Vision of the Man with a Measuring Rod

40 In the ^(A)twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the ^(B)city was ^[a]taken, on that same day the ^(C)hand of the Lord was upon me and He brought me there. ² In the ^(D)visions of God He brought me into the land of Israel and set me on a very ^(E)high mountain, and on it ^(F)to the south there was a ^(G)structure like a city. ³ So He brought me there; and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of ^(H)bronze, with a ^(I)line of flax and a ^(J)measuring ^[b]rod in his hand; and he was standing in the gateway. ⁴ The man said to me, “^(K)Son of man, ^(L)see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and give attention to all that I am going to show you; for you have been brought here in order to show it to you. ^(M)Declare to the house of Israel all that you see.”

Measurements Relating to the Temple

⁵ And behold, there was a ^(N)wall on the outside of the ^[c]temple all around, and in the man’s hand was a measuring rod of six cubits, each of which was a cubit and a ^[d]handbreadth. So he measured the thickness of the ^[e]wall, one rod; and the height, one rod. ⁶ Then he went to the gate which faced ^(O)east, went up its steps and measured the threshold of the gate, one rod ^[f]in width; and the other threshold was one rod ^[g]in width. ⁷ The ^(P)guardroom was one rod long and one rod wide; and there were five cubits between the guardrooms. And the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate ^[h]facing inward was one rod. ⁸ Then he measured the porch of the gate ^[i]facing inward, one rod. ⁹ He measured the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and its side pillars, two cubits. And the porch of the gate was ^[j]faced inward. ¹⁰ The guardrooms of the gate toward the east numbered three on each side; the three of them had the same measurement. The side pillars also had the same measurement on each side. ¹¹ And he measured the width of the ^[k]gateway, ten cubits, and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits. ¹² There was a ^[l]barrier wall one cubit wide in front of the guardrooms on each side; and the guardrooms were six cubits square on each side. ¹³ He measured the gate from the roof of the one guardroom to the roof of the other, a width of twenty-five cubits from one door to the door opposite. ¹⁴ He made the side pillars sixty cubits high; the gate extended round about to the side pillar of the ^(Q)courtyard. ¹⁵ From the front of the entrance gate to the front of the inner porch of the gate was fifty cubits. ¹⁶ There were ^[m](R)shuttered windows looking toward the guardrooms, and toward their side pillars within the gate all around, and likewise for the porches. And there were windows all around inside; and on each side pillar were ^(S)palm tree ornaments.

¹⁷ Then he brought me into the ^(T)outer court, and behold, there were ^(U)chambers and a pavement made for the court all around; thirty chambers ^[n]faced the pavement. ¹⁸ The pavement (that is, the lower pavement) was by the ^[o]side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates. ¹⁹ Then he measured the width from the front of the ^(V)lower gate to the front of the exterior of the inner court, a ^(W)hundred cubits on the east and on the north.

²⁰ As for the ^(X)gate of the outer court which faced the north, he measured its length and its width. ^21 [p]It had three ^(Y)guardrooms on each side; and its ^(Z)side pillars and its porches ^[q]had the same measurement as the first gate. Its length was ^(AA)fifty cubits and the width ^(AB)twenty-five cubits. ²² Its ^(AC)windows and its porches and its palm tree ornaments had the same measurements as the ^(AD)gate which faced toward the east; and ^[r]it was reached by seven ^(AE)steps, and its ^[s]porch was in front of them. ²³ The inner court had a gate opposite the gate on the north as well as the gate on the east; and he measured a ^(AF)hundred cubits from gate to gate.

²⁴ Then he led me toward the south, and behold, there was a ^(AG)gate toward the south; and he measured its ^(AH)side pillars and its porches according to ^[t]those same measurements. ^25 [u]The gate and its porches had ^(AI)windows all around like ^[v]those other windows; the length was ^(AJ)fifty cubits and the width twenty-five cubits. ²⁶ There were seven ^(AK)steps going up to it, and its porches were in front of them; and it had ^(AL)palm tree ornaments on its side pillars, one on each side. ²⁷ The inner court had a gate toward the ^(AM)south; and he measured from gate to gate toward the south, a ^(AN)hundred cubits.

²⁸ Then he brought me to the inner court by the south gate; and he measured the south gate ^(AO)according to those same measurements. ²⁹ Its ^(AP)guardrooms also, its side pillars and its ^(AQ)porches were according to those same measurements. And ^[w]the gate and its porches had ^(AR)windows all around; it was ^(AS)fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. ³⁰ There were ^(AT)porches all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide. ³¹ Its porches were toward the outer court; and ^(AU)palm tree ornaments were on its side pillars, and its stairway had eight ^(AV)steps.

³² He brought me into the ^(AW)inner court toward the east. And he measured the gate ^(AX)according to those same measurements. ³³ Its ^(AY)guardrooms also, its side pillars and its porches were according to those same measurements. And ^[x]the gate and its porches had ^(AZ)windows all around; it was ^(BA)fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. ³⁴ Its ^(BB)porches were toward the outer court; and ^(BC)palm tree ornaments were on its side pillars, on each side, and its stairway had eight ^(BD)steps.

