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The Holy Chambers and the Outer Wall
42 Then he led me out into the outer court toward the north, and he brought me to the chambers that were opposite the temple yard and opposite the building on the north.(A) 2 The length of the building that was on the north side[a] was[b] one hundred cubits and the width fifty cubits. 3 Facing the twenty cubits that belonged to the inner court and facing the pavement that belonged to the outer court, the chambers rose[c] gallery[d] by gallery[e] in three stories.(B) 4 Amid the chambers was an interior passage, ten cubits wide and one hundred cubits deep,[f] and its[g] entrances were on the north.(C) 5 Now the upper chambers were narrower, for the galleries[h] took more away from them than from the lower and middle chambers in the building. 6 For they were in three stories, and they had no pillars like the pillars of the outer[i] court; for this reason the upper chambers were set back from the ground more than the lower and the middle ones.(D) 7 There was a wall outside parallel to the chambers, toward the outer court, opposite the chambers, fifty cubits long. 8 For the chambers on the outer court were fifty cubits long, while those opposite the temple were one hundred cubits long.(E) 9 At the foot of these chambers ran a passage that one entered from the east in order to enter them from the terrace space outside.(F) 10 The entrance was aligned with the start of the wall[j] toward the court.
On the south[k] also, opposite the vacant area and opposite the building, there were chambers 11 with a passage in front of them; they were similar to the chambers on the north, of the same length and width, with the same exits[l] and arrangements and doors. 12 So the entrances of the chambers to the south were entered through the entrance at the head of the corresponding passage, from the east, along the matching wall.[m]
13 Then he said to me, “The north chambers and the south chambers opposite the vacant area are the holy chambers where the priests who approach the Lord shall eat the most holy offerings; there they shall deposit the most holy offerings—the grain offering, the purification offering, and the guilt offering—for the place is holy.(G) 14 When the priests enter the holy place, they shall not go out of it into the outer court without laying there the vestments in which they minister, for these are holy; they shall put on other garments before they go near to the area open to the people.”(H)
15 When he had finished measuring the interior of the temple area, he led me out by the gate that faces east and measured the temple area all around.(I) 16 He measured the east side with the measuring reed, five hundred cubits by the measuring reed. 17 Then he turned and measured[n] the north side, five hundred cubits by the measuring reed. 18 Then he turned and measured[o] the south side, five hundred cubits by the measuring reed. 19 Then he turned to the west side and measured, five hundred cubits by the measuring reed. 20 He measured it on the four sides. It had a wall around it, five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide, to make a separation between the holy and the common.(J)
The Divine Glory Returns to the Temple
43 Then he brought me to the gate, the gate facing east.(K) 2 And there the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east; the sound was like the sound of mighty waters, and the earth shone with his glory.(L) 3 The[p] vision I saw was like the vision that I had seen when he came to destroy the city and[q] like the vision that I had seen by the River Chebar, and I fell upon my face.(M) 4 As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east,(N) 5 the spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.(O)
6 While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me out of the temple.(P) 7 He said to me: “Mortal, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet, where I will reside among the people of Israel forever. The house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their prostitution and by sacrificing to their kings[r] at their death.[s](Q) 8 When they placed their threshold by my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them, they were defiling my holy name by their abominations that they committed; therefore I have consumed them in my anger.(R) 9 Now let them put away their idolatry and sacrifices to their kings[t] far from me, and I will reside among them forever.(S)
10 “As for you, mortal, describe the temple to the house of Israel, and let them measure the pattern, and let them be ashamed of their iniquities.(T) 11 When they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the plan of the temple, its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, and its whole form—all its ordinances and its entire plan and all its laws; and write it down in their sight so that they may observe and follow the entire plan and all its ordinances.(U) 12 This is the law of the temple: the whole territory on the top of the mountain all around shall be most holy. This is the law of the temple.(V)
The Altar
13 “These are the dimensions of the altar by long cubits in which each is a cubit and a handbreadth: its base shall be one cubit high[u] and one cubit wide, with a rim of one span around its edge. This shall be the height of the altar:(W) 14 from the base on the ground to the lower ledge, two cubits, with a width of one cubit, and from the lower ledge to the upper ledge, four cubits, with a width of one cubit,(X) 15 and the altar hearth, four cubits, and from the altar hearth projecting upward, four horns.(Y) 16 The altar hearth shall be square, twelve cubits long by twelve wide.(Z) 17 The ledge also shall be square, fourteen cubits long by fourteen wide, with a rim around it half a cubit high, and its surrounding base, one cubit. Its steps shall face east.”(AA)
18 Then he said to me: “Mortal, thus says the Lord God: These are the ordinances for the altar: On the day when it is erected for offering burnt offerings upon it and for dashing blood against it,(AB) 19 you shall give to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok, who draw near to me to minister to me, says the Lord God, a bull of the herd for a purification offering.(AC) 20 And you shall take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar and on the four corners of the ledge and upon the rim all around; thus you shall purify it and make atonement for it. 21 You shall also take the bull of the purification offering, and it shall be burnt in the appointed place belonging to the temple, outside the sacred area.(AD)
22 “On the second day you shall offer a male goat without blemish for a purification offering, and the altar shall be purified, as it was purified with the bull. 23 When you have finished purifying it, you shall offer a bull of the herd without blemish and a ram from the flock without blemish.(AE) 24 You shall present them before the Lord, and the priests shall throw salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord.(AF) 25 For seven days you shall provide daily a goat for a purification offering; also a bull of the herd and a ram from the flock, without blemish, shall be provided.(AG) 26 Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and cleanse it and so consecrate it. 27 When these days are over, then from the eighth day onward the priests shall offer upon the altar your burnt offerings and your offerings of well-being, and I will accept you, says the Lord God.”(AH)
Warning to Rich Oppressors
5 Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. 2 Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten.(A) 3 Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure[a] during the last days. 4 Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.(B) 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter.(C) 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who does not resist you.
Patience in Suffering
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.(D) 8 You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.[b](E) 9 Brothers and sisters, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors!(F) 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Indeed, we call blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the outcome that the Lord brought about, for the Lord is compassionate and merciful.(G)
12 Above all, brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.[c]
The Prayer of Faith
13 Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise.(H) 14 Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.(I) 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up, and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.(J) 17 Elijah was a human like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.(K) 18 Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth yielded its harvest.(L)
19 My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth[d] and is brought back by another, 20 you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s[e] soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.(M)
Psalm 119
The Glories of God’s Law
1 Happy are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord.(A)
2 Happy are those who keep his decrees,
who seek him with their whole heart,
3 who also do no wrong
but walk in his ways.(B)
4 You have commanded your precepts
to be kept diligently.
5 O that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
6 Then I shall not be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.(C)
7 I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous ordinances.(D)
8 I will observe your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me.
9 How can young people keep their way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.(E)
10 With my whole heart I seek you;
do not let me stray from your commandments.(F)
11 I treasure your word in my heart,
so that I may not sin against you.(G)
12 Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your statutes.(H)
13 With my lips I declare
all the ordinances of your mouth.(I)
14 I delight in the way of your decrees
as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on your precepts
and fix my eyes on your ways.(J)
16 I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.(K)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.