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.

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 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.

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 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 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, 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.”

“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 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.

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 came to the gate which looks toward 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 up the steps of the east-facing gate. He measured the gate's threshold as six cubits 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 toward the house was one reed.

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 also the porch of the gate toward the house, one reed.

Then he measured the entrance porch.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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 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.

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 was by the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates, even 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 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.

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

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

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.

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

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 court facing the other gate, on the north and on the east. He measured one hundred cubits from gate to gate.

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

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

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 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.

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 court toward the south. He measured one hundred cubits from gate to gate toward the south.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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 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 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 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 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 The hooks, a hand width long, were fastened within all around. The meat of the offering was 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 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 toward the south. One at the side of the east gate faced toward the 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 He said to me, “This room, which faces toward the south, is for the priests who perform the duty of the house.

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

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

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

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 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 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.