< Ezekiel 40 >

1 Almost 25 years after we had been [to Babylonia], on the tenth day of the first month of that year, almost 14years after Jerusalem had been destroyed, in a vision [I felt] the power [MTY] of Yahweh on me, and he took me to Israel.
In the twenty-fifth year after we had been taken away prisoners, in the first month of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the town was taken, on the very same day, the hand of the Lord was on me, and he took me there.
2 He set me on a very high mountain. On the south side of that mountain there were some buildings that appeared to be [part of] a city.
In the visions of God he took me into the land of Israel, and put me down on a very high mountain, on which there was, as it seemed, a building like a town opposite me.
3 When he took there, I saw a man whose face was like [SIM] bronze. He was standing in the entrance [of a building]. He had a linen cord and a measuring stick in his hand.
He took me there, and I saw a man, looking like brass, with a linen cord in his hand and a measuring rod: and he was stationed in the doorway.
4 He said to me, “You human, look carefully at everything that I am going to show you, and pay attention to everything that I say and everything that I will show you, because that is why you have been brought here. [And then later] you must tell the Israeli people everything that you have seen [here].”
And the man said to me, Son of man, see with your eyes and give hearing with your ears, and take to heart everything I am going to let you see; for in order that I might let you see them, you have come here: and give an account of all you see to the children of Israel.
5 [In the vision I saw that] there was a wall that completely surrounded the temple area. The measuring stick in the man’s hand was (10-1/2 feet/3.3 meters) long. He measured the wall: It was (10-1/2 feet/3.3 meters) thick and (10-1/2 feet/3.3 meters) high.
And there was a wall on the outside of the house all round, and in the man's hand there was a measuring rod six cubits long by a cubit and a hand's measure: so he took the measure of the building from side to side, one rod; and from base to top, one rod.
6 Then he went to the entryway on the east [side of the temple]. He climbed the steps and measured the outer threshold/opening for the entryway: It was (10-1/2 feet/3.3 meters) deep.
Then he came to the doorway looking to the east, and went up by its steps; and he took the measure of the doorstep, one rod wide.
7 Next, there was an entry hallway with [three] (alcoves/very small rooms) along each side [where the guards stood]. Each of the alcoves was (10-1/2 feet/3.3 meters) on each side. There was a dividing wall between each alcove that was (8-3/4 feet/2.7 meters) wide. At the end of the entry hallway was the inner threshold/opening for the entryway, (10-1/2 feet/3.3 meters) deep. It led to the entry room [to the inner courtyard] and faced the temple.
And the watchmen's rooms were one rod long and one rod wide; and the space between the rooms was five cubits; the doorstep of the doorway, by the covered way of the doorway inside, was one rod.
8 Then he measured the entry room at the end of the entry hallway.
And he took the measure of the covered way of the doorway inside,
9 It was about (14 feet/4.2 meters) long, and its supporting columns were (3-1/2 feet/1.1 meters) thick. The entry room of the entryway was at the end of the entry hallway that faced the temple [and extended into the courtyard].
Eight cubits; and its uprights, two cubits; the covered way of the doorway was inside.
10 Inside the east entryway there were three alcoves on each side of the entry hallway. They each had the same length and width. And the measurements of the walls that divided the alcoves were all identical.
And the rooms of the doorway on the east were three on this side and three on that; all three were of the same size; and the uprights on this side and on that were of the same size.
11 Then he measured the threshold/opening for the entryway: It was (17-1/2 feet/5.3 meters) wide, and the entry hallway [between the alcoves] was (22-3/4 feet/6.9 meters) wide.
And he took the measure of the opening of the doorway, ten cubits wide; and the way down the doorway was thirteen cubits;
12 In front of each alcove was a low wall about (21 inches/53 cm.) high, and the alcoves were (10-1/2 feet/3.3 meters) on each side.
And the space in front of the rooms, a cubit on this side and a cubit on that side; and the rooms six cubits on this side and six cubits on that.
13 Then he measured the width of the roof of the entrance hallway, the distance between the rear wall of one alcove to the rear wall of the opposite alcove, [including the supporting walls along each side]. It was (43-3/4 feet/13.3 meters).
And he took the measure of the doorway from the back of one room to the back of the other, twenty-five cubits across, from door to door.
14 Then he measured all along the dividing walls between the alcoves all along the inside of the entry hallway: It was (105 feet/31.8 meters). He measured as far as the entry room of the entryway.
And he took the measure of the covered way, twenty cubits; and opening from the covered way of the doorway was the open square round about.
15 The length from [outer] opening of the entryway to the far end of the entry room was (87-1/2 feet/26.5 meters).
And from before the opening of the doorway to before the inner covered way of the doorway was fifty cubits.
