A VISION OF THE FUTURE TEMPLE (40.1—48.35)
Ezekiel Is Taken to Jerusalem
1 It was the tenth day of the new year, which was the twenty-fifth year after we had been taken into exile and the fourteenth year after Jerusalem was captured. On that day I felt the powerful presence of the Lord, and he carried me away. 2 In a vision God took me to the land of Israel and put me on a high mountain. I saw in front of me a group of buildings that looked like a city. 3 He took me closer, and I saw a man who shone like bronze. He was holding a linen tape measure and a measuring rod and was standing by a gateway.
4 He said to me, “Watch, mortal man. Listen carefully and pay close attention to everything I show you, because this is why you were brought here. You are to tell the people of Israel everything you see.”
The East Gate
5 What I saw was the Temple, and there was a wall around it. The man took his measuring rod, which was 10 feet long, and measured the wall. It was 10 feet high and 10 feet thick. 6 Then he went to the gateway that faced east. He went up the steps, and at the top he measured the entrance; it was 10 feet deep. 7 Beyond it there was a passageway, which had three guardrooms on each side. Each of the rooms was square, 10 feet on each side, and the walls between them were 8 feet thick. Beyond the guardrooms there was a passageway 10 feet long that led to an entrance room which faced the Temple. 8-9 He measured this room and found it was 14 feet deep. It formed that end of the gateway which was nearest the Temple, and at its far end the walls were 4 feet thick. ( 10 These guardrooms on each side of the passageway were all the same size, and the walls between them were all of the same thickness.)
11 Next, the man measured the width of the passageway in the gateway. It was 22 feet altogether, and the space between the open gates was 16 feet. 12 In front of each of the guardrooms there was a low wall 20 inches high and 20 inches thick. (The rooms were 10 feet square.) 13 Then he measured the distance from the back wall of one room to the back wall of the room across the passageway from it, and it was 42 feet. 14 The room at the far end led out to a courtyard. He measured that room and found it was 34 feet wide. 15 The total length of the gateway from the outside wall of the gate to the far side of the last room was 84 feet. 16 There were small openings in the outside walls of all the rooms and also in the inner walls between the rooms. There were palm trees carved on the inner walls that faced the passageway.
The Outer Courtyard
17 The man took me through the gateway into the courtyard. There were thirty rooms built against the outer wall, and in front of them there was an area paved with stones, 18 which extended around the courtyard. This outer courtyard was at a lower level than the inner courtyard.
19 There was a gateway at a higher level that led to the inner courtyard. The man measured the distance between the two gateways, and it was 168 feet.
The North Gate
20 Then the man measured the gateway on the north side that led into the outer courtyard. 21 The three guardrooms on each side of the passageway, the walls between them, and the entrance room all had the same measurements as those in the east gateway. The total length of the gateway was 84 feet and the width 42 feet. 22 The entrance room, the windows, and the carved palm trees were like those in the east gate. Here seven steps led up to the gate, and the entrance room was at the end facing the courtyard. 23 Across the courtyard from this north gateway was another gateway leading to the inner courtyard, just as there was on the east side. The man measured the distance between these two gateways, and it was 168 feet.
The South Gate
24 Next, the man took me to the south side, and there we saw another gateway. He measured its inner walls and its entrance room, and they were the same as the others. 25 There were windows in the rooms of this gateway just as in the others. The total length of the gateway was 84 feet and the width 42 feet. 26 Seven steps led up to it, and its entrance room was also at the end facing the courtyard. There were palm trees carved on the inner walls that faced the passageway. 27 Here, too, there was a gateway leading to the inner courtyard. The man measured the distance to this second gateway, and it was 168 feet.
The Inner Courtyard: The South Gate
28 The man took me through the south gateway into the inner courtyard. He measured the gateway, and it was the same size as the gateways in the outer wall. 29-30 Its guardrooms, its entrance room, and its inner walls were the same size as those in the other gateways. There were also windows in the rooms of this gateway. The total length was 84 feet and the width 42 feet. 31 Its entrance room faced the other courtyard, and palm trees were carved on the walls along the passageway. Eight steps led up to this gate.
The Inner Courtyard: The East Gate
32 The man took me through the east gateway into the inner courtyard. He measured the gateway, and it was the same size as the others. 33 Its guardrooms, its entrance room, and its inner walls measured the same as those in the other gateways. There were windows all around, and in the entrance room also. The total length was 84 feet and the width 42 feet. 34 The entrance room faced the outer courtyard. Palm trees were carved on the walls along the passageway. Eight steps led up to this gate.
