A New City, a New Temple

40 In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after (A)the city was [a]captured, on the very same day (B)the hand of the Lord was upon me; and He took me there. (C)In the visions of God He took me into the land of Israel and (D)set me on a very high mountain; on it toward the south was something like the structure of a city. He took me there, and behold, there was a man whose appearance was (E)like the appearance of bronze. (F)He had a line of flax (G)and a measuring rod in his hand, and he stood in the gateway.

And the man said to me, (H)“Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears, and [b]fix your mind on everything I show you; for you were brought here so that I might show them to you. (I)Declare to the house of Israel everything you see.” Now there was (J)a wall all around the outside of the [c]temple. In the man’s hand was a measuring rod six [d]cubits long, each being a cubit and a handbreadth; and he measured the width of the wall structure, one rod; and the height, one rod.

The Eastern Gateway of the Temple

Then he went to the gateway which faced (K)east; and he went up its stairs and measured the threshold of the gateway, which was one rod wide, and the other threshold was one rod wide. Each gate chamber was one rod long and one rod wide; between the gate chambers was a space of five cubits; and the threshold of the gateway by the vestibule of the inside gate was one rod. He also measured the vestibule of the inside gate, one rod. Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, eight cubits; and the gateposts, two cubits. The vestibule of the gate was on the inside. 10 In the eastern gateway were three gate chambers on one side and three on the other; the three were all the same size; also the gateposts were of the same size on this side and that side.

11 He measured the width of the entrance to the gateway, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits. 12 There was a [e]space in front of the gate chambers, one cubit on this side and one cubit on that side; the gate chambers were six cubits on this side and six cubits on that side. 13 Then he measured the gateway from the roof of one gate chamber to the roof of the other; the width was twenty-five cubits, as door faces door. 14 He measured the gateposts, sixty cubits high, and the court all around the gateway extended to the gatepost. 15 From the front of the entrance gate to the front of the vestibule of the inner gate was fifty cubits. 16 There were (L)beveled window frames in the gate chambers and in their intervening archways on the inside of the gateway all around, and likewise in the vestibules. There were windows all around on the inside. And on each gatepost were (M)palm trees.

The Outer Court

17 Then he brought me into (N)the outer court; and there were (O)chambers and a pavement made all around the court; (P)thirty chambers faced the pavement. 18 The pavement was by the side of the gateways, corresponding to the length of the gateways; this was the lower pavement. 19 Then he measured the width from the front of the lower gateway to the front of the inner court exterior, one hundred cubits toward the east and the north.

The Northern Gateway

20 On the outer court was also a gateway facing north, and he measured its length and its width. 21 Its gate chambers, three on this side and three on that side, its gateposts and its archways, had the same measurements as the first gate; its length was fifty cubits and its width twenty-five cubits. 22 Its windows and those of its archways, and also its palm trees, had the same measurements as the gateway facing east; it was ascended by seven steps, and its archway was in front of it. 23 A gate of the inner court was opposite the northern gateway, just as the eastern gateway; and he measured from gateway to gateway, one hundred cubits.

The Southern Gateway

24 After that he brought me toward the south, and there a gateway was facing south; and he measured its gateposts and archways according to these same measurements. 25 There were windows in it and in its archways all around like those windows; its length was fifty cubits and its width twenty-five cubits. 26 Seven steps led up to it, and its archway was in front of them; and it had palm trees on its gateposts, one on this side and one on that side. 27 There was also a gateway on the inner court, facing south; and he measured from gateway to gateway toward the south, one hundred cubits.

Gateways of the Inner Court

28 Then he brought me to the inner court through the southern gateway; he measured the southern gateway according to these same measurements. 29 Also its gate chambers, its gateposts, and its archways were according to these same measurements; there were windows in it and in its archways all around; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 30 There were archways all around, (Q)twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide. 31 Its archways faced the outer court, palm trees were on its gateposts, and going up to it were eight steps.

32 And he brought me into the inner court facing east; he measured the gateway according to these same measurements. 33 Also its gate chambers, its gateposts, and its archways were according to these same measurements; and there were windows in it and in its archways all around; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 34 Its archways faced the outer court, and palm trees were on its gateposts on this side and on that side; and going up to it were eight steps.

35 Then he brought me to the north gateway and measured it according to these same measurements— 36 also its gate chambers, its gateposts, and its archways. It had windows all around; its length was fifty cubits and its width twenty-five cubits. 37 Its gateposts faced the outer court, palm trees were on its gateposts on this side and on that side, and going up to it were eight steps.

Where Sacrifices Were Prepared

38 There was a chamber and its entrance by the gateposts of the gateway, where they (R)washed the burnt offering. 39 In the vestibule of the gateway were two tables on this side and two tables on that side, on which to slay the burnt offering, (S)the sin offering, and (T)the trespass offering. 40 At the outer side of the vestibule, as one goes up to the entrance of the northern gateway, were two tables; and on the other side of the vestibule of the gateway were two tables. 41 Four tables were on this side and four tables on that side, by the side of the gateway, eight tables on which they slaughtered the sacrifices. 42 There were also four tables of hewn stone for the burnt offering, one cubit and a half long, one cubit and a half wide, and one cubit high; on these they laid the instruments with which they slaughtered the burnt offering and the sacrifice. 43 Inside were hooks, a handbreadth wide, fastened all around; and the flesh of the sacrifices was on the tables.

Chambers for Singers and Priests

44 Outside the inner gate were the chambers for (U)the singers in the inner court, one facing south at the side of the northern gateway, and the other facing north at the side of the [f]southern gateway. 45 Then he said to me, “This chamber which faces south is for (V)the priests who have charge of the temple. 46 The chamber which faces north is for the priests (W)who have charge of the altar; these are the sons of (X)Zadok, from the sons of Levi, who come near the Lord to minister to Him.”

Dimensions of the Inner Court and Vestibule(Y)

47 And he measured the court, one hundred cubits long and one hundred cubits wide, foursquare. The altar was in front of the temple. 48 Then he brought me to the (Z)vestibule of the temple and measured the doorposts of the vestibule, five cubits on this side and five cubits on that side; and the width of the gateway was three cubits on this side and three cubits on that side. 49 (AA)The length of the vestibule was twenty cubits, and the width eleven cubits; and by the steps which led up to it there were (AB)pillars by the doorposts, one on this side and another on that side.

Dimensions of the Sanctuary

41 Then he (AC)brought me into the [g]sanctuary and measured the doorposts, six cubits wide on one side and six cubits wide on the other side—the width of the tabernacle. The width of the entryway was ten cubits, and the side walls of the entrance were five cubits on this side and five cubits on the other side; and he measured its length, forty cubits, and its width, twenty cubits.

Also he went inside and measured the doorposts, two cubits; and the entrance, six cubits high; and the width of the entrance, seven cubits. (AD)He measured the length, twenty cubits; and the width, twenty cubits, beyond the sanctuary; and he said to me, “This is the Most Holy Place.

The Side Chambers on the Wall

Next, he measured the wall of the [h]temple, six cubits. The width of each side chamber all around the temple was four cubits on every side. (AE)The side chambers were in three stories, one above the other, thirty chambers in each story; they rested on [i]ledges which were for the side chambers all around, that they might be supported, but (AF)not fastened to the wall of the temple. As one went up from story to story, the side chambers (AG)became wider all around, because their supporting ledges in the wall of the temple ascended like steps; therefore the width of the structure increased as one went up from the lowest story to the highest by way of the middle one. I also saw an elevation all around the temple; it was the foundation of the side chambers, (AH)a full rod, that is, six cubits high. The thickness of the outer wall of the side chambers was five cubits, and so also the remaining terrace by the place of the side chambers of the [j]temple. 10 And between it and the wall chambers was a width of twenty cubits all around the temple on every side. 11 The doors of the side chambers opened on the terrace, one door toward the north and another toward the south; and the width of the terrace was five cubits all around.

