Ezekiel 40:3-42:20

New American Bible (Revised Edition)

³ He brought me there, and there standing in the gateway was a man whose appearance was like bronze! He held in his hand a linen cord and a measuring rod.^{(A) 4} The man said to me, “Son of man, look carefully and listen intently. Pay strict attention to everything I show you, for you have been brought here so that I might show it to you. Then you must tell the house of Israel everything you see.” ⁵ There an outer wall completely surrounded the temple. The measuring rod in the man’s hand was six cubits long, each cubit being a cubit plus a handbreadth;^[a] he measured the width of the structure, one rod, and its height, one rod.

The East Gate.^{[b] 6} Going to the gate facing east, he climbed its steps and measured the threshold of the outer gateway as one rod wide.^{(B) 7} Each cell was one rod long and one rod wide, and there were five cubits between the cells; the threshold of the inner gateway adjoining the vestibule of the gate facing the temple was one rod wide. ⁸ He also measured the vestibule of the inner gate, ⁹ eight cubits, and its posts, two cubits each. The vestibule faced the inside. ¹⁰ On each side of the east gatehouse were three cells, all the same size; their posts were all the same size. ¹¹ He measured the width of the gate’s entryway, ten cubits, and the length of the gate itself, thirteen cubits. ¹² The borders in front of the cells on both sides were one cubit, while the cells themselves measured six cubits by six cubits from one opening to the next. ¹³ Next he measured the gatehouse from the back wall of one cell to the back wall of the cell on the opposite side through the openings facing each other, a width of twenty-five cubits. ¹⁴ All around the courtyard of the gatehouse were posts six cubits high. ¹⁵ From the front of the gatehouse at its outer entry to the gateway of the porch facing inward, the length was fifty cubits. ¹⁶ There were recessed windows in the cells on all sides and in the posts on the inner side of the gate. Posts and windows were all around the inside, with palm trees decorating the posts.^(C)

The Outer Court. ¹⁷ Then he brought me to the outer court,^[c] where there were chambers and pavement laid all around the courtyard: thirty chambers facing the pavement.^{(D) 18} The pavement lay alongside the gatehouses, the same length as the gates; this was the lower pavement. ¹⁹ He measured the length of the pavement from the front of the lower gate to the outside of the inner gate, one hundred cubits. He then moved from the east to the north side.

The North Gate. ²⁰ He measured the length and width of the north gate of the outer courtyard. ²¹ Its cells, three on each side, its posts, and its vestibule had the same measurements as those of the first gate, fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. ²² Its windows, its vestibule, and its palm decorations had the same proportions as those of the gate facing east. Seven steps led up to it, and its vestibule faced the inside. ²³ The inner court had a gate opposite the north gate, just as at the east gate; he measured one hundred cubits from one gate to the other.

The South Gate. ²⁴ Then he led me to the south. There, too, facing south, was a gate! He measured its posts and vestibule; they were the same size as the others. ²⁵ The gate and its vestibule had windows on both sides, like the other windows, fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. ²⁶ Seven steps led up to it, its vestibule faced inside; and palms decorated each of the posts opposite one another. ²⁷ The inner court also had a gate facing south. He measured it from gate to gate, facing south, one hundred cubits.

Gates of the Inner Court.^{[d] 28} Then he brought me to the inner courtyard by the south gate, where he measured the south gateway; its measurements were the same as the others. ²⁹ Its cells, posts, and vestibule were the same size as the others, fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. ^30 [e]The vestibules all around were twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide. ³¹ Its vestibule faced the outer court; palms decorated its posts, and its stairway had eight steps. ³² Then he brought me to the inner courtyard on the east and measured the gate there; its dimensions were the same as the others. ³³ Its cells, posts, and vestibule were the same size as the others. The gate and its vestibule had windows on both sides, fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. ³⁴ Its vestibule faced the outer court, palms decorated the posts opposite each other, and it had a stairway of eight steps. ³⁵ Then he brought me to the north gate,^(E) where he measured the dimensions ³⁶ of its cells, posts, and vestibule; they were the same. The gate and its vestibule had windows on both sides, fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. ³⁷ Its vestibule faced the outer court; palm trees decorated its posts opposite each other, and it had a stairway of eight steps.

Side Rooms. ³⁸ There was a chamber opening off the vestibule of the gate where burnt offerings were washed.^{(F) 39} In the vestibule of the gate there were two tables on either side for slaughtering the burnt offerings, purification offerings, and reparation offerings.^{(G) 40} Two more tables stood along the wall of the vestibule by the entrance of the north gate, and two tables on the other side of the vestibule of the gate. ⁴¹ There were thus four tables on one side of the gate and four tables on the other side, eight tables in all, for slaughtering. ⁴² The four tables for burnt offerings were made of cut stone, one and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide, and one cubit high; the instruments used for slaughtering burnt offerings and other sacrifices were kept ⁴³ on shelves the width of one hand, fixed all around the room; but on the tables themselves was the meat for the sacrifices. ⁴⁴ Outside the inner gatehouse there were two rooms on the inner courtyard, one beside the north gate, facing south, and the other beside the south gate, facing north. ⁴⁵ He said to me, “This chamber facing south is reserved for the priests who have charge of the temple area, ⁴⁶ while this chamber facing north is reserved for the priests who have charge of the altar; they are the sons of Zadok,^[f] the only Levites who may come near to minister to the Lord.” ⁴⁷ He measured the courtyard, a square one hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide, with the altar standing in front of the temple.^(H)

The Temple Building.^{[g] 48 (I)}Then he brought me into the vestibule of the temple and measured the posts, five cubits on each side. The gateway was fourteen cubits wide, its side walls three cubits. ⁴⁹ The vestibule was twenty cubits long and twelve cubits wide; ten steps led up to it, and there were columns by the posts, one on each side.