The Inner Courtyard: The North Gate
35 Then the man took me to the north gateway. He measured it, and it was the same size as the others. 36 Like them, it also had guardrooms, decorated inner walls, an entrance room, and windows all around. Its total length was 84 feet and its width 42 feet. 37 The entrance room faced the outer courtyard. Palm trees were carved on the walls along the passageway. Eight steps led up to this gate.
Buildings Near the North Gate
38 In the outer courtyard there was an annex attached to the inner gateway on the north side. It opened into the entrance room that faced the courtyard, and there they washed the carcasses of the animals to be burned whole as sacrifices. 39 In this entrance room there were four tables, two on each side of the room. It was on these tables that they killed the animals to be offered as sacrifices, either to be burned whole or to be sacrifices for sin or as repayment offerings. 40 Outside the room there were four similar tables, two on either side of the entrance of the north gate. 41 Altogether there were eight tables on which the animals to be sacrificed were killed: four inside the room and four out in the courtyard. 42 The four tables in the annex, used to prepare the offerings to be burned whole, were of cut stone. They were 20 inches high, and their tops were 30 inches square. All the equipment used in killing the sacrificial animals was kept on these tables. 43 Ledges 3 inches wide ran around the edge of the tables. All the meat to be offered in sacrifice was placed on the tables.
44 Then he brought me into the inner court. There were two rooms opening on the inner court, one facing south beside the north gateway and the other facing north beside the south gateway. 45 The man told me that the room which faced south was for the priests who served in the Temple, 46 and the room which faced north was for the priests who served at the altar. All the priests are descended from Zadok; they are the only members of the tribe of Levi who are permitted to go into the Lord's presence to serve him.
The Inner Courtyard and the Temple Building
47 The man measured the inner courtyard, and it was 168 feet square. The Temple was on the west side, and in front of it was an altar. 48 Then he took me into the entrance room of the Temple. He measured the entranceway: it was 9 feet deep and 24 feet wide, with walls 5 feet thick on either side. 49 Steps led up to the entrance room, which was 34 feet wide and 20 feet deep. There were two columns, one on each side of the entrance.
1 In the fiue and twentieth yeere of our being in captiuitie, in the beginning of the yeere, in the tenth day of the moneth, in the fourteenth yeere after that the citie was smitten, in the selfe same day, the hande of the Lord was vpon mee, and brought me thither. 2 Into the lande of Israel brought he me by a diuine vision, and set me vpon a very hie mountaine, whereupon was as the building of a citie, toward the South. 3 And he brought me thither, and beholde, there was a man, whose similitude was to looke to, like brasse, with a linnen thread in his hand, and a reede to measure with: and he stoode at the gate. 4 And the man said vnto me, Sonne of man, beholde with thine eyes, and heare with thine eares, and set thine heart vpon all that I shall shew thee: for to the intent, that they might be shewed thee, art thou brought hither: declare al that thou seest, vnto the house of Israel. 5 And beholde, I sawe a wall on the outside of the house round about: and in the mans hand was a reede to measure with, of sixe cubites long, by the cubite, and an hand breadth: so he measured the breadth of the buylding with one reede, and the height with one reede. 6 Then came he vnto the gate, which looketh towarde the East, and went vp the stayres thereof, and measured the poste of the gate, which was one reede broade, and the other poste of the gate, which was one reede broade. 7 And euery chamber was one reede long, and one reede broad, and betweene the chambers were fiue cubites: and the post of the gate by the porch of the gate within was one reede. 8 He measured also the porche of the gate within with one reede. 9 Then measured he the porch of the gate of eight cubites, and the postes thereof, of two cubites, and the porch of the gate was inward. 10 And the chambers of the gate Eastwarde, were three on this side, and three on that side: they three were of one measure, and the postes had one measure on this side, and one on that side. 11 And he measured the breadth of the entrie of the gate ten cubites, and the height of the gate thirteene cubites. 12 The space also before the chambers was one cubite on this side, and the space was one cubite on that side, and the chambers were sixe cubites on this side and sixe cubites on that side. 13 He measured then the gate from the roufe of a chamber to the toppe of the gate: the breadth was fiue and twentie cubites, doore against doore. 14 He made also postes of threescore cubites, and the postes of the court, and of the gate had one measure round about. 15 And vpon the forefront of the entry of the gate vnto the forefront of the porch of the gate within were fiftie cubites. 16 And there were narrowe windowes in the chambers, and in their postes within the gate round about, and likewise to the arches: and the windowes went rounde about within: and vpon the postes were palme trees. 17 Then brought he me into the outwarde court, and lo, there were chambers, and a pauement made for the court round about, and thirtie chambers were vpon the pauement. 