The Building at the Western End

12 The building that faced the separating courtyard at its western end was seventy cubits wide; the wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length ninety cubits.

Dimensions and Design of the Temple Area

13 So he measured the temple, one (AI)hundred cubits long; and the separating courtyard with the building and its walls was one hundred cubits long; 14 also the width of the eastern face of the temple, including the separating courtyard, was one hundred cubits. 15 He measured the length of the building behind it, facing the separating courtyard, with its (AJ)galleries on the one side and on the other side, one hundred cubits, as well as the inner [k]temple and the porches of the court, 16 their doorposts and (AK)the beveled window frames. And the galleries all around their three stories opposite the threshold were paneled with (AL)wood from the ground to the windows—the windows were covered— 17 from the space above the door, even to the inner [l]room, as well as outside, and on every wall all around, inside and outside, by measure.

18 And it was made (AM)with cherubim and (AN)palm trees, a palm tree between cherub and cherub. Each cherub had two faces, 19 (AO)so that the face of a man was toward a palm tree on one side, and the face of a young lion toward a palm tree on the other side; thus it was made throughout the temple all around. 20 From the floor to the space above the door, and on the wall of the sanctuary, cherubim and palm trees were carved.

21 The (AP)doorposts of the temple were square, as was the front of the sanctuary; their appearance was similar. 22 (AQ)The altar was of wood, three cubits high, and its length two cubits. Its corners, its length, and its sides were of wood; and he said to me, “This is (AR)the table that is (AS)before the Lord.”

23 (AT)The temple and the sanctuary had two doors. 24 The doors had two (AU)panels apiece, two folding panels: two panels for one door and two panels for the other door. 25 Cherubim and palm trees were carved on the doors of the temple just as they were carved on the walls. A wooden canopy was on the front of the vestibule outside. 26 There were (AV)beveled window frames and palm trees on one side and on the other, on the sides of the vestibule—also on the side chambers of the temple and on the canopies.

The Chambers for the Priests

42 Then he (AW)brought me out into the outer court, by the way toward the (AX)north; and he brought me into (AY)the chamber which was opposite the separating courtyard, and which was opposite the building toward the north. Facing the length, which was one hundred cubits (the width was fifty cubits), was the north door. Opposite the inner court of twenty cubits, and opposite the (AZ)pavement of the outer court, was (BA)gallery against gallery in three stories. In front of the chambers, toward the inside, was a walk ten cubits wide, at a distance of one cubit; and their doors faced north. Now the upper chambers were shorter, because the galleries took away space from them more than from the lower and middle stories of the building. For they were in three stories and did not have pillars like the pillars of the courts; therefore the upper level was [m]shortened more than the lower and middle levels from the ground up. And a wall which was outside ran parallel to the chambers, at the front of the chambers, toward the outer court; its length was fifty cubits. The length of the chambers toward the outer court was fifty cubits, whereas that facing the temple was one (BB)hundred cubits. At the lower chambers was the entrance on the east side, as one goes into them from the outer court.

10 Also there were chambers in the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, opposite the separating courtyard and opposite the building. 11 (BC)There was a walk in front of them also, and their appearance was like the chambers which were toward the north; they were as long and as wide as the others, and all their exits and entrances were according to plan. 12 And corresponding to the doors of the chambers that were facing south, as one enters them, there was a door in front of the walk, the way directly in front of the wall toward the east.

13 Then he said to me, “The north chambers and the south chambers, which are opposite the separating courtyard, are the holy chambers where the priests who approach the Lord (BD)shall eat the most holy offerings. There they shall lay the most holy offerings—(BE)the grain offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering—for the place is holy. 14 (BF)When the priests enter them, they shall not go out of the holy chamber into the outer court; but there they shall leave their garments in which they minister, for they are holy. They shall put on other garments; then they may approach that which is for the people.”

Outer Dimensions of the Temple

15 Now when he had finished measuring the inner [n]temple, he brought me out through the gateway that faces toward the (BG)east, and measured it all around. 16 He measured the east side with the [o]measuring rod, five hundred rods by the measuring rod all around. 17 He measured the north side, five hundred rods by the measuring rod all around. 18 He measured the south side, five hundred rods by the measuring rod. 19 He came around to the west side and measured five hundred rods by the measuring rod. 20 He measured it on the four sides; (BH)it had a wall all around, (BI)five hundred cubits long and five hundred wide, to separate the holy areas from the [p]common.

The Temple, the Lord’s Dwelling Place

43 Afterward he brought me to the gate, the gate (BJ)that faces toward the east. (BK)And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. (BL)His voice was like the sound of many waters; (BM)and the earth shone with His glory. It was (BN)like the appearance of the vision which I saw—like the vision which I saw when [q]I came (BO)to destroy the city. The visions were like the vision which I saw (BP)by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face. (BQ)And the glory of the Lord came into the [r]temple by way of the gate which faces toward the east. (BR)The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, (BS)the glory of the Lord filled the [s]temple.

Then I heard Him speaking to me from the temple, while (BT)a man stood beside me. And He said to me, “Son of man, this is (BU)the place of My throne and (BV)the place of the soles of My feet, (BW)where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever. (BX)No more shall the house of Israel defile My holy name, they nor their kings, by their [t]harlotry or with (BY)the carcasses of their kings on their high places. (BZ)When they set their threshold by My threshold, and their doorpost by My doorpost, with a wall between them and Me, they defiled My holy name by the abominations which they committed; therefore I have consumed them in My anger. Now let them put their harlotry and the carcasses of their kings far away from Me, and I will dwell in their midst forever.

10 “Son of man, (CA)describe the [u]temple to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern. 11 And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the [v]temple and its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, its entire design and all its (CB)ordinances, all its forms and all its laws. Write it down in their sight, so that they may keep its whole design and all its ordinances, and (CC)perform them. 12 This is the law of the [w]temple: The whole area surrounding (CD)the mountaintop is most holy. Behold, this is the law of the temple.

Dimensions of the Altar

13 “These are the measurements of the (CE)altar in cubits (CF)(the [x]cubit is one cubit and a handbreadth): the base one cubit high and one cubit wide, with a rim all around its edge of one span. This is the height of the altar: 14 from the base on the ground to the lower ledge, two cubits; the width of the ledge, one cubit; from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge, four cubits; and the width of the ledge, one cubit. 15 The altar hearth is four cubits high, with four (CG)horns extending upward from the [y]hearth. 16 The altar hearth is twelve cubits long, twelve wide, (CH)square at its four corners; 17 the ledge, fourteen cubits long and fourteen wide on its four sides, with a rim of half a cubit around it; its base, one cubit all around; and (CI)its steps face toward the east.”

