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Ezekiel 42-44
Common English Bible

Chambers and promenades

42 Then he led me north to the outer courtyard and brought me into the set of chambers opposite the yard and the structure to the north. 2 The length of the facade at the north entrance was one hundred fifty feet, its depth seventy-five feet. 3 It was next to the twenty chambers that belonged to the inner courtyard and next to the pavement of the outer courtyard, and it had three courses of promenades. 4 In front of the chambers there was a passage fifteen feet wide, and to the inside, a passage eighteen inches wide. The entrance to the chambers was on the north. 5 The upper chambers were smaller, because the promenades took up more space from them than from the first and second stories. 6 This was because the promenades were arranged in three levels, but they didn’t have columns like those in the courtyards. For this reason, the top story was narrower than the first and second stories. 7 A stone wall ran parallel to the chambers facing the outer courtyard. It was seventy-five feet long, 8 the same length, seventy-five feet, as the chambers facing the outer courtyard. Those facing the temple were one hundred fifty feet. 9-10 These chambers were entered from the outer courtyard at the end of the courtyard wall, because the entrance was at the end of the chambers at the east. South of the yard and the building, there were more chambers with a passage 11 in front of them. The design of the chambers resembled the ones to the north in length and width, as well as in all their exits. The arrangement of the entrances 12 to the chambers on the south side was identical as well. One entered from the east at the beginning of the corresponding wall.

13 Then he said to me, “The north and south chambers that face the building and the yard are the holy chambers where the priests eat the offerings that have been brought to the Lord. They are most holy. Here they will place the most holy things, the grain offering, the purification offering, and the compensation offering. The place is holy. 14 When the priests enter, they won’t go out of the sanctuary to the outer courtyard. There they will place the priestly vests that they wore when they were ministering, because these garments are also holy. They will put on other garments when they go out to the people’s area.”

15 When he finished making the interior measurements of the temple, he led me out toward the east gate, and he measured all the way around. 16 He used the same measuring rod on all four sides. He measured the east side, seven hundred fifty feet; 17 the north side, seven hundred fifty feet; and 18 the south side, seven hundred fifty feet. 19 He turned to the west side, seven hundred fifty feet. 20 On all four sides he measured the wall all the way around. Its length was seven hundred fifty feet, and its width seven hundred fifty feet. So he made a division between the holy and the ordinary.

Return of the divine glory

43 Then he led me to the east gate, 2 where the glory of Israel’s God was coming in from the east. Its sound was like the sound of a mighty flood, and the earth was lit up with his glory. 3 What appeared when I looked was like what I had seen when he[a] came to destroy the city, and also like what I saw at the Chebar River, and I fell on my face. 4 Then the Lord’s glory came into the temple by way of the east gate. 5 A wind picked me up and brought me to the inner courtyard, and there the Lord’s glory filled the temple. 6 A man was standing next to me, but the voice that I heard came from inside the temple. 7 He said to me, Human one, this is the place for my throne and the place for the soles of my feet, where I will dwell among the Israelites forever. The house of Israel will never again defile my holy name, neither they nor their kings, with their disloyalties[b] and with their kings’ corpses at the shrines. 8 When they set their plazas[c] with mine and their doorposts next to mine, the wall was between us. They defiled my holy name with their detestable practices, so I consumed them in my anger. 9 Now let them remove their disloyalties and their kings’ corpses from me, and I will dwell among them forever.

10 You, human one, describe the temple to the house of Israel. Let them be humiliated because of their guilt when they think about its design. 11 When they feel humiliated by all that they have done, make known to them the shape of the temple and its adornment, its exits and its entrances, its entire plan and all of its regulations.[d] Write them down in their sight so that they may observe all of its entire plan and all its regulations and perform them.

12 These are the instructions for the temple: the top of the mountain, as well as its boundaries all around, are most holy. These are the instructions for the temple.

The altar

13 These are the dimensions of the altar, according to a twenty-one-inch unit of measure.[e] The base is twenty-one inches high and twenty-one inches wide, with an outer curb measuring one and a half inches all around. This is the altar’s height. 14 From the base at ground level to the lower ledge is forty-two inches; the lower ledge is twenty-one inches wide. The distance from the lower to the upper ledge is seven feet; the upper ledge is twenty-one inches wide. 15 The hearth is seven feet high, with four horns projecting upward from the hearth. 16 The hearth is twenty-one feet square; each side is equal to the others. 17 The ledge around the hearth is twenty-four and a half feet long by twenty-four and a half feet wide, a square. Its outer rim is ten and a half inches, and its base all around is twenty-one inches. Its ramp faces east.