18 And the pauement was by the side of the gates ouer against the length of the gates, and the pauement was beneath. 19 Then hee measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate without, vnto the forefront of the court within, an hundreth cubits Eastward and Northward. 20 And the gate of the outwarde court, that looked toward the North, measured he after the length and breadth thereof. 21 And the chambers thereof were, three on this side, and three on that side, and the postes thereof and the arches thereof were after the measure of the first gate: the length thereof was fiftie cubites, and the breadth fiue and twentie cubites. 22 And their windowes, and their arches with their palme trees, were after the measure of the gate that looketh toward the East, and the going vp vnto it had seuen steppes, and the arches therof were before them. 23 And the gate of the inner court stoode ouer against the gate towarde the North, and towarde the East, and hee measured from gate to gate an hundreth cubites. 24 After that, he brought mee towarde the South, and loe, there was a gate towarde the South, and hee measured the postes thereof, and the arches thereof according to these measures. 25 And there were windowes in it, and in the arches thereof round about, like those windowes: the height was fiftie cubites, and the breadth fiue and twentie cubites. 26 And there were seuen steps to go vp to it, and the arches thereof were before them: and it had palme trees, one on this side, and another on that side vpon the post thereof. 27 And there was a gate in the inner court towarde the South, and he measured from gate to gate towarde the South an hundreth cubites. 28 And he brought me into the inner court by the South gate, and he measured the South gate according to these measures, 29 And the chambers thereof, and the postes thereof, and the arches thereof according to these measures, and there were windowes in it, and in the arches thereof rounde about, it was fiftie cubites long and fiue and twentie cubites broade. 30 And the arches round about were fiue and twenty cubites long, and fiue cubites broad. 31 And the arches thereof were towarde the vtter court, and palme trees were vpon the postes thereof, and the going vp to it had eight steppes. 32 Againe he brought me into ye inner court toward the East, and he measured the gate according to these measures. 33 And the chambers thereof, and the postes thereof, and the arches thereof were according to these measures, and there were windowes therein, and in the arches thereof round about, it was fiftie cubites long, and fiue and twentie cubites broade. 34 And the arches thereof were towarde the vtter court, and palme trees were vpon the postes thereof, on this side and on that side, and the going vp to it had eight steppes. 35 After he brought mee to the North gate, and measured it, according to these measures, 36 The chambers thereof, the postes thereof, and the arches thereof, and there were windowes therein round about: the height was fiftie cubits, and the breadth fiue and twentie cubites. 37 And the postes thereof were towarde the vtter court, and palme trees were vpon the postes thereof on this side, and on that side, and the going vp to it had eight steps. 38 And euery chamber, and the entrie thereof was vnder the postes of the gates: there they washed the burnt offring. 39 And in the porch of the gate stoode two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, vpon the which they slew the burnt offring, and the sinne offring, and the trespas offring. 40 And at the side beyond the steppes, at the entry of the North gate stoode two tables, and on the other side, which was at the porch of the gate were two tables. 41 Foure tables were on this side, and foure tables on that side by the side of the gate, euen eight tables whereupon they slew their sacrifice. 42 And the foure tables were of hewen stone for the burnt offering, of a cubite and an halfe long, and a cubite and an halfe broade, and one cubite hie: whereupon also they layde the instruments wherewith they slew the burnt offring and the sacrifice. 43 And within were borders an hand broade, fastened round about, and vpon the tables lay the flesh of the offring. 44 And without the inner gate were ye chambers of the singers in the inner Court, which was at the side of the North gate: and their prospect was towarde the South, and one was at the side of the East gate, hauing the prospect towarde the North. 45 And he said vnto me, This chamber whose prospect is towarde the South, is for the Priestes that haue the charge to keepe the house. 46 And the chamber whose prospect is toward the North, is for the Priestes that haue the charge to keepe the altar: these are the sonnes of Zadok among ye sonnes of Leui which may come neere to the Lord to minister vnto him. 47 So he measured the court, an hundreth cubites long, and an hundreth cubits broad, eue foure square: likewise the altar that was before ye house. 48 And hee brought mee to the porch of the house, and measured the postes of the porch, fiue cubites on this side, and fiue cubites on that side: and the breadth of the gate was three cubites on this side, and three cubites on that side. 49 The length of the porch was twentie cubites, and ye breadth eleuen cubites, and he brought me by the steps whereby they went vp to it, and there were pillars by the postes, one on this side, and another on that side.