Ezekiel 40

Modern English Version

The Vision of the New Temple

40 In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck, on that very day the hand of the Lord was upon me and He brought me there. ² In the visions of God He brought me into the land of Israel and set me upon a very high mountain, on which was as the frame of a city on the south. ³ He brought me there, and there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a line of flax and a measuring reed in his hand. And he stood in the gate. ⁴ The man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart on all that I shall show you. For you have been brought here to show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.”

The East Gate

⁵ There was a wall all around the outside of the temple. In the man’s hand was a measuring reed of six cubits^[a] long, each being a cubit and a handbreadth.^[b] So he measured the width of the building, one reed. And the height, one reed.

⁶ Then he went to the gateway facing east; and he went up its stairs and measured the threshold of the gate, which was one reed wide. And the other threshold of the gate was one reed wide. ⁷ Every little chamber was one reed long and one reed wide. And between the little chambers were five cubits.^[c] And the threshold of the gate by the vestibule of the inside gate was one reed.

⁸ He measured also the vestibule of the gate within, one reed. ⁹ Then he measured the vestibule of the gate, eight cubits.^[d] And its posts, two cubits.^[e] And the vestibule of the gate was the inner end.

¹⁰ The little chambers of the gate eastward were three on this side and three on that side. The three were of one measurement. And the posts had one measure on this side and on that side. ¹¹ He measured the width of the entrance of the gate, ten cubits,^[f] and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits.^{[g] 12} The space also before the little chambers was one cubit^[h] on this side, and the space was one cubit on that side. And the little chambers were six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side. ¹³ He measured then the gate from the roof of one little chamber to the roof of another; the width was twenty-five cubits,^[i] door against door. ¹⁴ He measured the posts, sixty cubits,^[j] even to the post of the court all around the gate. ¹⁵ From the face of the gate of the entrance to the face of the vestibule of the inner gate was fifty cubits.^{[k] 16} There were narrow windows in the little chambers and in their posts inside the gate all around, and likewise in the vestibules. And windows were all around inside. And on each post were palm tree ornaments.

The Outer Court

¹⁷ Then he brought me into the outer court, and there were chambers and a pavement made all around the court. Thirty chambers were on the pavement. ¹⁸ The pavement was by the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates; this was the lower pavement. ¹⁹ Then he measured the width from the front of the lower gate to the outer front of the inner court, a hundred cubits^[l] eastward and northward.

The North Gate

²⁰ As for the gate of the outer court that faced north, he measured its length and its width. ²¹ Its little chambers, three on this side and three on that side, its posts, and its arches had the same measurements as the first gate; its length was fifty cubits, and its width twenty-five cubits. ²² Its windows, and those of its arches, and its palm trees had the same measurements as the gate facing east. Seven steps led up to it; and its arches were in front of it. ²³ The gate of the inner court was opposite the gate on the north, as on the east. And he measured from gate to gate, a hundred cubits.

The South Gate

²⁴ After that he brought me toward the south, and there was a gate facing south. And he measured its posts and its arches according to these same measurements. ²⁵ There were windows in it and in its arches all around like those windows. The length was fifty cubits, and the width twenty-five cubits. ²⁶ There were seven steps to go up to it, and its arches were before them. And it had palm tree ornaments, one on this side, and another on that side on its posts. ²⁷ There was a gate in the inner court facing south. And he measured from gate to gate toward the south, a hundred cubits.

The Inner Court

²⁸ He brought me to the inner court by the south gate. And he measured the south gate according to these same measurements. ²⁹ And its little chambers and its posts and its arches were according to these same measurements. And there were windows in it and in its arches all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. ³⁰ The arches all around were twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide. ³¹ Its arches faced the outer court. And palm tree ornaments were on its posts. And its staircase had eight steps.

³² He brought me into the inner court facing east. And he measured the gate according to these same measurements. ³³ Its little chambers and its posts and its arches were according to these same measurements. And there were windows in it and in its arches all around. It was fifty cubits^[m] long and twenty-five cubits wide. ³⁴ Its arches faced the outer court. And palm tree ornaments were on its posts, on this side and on that side. And its staircase had eight steps.

³⁵ He brought me to the north gate and measured it according to these same measurements; ³⁶ its little chambers, its posts, and its arches, and it had windows all around: the length was fifty cubits, and the width twenty-five cubits. ³⁷ Its posts faced the outer court. And palm tree ornaments were on its posts, on this side and on that side. And its staircase had eight steps.

Chambers for Washing the Sacrifice

³⁸ The chambers and its entrance were by the posts of the gates where they washed the burnt offering. ³⁹ In the vestibule of the gate were two tables on this side and two tables on that side, to slay on it the burnt offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering. ⁴⁰ On the outside of the vestibule, as one goes up to the entrance of the north gate, were two tables. And on the other side of the vestibule of the gate were two tables. ⁴¹ Four tables were on this side and four tables on that side by the side of the gate, eight tables on which they slaughtered their sacrifices. ⁴² The four tables were of hewn stone for the burnt offering, of a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half wide, and one cubit high.^[n] On which also they laid the instruments with which they slaughtered the burnt offering and the sacrifice. ⁴³ Within were hooks, a handbreadth wide,^[o] fastened all around. And on the tables was the flesh of the offering.

Chambers for the Singers and Priests

⁴⁴ Outside the inner gate were the chambers for the singers in the inner court, one at the side of the north gate facing south, the other at the side of the east gate facing north. ⁴⁵ He said to me, “This chamber that faces south is for the priests who have charge of the temple. ⁴⁶ The chamber that faces north is for the priests who have charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, who come near to the Lord to minister to Him.”

⁴⁷ So he measured the court, a hundred cubits long, and a hundred cubits wide, foursquare. And the altar was before the temple.

The Vestibule of the Temple

⁴⁸ Then he brought me to the vestibule of the temple and measured each post of the vestibule, five cubits^[p] on this side, and five cubits on that side. And the width of the gate was three cubits^[q] on this side and three cubits on that side. ⁴⁹ The length of the vestibule was twenty cubits^[r] and the width eleven cubits.^[s] And he brought me by the steps whereby they went up to it. And there were pillars by the posts, one on this side and another on that side.