Ezekiel 40

1 In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck, in the same day, the LORD’s hand was on me, and he brought me there.

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.

2 In the visions of God he brought me into Eretz-Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, on which was something like the frame of a city to the south.

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.

3 He brought me there; and, behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a line of flax in his hand and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.

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.

4 The man said to me, “Son of man, see with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart on all that I will show you; for you have been brought here so that I may show them to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.”

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].”

5 Behold, there was a wall on the outside of the house all around, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed six cubits long, of a cubit and a hand width each. So he measured the thickness of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.

[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.

6 Then he came to the gate which looks towards the east, and went up its steps. He measured the threshold of the gate, one reed wide; and the other threshold, one reed wide.

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.

7 Every lodge was one reed long and one reed wide. Between the lodges was five cubits. The threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate towards the house was one reed.

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.

8 He measured also the porch of the gate towards the house, one reed.

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

9 Then he measured the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and its posts, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was towards the house.

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].

10 The side rooms of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that side. The three of them were of one measure. The posts had one measure on this side and on that side.

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.

11 He measured the width of the opening of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits;

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.

12 and a border before the lodges, one cubit on this side, and a border, one cubit on that side; and the side rooms, six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side.

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.

13 He measured the gate from the roof of the one side room to the roof of the other, a width of twenty-five cubits, door against door.

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).

14 He also made posts, sixty cubits; and the court reached to the posts, around the gate.

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.

15 From the forefront of the gate at the entrance to the forefront of the inner porch of the gate were fifty cubits.

The length from [outer] opening of the entryway to the far end of the entry room was (87-1/2 feet/26.5 meters).

16 There were closed windows to the side rooms, and to their posts within the gate all around, and likewise to the arches. Windows were around inward. Palm trees were on each post.

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.

17 Then he brought me into the outer court. Behold, there were rooms and a pavement made for the court all around. Thirty rooms were on the pavement.

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.

18 The pavement was by the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates, even the lower pavement.

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.

19 Then he measured the width from the forefront of the lower gate to the forefront of the inner court outside, one hundred cubits, both on the east and on the north.

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].

20 He measured the length and width of the gate of the outer court which faces towards the north.

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].

21 The lodges of it were three on this side and three on that side. Its posts and its arches were the same as the measure of the first gate: its length was fifty cubits, and the width twenty-five cubits.

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.

22 Its windows, its arches, and its palm trees were the same as the measure of the gate which faces towards the east. They went up to it by seven steps. Its arches were before them.

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.

23 There was a gate to the inner court facing the other gate, on the north and on the east. He measured one hundred cubits from gate to gate.

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).

24 He led me towards the south; and behold, there was a gate towards the south. He measured its posts and its arches according to these measurements.

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.

25 There were windows in it and in its arches all around, like the other windows: the length was fifty cubits, and the width twenty-five cubits.

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.

26 There were seven steps to go up to it, and its arches were before them. It had palm trees, one on this side, and another on that side, on its posts.

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.

27 There was a gate to the inner court towards the south. He measured one hundred cubits from gate to gate towards the south.

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).

28 Then he brought me to the inner court by the south gate. He measured the south gate according to these measurements;

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].

29 with its lodges, its posts, and its arches, according to these measurements. There were windows in it and in its arches all around. It was fifty cubits long, and twenty-five cubits wide.

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.

30 There were arches all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide.

The entry rooms around [the inner courtyard] were (43-3/4 feet/13.3 meters) wide and (8.7 feet/2.6 meters) long.

31 Its arches were towards the outer court. Palm trees were on its posts. The ascent to it had eight steps.

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.

32 He brought me into the inner court towards the east. He measured the gate according to these measurements;

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]

33 with its lodges, its posts, and its arches, according to these measurements. There were windows in it and in its arches all around. It was fifty cubits long, and twenty-five cubits wide.

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

34 Its arches were towards the outer court. Palm trees were on its posts on this side and on that side. The ascent to it had eight steps.

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.

35 He brought me to the north gate, and he measured it according to these measurements—

Then he led me to the entrance on the north side and measured it. It measured the same as the other entrances.

36 its lodges, its posts, and its arches. There were windows in it all around. The length was fifty cubits and the width twenty-five cubits.

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.

37 Its posts were towards the outer court. Palm trees were on its posts on this side and on that side. The ascent to it had eight steps.

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.

38 A room with its door was by the posts at the gates. They washed the burnt offering there.

[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.

39 In the porch of the gate were two tables on this side and two tables on that side, on which to kill the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering.

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.

40 On the one side outside, as one goes up to the entry of the gate towards the north, were two tables; and on the other side, which belonged to the porch of the gate, were two tables.

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.

41 Four tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate: eight tables, on which they killed the sacrifices.

[So] there were four tables outside the entrance and four tables inside the entry room, on which the [animals to be] sacrificed were slaughtered.

42 There were four cut stone tables for the burnt offering, a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide, and one cubit high. They laid the instruments with which they killed the burnt offering and the sacrifice on them.

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.

43 The hooks, a hand width long, were fastened within all around. The meat of the offering was on the tables.

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].

44 Outside of the inner gate were rooms for the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate. They faced towards the south. One at the side of the east gate faced towards the north.

Outside the inner entryway, inside the inner courtyard, were two rooms, one on the north side and one on the south side.

45 He said to me, “This room, which faces towards the south, is for the priests who perform the duty of the house.

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.

46 The room which faces towards the north is for the priests who perform the duty of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who from amongst the sons of Levi come near to the LORD to minister to him.”

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.”

47 He measured the court, one hundred cubits long and one hundred cubits wide, square. The altar was before the house.

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.

48 Then he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side. The width of the gate was three cubits on this side and three cubits on that side.

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.

49 The length of the porch was twenty cubits and the width eleven cubits, even by the steps by which they went up to it. There were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side.

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.