Ezekiel 43

1 The man took me back to the east gate.

Then did he lead me to the gate, even the gate that was turned in an eastern direction.

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 came from the way of the east; and his voice was like a noise of many waters; and the earth gave light from his glory.

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 it was like the appearance of the vision which I had seen, yea, like the vision that I had seen when I came to destroy the city; and the visions were like the vision that I had seen by the river Kebar: and I fell upon my face.

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

And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate which was turned in an eastern direction.

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

Then did the Spirit take me up, and bring me into the inner court: and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house.

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

And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and a man was standing alongside of 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.

And he said unto me, Son of man, [this] is the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever: and the house of Israel shall not defile any more my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their lewdness, nor by the carcasses of their kings on their high-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.

Inasmuch as they placed their threshold by my threshold, and their door-posts close by my door-posts, and the wall being only between me and them, and they defiled my holy name by their abominations which they committed; so that I made an end of them in my anger.

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 will they have to put away their lewdness, and the carcasses of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.

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,

Thou, son of man, tell the house of Israel of the house, that they may be confounded because of their iniquities: and let them measure the outlines.

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 if they be confounded because of all that they have done: then let them know the form of the house, and its arrangements, and its means of egress, and its entrances, and all its forms, and all its statutes, and all its forms, and all its laws, and write them down before their eyes; that they may observe the whole of its form, and all its statutes, and carry them out.

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 for the house, Upon the top of the mount shall its whole limit all round about be most holy: behold, this is the law for 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

And these are the measures of the altar in cubits, The cubit is a cubit and a hand-breadth; and the bottom shall be a cubit high, and a cubit broad, and its border on its edge round about shall be a span: and this shall be the outside of the altar.

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 bottom upon the ground up to the lower projection shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser projection up to the greater projection shall be four cubits, and the breadth one cubit.

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

And the upper portion of the altar shall be four cubits; and from the upper surface of the altar and upward shall be the four horns.

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

And the upper surface of the altar shall be twelve cubits long, by twelve broad, square on its four 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 projection shall be fourteen cubits in length, by fourteen in breadth on its four sides; and the border round about it shall be half a cubit; and its bottom shall be a cubit round about; and its steps shall look 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 unto me, Son of man, thus hath said the Lord Eternal, These are the statutes of the altar on the day when it shall be finished, to offer thereon burnt-offerings, and to sprinkle thereon blood.

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 thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that are of the seed of Zadok, who approach unto me, saith the Lord Eternal, to minister unto me, a young bullock for a sin-offering.

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 thou shalt take of his blood, and put it on its four horns, and on the four corners of the projection, and upon the border round about; and thou shalt cleanse it and make an atonement for 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 thou shalt take the bullock of the sin-offering, and some one shall burn him at an appointed place of the house, without 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 shalt thou offer a he-goat without blemish for a sin-offering: and they shall cleanse the altar, as they did cleanse it with the bullock.

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

When thou hast made an end of cleansing it, shalt thou offer a young bullock without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish.

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 thou shalt bring them near before the Lord, and the priests shall throw salt upon them, and they shall offer them up as a burnt-offering unto 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.

Seven days shalt thou prepare a goat for a sin-offering every day; and a young bullock, and a ram out of the flock, without blemish shall they prepare.

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

Seven days shall they atone for the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate the same.

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.”

And when these days are expired, it shall be, that on the eighth day, and thenceforward, the priests shall prepare upon the altar your burnt-offerings, and your peace-offerings: and I will accept you in favor, saith the Lord Eternal.