Consecrating the Altar

18 And He said to me, “Son of man, thus says the Lord God: ‘These are the ordinances for the altar on the day when it is made, for sacrificing (CJ)burnt offerings on it, and for (CK)sprinkling blood on it. 19 You shall give (CL)a young bull for a sin offering to (CM)the priests, the Levites, who are of the seed of (CN)Zadok, who approach Me to minister to Me,’ says the Lord God. 20 ‘You shall take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge, and on the rim around it; thus you shall cleanse it and make atonement for it. 21 Then you shall also take the bull of the sin offering, and (CO)burn it in the appointed place of the [z]temple, (CP)outside the sanctuary. 22 On the second day you shall offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they cleansed it with the bull. 23 When you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without blemish, and a ram from the flock without blemish. 24 When you offer them before the Lord, (CQ)the priests shall throw salt on them, and they will offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord. 25 Every day for (CR)seven days you shall prepare a goat for a sin offering; they shall also prepare a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without blemish. 26 Seven days they shall make atonement for the altar and purify it, and so [aa]consecrate [ab]it. 27 (CS)When these days are over it shall be, on the eighth day and thereafter, that the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and your peace offerings on the altar; and I will (CT)accept you,’ says the Lord God.”

The East Gate and the Prince

44 Then He brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary (CU)which faces toward the east, but it was shut. And the Lord said to me, “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, (CV)because the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut. As for the (CW)prince, because he is the prince, he may sit in it to (CX)eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way.”

Those Admitted to the Temple

Also He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the [ac]temple; so I looked, and (CY)behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord; (CZ)and I fell on my face. And the Lord said to me, (DA)“Son of man, [ad]mark well, see with your eyes and hear with your ears, all that I say to you concerning all the (DB)ordinances of the house of the Lord and all its laws. Mark well who may enter the house and all who go out from the sanctuary.

“Now say to the (DC)rebellious, to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “O house of Israel, (DD)let Us have no more of all your abominations. (DE)When you brought in (DF)foreigners, (DG)uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary to defile it—My house—and when you offered (DH)My food, (DI)the fat and the blood, then they broke My covenant because of all your abominations. And you have not (DJ)kept charge of My holy things, but you have set others to keep charge of My sanctuary for you.” Thus says the Lord God: (DK)“No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter My sanctuary, including any foreigner who is among the children of Israel.

Laws Governing Priests

10 (DL)“And the Levites who went far from Me, when Israel went astray, who strayed away from Me after their idols, they shall bear their iniquity. 11 Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, (DM)as gatekeepers of the house and ministers of the house; (DN)they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and (DO)they shall stand before them to minister to them. 12 Because they ministered to them before their idols and (DP)caused[ae] the house of Israel to fall into iniquity, therefore I have (DQ)raised My hand in an oath against them,” says the Lord God, “that they shall bear their iniquity. 13 (DR)And they shall not come near Me to minister to Me as priest, nor come near any of My holy things, nor into the Most Holy Place; but they shall (DS)bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed. 14 Nevertheless I will make them (DT)keep charge of the temple, for all its work, and for all that has to be done in it.

15 (DU)“But the priests, the Levites, (DV)the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary (DW)when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they (DX)shall stand before Me to offer to Me the (DY)fat and the blood,” says the Lord God. 16 “They shall (DZ)enter My sanctuary, and they shall come near (EA)My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge. 17 And it shall be, whenever they enter the gates of the inner court, that (EB)they shall put on linen garments; no wool shall come upon them while they minister within the gates of the inner court or within the house. 18 (EC)They shall have linen turbans on their heads and linen trousers on their bodies; they shall not clothe themselves with anything that causes sweat. 19 When they go out to the outer court, to the outer court to the people, (ED)they shall take off their garments in which they have ministered, leave them in the holy chambers, and put on other garments; and in their holy garments they shall (EE)not sanctify the people.

20 (EF)“They shall neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow (EG)long, but they shall keep their hair well trimmed. 21 (EH)No priest shall drink wine when he enters the inner court. 22 They shall not take as wife a (EI)widow or a divorced woman, but take virgins of the descendants of the house of Israel, or widows of priests.

23 “And (EJ)they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to (EK)discern between the unclean and the clean. 24 (EL)In controversy they shall stand as judges, and judge it according to My judgments. They shall keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed meetings, (EM)and they shall hallow My Sabbaths.

25 “They shall not defile themselves by coming near a dead person. Only for father or mother, for son or daughter, for brother or unmarried sister may they defile themselves. 26 (EN)After he is cleansed, they shall count seven days for him. 27 And on the day that he goes to the sanctuary to minister in the sanctuary, (EO)he must offer his sin offering (EP)in the inner court,” says the Lord God.

28 “It shall be, in regard to their inheritance, that I (EQ)am their inheritance. You shall give them no (ER)possession in Israel, for I am their possession. 29 (ES)They shall eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering; (ET)every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs. 30 The (EU)best[af] of all firstfruits of any kind, and every sacrifice of any kind from all your sacrifices, shall be the priest’s; also you (EV)shall give to the priest the first of your ground meal, (EW)to cause a blessing to rest on your house. 31 The priests shall not eat anything, bird or beast, that (EX)died naturally or was torn by wild beasts.

The Holy District

45 “Moreover, when you (EY)divide the land by lot into inheritance, you shall (EZ)set apart a district for the Lord, a holy section of the land; its length shall be twenty-five thousand cubits, and the width ten thousand. It shall be holy throughout its territory all around. Of this there shall be a square plot for the sanctuary, (FA)five hundred by five hundred rods, with fifty cubits around it for an open space. So this is the district you shall measure: twenty-five thousand cubits long and ten thousand wide; (FB)in it shall be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. It shall be (FC)a holy section of the land, belonging to the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, who come near to minister to the Lord; it shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. (FD)An area twenty-five thousand cubits long and ten thousand wide shall belong to the Levites, the ministers of the [ag]temple; they shall have (FE)twenty[ah] chambers as a possession.

Properties of the City and the Prince

(FF)“You shall appoint as the property of the city an area five thousand cubits wide and twenty-five thousand long, adjacent to the district of the holy section; it shall belong to the whole house of Israel.

(FG)“The prince shall have a section on one side and the other of the holy district and the city’s property; and bordering on the holy district and the city’s property, extending westward on the west side and eastward on the east side, the length shall be side by side with one of the tribal portions, from the west border to the east border. The land shall be his possession in Israel; and (FH)My princes shall no more oppress My people, but they shall give the rest of the land to the house of Israel, according to their tribes.”

Laws Governing the Prince

‘Thus says the Lord God: (FI)“Enough, O princes of Israel! (FJ)Remove violence and plundering, execute justice and righteousness, and stop dispossessing My people,” says the Lord God. 10 “You shall have (FK)honest scales, an honest ephah, and an honest bath. 11 The ephah and the bath shall be of the same measure, so that the bath contains one-tenth of a homer, and the ephah one-tenth of a homer; their measure shall be according to the homer. 12 The (FL)shekel shall be twenty gerahs; twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels, and fifteen shekels shall be your mina.

13 “This is the offering which you shall offer: you shall give one-sixth of an ephah from a homer of wheat, and one-sixth of an ephah from a homer of barley. 14 The ordinance concerning oil, the bath of oil, is one-tenth of a bath from a kor. A kor is a homer or ten baths, for ten baths are a homer. 15 And one lamb shall be given from a flock of two hundred, from the rich pastures of Israel. These shall be for grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, (FM)to make atonement for them,” says the Lord God. 16 “All the people of the land shall give this offering for the prince in Israel. 17 Then it shall be the (FN)prince’s part to give burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings, at the feasts, the New Moons, the Sabbaths, and at all the appointed seasons of the house of Israel. He shall prepare the sin offering, the grain offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings to make atonement for the house of Israel.”

