Ezekiel 40

1 In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity at the beginning of the year on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was captured—on that same day, the hand of Yahweh was upon me and he took me there.

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 visions from God he brought me to the land of Israel. He brought me to rest on a very high mountain; to the south were what appeared to be buildings of a city.

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 Then he brought me there. Behold, a man! His appearance was like the appearance of bronze. A linen cord and a measuring stick were in his hand, and he stood in the city 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 The man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes and listen with your ears, and fix your mind on all that I am revealing to you, for you were brought here so I could reveal them to you. Report everything that you will 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 There was a wall surrounding the temple area. The length of the measuring stick in the man's hand was six long cubits. Each long cubit was a cubit and a handbreadth in length. So he measured the wall, and it was one measuring stick thick and one rod high.

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 Then he went to the temple gate that faced east. He went up its steps and measured the threshold of the gate—one stick in depth.

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

7 The guard chambers were each one stick in length and one stick in width; there were five cubits between any two of the chambers, and the threshold of the temple gate by the temple portico was one stick deep.

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 He measured the portico of the gate; it was one stick in length.

Then he measured the entrance porch.

9 He measured the portico of the gate. It was one stick deep. The doorposts were two cubits in width. This was the portico of the gate facing the temple.

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

10 There were three guard chambers on either side of the east gate, and each of them had the same measurement, and the walls that separated them had the same measurement.

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 Then the man measured the width of the gateway entrance—ten cubits; and he measured the length of the gateway entrance—thirteen cubits.

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

12 He measured the wall that was bordering the front of the chambers—one cubit high. The chambers measured six cubits on each side.

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

13 Then he measured the gateway from the roof of one chamber to that of the next chamber—twenty-five cubits, from the entrance of the first chamber to that of the second.

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 Then he measured the wall that went between the guard chambers—sixty cubits in length; he measured as far as the gate's portico.

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

15 The entrance from the front of the gate to the other end of the gate's portico was fifty cubits.

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

16 There were closed windows toward the chambers and toward their pillars within the gates all around; and likewise for the porches. The were windows all around the inside, and each jamb was decorated with palm trees.

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 Then the man brought me to the outer courtyard of the temple. Behold, there were rooms, and there was pavement in the courtyard, with thirty rooms next to the pavement.

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 The pavement went up to the side of the gates, and its width was the same as the gates' length. This was the lower pavement.

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

19 Then the man measured the distance from the front of the lower gate to the front of the inner gate; it was one hundred cubits on the east side, and the same on the north side.

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 Then he measured the length and width of the gate that was at the north of the outer court.

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

21 There were three chambers on either side of that gate, and the gate and its portico measured the same as the main gate—fifty cubits in total length and twenty-five cubits in width.

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 Its windows, portico, chambers, and its palm trees corresponded to the gate that faced east. Seven steps went up to it and to its portico.

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 There was a gate to the inner courtyard in front of the gate facing north, just as also there was a gate to the east; the man measured from one gate to the other gate—one hundred cubits in distance.

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 Next the man brought me to the gate of the southern entrance, and its walls and portico measured the same as the other outer gates.

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 There were closed windows in the gateway and its portico just as at that gate. The south gate and its portico measured fifty cubits in length and twenty-five cubits in width.

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 There were seven steps up to the gate and its portico, and there were carvings of palm trees on the walls on either 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 There was a gate to the inner courtyard on the southern side, and the man measured from that gate to the gate of the south entrance—one hundred cubits in distance.

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 Then the man brought me to the inner courtyard by way of its southern gate, which had the same measurements as the other gates.

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 Its chambers, walls, and porticos measured the same as the other gates; there were windows all around in the portico. The inner gate and its portico measured fifty cubits in length and twenty-five cubits in width.

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 There were also porticos all around the inner wall; these were twenty-five cubits in length and five cubits in width.

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

31 This portico faced the outer courtyard with carved palm trees on its walls and eight steps going up to it.

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

32 Then the man brought me to the inner courtyard by the eastern way and measured the gate, which had the same measurements as the other gates.

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

33 Its chambers, walls, and portico measured the same as the other gates, and there were windows all around. The inner gate and its portico measured fifty cubits in length and twenty-five cubits in width.

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 Its portico faced the outer courtyard; it had palm trees on either side of it and eight steps going up it.

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

35 Next the man brought me to the northern gate and measured it; it measured the same as the other gates.

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

36 Its chambers, walls, and portico measured the same as the other gates, and there were windows all around. The gateway and its portico measured fifty cubits in length and twenty-five cubits in width.

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 Its portico faced the outer courtyard; it had palm trees on either side of it and eight steps going up it.

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 There was a room with a door by each of the inner gateways. This was where they rinsed the burnt offerings.

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

39 There were two tables on each side of each portico, on which the burnt offering was slaughtered, and also the sin offering and the guilt offering.

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 By the wall of the courtyard, going up to the gate to the north, there were two tables. Also on the other side there were two tables at the gate's portico.

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 There were four tables on either side by the gate; they slaughtered animals on the eight tables.

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 There were four tables of cut stone for the burnt offerings, one and a half cubits in length, one and a half cubits in width, and one cubit tall. On them they laid the tools with which they slaughtered the burnt offerings for the sacrifices.

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 Two-pronged hooks a handbreadth in length were fastened in the portico all around, and the flesh of the offerings would be put on the tables.

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 On the outside of the inner gate, within the inner courtyard, were singers' chambers, one on the north side facing south, and the other on the south side facing 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 Then the man said to me, “This room facing south is for the priests who are on duty in the temple.

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

46 The room facing north is for the priests on duty at the altar. These are the sons of Zadok who come near to Yahweh to serve him; they are among the sons of Levi.”

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 Next he measured the courtyard—one hundred cubits in length and one hundred cubits in width in a square, with 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 Then the man brought me to the portico of the house and measured its doorposts—they were five cubits thick on either side. The entryway itself was fourteen cubits in width, and the walls on each side of it were three cubits in width.

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 The length of the portico was twenty cubits, and its depth was eleven cubits. There were steps that went up to it and columns that stood on either side of it.

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.