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40 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, Yahweh’s hand was on me, and he brought me there. In the visions of God he brought me into the land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, on which was something like the frame of a city to the south. 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. 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.”

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

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. 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.

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

10 The lodges 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. 11 He measured the width of the opening of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits; 12 and a border before the lodges, one cubit on this side, and a border, one cubit on that side; and the lodges, six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side. 13 He measured the gate from the roof of the one lodge to the roof of the other, a width of twenty-five cubits, door against door. 14 He also made posts, sixty cubits; and the court reached to the posts, around the gate. 15 From the forefront of the gate at the entrance to the forefront of the inner porch of the gate were fifty cubits. 16 There were closed windows to the lodges, and to their posts within the gate all around, and likewise to the arches. Windows were around inward. Palm trees were on each post.

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

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

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. 25 There were windows in it and in its arches all around, like those windows: the length was fifty cubits, and the width twenty-five cubits. 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. 27 There was a gate to the inner court toward the south. He measured one hundred cubits from gate to gate toward the south.

28 Then he brought me to the inner court by the south gate. He measured the south gate according to these measurements; 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. 30 There were arches all around, twenty-five cubits long, and five cubits wide. 31 Its arches were toward the outer court. Palm trees were on its posts. The ascent to it had eight steps.

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

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

38 A room with its door was by the posts at the gates. They washed the burnt offering there. 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. 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. 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. 42 There were four tables for the burnt offering, of cut stone, a cubit and a half long, and 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. 43 The hooks, a hand width long, were fastened within all around. The meat of the offering was 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. 45 He said to me, “This room, which faces toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the duty of the house. 46 The room which faces toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the duty of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who from among the sons of Levi come near to Yahweh to minister to him.” 47 He measured the court, one hundred cubits long, and a hundred cubits wide, square. The altar was before the house.

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. 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.

Footnotes

  1. 40:5 A normal cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters. A handbreadth is about 4.3 inches or 11 centimeters, so the long cubit described here would be about 22.3 inches or 57 centimeters long. Thus, a 6 long cubit measuring reed would have been about 3 yards 26.6 inches or about 3.42 meters long.

Vision of restoration

40 In the beginning of the twenty-fifth year of our exile, on the tenth day of the month, exactly fourteen years after the city was struck down, on that very day, the Lord’s power was on me, and he took me there. In God’s visions, he brought me to the land of Israel and set me down on a very high mountain, where there was a city structure to the south. When he brought me there, I saw a man standing in the gate. He appeared to be bronze, and he had a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. The man spoke to me, “Human one, look and listen well, and take seriously everything I show you, because you were brought here so that these things could be revealed to you. Describe everything you see to the house of Israel.”

Temple compound

Now there was an outer wall that went all the way around the temple compound. The measuring rod in the man’s hand was ten and a half feet[a] (based on a standard eighteen inches[b] plus three inches[c]). When he measured the wall’s height and width it was ten and a half feet high and ten and a half feet wide. He entered the gate facing east. He went up its steps, and he measured the plaza[d] at the gate. It was ten and a half feet wide: the plaza was ten and a half feet wide. The rooms were ten and a half feet long and ten and a half feet wide, with a space of seven and a half feet between them. The plaza next to the porch at the gate opposite the temple was ten and a half feet. He measured the porch of the gate opposite the temple: it was ten and a half feet. Then he measured the porch of the gate: it was twelve feet,[e] and its arches were three feet. The porch of the gate was opposite the temple. 10 Inside the east gate, there were three rooms on each side. Each was the same size, and the arches on each side were the same size also. 11 Then he measured the width of the gate opening, which was fifteen feet, and the gate’s length, which was nineteen and a half feet. 12 A border running along the front of the rooms on each side was eighteen inches wide, and each of the rooms was nine feet square. 13 He measured the gate through the room openings that faced each other. From the outer ceiling edge of one room to the outer ceiling edge of the other, the gate was thirty-seven and a half feet wide. 14 Next he made out the perimeter of the hallway, defined by the arches inside the gate: it was ninety feet. 15 It was seventy-five feet from the front of the outer gate to the front of the inner porch of the gate. 16 Inside the gate, all of the rooms and their arches had closed windows; there were also niches inside the porch all the way around. The arches were decorated with palm trees.

17 Then he brought me to the outer courtyard, which consisted of chambers and a pavement all the way around. Thirty chambers came up to the pavement, 18 and the pavement came up to the facades of the gates along their entire length. That was the lower pavement. 19 When he measured the width from the inside of the lower gate to the outer edge of the inner courtyard, it was one hundred fifty feet.