Keeping the Feasts(FO)

18 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “In the first month, on the first day of the month, you shall take a young bull without blemish and (FP)cleanse the sanctuary. 19 (FQ)The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the [ai]temple, on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the gateposts of the gate of the inner court. 20 And so you shall do on the seventh day of the month (FR)for everyone who has sinned unintentionally or in ignorance. Thus you shall make atonement for the temple.

21 (FS)“In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall observe the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten. 22 And on that day the prince shall prepare for himself and for all the people of the land (FT)a bull for a sin offering. 23 On the (FU)seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt offering to the Lord, seven bulls and seven rams without blemish, daily for seven days, (FV)and a kid of the goats daily for a sin offering. 24 (FW)And he shall prepare a grain offering of one ephah for each bull and one ephah for each ram, together with a hin of oil for each ephah.

25 “In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month, at the (FX)feast, he shall do likewise for seven days, according to the sin offering, the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the oil.”

The Manner of Worship

46 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “The gateway of the inner court that faces toward the east shall be shut the six (FY)working days; but on the Sabbath it shall be opened, and on the day of the New Moon it shall be opened. (FZ)The prince shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway from the outside, and stand by the gatepost. The priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings. He shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening. Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the entrance to this gateway before the Lord on the Sabbaths and the New Moons. The burnt offering that (GA)the prince offers to the Lord on the (GB)Sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish; (GC)and the grain offering shall be one ephah for a ram, and the grain offering for the lambs, [aj]as much as he wants to give, as well as a hin of oil with every ephah. On the day of the New Moon it shall be a young bull without blemish, six lambs, and a ram; they shall be without blemish. He shall prepare a grain offering of an ephah for a bull, an ephah for a ram, [ak]as much as he wants to give for the lambs, and a hin of oil with every ephah. (GD)When the prince enters, he shall go in by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way.

“But when the people of the land (GE)come before the Lord on the appointed feast days, whoever enters by way of the north (GF)gate to worship shall go out by way of the south gate; and whoever enters by way of the south gate shall go out by way of the north gate. He shall not return by way of the gate through which he came, but shall go out through the opposite gate. 10 The prince shall then be in their midst. When they go in, he shall go in; and when they go out, he shall go out. 11 At the festivals and the appointed feast days (GG)the grain offering shall be an ephah for a bull, an ephah for a ram, as much as he wants to give for the lambs, and a hin of oil with every ephah.

12 “Now when the prince makes a voluntary burnt offering or voluntary peace offering to the Lord, the gate that faces toward the east (GH)shall then be opened for him; and he shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings as he did on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and after he goes out the gate shall be shut.

13 (GI)“You shall daily make a burnt offering to the Lord of a lamb of the first year without blemish; you shall prepare it [al]every morning. 14 And you shall prepare a grain offering with it every morning, a sixth of an ephah, and a third of a hin of oil to moisten the fine flour. This grain offering is a perpetual ordinance, to be made regularly to the Lord. 15 Thus they shall prepare the lamb, the grain offering, and the oil, as a (GJ)regular burnt offering every morning.”

The Prince and Inheritance Laws

16 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “If the prince gives a gift of some of his inheritance to any of his sons, it shall belong to his sons; it is their possession by inheritance. 17 But if he gives a gift of some of his inheritance to one of his servants, it shall be his until (GK)the year of liberty, after which it shall return to the prince. But his inheritance shall belong to his sons; it shall become theirs. 18 Moreover (GL)the prince shall not take any of the people’s inheritance by evicting them from their property; he shall provide an inheritance for his sons from his own property, so that none of My people may be scattered from his property.” ’ ”

How the Offerings Were Prepared

19 Now he brought me through the entrance, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy (GM)chambers of the priests which face toward the north; and there a place was situated at their extreme western end. 20 And he said to me, “This is the place where the priests shall (GN)boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, and where they shall (GO)bake the grain offering, so that they do not bring them out into the outer court (GP)to sanctify the people.”

21 Then he brought me out into the outer court and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and in fact, in every corner of the court there was another court. 22 In the four corners of the court were enclosed courts, forty cubits long and thirty wide; all four corners were the same size. 23 There was a row of building stones all around in them, all around the four of them; and [am]cooking hearths were made under the rows of stones all around. 24 And he said to me, “These are the [an]kitchens where the ministers of the [ao]temple shall (GQ)boil the sacrifices of the people.”

Notas al pie

  1. Ezekiel 40:1 Lit. struck
  2. Ezekiel 40:4 Lit. set your heart
  3. Ezekiel 40:5 Lit. house
  4. Ezekiel 40:5 A royal cubit of about 21 inches
  5. Ezekiel 40:12 Lit. border
  6. Ezekiel 40:44 So with LXX; MT, Vg. eastern
  7. Ezekiel 41:1 Heb. heykal; the main room in the temple, the holy place, Ex. 26:33
  8. Ezekiel 41:5 Lit. house
  9. Ezekiel 41:6 Lit. the wall
  10. Ezekiel 41:9 Lit. house
  11. Ezekiel 41:15 Or sanctuary
  12. Ezekiel 41:17 Lit. house; the Most Holy Place
  13. Ezekiel 42:6 Or narrowed
  14. Ezekiel 42:15 Lit. house
  15. Ezekiel 42:16 About 10.5 feet, Ezek. 40:5
  16. Ezekiel 42:20 Or profane
  17. Ezekiel 43:3 Some Heb. mss., Vg. He
  18. Ezekiel 43:4 Lit. house
  19. Ezekiel 43:5 Lit. house
  20. Ezekiel 43:7 Unfaithful idolatry
  21. Ezekiel 43:10 Lit. house
  22. Ezekiel 43:11 Lit. house
  23. Ezekiel 43:12 Lit. house
  24. Ezekiel 43:13 A royal cubit of about 21 inches
  25. Ezekiel 43:15 Heb. ariel
  26. Ezekiel 43:21 Lit. house
  27. Ezekiel 43:26 Lit. fill its hands
  28. Ezekiel 43:26 LXX, Syr. themselves
  29. Ezekiel 44:4 Lit. house
  30. Ezekiel 44:5 Lit. set your heart
  31. Ezekiel 44:12 Lit. became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel
  32. Ezekiel 44:30 Lit. first
  33. Ezekiel 45:5 Lit. house
  34. Ezekiel 45:5 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX a possession, cities of dwelling
  35. Ezekiel 45:19 Lit. house
  36. Ezekiel 46:5 Lit. the gift of his hand
  37. Ezekiel 46:7 Lit. as much as his hand can reach
  38. Ezekiel 46:13 Lit. morning by morning
  39. Ezekiel 46:23 Lit. boiling places
  40. Ezekiel 46:24 Lit. house of those who boil
  41. Ezekiel 46:24 Lit. house

The Temple Area Restored

40 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the fall of the city(A)—on that very day the hand of the Lord was on me(B) and he took me there. In visions(C) of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain,(D) on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city. He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze;(E) he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod(F) in his hand. The man said to me, “Son of man, look carefully and listen closely and pay attention to everything I am going to show you,(G) for that is why you have been brought here. Tell(H) the people of Israel everything you see.(I)

The East Gate to the Outer Court

I saw a wall completely surrounding the temple area. The length of the measuring rod in the man’s hand was six long cubits,[a] each of which was a cubit and a handbreadth. He measured(J) the wall; it was one measuring rod thick and one rod high.