³⁵ Then he brought me to the ^(BE)north gate; and he measured it according to those same measurements, ³⁶ with its ^(BF)guardrooms, its side pillars and its ^(BG)porches. And ^[y]the gate had ^(BH)windows all around; the length was ^(BI)fifty cubits and the width twenty-five cubits. ³⁷ Its side pillars were toward the outer court; and ^(BJ)palm tree ornaments were on its side pillars on each side, and its stairway had eight ^(BK)steps.

³⁸ A ^(BL)chamber with its doorway was by the side pillars at the gates; there they ^(BM)rinse the burnt offering. ³⁹ In the porch of the gate were two ^(BN)tables on each side, on which to slaughter the ^(BO)burnt offering, the sin offering and the guilt offering. ⁴⁰ On the outer ^[z]side, ^[aa]as one went up to the ^[ab]gateway toward the north, were two tables; and on the other ^[ac]side of the porch of the gate were two tables. ⁴¹ Four ^(BP)tables were on each side ^[ad]next to the gate; or, eight tables on which they slaughter sacrifices. ⁴² For the burnt offering there were four ^(BQ)tables of ^(BR)hewn stone, a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide and one cubit high, on which they lay the instruments with which they slaughter the ^(BS)burnt offering and the sacrifice. ⁴³ The double ^[ae]hooks, one handbreadth in length, were installed ^[af]in the house all around; and on the tables was the flesh of the offering.

⁴⁴ From the outside to the ^(BT)inner gate were ^[ag](BU)chambers for the ^(BV)singers in the inner court, one of which was at the ^[ah]side of the north gate, with ^[ai]its front toward the south, and one at the ^[aj]side of the ^[ak]south gate facing toward the north. ⁴⁵ He said to me, “This is the ^(BW)chamber which faces toward the south, intended for the priests who ^(BX)keep charge of the ^[al]temple; ⁴⁶ but the ^(BY)chamber which faces toward the north is for the priests who ^(BZ)keep charge of the altar. These are the ^(CA)sons of Zadok, who from the sons of Levi ^(CB)come near to the Lord to minister to Him.” ⁴⁷ He measured the court, a perfect square, a ^(CC)hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide; and the altar was in front of the ^[am]temple.

⁴⁸ Then he brought me to the ^(CD)porch of the ^[an]temple and measured each side pillar of the porch, five cubits on each side; and the width of the gate was three cubits on each side. ⁴⁹ The length of the porch was twenty cubits and the width eleven cubits; and at the ^(CE)stairway by which it was ascended were ^(CF)columns belonging to the side pillars, one on each side.

Zayin.

Paul before Festus

25 Festus then, having arrived in ^(A)the province, three days later went up to Jerusalem from ^(B)Caesarea. ² And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews ^(C)brought charges against Paul, and they were urging him, ³ requesting a ^[a]concession against ^[b]Paul, that he might ^[c]have him brought to Jerusalem (at the same time, ^(D)setting an ambush to kill him on the way). ⁴ Festus then ^(E)answered that Paul ^(F)was being kept in custody at ^(G)Caesarea and that he himself was about to leave shortly. ⁵ “Therefore,” he *said, “let the influential men among you ^[d]go there with me, and if there is anything wrong ^[e]about the man, let them ^[f]prosecute him.”

⁶ After he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to ^(H)Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on ^(I)the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. ⁷ After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing ^(J)many and serious charges against him ^(K)which they could not prove, ⁸ while Paul said in his own defense, “^(L)I have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” ⁹ But Festus, ^(M)wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “^(N)Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and ^[g]stand trial before me on these charges?” ¹⁰ But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s ^(O)tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. ¹¹ If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I ^(P)appeal to Caesar.” ¹² Then when Festus had conferred with ^[h]his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go.”

¹³ Now when several days had elapsed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at ^(Q)Caesarea ^[i]and paid their respects to Festus. ¹⁴ While they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man who was ^(R)left as a prisoner by Felix; ¹⁵ and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews ^(S)brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. ¹⁶ I ^(T)answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before ^(U)the accused meets his accusers face to face and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges. ¹⁷ So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my seat on ^(V)the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought before me. ¹⁸ When the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting, ¹⁹ but they simply had some ^(W)points of disagreement with him about their own ^[j](X)religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive. ^20 (Y)Being at a loss how to investigate ^[k]such matters, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters. ²¹ But when Paul ^(Z)appealed to be held in custody for ^[l]the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.” ²² Then ^(AA)Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he *said, “you shall hear him.”

Paul before Agrippa

²³ So, on the next day when ^(AB)Agrippa came ^[m]together with ^(AC)Bernice amid great pomp, and entered the auditorium ^[n]accompanied by the ^[o]commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. ²⁴ Festus *said, “King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen here present with us, you see this man about whom ^(AD)all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly declaring that ^(AE)he ought not to live any longer. ²⁵ But I found that he had committed ^(AF)nothing worthy of death; and since he himself ^(AG)appealed to ^[p]the Emperor, I decided to send him. ^26 [q]Yet I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him before you all and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I may have something to write. ²⁷ For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate also the charges against him.”