Ezekiel 40

Vision of the New Temple

1  a In the twenty-fifth year b of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month c in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day d the hand of the  Lord was upon me, and he brought me to the city. ▼
▼ Hebrew brought me there
 2 In f visions of God he brought me to the land of Israel, and set me down on g a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south. 3 When he brought me there, behold, there was h a man whose appearance was i like bronze, with j a linen cord and k a measuring reed in his hand. And he was standing in the gateway. 4 And the man said to me, l “Son of man, m look with your eyes, and n hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. o Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.”

The East Gate to the Outer Court

5 And behold, there was p a wall all around the outside of the temple area, and the length of the measuring reed in the man’s hand was six long cubits, q each being a cubit and a handbreadth ▼
▼ A  cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters; a  handbreadth was about 3 inches or 7.5 centimeters
 in length. So he measured the thickness of the wall, one reed; and the height, one reed. 6 Then he went into s the gateway facing east, t going up its steps, and measured the threshold of the gate, one reed deep. ▼
▼ Hebrew deep, and one threshold, one reed deep
 7 And v the side rooms, one reed long and one reed broad; and the space between the side rooms, five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the vestibule of the gate at the inner end, one reed. 8 Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, on the inside, one reed. 9 Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, eight cubits; w and its jambs, two cubits; and the vestibule of the gate was at the inner end. 10 And there were three side rooms on either side of the east gate. x The three were of the same size, and the jambs on either side were of the same size. 11 Then he measured the width of the opening of the gateway, ten cubits; and the length of the gateway, thirteen cubits. 12 There was a barrier before the side rooms, one cubit on either side. And the side rooms were six cubits on either side. 13 Then he measured the gate from the ceiling of the one side room to the ceiling of the other, a breadth of twenty-five cubits; the openings faced each other. 14 He measured also y the vestibule, twenty cubits. And around the vestibule of the gateway was the court. ▼
▼ Text uncertain; Hebrew And he made the jambs sixty cubits, and to the jamb of the court was the gateway all around
 15 From the front of the gate at the entrance to the front of the inner vestibule of the gate was fifty cubits. 16 And the gateway had aa windows all around, narrowing inwards toward the side rooms and toward their ab jambs, and likewise the vestibule had windows all around inside, and on the jambs were ac palm trees.

The Outer Court

17 Then he brought me into ad the outer court. And behold, there were ae chambers and a af pavement, all around the court. ag Thirty chambers faced the pavement. 18 And the pavement ran along the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates. This was the lower pavement. 19 Then he measured the distance from the inner front of the lower gate to the outer front of the inner court, ▼
▼ Hebrew  distance from before the low gate before the inner court to the outside
 a hundred cubits on the east side and on the north side. ▼
▼ Or  cubits. So far the eastern gate; now to the northern gate.

The North Gate

20 As for aj the gate that faced toward the north, belonging to ak the outer court, he measured its length and its breadth. 21 Its al side rooms, three on either side, and its jambs and its vestibule were of the same size as those of am the first gate. Its length was an fifty cubits, and its breadth ao twenty-five cubits. 22 And ap its windows, its vestibule, and aq its palm trees were of the same size as those of the gate that faced toward the east. And by seven steps ar people would go up to it, and find its vestibule before them. 23 And opposite the gate on the north, as on the east, was a gate to as the inner court. And at he measured from gate to gate, a hundred cubits.

The South Gate

24 And he led me toward the south, and behold, there was a gate on the south. And au he measured its jambs and its vestibule; they had the same size as the others. 25 Both it and its vestibule av had windows all around, like the windows of the others. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. 26 And there were seven steps leading up to it, and its vestibule was before them, and it had aw palm trees on its jambs, one on either side. 27 And there was a gate on the south of ax the inner court. And he measured from gate to gate toward the south, a hundred cubits.

The Inner Court

28 Then he brought me to ay the inner court through the south gate, and az he measured the south gate. It was of the same size as the others. 29 Its ba side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and both it and its vestibule bb had windows all around. bc Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. 30 And there were vestibules all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits broad. 31 Its vestibule faced the outer court, and bd palm trees were on its jambs, and be its stairway had eight steps.

32 Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and bf he measured the gate. It was of the same size as the others. 33 Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and both it and its vestibule had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. 34  bg Its vestibule faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps.

35 Then he brought me to bh the north gate, and bi he measured it. It had the same size as the others. 36 Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, ▼
▼ One manuscript (compare verses 29 and 33); most manuscripts lack  were of the same size as the others
 and it had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. 37 Its vestibule ▼
▼ Septuagint, Vulgate (compare verses 26, 31, 34); Hebrew jambs
 faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps.

38 There was bl a chamber with its door in the vestibule of the gate, ▼
▼ Hebrew at the jambs, the gates
 bn where the burnt offering was to be washed. 39 And in the vestibule of the gate were two bo tables on either side, on which the bp burnt offering and the bq sin offering and the br guilt offering were to be slaughtered. 40 And off to the side, on the outside as one goes up to the entrance of the north gate, were two tables; and off to the other side of the vestibule of the gate were two tables. 41  bs Four tables were on either side of the gate, eight tables bt on which to slaughter. 42 And there were four tables bu of hewn stone for the burnt offering, a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, and one cubit high, on which the instruments were to be laid with which the bv burnt offerings and the sacrifices were slaughtered. 43 And hooks, ▼
▼ Or shelves
 a handbreadth long, were fastened all around within. And on the tables the flesh of the offering was to be laid.

Chambers for the Priests

44 On the outside of the inner gateway there were two bx chambers ▼
▼ Septuagint; Hebrew  were chambers for singers
 in the bz inner court, one ▼
▼ Hebrew lacks  one
 at the side of the north gate facing south, the other at the side of the south ▼
▼ Septuagint; Hebrew east
 gate facing north. 45 And he said to me, “This chamber that faces south is for the priests cc who have charge of the temple, 46 and the chamber that faces north is for the priests cd who have charge of the altar. These are ce the sons of Zadok, who alone ▼
▼ Hebrew lacks  alone
 among the sons of Levi may come cg near to the  Lord to minister to him.” 47 And he measured the court, ch a hundred cubits long and ci a hundred cubits broad, a square. And cj the altar was in front of the temple.

The Vestibule of the Temple

48 Then he brought me to ck the vestibule of the temple and measured the cl jambs of the vestibule, five cubits on either side. And the breadth of the gate was fourteen cubits, and the sidewalls of the gate ▼
▼ Septuagint; Hebrew lacks  was fourteen cubits, and the sidewalls of the gate
 were three cubits on either side. 49  cn The length of the vestibule was twenty cubits, and the breadth twelve ▼
▼ Septuagint; Hebrew eleven
 cubits, and people would go up to it by ten steps. ▼
▼ Septuagint; Hebrew  and by steps that would go up to it
 And there were pillars beside the jambs, one on either side.

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