Old/New Testament
The New Temple
40 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after Jerusalem had been captured,(A) on that very day the Lord’s hand was on me,(B) and he brought me there. 2 In visions of God(C) he took me to the land of Israel and set me down on a very high mountain.(D) On its southern slope was a structure resembling a city. 3 He brought me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze,(E) with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand.(F) He was standing by the city gate. 4 He spoke to me: ‘Son of man, look with your eyes, listen with your ears,(G) and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for you have been brought here so that I might show it to you. Report everything you see to the house of Israel.’(H)
The Wall and Outer Gates
5 Now there was a wall surrounding the outside of the temple.(I) The measuring rod in the man’s hand was six units of 53 centimetres;[a] each unit was the standard length plus 8 centimetres.[b] He measured the thickness of the wall structure; it was 3.2 metres,[c] and its height was the same. 6 Then he came to the gate that faced east and climbed its steps.(J) He measured the threshold of the gate; it was 3.2 metres deep – one threshold was 3.2 metres deep. 7 Each recess was 3.2 metres long and 3.2 metres deep, and there was a space of 2.65 metres[d] between the recesses. The inner threshold of the gate on the temple side next to the gate’s portico was 3.2 metres. 8 Next he measured the gate’s portico; 9 it[e] was 4.2 metres,[f] and its jambs were 1.1 metres.[g] The gate’s portico was on the temple side.
10 There were three recesses on each side of the east gate, each with the same measurements, and the jambs on either side also had the same measurements. 11 Then he measured the width of the gate’s entrance; it was 5.3 metres,[h] while the width[i] of the gate was 6.9 metres.[j] 12 There was a barrier of 53 centimetres[k] in front of the recesses on both sides, and the recesses on each side were 3.2 metres[l] square. 13 Then he measured the gate from the roof of one recess to the roof of the opposite one; the distance was 13.25 metres.[m] The openings of the recesses faced each other. 14 Next, he measured the porch – 32 metres.[n][o] 15 The distance from the front of the gate at the entrance to the front of the gate’s portico on the inside was 26.5 metres.[p] 16 The recesses and their jambs had bevelled windows all round the inside of the gate.(K) The porticoes also had windows all round on the inside. Each jamb was decorated with palm trees.(L)
17 Then he brought me into the outer court,(M) and there were chambers and a paved surface laid out all round the court.(N) Thirty chambers faced the pavement, 18 which flanked the courtyard’s gates and corresponded to the length of the gates; this was the lower pavement. 19 Then he measured the distance from the front of the lower gate to the exterior front of the inner court; it was 53 metres.[q] This was the east; next the north is described.
20 He measured the gate of the outer court facing north, both its length and width. 21 Its three recesses on each side, its jambs, and its portico had the same measurements as the first gate: 26.5 metres long and 13.25 metres wide. 22 Its windows, portico, and palm trees had the same measurements as those of the gate that faced east. Seven steps led up to the gate, and its portico was ahead of them. 23 The inner court had a gate facing the north gate, like the one on the east. He measured the distance from gate to gate; it was 53 metres.
24 He brought me to the south side, and there was also a gate on the south. He measured its jambs and portico; they had the same measurements as the others. 25 Both the gate and its portico had windows all round, like the other windows. It was 26.5 metres long and 13.25 metres wide. 26 Its stairway had seven steps, and its portico was ahead of them. It had palm trees on its jambs, one on each side. 27 The inner court had a gate on the south. He measured from gate to gate on the south; it was 53 metres.
The Inner Gates
28 Then he brought me to the inner court through the south gate. When he measured the south gate, it had the same measurements as the others. 29 Its recesses, jambs, and portico had the same measurements as the others. Both it and its portico had windows all round. It was 26.5 metres long and 13.25 metres wide. 30 (There were porticoes all round, 13.25 metres long and 2.65 metres wide.[r]) 31 Its portico faced the outer court, and its jambs were decorated with palm trees. Its stairway had eight steps.
