The Rooms for the Priests

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

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

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

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

God’s Glory Returns to the Temple

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

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

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

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

The Great Altar Restored

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

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

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

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

The Priesthood Restored

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Authority of Jesus Questioned^(A)

²⁷ They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. ²⁸ “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”

²⁹ Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ³⁰ John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!”

³¹ They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ ³² But if we say, ‘Of human origin’ …” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)^(B)

³³ So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

The Parable of the Tenants^(C)

12 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard.^(D) He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. ² At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. ³ But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ⁴ Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. ⁵ He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

⁶ “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all,^(E) saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

⁷ “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ ⁸ So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

⁹ “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. ¹⁰ Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:

¹² Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd;^(H) so they left him and went away.^(I)