After he measured the east gate, he measured the north gate, 20 the one facing north at the outer courtyard. He measured its length and width, 21 its three inner rooms on each side, its arches, and its porch. Its measurements were the same as the first gate: seventy-five feet long and thirty-seven and a half feet wide. 22 The windows, porch, and palm decorations had the same measurements as those of the east gate. Seven steps led up to the entrance, and the porch was at the other end. 23 There were also gates to the inner courtyard opposite the north and east gates. When he measured from gate to gate, it was one hundred fifty feet.

24 Then he had me walk toward the south, where there was a gate facing south. He measured its arches and porch using the same measurements. 25 Its windows and its porch all around were like the others, and the gate also was seventy-five feet long and thirty-seven and a half feet wide. 26 Its stairway had seven steps, and its porch was at the other end. On its arches, one on either side, were palm decorations. 27 There was a gate to the inner courtyard on the south. When he measured from gate to gate on the south side, it was one hundred fifty feet.

28 When he brought me to the inner courtyard by way of the south gate, he took the same measurements of the south gate. 29 Its rooms, arches, and porch, as well as its windows and porch all the way around, measured the same as the others. It was seventy-five feet long and thirty-seven and a half feet wide. 30 There were porches all around, thirty-seven and a half feet long and seven and a half feet wide. 31 Its porch faced the outer courtyard. Palms decorated its arches, and its stairway had eight steps.

32 Then he brought me to the inner courtyard on the east side, and again he took the same measurements of the gate. 33 Its rooms, arches, and porch measured the same as the others, as well as its windows and porch all the way around. It was seventy-five feet long and thirty-seven and a half feet wide. 34 Its porch faced the outer courtyard. Palm trees decorated its arches on both sides, and its stairway had eight steps. 35 Then he brought me to the north gate and took the same measurements of the 36 rooms, arches, and porch, and also its windows all around. It was seventy-five feet long and thirty-seven and a half feet wide. 37 Its porch[f] faced the outer courtyard. Palm trees decorated its arches on both sides, and its stairway had eight steps.

38 At that gate, there was a room with an entrance in the arches for washing the entirely burned offering, 39 and inside the porch on each side of the gate were two tables where the entirely burned offerings, the purification offerings, and the compensation offerings were slaughtered. 40 Outside, two pairs of tables flanked the entrance of the north gate at both ends, at the steps on one end and the porch on the other. 41 There were four tables on each side of the gate, eight tables in all, for preparing the animal offerings. 42 The four tables that were used for the entirely burned offering as well as for the communal sacrifices were made of hewn stone. Each was twenty-seven inches square and eighteen inches high. Equipment used in the ritual slaughter was set on them. 43 Hooks,[g] three inches wide, were securely fixed all the way around. The tables were for the flesh of the offerings.

44 Outside the inner gate there were two[h] chambers in the inner courtyard. The one beside the north gate faced south, and the one beside the east gate faced north. 45 He spoke to me: “The chamber facing south is for the priests who keep watch over the temple, 46 and the chamber facing north is for the priests who keep watch over the altar. Of all the Levites, only the Zadokites may draw near to serve the Lord.” 47 Then he measured the courtyard. It was square, one hundred fifty feet long and one hundred fifty feet wide. The altar was in front of the temple.

The temple

48 Then he brought me to the porch of the temple and measured its arches. They were seven and a half feet on each side, and the width of the gate was four and a half feet on each side. 49 The porch was thirty feet long and eighteen feet wide. Steps led up into the porch, and there were columns for the arches, one on each side.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 40:5 Heb shesh ammoth ba'ammah traditionally six long cubits, which is defined as six times a standard ammah of eighteen inches plus a topha (traditionally handbreadth) of three inches. So the measuring rod has six segments of twenty-one inches each, which equals ten and a half feet. It is unclear whether the measurements with the rod continue past 40:8, when standard ammah appear, though the longer ammah do continue briefly in 43:13-17 for the altar.
  2. Ezekiel 40:5 Or a standard cubit
  3. Ezekiel 40:5 Or a handbreadth
  4. Ezekiel 40:6 Or threshold; Heb architectural and decorative terminology in Ezek 40–48 is often uncertain.
  5. Ezekiel 40:9 Or eight cubits
  6. Ezekiel 40:37 LXX; MT arches
  7. Ezekiel 40:43 Heb uncertain
  8. Ezekiel 40:44 LXX; MT singing