Purification of the altar

18 He said to me, Human one, the Lord God proclaims: These are the regulations established for the altar on the day when it is prepared for making entirely burned offerings and dashing blood on it. 19 You will provide a young bull as a purification offering to the levitical priests who are descendants of Zadok, the ones who may draw near to minster to me. This is what the Lord God says. 20 You will take some of its blood and set it on the four horns of the altar and on the four sides of the ledge and on the curb all around. So you will purify it and purge it. 21 Then you will take the bull selected as the purification offering, and the priests will burn it in a designated place of the temple outside of the sanctuary. 22 On the second day, you will present a flawless male goat as a purification offering. The priests will purify the altar just as they purified the altar with the bull. 23 When you have completed the purification, you will present a flawless bull from the herd and a flawless ram from the flock. 24 You will present them to the Lord. The priests will throw salt on them and offer them as entirely burned offerings to the Lord. 25 Daily, for seven days, you will present a male goat for a purification offering. You will also present a bull from the herd and a ram from the flock, both flawless. 26 For seven days the priests will purge the altar in order to purify it and to dedicate it. 27 When the seven days are completed, the priests will offer your entirely burned offerings and your well-being sacrifices on the altar from the eighth day on, and I will accept you with pleasure. This is what the Lord God says.

The closed gate

44 He brought me back to the outer sanctuary gate that faces east. It was closed. 2 The Lord said to me, This gate remains closed. It shouldn’t be opened. No one should come in through it because the Lord, Israel’s God, has entered through it. It will remain closed. 3 As for the prince, he may sit in it to eat bread in the Lord’s presence. He may come in and go out by way of the gate’s porch.

Foreigners, Levites, Zadokites

4 Then he brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple. I looked, and suddenly the Lord’s glory filled the Lord’s temple, and I fell on my face. 5 Then the Lord said to me: Human one, pay close attention! Use your eyes and ears and listen to all that I say to you concerning the regulations of the Lord’s temple and all its instructions. Pay close attention to the access to the temple through all the sanctuary portals.[f] 6 Speak to the rebels, to the house of Israel, The Lord God proclaims: Enough of your detestable practices, house of Israel! 7 You made my temple unclean because you brought into my sanctuary foreigners who were physically and spiritually uncircumcised. When you offered my food of fat and blood to me, you[g] broke my covenant with all your detestable practices. 8 You didn’t keep charge of my holy things. On the contrary, you appointed them[h] to keep charge in my sanctuary for you.

9 The Lord God proclaims: Foreigners who are spiritually and physically uncircumcised must not enter my sanctuary; that is, all foreigners among the Israelites. 10 But the Levites, who went far from me when Israel went astray, who went astray from me after their idols, will bear their guilt. 11 They will keep charge in my sanctuary, and they will oversee the temple gates and keep charge of the temple. They will slaughter the entirely burned offerings and the sacrifices for the people, and they will stand before them to minister to them. 12 Because they ministered to them before their idols, they brought about the downfall of the house of Israel. For that reason I made a solemn pledge against them—this is what the Lord God says—and they will bear their guilt. 13 They won’t approach me to officiate for me as priests or approach any of my holy things or the most holy place. Though they will bear their humiliation and the consequences of their detestable practices, 14 I will appoint them to keep charge of the temple, all its work, and all that is done in it.