32 Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side. When he measured the gate, it had the same measurements as the others. 33 Its recesses, jambs, and portico had the same measurements as the others. Both it and its portico had windows all round. It was 26.5 metres long and 13.25 metres wide. 34 Its portico faced the outer court, and its jambs were decorated with palm trees on each side. Its stairway had eight steps.
35 Then he brought me to the north gate.(O) When he measured it, it had the same measurements as the others, 36 as did its recesses, jambs, and portico. It also had windows all round. It was 26.5 metres long and 13.25 metres wide. 37 Its portico[s] faced the outer court, and its jambs were decorated with palm trees on each side. Its stairway had eight steps.
Rooms for Preparing Sacrifices
38 There was a chamber whose door opened into the gate’s portico.[t] The burnt offering was to be washed there.(P) 39 Inside the gate’s portico there were two tables on each side, on which to slaughter the burnt offering, sin offering,(Q) and guilt offering.(R) 40 Outside, as one approaches the entrance of the north gate, there were two tables on one side and two more tables on the other side of the gate’s portico. 41 So there were four tables inside the gate and four outside, eight tables in all on which the slaughtering was to be done. 42 There were also four tables of cut stone for the burnt offering,(S) each eighty centimetres[u] long, eighty centimetres wide, and fifty-three centimetres high. The utensils used to slaughter the burnt offerings and other sacrifices were placed on them. 43 There were eight-centimetre[v] hooks[w] fastened all round the inside of the room, and the flesh of the offering was to be laid on the tables.
Rooms for Singers and Priests
44 Outside the inner gate, within the inner court, there were chambers for the singers:[x](T) one[y] beside the north gate, facing south, and another beside the south[z] gate, facing north. 45 Then the man said to me, ‘This chamber that faces south is for the priests who keep charge of the temple.(U) 46 The chamber that faces north is for the priests who keep charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok,(V) the ones from the sons of Levi who may approach the Lord to serve him.’(W) 47 Next he measured the court. It was square, 53 metres long and 53 metres wide. The altar(X) was in front of the temple.
48 Then he brought me to the portico of the temple and measured the jambs of the portico; they were 2.65 metres thick on each side. The width of the gate was 7.4 metres,[aa] and the side walls of the gate were[ab] 1.6 metres[ac] wide on each side. 49 The portico was 10.6 metres[ad] across and 6.4[ae] metres[af] deep, and 10 steps led[ag] up to it.(Y) There were pillars by the jambs, one on each side.(Z)
Inside the Temple
41 Next he brought me into the great hall and measured the jambs;(AA) on each side the width of the jamb was 3.2 metres.[ah][ai] 2 The width of the entrance was 5.3 metres,[aj] and the side walls of the entrance were 2.65 metres[ak] wide on each side. He also measured the length of the great hall, 21.2 metres,[al] and the width, 10.6 metres.[am](AB) 3 He went inside the next room and measured the jambs at the entrance;(AC) they were 1 metre[an] wide. The entrance was 3.2 metres wide, and the width of the entrance’s side walls on each side[ao] was 3.7 metres.[ap] 4 He then measured the length of the room adjacent to the great hall, 10.6 metres, and the width, 10.6 metres.(AD) And he said to me, ‘This is the most holy place.’(AE)
Outside the Temple
5 Then he measured the wall of the temple; it was 3.2 metres thick. The width of the side rooms all round the temple was 2.1 metres.[aq](AF) 6 The side rooms were arranged one above another in three stories of thirty rooms each.[ar] There were ledges on the wall of the temple all round to serve as supports for the side rooms, so that the supports would not be in the temple wall itself.(AG) 7 The side rooms surrounding the temple widened at each successive storey, for the structure surrounding the temple went up by stages. This was the reason for the temple’s broadness as it rose. And so, one would go up from the lowest storey to the highest by means of the middle one.[as](AH)
8 I saw that the temple had a raised platform surrounding it; this foundation for the side rooms was 3.2 metres high.[at](AI) 9 The thickness of the outer wall of the side rooms was 2.65 metres. The free space between the side rooms of the temple 10 and the outer chambers was 10.6 metres wide all round the temple.(AJ) 11 The side rooms opened into the free space, one entrance towards the north and another to the south. The area of free space was 2.65 metres wide all round.