16 There were [small] windows in the outside walls of all the alcoves, and also in the inner dividing walls between the alcoves. There were also small windows in the entry room. The dividing walls were decorated with [carvings of] palm trees.
And the rooms and their uprights had sloping windows inside the doorway all round, and in the same way the covered way had windows all round on the inside: and on every upright there were palm-trees.
17 Then [in the vision] he brought me to the outer courtyard. There I saw some rooms, and a stone path/pavement along the walls around the courtyard. There were thirty rooms along the path.
Then he took me into the outer square, and there were rooms and a stone floor made for the open square all round: there were thirty rooms on the stone floor.
18 The stone path was all around the courtyard, and it extended out from the walls into the courtyard for the same distance as the entry room [of the entryway]. That was the lower path.
And the stone floor was by the side of the doorways, and was as wide as the doorways were long, even the lower floor.
19 Then the man measured the distance [across the outer courtyard of the temple], between the inner [entrance of] the entryway and [the wall surrounding the] inner courtyard: It was (175 feet/53 meters) [on the east side and on the north side of the courtyard].
Then he took the measure of the square across, from before the lower doorway inside to before the inner doorway outside, one hundred cubits. And he took me in the direction of the north,
20 Then he measured how long and how wide was the entryway that was on the north side, the entrance into the outer courtyard [of the temple].
And there was a doorway to the outer square, looking to the north; and he took the measure of it to see how wide and how long it was.
21 There were three alcoves on each side of the entryway hall. The measurements of the alcoves, the dividing walls between the alcoves, and the entry room were the same as as those in the first entryway. The length from [outer] opening of the entryway to the far end of the entry room was (87-1/2 feet/26.5 meters). The entryway was (43-3/4 feet/13.3 meters) wide.
And it had three rooms on this side of it and three on that; its uprights and its covered ways were the same size as those of the first doorway: it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
22 Its windows and the entry room and the palm tree [decorations all] measured the same as the ones on the east [side]. There were seven steps up to the outer threshold/opening for the entryway, and an entry room was at the other end of the entryway.
And its windows, and the windows of its covered ways, and its palm-trees, were the same as those of the doorway looking to the east; and there were seven steps up to it; and the covered way went inside.
23 There was an entryway to the inner courtyard that faces the north entryway, like there was on the east [side]. The man measured [the distance] from [the north] entryway to the entryway [on the other side]; it was (175 feet/53 meters).
And there was a doorway to the inner square opposite the doorway on the north, like the doorway on the east; and he took the measure from doorway to doorway, a hundred cubits.
24 Then he brought me through the south entryway [into the outer courtyard], and he measured it. It measured the same as the other entryways. Its alcoves, its dividing walls between the alcoves, and its entry room measured the same as the ones on the other sides.
And he took me to the south, and I saw a doorway looking to the south: and he took the measure of its rooms and its uprights and its covered ways by these measures.
25 The alcoves and the entry room had [narrow] windows along the walls, like on the other [sides]. The length [of the outer opening of the] entryway [to the far end of the entry room was] was (87-1/2 feet/26.5 meters) and the entryway was (43-3/4 feet/13.3 meters) wide.
And there were windows in it and in the covered way all round, like the other windows: it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
26 There were seven steps up to the outer threshold/opening for the entryway, and an entry room was (opposite it/at the end of the entryway facing the courtyard). It [also] had [carvings of] palm trees on the dividing walls that were between the alcoves.
And there were seven steps up to it, and its covered way went inside: and it had palm-trees, one on this side and one on that, on its uprights.
27 The inner courtyard also had an entryway on the south [side]. He measured from that entryway to the entrance on the south [side of the outer courtyard; it was also] (175 feet/53 meters).
And there was a doorway to the inner square looking to the south: he took the measure from doorway to doorway to the south, a hundred cubits.
28 Then [in the vision] he brought me through the south entryway into the inner courtyard, and he measured the south entryway. It measured the same as the other [entryways].
Then he took me to the inner square by the south doorway: and he took the measure of the south doorway by these measures;
29 Its alcoves [along the entry hallway], its dividing walls [between the alcoves], and its entry room measured the same as [the ones on] the other [sides]. The alcoves and the entry room had windows. The length [of the outer opening of the] entryway [to the far end of the entry room was] was (87-1/2 feet/26.5 meters) and the entryway was (43-3/4 feet/13.3 meters) wide.
And the rooms in it and the uprights and the covered ways, by these measures:
30 The entry rooms around [the inner courtyard] were (43-3/4 feet/13.3 meters) wide and (8.7 feet/2.6 meters) long.
And there were windows in it and in the covered way all round: it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
31 The entry room faced the outer courtyard. There were [carvings of] palm trees that decorated the columns, and there were eight steps [up] to the entryway.
The covered way was on the side nearest the outer square; and there were palm-trees on the uprights: and there were eight steps going up to it.