15 As for the priests of the levitical family of Zadok who did keep charge of my sanctuary when the Israelites strayed away from me, they will draw near to me to serve me. They will stand in my presence to present fat and blood to me. This is what the Lord God says. 16 They will come into my sanctuary, and they will approach my table to minister to me. They will keep my charge. 17 When they come through the gates to the inner courtyard, they will wear linen garments. They won’t wear any wool when they minister at the gates of the inner courtyard or in the temple. 18 They will have linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They won’t wear anything that makes them sweat. 19 When they go out to the outer courtyard to the people, they will remove the garments in which they were ministering. They will lay them aside in the holy chambers and wear other clothing. They must not transfer holiness to the people through their clothing. 20 They must neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow long, but they will trim the hair on their heads. 21 None of the priests should drink wine when they come into the inner courtyard. 22 They must not marry widows or divorced women, but only Israelite virgins. Priests may, however, marry the widows of other priests. 23 They must teach my people the difference between the holy and the ordinary, and show them the difference between clean and unclean. 24 They must execute judgments according to my case laws in cases of civil conflict. They must observe my instructions and my regulations regarding all my festivals. They must keep my sabbaths holy. 25 In order to avoid uncleanness, they must not approach the dead. They may, however, become unclean for their father or mother, son or daughter, brother or unmarried sister. 26 Once the priest is clean again, he must count off seven days. 27 On the day that he comes into the holy place, the inner courtyard, to minister in the holy place, he will present his purification offering. This is what the Lord God says. 28 As for their inheritance, I am their inheritance. They won’t be given family property in Israel; I am their family property. 29 They will eat the grain offerings, the purification offerings, and the compensation offerings. Every dedicated thing in Israel belongs to them. 30 The best of the early produce of every kind, and every contribution, all of them, belong to the priests. You will give the best of your bread dough to the priest so that a blessing may come to rest on your household. 31 The priests must not eat any bird or animal that dies naturally or is torn apart by prey.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 43:3 Vulg; MT I
  2. Ezekiel 43:7 Or prostitution
  3. Ezekiel 43:8 Or thresholds
  4. Ezekiel 43:11 LXX; MT adds and all of its structures and all of its instructions.
  5. Ezekiel 43:13 Heb ammah ammah, traditionally a long cubit
  6. Ezekiel 44:5 Or exits
  7. Ezekiel 44:7 LXX, Syr, Vulg; MT they
  8. Ezekiel 44:8 Heb lacks them.
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Ezekiel 42-44
New International Version

The Rooms for the Priests

42 Then the man led me northward into the outer court and brought me to the rooms(A) opposite the temple courtyard(B) and opposite the outer wall on the north side.(C) 2 The building whose door faced north was a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide.[a] 3 Both in the section twenty cubits[b] from the inner court and in the section opposite the pavement of the outer court, gallery(D) faced gallery at the three levels.(E) 4 In front of the rooms was an inner passageway ten cubits wide and a hundred cubits[c] long.[d] Their doors were on the north.(F) 5 Now the upper rooms were narrower, for the galleries took more space from them than from the rooms on the lower and middle floors of the building. 6 The rooms on the top floor had no pillars, as the courts had; so they were smaller in floor space than those on the lower and middle floors. 7 There was an outer wall parallel to the rooms and the outer court; it extended in front of the rooms for fifty cubits. 8 While the row of rooms on the side next to the outer court was fifty cubits long, the row on the side nearest the sanctuary was a hundred cubits long. 9 The lower rooms had an entrance(G) on the east side as one enters them from the outer court.

10 On the south side[e] along the length of the wall of the outer court, adjoining the temple courtyard(H) and opposite the outer wall, were rooms(I) 11 with a passageway in front of them. These were like the rooms on the north; they had the same length and width, with similar exits and dimensions. Similar to the doorways on the north 12 were the doorways of the rooms on the south. There was a doorway at the beginning of the passageway that was parallel to the corresponding wall extending eastward, by which one enters the rooms.

13 Then he said to me, “The north(J) and south rooms(K) facing the temple courtyard(L) are the priests’ rooms, where the priests who approach the Lord will eat the most holy offerings. There they will put the most holy offerings—the grain offerings,(M) the sin offerings[f](N) and the guilt offerings(O)—for the place is holy.(P) 14 Once the priests enter the holy precincts, they are not to go into the outer court until they leave behind the garments(Q) in which they minister, for these are holy. They are to put on other clothes before they go near the places that are for the people.(R)”

15 When he had finished measuring what was inside the temple area, he led me out by the east gate(S) and measured the area all around: 16 He measured the east side with the measuring rod; it was five hundred cubits.[g][h] 17 He measured the north side; it was five hundred cubits[i] by the measuring rod. 18 He measured the south side; it was five hundred cubits by the measuring rod. 19 Then he turned to the west side and measured; it was five hundred cubits by the measuring rod. 20 So he measured(T) the area(U) on all four sides. It had a wall around it,(V) five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide,(W) to separate the holy from the common.(X)

God’s Glory Returns to the Temple

43 Then the man brought me to the gate facing east,(Y) 2 and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters,(Z) and the land was radiant with his glory.(AA) 3 The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he[j] came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. 4 The glory(AB) of the Lord entered the temple through the gate facing east.(AC) 5 Then the Spirit(AD) lifted me up(AE) and brought me into the inner court, and the glory(AF) of the Lord filled the temple.(AG)

