Chronological

The Outer Courtyard

42 He led me out to the outer courtyard toward the north. He brought me to the chamber that was opposite the separate area and opposite the building toward the north. ² The length of the building with the door on the north was 100 cubits and the width was 50 cubits. ³ Opposite the 20 cubit space belonging to the inner court and opposite the pavement belonging to the outer court was gallery by gallery in three stories. ⁴ In front of the chambers was a walkway ten cubits wide and 100 cubits long. Their doorways were toward the north. ⁵ The upper chambers were narrower, because the galleries took more away from them than from the lower and the middle ones in the building. ⁶ For they were in three stories and had no pillars like the pillars of the courtyards; therefore more space was taken away than from the lower and the middle floors, in comparison with the ground. ⁷ A wall that was outside by the side of the chambers, toward the outer court in front of the chambers, was 50 cubits in length. ⁸ For the chambers that were toward the outer court were 50 cubits long while those facing the Temple were 100 cubits. ⁹ Below these chambers was the entrance on the east side, as one enters them from the outer courtyard.

¹⁰ In the thickness of the wall of the courtyard toward the east, in front of the separate area and in front of the building, there were chambers. ¹¹ The passageway in front of them were similar to the chambers on the north, as long and wide as them, with all their exits and similar arrangements and doors. ¹² Corresponding to the doorways of the chambers on the south, there was a doorway at the head of the passageway—a way directly in front of the wall toward the east, as one enters them.

¹³ Then he said to me, “The north chambers and the south chambers, which are before the separate area, they are the holy chambers, where the kohanim who are near to Adonai eat the most holy things. There they will put the most holy things—the grain offering, the sin offering and the guilt offering—for the place is holy. ¹⁴ Once the kohanim enter, they are not to go out of the holy place into the outer court without leaving there their garments in which they minister—for they are holy. They will put on other garments and approach the area for the people.”

¹⁵ When he had finished measuring the inner House, he brought me out by way of the gate facing east and measured all around. ¹⁶ When he measured the east side with the measuring rod, it was 500 rods, with the measuring rod round about. ¹⁷ When he measured the north side, it was 500 rods by the measuring rod. ¹⁸ When he measured the south side, it was 500 rods, with the measuring rod. ¹⁹ Then he turned about to the west side and measured 500 rods with the measuring rod. ²⁰ So he measured the four sides. It had a wall all around—the length was 500 and the width was 500—to make a distinction between the holy and the profane.

The Glory Returns

43 Then he led me to the gate, the gate looking east, ² and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters. The earth was radiant with His glory. ³ The appearance of the vision that I saw was like the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city. The visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar. So I fell on my face. ⁴ Then the glory of Adonai came into the House by way of the gate facing the east. ⁵ The Ruach took me up and brought me into the inner court. Then behold, the glory of Adonai filled the House.

⁶ Then I heard someone speaking to me from the House, while a man was standing beside me. ⁷ He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne, the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of Bnei-Yisrael forever. The house of Israel will no longer defile My holy Name—neither they nor their kings—by their prostitution or by the corpses of their kings in their high places. ⁸ Whenever they set their threshold next to My threshold and their doorpost next to My doorpost, with only a wall between Me and them, they defiled My holy Name by their abominations that they committed. So I have finished them off in My fury. ⁹ Now let them put away their prostitution and the corpses of their kings, far from Me. Then I will dwell among them forever.

¹⁰ “You, son of man, describe the House to the house of Israel, so they will be ashamed of their iniquities. Let them measure accurately. ¹¹ If they are ashamed of all they have done, sketch out the House for them, its layout, its exits and its entrances, its complete design, with all its ordinances and all its laws. Write it down in their sight, so they may observe its complete design and all its ordinances and do them. ¹² This is the Torah of the House: the whole territory around it on top of the mountain will be most holy. Behold, this is the Torah of the House.

The Altar

¹³ “These are the measurements of the altar by cubits (a cubit being a normal cubit plus a handbreadth). Its gutter will be a cubit deep and a cubit wide. Its rim will be one span surrounding the edge. This will be the base of the altar. ¹⁴ From the base on the ground to the lower ledge will be two cubits and the width one cubit. From the smaller ledge to the larger ledge will be four cubits and the width a cubit. ¹⁵ The altar hearth will be four cubits high. Four horns will project upward from the hearth. ¹⁶ The hearth will be 12 cubits long by 12 wide, with four sides square. ¹⁷ The ledge will be 14 cubits long and 14 wide with four sides square. The border surrounding it will be half a cubit and its bottom will be a cubit all around. Its steps will face east.”

¹⁸ Then he said to me, “Son of man, thus says Adonai Elohim: ‘These are the statutes for the altar on the day when they will construct it, in order to offer burnt offerings on it and to sprinkle blood on it. ¹⁹ Give a young bull for a sin offering to the Levitical kohanim who are from the offspring of Zadok, who come near to Me to minister to Me’”—it is a declaration of Adonai. ²⁰ “You are to take some of its blood and put it on its four horns, on the four corners of the ledge and on the border around it. So you will purify it and make atonement for it. ²¹ Take the bull of the sin offering and burn it in the appointed place of the House, outside the Sanctuary.

²² “On the second day, offer a male goat without blemish as a sin offering. They will purify the altar as they purified it with the bull. ²³ When you have finished purifying it, offer a young bull without blemish and a ram out of the flock without blemish. ²⁴ Present them before Adonai. The kohanim will cast salt upon them. They will offer them up as a burnt offering to Adonai. ²⁵ Every day for seven days, prepare a goat as a sin offering. They will prepare a young bull and a ram out of the flock, without blemish. ²⁶ They will make atonement for the altar and cleanse it for seven days. This is how they will consecrate it. ²⁷ When they have completed the days, from the eighth day and onward the kohanim will make your burnt offerings upon the altar as well as your fellowship offerings. Then I will accept you”—it is a declaration of Adonai.