The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel 40 The Restoration of the Temple: The Courts and the Vestibules

The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel 40

The Restoration of the Temple: The Courts and the Vestibes

1 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, fourteen years after the city was defeated, on that very day the hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me there.

2 In visions of God he brought me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, and there was on it something like a city building toward the south.

3 And when he had brought me there, behold, a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a linen cord in his hand and a measuring rod, was standing at the gate.

4 And the man said to me, “Son of man, see with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart on all that I show you, for you were brought here to show it to you; therefore, tell the house of Israel all that you see.”

5 There was a wall all around the house, and the man had a measuring rod in his hand, six cubits long, each cubit a span and a handbreadth long. He measured the width of the building, one rod, and its height, one rod.

6 Then he came to the gate that faced east and went up its steps. He measured the doorpost, one rod wide, and the other doorpost, one rod wide.

7 Each room was one rod long and one rod wide, and between the rooms there were five cubits. The doorpost, at the foot of the vestibule of the gate, was one rod inside.

8 He also measured the vestibule of the gate inside, one rod.

9 Then he measured the other porch of the gate, which was eight cubits, and its pillars, two cubits, and the vestibule of the gate inside.

10 The chambers of the gate on the east side were three on this side and three on the other; all three were of the same length. The pillars on this side and the other side were also of the same length.

11 He further measured the width of the entrance to the gate, which was ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits.

12 The space in front of the chambers was one cubit, and the space on the other side was one cubit. Each chamber was six cubits on one side and six cubits on the other.

13 Then he measured the gate from the roof of one chamber to the roof of the other, twenty-five cubits wide, gate against gate.

14 He also made pillars sixty cubits high, and the courtyard as far as the pillar around the gate.

15 From the front of the entrance gate to the front of the vestibule of the inner gate, there were fifty cubits.

16 He also made windows to close in the chambers and in their pillars, inside the gate all around, and likewise in the vestibules; and the windows were round on the inside, and there were palm trees on the pillars.

17 Then he brought me to the outer court; and behold, there were chambers in it, and a floor that was made in the court all around; there were thirty chambers in that floor.

18 And the floor on the side of the gates was level with the length of the gates; the floor was lower.

19 And he measured the width of the front of the inner courts, on the outside, one hundred cubits, on the east and north sides.

20 And as for the gate that faced the road northward, in the outer court, he measured its length and its width.

21 Its chambers, three on one side and three on the other, and its pillars and vestibules, were of the same size as the first gate: fifty cubits was its length, and twenty-five cubits its width.

22 Its windows, its vestibules, and its palm trees were of the same size as the gate that faced the east; and one went up to it by seven steps, and its vestibule was before it.

23 The gate of the inner court was opposite the north and east gates, and he measured from gate to gate one hundred cubits.

24 Then he brought me to the south side, and behold, there was a gate facing the south side, and he measured its pillars and its vestibules according to these measurements.

25 There were also windows all around its vestibules, like the other windows: fifty cubits long and fifty-five cubits wide.

26 Its steps were seven, and its vestibules were before them; and they had palm trees, one on one side and another on the other, on their pillars.

27 There was also a gate in the inner court toward the south; and he measured from gate to gate toward the south, one hundred cubits.

28 Then he brought me into the inner court by the south gate; and he measured the south gate according to these measurements.

29 Its chambers, its pillars, and its vestibules were according to these measurements; and they also had windows all around its vestibules: the length was fifty cubits, and the width twenty-five cubits.

30 And there were vestibules all around; the length was twenty-five cubits.

31 And its vestibules faced the outer court, and there were palm trees on its pillars; and its steps were eight in number.

32 Then he brought me to the inner court, toward the east, and measured the gate according to these measurements;

33 And also its chambers, and its pillars, and its vestibules, according to these measurements; and there were also windows all around its vestibules: the length was fifty cubits, and the width twenty-five cubits.

34 And its vestibules were in the outer court; there were also palm trees on its pillars on either side; and its steps were eight in number.

35 Then he brought me to the north gate, and measured according to these measurements;

36 Its chambers, its pillars, and its vestibules; it also had windows all around; the length was fifty cubits, and the width twenty-five cubits.

37 And its pillars were in the outer court; there were also palm trees on its pillars on either side; and its steps were eight in number.

38 And their chamber and their gate were by the pillars of the gates where they washed the burnt offering.

39 And in the vestibule of the gate there were two tables on one side, and two tables on the other, for slaughtering the burnt offering and the sin offering and the guilt offering.

40 Also on the outside side of the ascent to the entrance of the north gate there were two tables. And on the other side, which was in the vestibule of the gate, there were two tables.

41 Four tables on one side, and four tables on the other side; on the sides of the gate eight tables, on which they slaughtered.

42 And the four tables for burnt offerings were of hewn stone: the length was a cubit and a half, and the width a cubit; and on them were placed the instruments with which they slaughtered the burnt offering and the sacrifice.

43 Its borders were a span long all around the house, and the meat of the offering was on the tables.

44 Outside the inner gate were the chambers of the singers, in the inner court, which was on the north gate and faced the south road; one was on the east gate, which faced the north road.

45 He said to me, “This chamber that faces the south road is for the priests who have charge of the temple.

46 But the chamber that faces the north road is for the priests who have charge of the altar; these are the sons of Zadok, who approach the Lord from among the sons of Levi to minister to him.”

47 He measured the court: its length was one hundred cubits and its width one hundred cubits, a square; and the altar was before the temple.

48 Then he brought me to the vestibule of the temple and measured each pillar of the vestibule: five cubits on one side and five cubits on the other; and the width of the gate was three cubits on one side and three cubits on the other.

49 The length of the vestibule was twenty cubits, and its width eleven cubits, and it was ascended by steps; and there were columns beside the pillars, one on one side and one on the other.