Then he went to the east gate.(K) He climbed its steps and measured the threshold of the gate; it was one rod deep. The alcoves(L) for the guards were one rod long and one rod wide, and the projecting walls between the alcoves were five cubits[b] thick. And the threshold of the gate next to the portico facing the temple was one rod deep.

Then he measured the portico of the gateway; it[c] was eight cubits[d] deep and its jambs were two cubits[e] thick. The portico of the gateway faced the temple.

10 Inside the east gate were three alcoves on each side; the three had the same measurements, and the faces of the projecting walls on each side had the same measurements. 11 Then he measured the width of the entrance of the gateway; it was ten cubits and its length was thirteen cubits.[f] 12 In front of each alcove was a wall one cubit high, and the alcoves were six cubits square. 13 Then he measured the gateway from the top of the rear wall of one alcove to the top of the opposite one; the distance was twenty-five cubits[g] from one parapet opening to the opposite one. 14 He measured along the faces of the projecting walls all around the inside of the gateway—sixty cubits.[h] The measurement was up to the portico[i] facing the courtyard.[j](M) 15 The distance from the entrance of the gateway to the far end of its portico was fifty cubits.[k] 16 The alcoves and the projecting walls inside the gateway were surmounted by narrow parapet openings all around, as was the portico; the openings all around faced inward. The faces of the projecting walls were decorated with palm trees.(N)

The Outer Court

17 Then he brought me into the outer court.(O) There I saw some rooms and a pavement that had been constructed all around the court; there were thirty rooms(P) along the pavement.(Q) 18 It abutted the sides of the gateways and was as wide as they were long; this was the lower pavement. 19 Then he measured the distance from the inside of the lower gateway to the outside of the inner court;(R) it was a hundred cubits[l](S) on the east side as well as on the north.

The North Gate

20 Then he measured the length and width of the north gate, leading into the outer court. 21 Its alcoves(T)—three on each side—its projecting walls and its portico(U) had the same measurements as those of the first gateway. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 22 Its openings, its portico(V) and its palm tree decorations had the same measurements as those of the gate facing east. Seven steps led up to it, with its portico opposite them.(W) 23 There was a gate to the inner court facing the north gate, just as there was on the east. He measured from one gate to the opposite one; it was a hundred cubits.(X)

The South Gate

24 Then he led me to the south side and I saw the south gate. He measured its jambs and its portico, and they had the same measurements(Y) as the others. 25 The gateway and its portico had narrow openings all around, like the openings of the others. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.(Z) 26 Seven steps led up to it, with its portico opposite them; it had palm tree decorations on the faces of the projecting walls on each side.(AA) 27 The inner court(AB) also had a gate facing south, and he measured from this gate to the outer gate on the south side; it was a hundred cubits.(AC)

The Gates to the Inner Court

28 Then he brought me into the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate; it had the same measurements(AD) as the others. 29 Its alcoves,(AE) its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements as the others. The gateway and its portico had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.(AF) 30 (The porticoes(AG) of the gateways around the inner court were twenty-five cubits wide and five cubits deep.) 31 Its portico(AH) faced the outer court; palm trees decorated its jambs, and eight steps led up to it.(AI)

32 Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gateway; it had the same measurements(AJ) as the others. 33 Its alcoves,(AK) its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements as the others. The gateway and its portico had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 34 Its portico(AL) faced the outer court; palm trees decorated the jambs on either side, and eight steps led up to it.

35 Then he brought me to the north gate(AM) and measured it. It had the same measurements(AN) as the others, 36 as did its alcoves,(AO) its projecting walls and its portico, and it had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 37 Its portico[m](AP) faced the outer court; palm trees decorated the jambs on either side, and eight steps led up to it.(AQ)

The Rooms for Preparing Sacrifices

38 A room with a doorway was by the portico in each of the inner gateways, where the burnt offerings(AR) were washed. 39 In the portico of the gateway were two tables on each side, on which the burnt offerings,(AS) sin offerings[n](AT) and guilt offerings(AU) were slaughtered.(AV) 40 By the outside wall of the portico of the gateway, near the steps at the entrance of the north gateway were two tables, and on the other side of the steps were two tables. 41 So there were four tables on one side of the gateway and four on the other—eight tables in all—on which the sacrifices were slaughtered. 42 There were also four tables of dressed stone(AW) for the burnt offerings, each a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide and a cubit high.[o] On them were placed the utensils for slaughtering the burnt offerings and the other sacrifices.(AX) 43 And double-pronged hooks, each a handbreadth[p] long, were attached to the wall all around. The tables were for the flesh of the offerings.

The Rooms for the Priests

44 Outside the inner gate, within the inner court, were two rooms, one[q] at the side of the north gate and facing south, and another at the side of the south[r] gate and facing north. 45 He said to me, “The room facing south is for the priests who guard the temple,(AY) 46 and the room facing north(AZ) is for the priests who guard the altar.(BA) These are the sons of Zadok,(BB) who are the only Levites who may draw near to the Lord to minister before him.(BC)

47 Then he measured the court: It was square—a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide. And the altar was in front of the temple.(BD)

The New Temple

48 He brought me to the portico of the temple(BE) and measured the jambs of the portico; they were five cubits wide on either side. The width of the entrance was fourteen cubits[s] and its projecting walls were[t] three cubits[u] wide on either side. 49 The portico(BF) was twenty cubits[v] wide, and twelve[w] cubits[x] from front to back. It was reached by a flight of stairs,[y] and there were pillars(BG) on each side of the jambs.

41 Then the man brought me to the main hall(BH) and measured the jambs; the width of the jambs was six cubits[z] on each side.[aa] The entrance was ten cubits[ab] wide, and the projecting walls on each side of it were five cubits[ac] wide. He also measured the main hall; it was forty cubits long and twenty cubits wide.[ad](BI)

Then he went into the inner sanctuary and measured the jambs of the entrance; each was two cubits[ae] wide. The entrance was six cubits wide, and the projecting walls on each side of it were seven cubits[af] wide. And he measured the length of the inner sanctuary; it was twenty cubits, and its width was twenty cubits across the end of the main hall.(BJ) He said to me, “This is the Most Holy Place.(BK)

Then he measured the wall of the temple; it was six cubits thick, and each side room around the temple was four cubits[ag] wide. The side rooms were on three levels, one above another, thirty(BL) on each level. There were ledges all around the wall of the temple to serve as supports for the side rooms, so that the supports were not inserted into the wall of the temple.(BM) The side rooms all around the temple were wider at each successive level. The structure surrounding the temple was built in ascending stages, so that the rooms widened as one went upward. A stairway(BN) went up from the lowest floor to the top floor through the middle floor.

I saw that the temple had a raised base all around it, forming the foundation of the side rooms. It was the length of the rod, six long cubits. The outer wall of the side rooms was five cubits thick. The open area between the side rooms of the temple 10 and the priests’ rooms was twenty cubits wide all around the temple. 11 There were entrances to the side rooms from the open area, one on the north and another on the south; and the base adjoining the open area was five cubits wide all around.

12 The building facing the temple courtyard on the west side was seventy cubits[ah] wide. The wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length was ninety cubits.[ai]

13 Then he measured the temple; it was a hundred cubits[aj] long, and the temple courtyard and the building with its walls were also a hundred cubits long. 14 The width of the temple courtyard on the east, including the front of the temple, was a hundred cubits.(BO)

15 Then he measured the length of the building facing the courtyard at the rear of the temple, including its galleries(BP) on each side; it was a hundred cubits.