6 While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple. 7 He said: “Son of man, this is the place of my throne(AH) and the place for the soles of my feet. This is where I will live among the Israelites forever. The people of Israel will never again defile(AI) my holy name—neither they nor their kings—by their prostitution and the funeral offerings[k] for their kings at their death.[l](AJ) 8 When they placed their threshold next to my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them, they defiled my holy name by their detestable practices. So I destroyed them in my anger. 9 Now let them put away from me their prostitution and the funeral offerings for their kings, and I will live among them forever.(AK)

10 “Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed(AL) of their sins. Let them consider its perfection, 11 and if they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the design of the temple—its arrangement, its exits and entrances—its whole design and all its regulations[m] and laws. Write these down before them so that they may be faithful to its design and follow all its regulations.(AM)

12 “This is the law of the temple: All the surrounding area(AN) on top of the mountain will be most holy.(AO) Such is the law of the temple.

The Great Altar Restored

13 “These are the measurements of the altar(AP) in long cubits,[n] that cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth: Its gutter is a cubit deep and a cubit wide, with a rim of one span[o] around the edge. And this is the height of the altar: 14 From the gutter on the ground up to the lower ledge that goes around the altar it is two cubits high, and the ledge is a cubit wide.[p] From this lower ledge to the upper ledge that goes around the altar it is four cubits high, and that ledge is also a cubit wide.[q] 15 Above that, the altar hearth(AQ) is four cubits high, and four horns(AR) project upward from the hearth. 16 The altar hearth is square, twelve cubits[r] long and twelve cubits wide.(AS) 17 The upper ledge(AT) also is square, fourteen cubits[s] long and fourteen cubits wide. All around the altar is a gutter of one cubit with a rim of half a cubit.[t] The steps(AU) of the altar face east.(AV)”

18 Then he said to me, “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: These will be the regulations for sacrificing burnt offerings(AW) and splashing blood(AX) against the altar when it is built: 19 You are to give a young bull(AY) as a sin offering[u] to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok,(AZ) who come near(BA) to minister before me, declares the Sovereign Lord. 20 You are to take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar(BB) and on the four corners of the upper ledge(BC) and all around the rim, and so purify the altar(BD) and make atonement for it. 21 You are to take the bull for the sin offering and burn it in the designated part of the temple area outside the sanctuary.(BE)

22 “On the second day you are to offer a male goat without defect for a sin offering, and the altar is to be purified as it was purified with the bull. 23 When you have finished purifying it, you are to offer a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without defect.(BF) 24 You are to offer them before the Lord, and the priests are to sprinkle salt(BG) on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the Lord.

25 “For seven days(BH) you are to provide a male goat daily for a sin offering; you are also to provide a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without defect.(BI) 26 For seven days they are to make atonement for the altar and cleanse it; thus they will dedicate it. 27 At the end of these days, from the eighth day(BJ) on, the priests are to present your burnt offerings(BK) and fellowship offerings(BL) on the altar. Then I will accept you, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

The Priesthood Restored

44 Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east,(BM) and it was shut. 2 The Lord said to me, “This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it.(BN) It is to remain shut because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered through it. 3 The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence(BO) of the Lord. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.(BP)”

4 Then the man brought me by way of the north gate(BQ) to the front of the temple. I looked and saw the glory of the Lord filling the temple(BR) of the Lord, and I fell facedown.(BS)

5 The Lord said to me, “Son of man, look carefully, listen closely and give attention to everything I tell you concerning all the regulations and instructions regarding the temple of the Lord. Give attention to the entrance(BT) to the temple and all the exits of the sanctuary.(BU) 6 Say to rebellious Israel,(BV) ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Enough of your detestable practices, people of Israel! 7 In addition to all your other detestable practices, you brought foreigners uncircumcised in heart(BW) and flesh into my sanctuary, desecrating my temple while you offered me food, fat and blood, and you broke my covenant.(BX) 8 Instead of carrying out your duty in regard to my holy things, you put others in charge of my sanctuary.(BY) 9 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh is to enter my sanctuary, not even the foreigners who live among the Israelites.(BZ)

10 “‘The Levites who went far from me when Israel went astray(CA) and who wandered from me after their idols must bear the consequences of their sin.(CB) 11 They may serve in my sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and serving in it; they may slaughter the burnt offerings(CC) and sacrifices for the people and stand before the people and serve them.(CD) 12 But because they served them in the presence of their idols and made the people of Israel fall(CE) into sin, therefore I have sworn with uplifted hand(CF) that they must bear the consequences of their sin, declares the Sovereign Lord.(CG) 13 They are not to come near to serve me as priests or come near any of my holy things or my most holy offerings; they must bear the shame(CH) of their detestable practices.(CI) 14 And I will appoint them to guard the temple for all the work that is to be done in it.(CJ)

