israel, and let them be confounded by their iniquities, and let them measure the fabrication,

11 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.

and let them be ashamed at all the things that they have done. Reveal to them the form and the fabrication of the house, its exits and entrances, and its entire description, and all of its precepts, and its entire order, and all of its laws. And you shall write in their sight, so that they may observe its entire description and its precepts, and so that they may accomplish them.”

12 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.

This is the law of the house at the summit of the mountain, with all its parts all around. It is the Holy of Holies. Therefore, this is the law of the house.

13 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

Now these are the measures of the altar by the most true cubit, which has a cubit and a palm. Its bend was a cubit, and it was a cubit in width. And its boundary, even to its edge and all around, was the width of one palm. The trough of the altar was like this also.

14 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.

And from the bend at the floor even to the furthest rim was two cubits, and the width was one cubit. And from the lesser rim even to the greater rim was four cubits, and the width was one cubit.

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

Now the hearth itself was four cubits. And from the hearth going upward, there were four horns.

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

And the hearth was twelve cubits in length by twelve cubits in width, foursquare, with equal sides.

17 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.”

And the rim was fourteen cubits in length, by fourteen cubits in width, at its four corners. And the crown all around it was one half cubit, and its bend was one cubit all around. And its steps turned toward the east.

18 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:

And he said to me: “Son of man, thus says the Lord God: These are the rituals of the altar, in whatever day it will be made, so that holocausts may be offered upon it, and blood may be poured out.

19 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.

And you shall present these to the priests and to the Levites, who are of the offspring of Zadok, those who draw near to me, says the Lord God, so that they may offer to me a calf from the herd on behalf of sin.

20 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.

And you shall take from its blood, and you shall place it on its four horns, and on the four corners of the rim, and on the crown all around. And so shall you cleanse and expiate it.

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

And you shall take the calf, which will be offered for sin, and you shall burn it in a separate place in the house, outside of the sanctuary.

22 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.

And on the second day, you shall offer an immaculate he-goat from among the she-goats on behalf of sin. And they shall expiate the altar, just as they expiated it with the calf.

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

And when you will have completed expiating it, you shall offer an immaculate calf from the herd and an immaculate ram from the flock.

24 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.

And you shall offer them in the sight of the Lord. And the priests shall sprinkle salt over them, and they shall offer them as a holocaust to the Lord.

25 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.

For seven days, you shall offer daily a he-goat on behalf of sin. Also, they shall offer a calf from the herd, and a ram from the flock, ones that are immaculate.

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

For seven days, they shall expiate the altar, and they shall cleanse it, and they shall fill its hand.

27 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.”

Then, when the days have been completed, on the eighth day and thereafter, the priests shall offer your holocausts upon the altar along with the peace offering. And I will be pleased with you, says the Lord God.”