The main hall, the inner sanctuary and the portico facing the court, 16 as well as the thresholds and the narrow windows(BQ) and galleries around the three of them—everything beyond and including the threshold was covered with wood. The floor, the wall up to the windows, and the windows were covered.(BR) 17 In the space above the outside of the entrance to the inner sanctuary and on the walls at regular intervals all around the inner and outer sanctuary 18 were carved(BS) cherubim(BT) and palm trees.(BU) Palm trees alternated with cherubim. Each cherub had two faces:(BV) 19 the face of a human being toward the palm tree on one side and the face of a lion toward the palm tree on the other. They were carved all around the whole temple.(BW) 20 From the floor to the area above the entrance, cherubim and palm trees were carved on the wall of the main hall.

21 The main hall(BX) had a rectangular doorframe, and the one at the front of the Most Holy Place was similar. 22 There was a wooden altar(BY) three cubits[ak] high and two cubits square[al]; its corners, its base[am] and its sides were of wood. The man said to me, “This is the table(BZ) that is before the Lord.” 23 Both the main hall(CA) and the Most Holy Place had double doors.(CB) 24 Each door had two leaves—two hinged leaves(CC) for each door. 25 And on the doors of the main hall were carved cherubim and palm trees like those carved on the walls, and there was a wooden overhang on the front of the portico. 26 On the sidewalls of the portico were narrow windows with palm trees carved on each side. The side rooms of the temple also had overhangs.(CD)

The Rooms for the Priests

42 Then the man led me northward into the outer court and brought me to the rooms(CE) opposite the temple courtyard(CF) and opposite the outer wall on the north side.(CG) The building whose door faced north was a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide.[an] Both in the section twenty cubits[ao] from the inner court and in the section opposite the pavement of the outer court, gallery(CH) faced gallery at the three levels.(CI) In front of the rooms was an inner passageway ten cubits wide and a hundred cubits[ap] long.[aq] Their doors were on the north.(CJ) 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. 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. There was an outer wall parallel to the rooms and the outer court; it extended in front of the rooms for fifty cubits. 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. The lower rooms had an entrance(CK) on the east side as one enters them from the outer court.

10 On the south side[ar] along the length of the wall of the outer court, adjoining the temple courtyard(CL) and opposite the outer wall, were rooms(CM) 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(CN) and south rooms(CO) facing the temple courtyard(CP) 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,(CQ) the sin offerings[as](CR) and the guilt offerings(CS)—for the place is holy.(CT) 14 Once the priests enter the holy precincts, they are not to go into the outer court until they leave behind the garments(CU) 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.(CV)

15 When he had finished measuring what was inside the temple area, he led me out by the east gate(CW) and measured the area all around: 16 He measured the east side with the measuring rod; it was five hundred cubits.[at][au] 17 He measured the north side; it was five hundred cubits[av] 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(CX) the area(CY) on all four sides. It had a wall around it,(CZ) five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide,(DA) to separate the holy from the common.(DB)

God’s Glory Returns to the Temple

43 Then the man brought me to the gate facing east,(DC) and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters,(DD) and the land was radiant with his glory.(DE) The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he[aw] came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. The glory(DF) of the Lord entered the temple through the gate facing east.(DG) Then the Spirit(DH) lifted me up(DI) and brought me into the inner court, and the glory(DJ) of the Lord filled the temple.(DK)

While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple. He said: “Son of man, this is the place of my throne(DL) 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(DM) my holy name—neither they nor their kings—by their prostitution and the funeral offerings[ax] for their kings at their death.[ay](DN) 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. Now let them put away from me their prostitution and the funeral offerings for their kings, and I will live among them forever.(DO)

10 “Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed(DP) 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[az] and laws. Write these down before them so that they may be faithful to its design and follow all its regulations.(DQ)

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

The Great Altar Restored

13 “These are the measurements of the altar(DT) in long cubits,[ba] that cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth: Its gutter is a cubit deep and a cubit wide, with a rim of one span[bb] 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.[bc] 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.[bd] 15 Above that, the altar hearth(DU) is four cubits high, and four horns(DV) project upward from the hearth. 16 The altar hearth is square, twelve cubits[be] long and twelve cubits wide.(DW) 17 The upper ledge(DX) also is square, fourteen cubits[bf] long and fourteen cubits wide. All around the altar is a gutter of one cubit with a rim of half a cubit.[bg] The steps(DY) of the altar face east.(DZ)

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(EA) and splashing blood(EB) against the altar when it is built: 19 You are to give a young bull(EC) as a sin offering[bh] to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok,(ED) who come near(EE) 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(EF) and on the four corners of the upper ledge(EG) and all around the rim, and so purify the altar(EH) 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.(EI)

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.(EJ) 24 You are to offer them before the Lord, and the priests are to sprinkle salt(EK) on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the Lord.

25 “For seven days(EL) 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.(EM) 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(EN) on, the priests are to present your burnt offerings(EO) and fellowship offerings(EP) 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,(EQ) and it was shut. The Lord said to me, “This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it.(ER) It is to remain shut because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered through it. The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence(ES) of the Lord. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.(ET)

Then the man brought me by way of the north gate(EU) to the front of the temple. I looked and saw the glory of the Lord filling the temple(EV) of the Lord, and I fell facedown.(EW)

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(EX) to the temple and all the exits of the sanctuary.(EY) Say to rebellious Israel,(EZ) ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Enough of your detestable practices, people of Israel! In addition to all your other detestable practices, you brought foreigners uncircumcised in heart(FA) and flesh into my sanctuary, desecrating my temple while you offered me food, fat and blood, and you broke my covenant.(FB) Instead of carrying out your duty in regard to my holy things, you put others in charge of my sanctuary.(FC) 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.(FD)

10 “‘The Levites who went far from me when Israel went astray(FE) and who wandered from me after their idols must bear the consequences of their sin.(FF) 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(FG) and sacrifices for the people and stand before the people and serve them.(FH) 12 But because they served them in the presence of their idols and made the people of Israel fall(FI) into sin, therefore I have sworn with uplifted hand(FJ) that they must bear the consequences of their sin, declares the Sovereign Lord.(FK) 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(FL) of their detestable practices.(FM) 14 And I will appoint them to guard the temple for all the work that is to be done in it.(FN)

15 “‘But the Levitical priests, who are descendants of Zadok(FO) 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(FP) and blood, declares the Sovereign Lord.(FQ) 16 They alone are to enter my sanctuary; they alone are to come near my table(FR) to minister before me and serve me as guards.(FS)

17 “‘When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen clothes;(FT) 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(FU) on their heads and linen undergarments(FV) around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire.(FW) 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(FX) through contact with their garments.(FY)

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

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

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.(GI) 26 After he is cleansed, he must wait seven days.(GJ) 27 On the day he goes into the inner court of the sanctuary(GK) to minister in the sanctuary, he is to offer a sin offering[bi](GL) for himself, declares the Sovereign Lord.