Chapter 41

¹ Then he brought me to the nave and measured the posts; each was six cubits wide.^{(J) 2} The width of the entrance was ten cubits, and the walls on either side measured five cubits. He measured the nave, forty cubits long and twenty cubits wide.

³ Then he went inside and measured the posts at the other entrance, two cubits wide. The entrance was six cubits wide, with walls seven cubits long on each side. ⁴ Next he measured the length and width of the room beyond the nave, twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide. He said to me, “This is the holy of holies.”^[h](K)

⁵ Then he measured the wall of the temple, six cubits wide, and the width of the side chambers stretching all around the temple, four cubits each. ^6 [i]There were thirty side chambers, chamber upon chamber in three stories; terraces on the outside wall of the temple enclosing the side chambers provided support, but there were no supports for the temple wall itself. ⁷ A broad passageway led up the side chambers, for the house was enclosed all the way up and all the way around. Thus the temple was widened by the ascent that went from the lowest story through the middle one to the highest story.^{(L) 8} I saw a raised platform all around the temple, the foundation for the side chambers; the width of this terrace was a full rod, six cubits. ⁹ The width of the outside wall enclosing the side chambers was five cubits. There was an open space between the side chambers of the temple ¹⁰ and the other chambers that measured twenty cubits around the temple on all sides. ¹¹ The side chambers had entrances to the open space, one entrance on the north and the other on the south. The width of the wall surrounding the open space was five cubits. ¹² The building^[j] opposite the restricted area on the west side was seventy cubits long and ninety cubits wide, with walls five cubits thick all around it. ¹³ Thus he measured the temple, one hundred cubits long. The restricted area, its building and walls, measured a hundred cubits in length. ¹⁴ The temple facade, along with the restricted area to the east, was also one hundred cubits wide. ¹⁵ He then measured the building opposite the restricted area which was behind it, together with its terraces on both sides, one hundred cubits.

Interior of the Temple. The inner nave and the outer vestibule ¹⁶ were paneled; the windows had recesses and precious wood trim around all three sides except the sill. Paneling covered the walls from the floor up to the windows and even the window sections.^{(M) 17} Even above the doorway and in the inner part of the temple and outside as well, around all the walls inside and out, ¹⁸ were figures of cherubim and palm trees: a palm tree between each pair of cherubim. Each cherub had two faces:^{(N) 19} the face of a human being looked toward one palm tree and the face of a lion looked toward the other palm tree. Thus the figures covered all the walls around the temple. ²⁰ From the floor to the lintel of the door, cherubim and palm trees decorated the walls. ²¹ The nave had a square door frame, and inside facing the holy place was something that looked like ²² a wooden altar,^[k] three cubits high, two cubits long, and two cubits wide. It had corners and a wooden base and sides. He said to me, “This is the table that stands before the Lord.”^{(O) 23} The nave had a double door,^(P) and the holy place ²⁴ also had a double door; each door had two sections that could move; two sections on one door, and two on the other.^{(Q) 25} Cherubim and palm trees decorated the doors of the nave like the decoration on the walls. Outside a wooden lattice faced the vestibule. ²⁶ There were recessed windows and palm trees on the side walls of the vestibule. The side chambers of the temple also had latticework.

Chapter 42

Other Structures. ¹ Then he led me north to the outer court, bringing me to some chambers on the north side opposite the restricted area and the north building.^{(R) 2} They were a hundred cubits long on the north side and fifty cubits wide. ³ Built in rows at three different levels, they stood between the twenty cubits of the inner court and the pavement of the outer court. ⁴ In front of the chambers was a walkway ten cubits wide on the inside of a wall one cubit wide. The doorways faced north. ^5 [l]The upper chambers were shorter because they lost space to the lower and middle tiers of the building. ⁶ Because they were in three tiers, they did not have foundations like the court, but were set back from the lower and middle levels from the ground up. ⁷ The outside walls ran parallel to the chambers along the outer court, a length of fifty cubits. ⁸ The chambers facing the outer court were fifty cubits long; thus the wall along the nave was a hundred cubits. ⁹ At the base of these chambers, there was an entryway from the east so that one could enter from the outer court ¹⁰ where the wall of the court began.

To the south along the side of the restricted area and the building there were also chambers ¹¹ with a walkway in front of them. They looked like the chambers on the north side in length and width, in their exits, their design, and their doorways. ¹² At the base of the chambers on the south side there was an entry at the end of a walkway in front of the protective wall by which one could enter from the east. ¹³ He said to me, “The north and south chambers facing the restricted area are the chambers of the holy place where the priests who approach the Lord shall eat the most holy meals. Here they shall place the most holy offerings: the grain offerings, the purification offerings, and the reparation offerings; for the place is holy.^{[m](S) 14} When the priests have entered, they must not go out again from the holy place into the outer court without leaving the garments in which they ministered because they are holy. They shall put on other garments before approaching the area for the people.”^(T)

Measuring the Outer Court. ¹⁵ When he finished measuring the interior of the temple area, he brought me out by way of the gate facing east and measured all around it. ¹⁶ He measured the east side, five hundred cubits by his measuring rod. Then he turned ¹⁷ and measured the north side: five hundred cubits by his measuring rod. He turned ¹⁸ and measured the south side, five hundred cubits by his measuring rod. ¹⁹ He turned and measured the west side, also five hundred cubits by his measuring rod. ²⁰ Thus he measured it on the four sides. It was surrounded by a wall five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide, to separate the sacred from the profane.