15 “‘But the Levitical priests, who are descendants of Zadok(CK) and who guarded my sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from me, are to come near to minister before me; they are to stand before me to offer sacrifices of fat(CL) and blood, declares the Sovereign Lord.(CM) 16 They alone are to enter my sanctuary; they alone are to come near my table(CN) to minister before me and serve me as guards.(CO)

17 “‘When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen clothes;(CP) they must not wear any woolen garment while ministering at the gates of the inner court or inside the temple. 18 They are to wear linen turbans(CQ) on their heads and linen undergarments(CR) around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire.(CS) 19 When they go out into the outer court where the people are, they are to take off the clothes they have been ministering in and are to leave them in the sacred rooms, and put on other clothes, so that the people are not consecrated(CT) through contact with their garments.(CU)

20 “‘They must not shave(CV) their heads or let their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of their heads trimmed.(CW) 21 No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court.(CX) 22 They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may marry only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests.(CY) 23 They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common(CZ) and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.(DA)

24 “‘In any dispute, the priests are to serve as judges(DB) and decide it according to my ordinances. They are to keep my laws and my decrees for all my appointed festivals,(DC) and they are to keep my Sabbaths holy.(DD)

25 “‘A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person; however, if the dead person was his father or mother, son or daughter, brother or unmarried sister, then he may defile himself.(DE) 26 After he is cleansed, he must wait seven days.(DF) 27 On the day he goes into the inner court of the sanctuary(DG) to minister in the sanctuary, he is to offer a sin offering[v](DH) for himself, declares the Sovereign Lord.

28 “‘I am to be the only inheritance(DI) the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession. 29 They will eat(DJ) the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings; and everything in Israel devoted[w] to the Lord(DK) will belong to them.(DL) 30 The best of all the firstfruits(DM) and of all your special gifts will belong to the priests. You are to give them the first portion of your ground meal(DN) so that a blessing(DO) may rest on your household.(DP) 31 The priests must not eat anything, whether bird or animal, found dead(DQ) or torn by wild animals.(DR)

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 42:2 That is, about 175 feet long and 88 feet wide or about 53 meters long and 27 meters wide
  2. Ezekiel 42:3 That is, about 35 feet or about 11 meters
  3. Ezekiel 42:4 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew and one cubit
  4. Ezekiel 42:4 That is, about 18 feet wide and 175 feet long or about 5.3 meters wide and 53 meters long
  5. Ezekiel 42:10 Septuagint; Hebrew Eastward
  6. Ezekiel 42:13 Or purification offerings
  7. Ezekiel 42:16 See Septuagint of verse 17; Hebrew rods; also in verses 18 and 19.
  8. Ezekiel 42:16 Five hundred cubits equal about 875 feet or about 265 meters; also in verses 17, 18 and 19.
  9. Ezekiel 42:17 Septuagint; Hebrew rods
  10. Ezekiel 43:3 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts I
  11. Ezekiel 43:7 Or the memorial monuments; also in verse 9
  12. Ezekiel 43:7 Or their high places
  13. Ezekiel 43:11 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts regulations and its whole design
  14. Ezekiel 43:13 That is, about 21 inches or about 53 centimeters; also in verses 14 and 17. The long cubit is the basic unit for linear measurement throughout Ezekiel 40–48.
  15. Ezekiel 43:13 That is, about 11 inches or about 27 centimeters
  16. Ezekiel 43:14 That is, about 3 1/2 feet high and 1 3/4 feet wide or about 105 centimeters high and 53 centimeters wide
  17. Ezekiel 43:14 That is, about 7 feet high and 1 3/4 feet wide or about 2.1 meters high and 53 centimeters wide
  18. Ezekiel 43:16 That is, about 21 feet or about 6.4 meters
  19. Ezekiel 43:17 That is, about 25 feet or about 7.4 meters
  20. Ezekiel 43:17 That is, about 11 inches or about 27 centimeters
  21. Ezekiel 43:19 Or purification offering; also in verses 21, 22 and 25
  22. Ezekiel 44:27 Or purification offering; also in verse 29
  23. Ezekiel 44:29 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord.
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