28 “‘I am to be the only inheritance(GM) the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession. 29 They will eat(GN) the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings; and everything in Israel devoted[bj] to the Lord(GO) will belong to them.(GP) 30 The best of all the firstfruits(GQ) and of all your special gifts will belong to the priests. You are to give them the first portion of your ground meal(GR) so that a blessing(GS) may rest on your household.(GT) 31 The priests must not eat anything, whether bird or animal, found dead(GU) or torn by wild animals.(GV)

Israel Fully Restored

45 “‘When you allot the land as an inheritance,(GW) you are to present to the Lord a portion of the land as a sacred district, 25,000 cubits[bk] long and 20,000[bl] cubits[bm] wide; the entire area will be holy.(GX) Of this, a section 500 cubits[bn] square(GY) is to be for the sanctuary, with 50 cubits[bo] around it for open land. In the sacred district, measure off a section 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits[bp] wide. In it will be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. It will be the sacred portion of the land for the priests,(GZ) who minister in the sanctuary and who draw near to minister before the Lord. It will be a place for their houses as well as a holy place for the sanctuary.(HA) An area 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide will belong to the Levites, who serve in the temple, as their possession for towns to live in.[bq](HB)

“‘You are to give the city as its property an area 5,000 cubits[br] wide and 25,000 cubits long, adjoining the sacred portion; it will belong to all Israel.(HC)

“‘The prince will have the land bordering each side of the area formed by the sacred district and the property of the city. It will extend westward from the west side and eastward from the east side, running lengthwise from the western to the eastern border parallel to one of the tribal portions.(HD) This land will be his possession in Israel. And my princes will no longer oppress my people but will allow the people of Israel to possess the land according to their tribes.(HE)

“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You have gone far enough, princes of Israel! Give up your violence and oppression(HF) and do what is just and right.(HG) Stop dispossessing my people, declares the Sovereign Lord. 10 You are to use accurate scales,(HH) an accurate ephah[bs](HI) and an accurate bath.[bt] 11 The ephah(HJ) and the bath are to be the same size, the bath containing a tenth of a homer and the ephah a tenth of a homer; the homer is to be the standard measure for both. 12 The shekel[bu] is to consist of twenty gerahs.(HK) Twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels equal one mina.[bv]

13 “‘This is the special gift you are to offer: a sixth of an ephah[bw] from each homer of wheat and a sixth of an ephah[bx] from each homer of barley. 14 The prescribed portion of olive oil, measured by the bath, is a tenth of a bath[by] from each cor (which consists of ten baths or one homer, for ten baths are equivalent to a homer). 15 Also one sheep is to be taken from every flock of two hundred from the well-watered pastures of Israel. These will be used for the grain offerings, burnt offerings(HL) and fellowship offerings to make atonement(HM) for the people, declares the Sovereign Lord. 16 All the people of the land will be required to give this special offering to the prince in Israel. 17 It will be the duty of the prince to provide the burnt offerings, grain offerings and drink offerings at the festivals, the New Moons(HN) and the Sabbaths(HO)—at all the appointed festivals of Israel. He will provide the sin offerings,[bz] grain offerings, burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to make atonement for the Israelites.(HP)

18 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In the first month(HQ) on the first day you are to take a young bull without defect(HR) and purify the sanctuary.(HS) 19 The priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple, on the four corners of the upper ledge(HT) of the altar(HU) and on the gateposts of the inner court. 20 You are to do the same on the seventh day of the month for anyone who sins unintentionally(HV) or through ignorance; so you are to make atonement for the temple.

21 “‘In the first month on the fourteenth day you are to observe the Passover,(HW) a festival lasting seven days, during which you shall eat bread made without yeast. 22 On that day the prince is to provide a bull as a sin offering for himself and for all the people of the land.(HX) 23 Every day during the seven days of the festival he is to provide seven bulls and seven rams(HY) without defect as a burnt offering to the Lord, and a male goat for a sin offering.(HZ) 24 He is to provide as a grain offering(IA) an ephah for each bull and an ephah for each ram, along with a hin[ca] of olive oil for each ephah.(IB)

25 “‘During the seven days of the festival,(IC) which begins in the seventh month on the fifteenth day, he is to make the same provision for sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings and oil.(ID)

46 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The gate of the inner court(IE) facing east(IF) is to be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon(IG) it is to be opened. The prince is to enter from the outside through the portico(IH) of the gateway and stand by the gatepost. The priests are to sacrifice his burnt offering(II) and his fellowship offerings. He is to bow down in worship at the threshold of the gateway and then go out, but the gate will not be shut until evening.(IJ) On the Sabbaths(IK) and New Moons the people of the land are to worship in the presence of the Lord at the entrance of that gateway.(IL) The burnt offering the prince brings to the Lord on the Sabbath day is to be six male lambs and a ram, all without defect. The grain offering given with the ram is to be an ephah,[cb] and the grain offering with the lambs is to be as much as he pleases, along with a hin[cc] of olive oil for each ephah.(IM) On the day of the New Moon(IN) he is to offer a young bull, six lambs and a ram, all without defect.(IO) He is to provide as a grain offering one ephah with the bull, one ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as he wants to give, along with a hin of oil for each ephah.(IP) When the prince enters, he is to go in through the portico(IQ) of the gateway, and he is to come out the same way.(IR)

“‘When the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed festivals,(IS) whoever enters by the north gate to worship is to go out the south gate; and whoever enters by the south gate is to go out the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which they entered, but each is to go out the opposite gate. 10 The prince is to be among them, going in when they go in and going out when they go out.(IT) 11 At the feasts and the appointed festivals, the grain offering is to be an ephah with a bull, an ephah with a ram, and with the lambs as much as he pleases, along with a hin of oil for each ephah.(IU)

12 “‘When the prince provides(IV) a freewill offering(IW) to the Lord—whether a burnt offering or fellowship offerings—the gate facing east is to be opened for him. He shall offer his burnt offering or his fellowship offerings as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and after he has gone out, the gate will be shut.(IX)

13 “‘Every day you are to provide a year-old lamb without defect for a burnt offering to the Lord; morning by morning(IY) you shall provide it.(IZ) 14 You are also to provide with it morning by morning a grain offering, consisting of a sixth of an ephah[cd] with a third of a hin[ce] of oil(JA) to moisten the flour. The presenting of this grain offering to the Lord is a lasting ordinance.(JB) 15 So the lamb and the grain offering and the oil shall be provided morning by morning for a regular(JC) burnt offering.(JD)

16 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: If the prince makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his sons, it will also belong to his descendants; it is to be their property by inheritance.(JE) 17 If, however, he makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, the servant may keep it until the year of freedom;(JF) then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance belongs to his sons only; it is theirs. 18 The prince must not take(JG) any of the inheritance(JH) of the people, driving them off their property. He is to give his sons their inheritance out of his own property, so that not one of my people will be separated from their property.’”

19 Then the man brought me through the entrance(JI) at the side of the gate to the sacred rooms facing north,(JJ) which belonged to the priests, and showed me a place at the western end. 20 He said to me, “This is the place where the priests are to cook the guilt offering and the sin offering[cf] and bake the grain offering, to avoid bringing them into the outer court and consecrating(JK) the people.”(JL)

21 He then brought me to the outer court and led me around to its four corners, and I saw in each corner another court. 22 In the four corners of the outer court were enclosed[cg] courts, forty cubits long and thirty cubits wide;[ch] each of the courts in the four corners was the same size. 23 Around the inside of each of the four courts was a ledge of stone, with places for fire built all around under the ledge. 24 He said to me, “These are the kitchens where those who minister at the temple are to cook the sacrifices of the people.”