12 Now the building that faced the temple yard towards the west was 37 metres[au] wide. The wall of the building was 2.65 metres thick on all sides, and the building’s length was 48 metres.[av]
13 Then the man measured the temple; it was 53 metres[aw] long.(AK) In addition, the temple yard and the building, including its walls, were 53 metres long. 14 The width of the front of the temple along with the temple yard to the east was 53 metres. 15 Next he measured the length of the building facing the temple yard to the west, with its galleries[ax] on each side;(AL) it was 53 metres.
Interior Wooden Structures
The interior of the great hall and the porticoes of the court – 16 the thresholds, the bevelled windows,(AM) and the balconies all round with their three levels opposite the threshold – were overlaid with wood on all sides.(AN) They were panelled from the ground to the windows (but the windows were covered), 17 reaching to the top of the entrance, and as far as the inner temple and on the outside. On every wall all round, on the inside and outside, was a pattern 18 carved with cherubim and palm trees.(AO) There was a palm tree between each pair of cherubim.(AP) Each cherub had two faces: 19 a human face turned towards the palm tree on one side,(AQ) and a lion’s face turned towards it on the other. They were carved throughout the temple on all sides. 20 Cherubim and palm trees were carved from the ground to the top of the entrance and on the wall of the great hall.
21 The doorposts of the great hall were square,(AR) and the front of the sanctuary had the same appearance. 22 The altar was[ay] made of wood, 1.6 metres[az] high and 1.1 metres long.[ba] It had corners, and its length[bb] and sides were of wood.(AS) The man told me, ‘This is the table that stands before the Lord.’(AT)
23 The great hall and the sanctuary each had a double door,(AU) 24 and each of the doors had two swinging panels.(AV) There were two panels for one door and two for the other. 25 Cherubim and palm trees were carved on the doors of the great hall like those carved on the walls. There was a wooden canopy[bc](AW) outside, in front of the portico. 26 There were bevelled windows and palm trees on both sides,(AX) on the side walls of the portico, the side rooms of the temple, and the canopies.[bd]
The Day of the Lord
3 Dear friends, this is now the second letter(A) I have written to you; in both letters, I want to stir up your sincere(B) understanding by way of reminder, 2 so that you recall the words previously spoken by the holy prophets and the command of our Lord and Saviour given through your apostles. 3 Above all, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days(C) scoffing and following their own evil desires, 4 saying, ‘Where is his “coming” that he promised?(D) Ever since our ancestors fell asleep,(E) all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.’ 5 They deliberately overlook this: By the word of God(F) the heavens came into being long ago and the earth was brought about from water and through water.(G) 6 Through these the world of that time perished when it was flooded.(H) 7 By the same word,(I) the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire, being kept for the day of judgement(J) and destruction of the ungodly.
8 Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.(K) 9 The Lord does not delay his promise,(L) as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any(M) to perish(N) but all to come to repentance.(O)
10 But the day of the Lord(P) will come like a thief;[a](Q) on that day the heavens will pass away(R) with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved,(S) and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed.[b][c] 11 Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness 12 as you wait for the day of God and hasten its coming.[d](T) Because of that day, the heavens will be dissolved with fire and the elements will melt with heat. 13 But based on his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth,(U) where righteousness dwells.(V)
Conclusion
14 Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found without spot or blemish in his sight, at peace.(W) 15 Also, regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our dear brother Paul has written to you according to the wisdom given to him.(X) 16 He speaks about these things in all his letters. There are some things hard to understand in them. The untaught and unstable will twist them to their own destruction,(Y) as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures.
17 Therefore, dear friends, since you know this in advance, be on your guard,(Z) so that you are not led away by the error of lawless people and fall from your own stable position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge(AA) of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.[e](AB)
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