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 five and twentieth year of our exile, in the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city had been smitten, on the selfsame day came the inspiration of the Lord upon me, and brought me thither.

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 brought he me unto the land of Israel, and set me down upon a very high mount, on which there was built something like a city on the south.

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.

And when he had brought me thither, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of copper, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring-rod: and he was standing in the gate.

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 spoke unto me, Son of man, behold with thy eyes, and hear with thy ears, and direct thy heart unto all that I am about to show thee; for in order to show it unto thee art thou brought hither: tell all that thou seest to the house 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 behold there was a wall on the outside of the house all round about, and in the man's hand was a measuring-rod of six cubits long by the cubit which was a hand's breadth longer than usual; and he measured the breadth of the building, one rod, and the height, 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 came he unto the gate which looked in the direction toward the east, and went up its steps, and measured the threshold of the gate, one rod in breadth, and the other threshold one rod in breadth.

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 every cell was one rod long, and one rod broad; and between the cells were five cubits: and the threshold of the gate near by the porch of the gate within was one rod.

8 Then he measured the entry room at the end of the entry hallway.

He measured also the porch of the gate within, one rod.

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].

Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits, and its door-posts, two cubits: and the porch of the gate was inward.

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 cells of the gate in the eastern direction were three on this side, and three on that side, one measure was for all the three; and there was one measure for the door-posts on this side and on that side.

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 measured the breadth of the entrance of the gate, ten cubits, [and] the length of the gate, 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 there was a space before the cells of one cubit on this side, and one cubit space was there on that side: and every cell was of six cubits on this side, and of six cubits on that side.

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 measured the gate from the roof of [one] cell to the roof of [another], in breadth five and twenty cubits, one door being against [the other] 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 made door-posts of sixty cubits, and around the door-posts the court and the gate all 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 the height of the gate of the entrance as also the height of the porch of the inner gate 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 there were narrow windows in the cells, and by their door-posts within the gate all round about, and likewise in the porches: and windows were all round about inward; and on each door post were palm-shaped [capitals].

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 brought he me into the outward court, and, lo, there were chambers, and a pavement made for the court all round about: thirty chambers were upon the pavement.

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 pavement by the side of the gates was all along the whole length of the gates: this was the lower pavement.

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 measured he the breadth from the front of the lower gate unto the front of the inner court, without, one hundred cubits, eastward and northward.

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 the gate of the outer court that looked in a northern direction, he measured after its length, and its breadth.

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 its cells were three on this side and three on that side; and its door-posts and its porches were after the measure of the first gate: fifty cubits was its length, and its breadth five and twenty cubits.

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 its porches, and their palm-shaped capitals, were after the measure of the gate that looked in an eastern direction: and by seven steps did they go up unto it, and to its porches which were before them.

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 the gates of the inner court were opposite the gates on the north, and on the east: and he measured from gate to gate one 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.

After that he led me forth to the south side, and behold there was a gate on the south side: and he measured its door-posts and its porches after 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 its porches all round about, like the other windows: it was fifty cubits in length, and in breadth five and twenty cubits.

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 by seven steps was the ascent to it, and to its porches which were before them; and it had palm-shaped capitals, one on this side, and another on that side, upon its door-posts.

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 gate in the inner court on the south side: and he measured from gate to gate on the south side one 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].

And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate; and he measured the south gate after 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 its cells, and its door-posts, and its porches were after these measures; and there were windows in it and in its porches all round about: it was fifty cubits in length, and in breadth five and twenty cubits.

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 arched passages were all round about, five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad.

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.

And its porches were toward the outer court; and palm-shaped capitals were upon its door-posts: and its ascent was by eight steps.

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 brought me into the inner court on the east side; and he measured the gate after these measures;

33 Its alcoves and dividing walls and entry room measured the same as the others.

And its cells and its door-posts, and its porches, were according to these measures; and there were windows in it and in its porches all round about: its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth five and twenty cubits.

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 its porches were toward the outward court; and palm-shaped capitals were upon its door-posts, on this side, and on that side: and by eight steps was the ascent 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 brought me to the north gate, and he measured it after 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 cells, its door-posts, and its porches; and the windows in it were all round about: its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth five and twenty cubits.

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.

And its door-posts were toward the outer court; and palm-shaped capitals were upon its door-posts, on this side, and on that side: and by eight steps was the ascent 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 chamber with its door by the door-posts of the gates, where they washed off the burnt-offerings.

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 porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to slaughter thereon the burnt-offerings and the sin-offerings and the trespass-offerings.

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.

And at the side without [the porch], as one went up to the entrance of the north gate, were two tables; and on the other side of the porch of the gate 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.

Four tables being on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate, eight tables, whereupon they slaughtered [the sacrifices].

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 of hewn stone for the burnt-offerings, of a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, and one cubit high: whereupon they laid the instruments wherewith they slaughtered the burnt-offerings and the sacrifices.

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 hooks, a hand long, were fastened within all round about: and on the tables was placed 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 without the inner gate were the chambers of the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their front was toward the south side: one was at the side of the east gate having the front toward the north side.

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 spoke unto me, This chamber, the front of which is toward the south, is for the priests who have the charge 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 chamber, the front of which is toward the north, is for the priests who have the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok, who come near, from among the sons of Levi, to the Lord to minister unto him.

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.

So he measured the court, in length one hundred cubits, and in breadth one hundred cubits, foursquare: and the altar [stood] before 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.

And he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each door-post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side: and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side.

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 length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits, together with the steps whereby they went up to it: and there were pillars by the door-posts, one on this side, and another on that side.