Notas al pie

  1. Ezekiel 40:5 That is, about 11 feet or about 3.2 meters; also in verse 12. The long cubit of about 21 inches or about 53 centimeters is the basic unit of measurement of length throughout chapters 40–48.
  2. Ezekiel 40:7 That is, about 8 3/4 feet or about 2.7 meters; also in verse 48
  3. Ezekiel 40:9 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts gateway facing the temple; it was one rod deep. Then he measured the portico of the gateway; it
  4. Ezekiel 40:9 That is, about 14 feet or about 4.2 meters
  5. Ezekiel 40:9 That is, about 3 1/2 feet or about 1 meter
  6. Ezekiel 40:11 That is, about 18 feet wide and 23 feet long or about 5.3 meters wide and 6.9 meters long
  7. Ezekiel 40:13 That is, about 44 feet or about 13 meters; also in verses 21, 25, 29, 30, 33 and 36
  8. Ezekiel 40:14 That is, about 105 feet or about 32 meters
  9. Ezekiel 40:14 Septuagint; Hebrew projecting wall
  10. Ezekiel 40:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
  11. Ezekiel 40:15 That is, about 88 feet or about 27 meters; also in verses 21, 25, 29, 33 and 36
  12. Ezekiel 40:19 That is, about 175 feet or about 53 meters; also in verses 23, 27 and 47
  13. Ezekiel 40:37 Septuagint (see also verses 31 and 34); Hebrew jambs
  14. Ezekiel 40:39 Or purification offerings
  15. Ezekiel 40:42 That is, about 2 2/3 feet long and wide and 21 inches high or about 80 centimeters long and wide and 53 centimeters high
  16. Ezekiel 40:43 That is, about 3 1/2 inches or about 9 centimeters
  17. Ezekiel 40:44 Septuagint; Hebrew were rooms for singers, which were
  18. Ezekiel 40:44 Septuagint; Hebrew east
  19. Ezekiel 40:48 That is, about 25 feet or about 7.4 meters
  20. Ezekiel 40:48 Septuagint; Hebrew entrance was
  21. Ezekiel 40:48 That is, about 5 1/4 feet or about 1.6 meters
  22. Ezekiel 40:49 That is, about 35 feet or about 11 meters
  23. Ezekiel 40:49 Septuagint; Hebrew eleven
  24. Ezekiel 40:49 That is, about 21 feet or about 6.4 meters
  25. Ezekiel 40:49 Hebrew; Septuagint Ten steps led up to it
  26. Ezekiel 41:1 That is, about 11 feet or about 3.2 meters; also in verses 3, 5 and 8
  27. Ezekiel 41:1 One Hebrew manuscript and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts side, the width of the tent
  28. Ezekiel 41:2 That is, about 18 feet or about 5.3 meters
  29. Ezekiel 41:2 That is, about 8 3/4 feet or about 2.7 meters; also in verses 9, 11 and 12
  30. Ezekiel 41:2 That is, about 70 feet long and 35 feet wide or about 21 meters long and 11 meters wide
  31. Ezekiel 41:3 That is, about 3 1/2 feet or about 1.1 meters; also in verse 22
  32. Ezekiel 41:3 That is, about 12 feet or about 3.7 meters
  33. Ezekiel 41:5 That is, about 7 feet or about 2.1 meters
  34. Ezekiel 41:12 That is, about 123 feet or about 37 meters
  35. Ezekiel 41:12 That is, about 158 feet or about 48 meters
  36. Ezekiel 41:13 That is, about 175 feet or about 53 meters; also in verses 14 and 15
  37. Ezekiel 41:22 That is, about 5 1/4 feet or about 1.5 meters
  38. Ezekiel 41:22 Septuagint; Hebrew long
  39. Ezekiel 41:22 Septuagint; Hebrew length
  40. Ezekiel 42:2 That is, about 175 feet long and 88 feet wide or about 53 meters long and 27 meters wide
  41. Ezekiel 42:3 That is, about 35 feet or about 11 meters
  42. Ezekiel 42:4 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew and one cubit
  43. Ezekiel 42:4 That is, about 18 feet wide and 175 feet long or about 5.3 meters wide and 53 meters long
  44. Ezekiel 42:10 Septuagint; Hebrew Eastward
  45. Ezekiel 42:13 Or purification offerings
  46. Ezekiel 42:16 See Septuagint of verse 17; Hebrew rods; also in verses 18 and 19.
  47. Ezekiel 42:16 Five hundred cubits equal about 875 feet or about 265 meters; also in verses 17, 18 and 19.
  48. Ezekiel 42:17 Septuagint; Hebrew rods
  49. Ezekiel 43:3 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts I
  50. Ezekiel 43:7 Or the memorial monuments; also in verse 9
  51. Ezekiel 43:7 Or their high places
  52. Ezekiel 43:11 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts regulations and its whole design
  53. 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.
  54. Ezekiel 43:13 That is, about 11 inches or about 27 centimeters
  55. 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
  56. 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
  57. Ezekiel 43:16 That is, about 21 feet or about 6.4 meters
  58. Ezekiel 43:17 That is, about 25 feet or about 7.4 meters
  59. Ezekiel 43:17 That is, about 11 inches or about 27 centimeters
  60. Ezekiel 43:19 Or purification offering; also in verses 21, 22 and 25
  61. Ezekiel 44:27 Or purification offering; also in verse 29
  62. Ezekiel 44:29 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord.
  63. Ezekiel 45:1 That is, about 8 miles or about 13 kilometers; also in verses 3, 5 and 6
  64. Ezekiel 45:1 Septuagint (see also verses 3 and 5 and 48:9); Hebrew 10,000
  65. Ezekiel 45:1 That is, about 6 1/2 miles or about 11 kilometers
  66. Ezekiel 45:2 That is, about 875 feet or about 265 meters
  67. Ezekiel 45:2 That is, about 88 feet or about 27 meters
  68. Ezekiel 45:3 That is, about 3 1/3 miles or about 5.3 kilometers; also in verse 5
  69. Ezekiel 45:5 Septuagint; Hebrew temple; they will have as their possession 20 rooms
  70. Ezekiel 45:6 That is, about 1 2/3 miles or about 2.7 kilometers
  71. Ezekiel 45:10 An ephah was a dry measure having the capacity of about 3/5 bushel or about 22 liters.
  72. Ezekiel 45:10 A bath was a liquid measure equaling about 6 gallons or about 22 liters.
  73. Ezekiel 45:12 A shekel weighed about 2/5 ounce or about 12 grams.
  74. Ezekiel 45:12 That is, 60 shekels; the common mina was 50 shekels. Sixty shekels were about 1 1/2 pounds or about 690 grams.
  75. Ezekiel 45:13 That is, probably about 6 pounds or about 2.7 kilograms
  76. Ezekiel 45:13 That is, probably about 5 pounds or about 2.3 kilograms
  77. Ezekiel 45:14 That is, about 2 1/2 quarts or about 2.2 liters
  78. Ezekiel 45:17 Or purification offerings; also in verses 19, 22, 23 and 25
  79. Ezekiel 45:24 That is, about 1 gallon or about 3.8 liters
  80. Ezekiel 46:5 That is, probably about 35 pounds or about 16 kilograms; also in verses 7 and 11
  81. Ezekiel 46:5 That is, about 1 gallon or about 3.8 liters; also in verses 7 and 11
  82. Ezekiel 46:14 That is, probably about 6 pounds or about 2.7 kilograms
  83. Ezekiel 46:14 That is, about 1 1/2 quarts or about 1.3 liters
  84. Ezekiel 46:20 Or purification offering
  85. Ezekiel 46:22 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  86. Ezekiel 46:22 That is, about 70 feet long and 53 feet wide or about 21 meters long and 16 meters wide