32 Then he led me to the east side of the inner courtyard, and he measured the entrance. It had the same measurements as the other [entrances]
And he took me into the inner square facing the east: and he took the measure of the doorway by these measures;
33 Its alcoves and dividing walls and entry room measured the same as the others.
And of the rooms in it and its uprights and its covered ways, by these measures: and there were windows in it and in the covered way round about: it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
34 Its entry room faced the outer courtyard. It also had carvings of palm trees that decorated the walls, and it had eight steps up to it.
And the covered way was on the side nearest the outer square; there were palm-trees on the uprights, on this side and on that: and there were eight steps going up to it.
35 Then he led me to the entrance on the north side and measured it. It measured the same as the other entrances.
And he took me to the north doorway: and he took the measure of it by these measures;
36 And its alcoves and walls between them and the entry room all had [small] windows in the walls. It was (87-1/2 feet/26.5 meters) long and (43.7 feet/13.3 meters) wide.
Its rooms, its uprights, and its covered way had the same measures, and its covered way had windows all round: it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
37 Its entry room faced the outer courtyard. There were [carvings of] palm trees that decorated its walls, and there were eight steps [up] to the entryway.
Its uprights were on the side nearest to the outer square; there were palm-trees on the uprights, on this side and on that: and there were eight steps going up to it.
38 [In the vision, I saw that] in the inner entry room of the north entryway there was a door to a side room. That side room was where the [carcasses of the] animals that would be burned completely [on the altar] were washed.
And there was a room with a door in the covered way of the doorway, where the burned offering was washed.
39 In the entry room, there were two tables on each side [of the room]. On those tables would be slaughtered the animals that would be completely burned, and the animals for offerings for sins that people had committed, and offerings to cause people to longer be guilty for having sinned.
And in the covered way of the doorway there were two tables on this side and two tables on that side, on which the burned offering and the sin-offering and the offering for error were put to death:
40 Along the outside wall of the entry room, on each side of the steps at the opening to the entryway on the north side, were two tables.
On the outer side, to the north, as one goes up to the opening of the doorway, were two tables.
41 [So] there were four tables outside the entrance and four tables inside the entry room, on which the [animals to be] sacrificed were slaughtered.
There were four tables on one side and four tables on the other, by the side of the doorway; eight tables, on which they put to death the beasts for the offerings.
42 There were also four tables of cut stone for the offerings to be completely burned, (31-1/2 in./80 cm.) on each side and (21 in./53 cm.) high. On those stone tables would be placed the tools for slaughtering all the animals for the sacrifices.
And there were four tables for the burned offering, made of cut stone, one and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide and a cubit high, where the instruments were placed which were used for putting to death the burned offering and the beasts for the offerings.
43 The meat for the offerings would be placed on [stone] tables. There were hooks [on which the meat was hung], each with two prongs, each (3 in./8 cm.) long, fastened to the walls [of the entry room].
And they had edges all round as wide as a man's hand: and on the tables was the flesh of the offerings.
44 Outside the inner entryway, inside the inner courtyard, were two rooms, one on the north side and one on the south side.
And he took me into the inner square, and there were two rooms in the inner square, one at the side of the north doorway, facing south; and one at the side of the south doorway, facing north.
45 The man said to me, “The room whose door faces south is for the priests who are in charge of the work in the temple.
And he said to me, This room, facing south, is for the priests who have the care of the house.
46 The room whose door faces north is for the priests who are in charge of [the work at] the altar. They are the descendants of Zadok; they are the only descendants of Levi who are permitted to approach Yahweh while they work for him.”
And the room facing north is for the priests who have the care of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok, who, from among the sons of Levi, come near to the Lord to do the work of his house.
47 Then he measured the courtyard: It was square, (175 feet/53 meters) long and (175 feet/53 meters) wide. The altar was in front of the temple.
And he took the measure of the open square, a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide, being square; and the altar was in front of the house.
48 Then [in the vision] he brought me to the entry room of the temple, and measured the walls on each side of the entrance: They were (8-3/4 feet/2.6 meters) thick. The entrance was (24-1/2 feet/7.4 meters) wide, and the walls on each side of the entrance were (5-1/4 feet/1.6 meters) long.
Then he took me to the covered way before the house, and took the measure of its uprights, five cubits on one side and five cubits on the other: and the doorway was fourteen cubits wide; and the side-walls of the doorway were three cubits on one side and three cubits on the other.
49 The entry room was (35 feet/10.6 meters) wide on each side. There were ten steps up to it, and there were pillars on each side of the entrance.
The covered way was twenty cubits long and twelve cubits wide, and they went up to it by ten steps; and there were pillars by the uprights, one on one side and one on the other.

< Ezekiel 40 >