13 And these are the measures of the altar after the cubits: The cubit is a cubit and an hand breadth; even the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about shall be a span: and this shall be the higher place of the altar.

14 And from the bottom upon the ground even to the lower settle shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser settle even to the greater settle shall be four cubits, and the breadth one cubit.

15 So the altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar and upward shall be four horns.

16 And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square in the four squares thereof.

17 And the settle shall be fourteen cubits long and fourteen broad in the four squares thereof; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and the bottom thereof shall be a cubit about; and his stairs shall look toward the east.

18 And he said unto me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord God; These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon.

19 And thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach unto me, to minister unto me, saith the Lord God, a young bullock for a sin offering.

20 And thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the settle, and upon the border round about: thus shalt thou cleanse and purge it.

21 Thou shalt take the bullock also of the sin offering, and he shall burn it in the appointed place of the house, without the sanctuary.

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The Great Altar Restored

13 “These are the measurements of the altar(A) in long cubits,[a] that cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth: Its gutter is a cubit deep and a cubit wide, with a rim of one span[b] 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.[c] 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.[d] 15 Above that, the altar hearth(B) is four cubits high, and four horns(C) project upward from the hearth. 16 The altar hearth is square, twelve cubits[e] long and twelve cubits wide.(D) 17 The upper ledge(E) also is square, fourteen cubits[f] long and fourteen cubits wide. All around the altar is a gutter of one cubit with a rim of half a cubit.[g] The steps(F) of the altar face east.(G)

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(H) and splashing blood(I) against the altar when it is built: 19 You are to give a young bull(J) as a sin offering[h] to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok,(K) who come near(L) 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(M) and on the four corners of the upper ledge(N) and all around the rim, and so purify the altar(O) 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.(P)

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Footnotes

  1. 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.
  2. Ezekiel 43:13 That is, about 11 inches or about 27 centimeters
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. Ezekiel 43:16 That is, about 21 feet or about 6.4 meters
  6. Ezekiel 43:17 That is, about 25 feet or about 7.4 meters
  7. Ezekiel 43:17 That is, about 11 inches or about 27 centimeters
  8. Ezekiel 43:19 Or purification offering; also in verses 21, 22 and 25