1
Next, the man took me into the central room, the Holy Place. He measured the passageway into it: it was 10 feet deep
2
and 18 feet wide, with walls 8 feet thick on either side. He measured the room itself: it was 68 feet long and 34 feet wide.
3
Then he went to the innermost room. He measured the passageway into it: it was 3 feet deep and 10 feet wide, with walls on either side 12 feet thick.
4
He measured the room itself, and it was 34 feet square. This room was beyond the central room. Then he said to me, "This is the Most Holy Place."
5
The man measured the thickness of the inner wall of the Temple building, and it was 10 feet. Against this wall, all around the Temple, was a series of small rooms 7 feet wide.
6
These rooms were in three stories, with thirty rooms on each floor. The Temple's outer wall on each floor was thinner than on the floor below, so that the rooms could rest on the wall without being anchored into it.
7
And so the Temple walls, when seen from the outside, seemed to have the same thickness all the way to the top. Against the Temple's outer wall, on the outside of the rooms, two wide stairways were built, so that it was possible to go from the lower story to the middle and the upper stories.
8
The outside wall of these rooms was 8 feet thick; there was one door into the rooms on the north side of the Temple, and one into those on the south side. I saw that there was a terrace 8 feet wide around the Temple; it was 10 feet above the ground and it was level with the foundation of the rooms by the Temple walls. Between the terrace and the buildings used by the priests there was an open space 34 feet across, along the sides of the Temple.
12
At the far end of the open space on the west side of the Temple there was a building 150 feet long and 116 feet wide; its walls were 9 feet thick all around.
13
The man measured the outside of the Temple, and it was 168 feet long. And from the back of the Temple, across the open space to the far side of the building to the west, the distance was also 168 feet.
14
The distance across the front of the Temple, including the open space on either side, was also 168 feet.
15
He measured the length of the building to the west, including its galleries on both sides, and it was also 168 feet. The entrance room of the Temple, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place
16
were all paneled with wood from the floor to the windows. These windows could be covered.
17
The inside walls of the Temple, up as high as above the doors, were completely covered with carvings
18
of palm trees and winged creatures. Palm trees alternated with creatures, one following the other, all the way around the room. Each creature had two faces:
19
a human face that was turned toward the palm tree on one side, and a lion's face that was turned toward the tree on the other side. It was like this all around the wall,
20
from the floor to above the doors.
21
The doorposts of the Holy Place were square. In front of the entrance of the Most Holy Place there was something that looked like
22
a wooden altar. It was 5 feet high and 4 feet wide. Its corner posts, its base, and its sides were all made of wood. The man said to me, "This is the table which stands in the presence of the LORD."
23
There was a door at the end of the passageway to the Holy Place and one also at the end of the passageway to the Most Holy Place.
24
They were double doors that swung open in the middle.
25
There were palm trees and winged creatures carved on the doors of the Holy Place, just as there were on the walls. And there was a wooden covering over the outside of the doorway of the entrance room.
26
At the sides of this room there were windows, and the walls were decorated with palm trees.
1
Then the man took me into the outer courtyard and led me to a building on the north side of the Temple, not far from the building at the west end of the Temple.
2
This building was 168 feet long and 84 feet wide.
3
On one side it faced the space 34 feet wide which was alongside the Temple, and on the other side it faced the pavement of the outer courtyard. It was built on three levels, each one set further back than the one below it.
4
Along the north side of this building was a passageway 16 feet wide and 168 feet long, with entrances on that side.
5
The rooms at the upper level of the building were narrower than those at the middle and lower levels because they were set further back.
6
The rooms at all three levels were on terraces and were not supported by columns like the other buildings in the courtyard.
7
At the lower level the outer wall of the building was solid for 84 feet, half its length; and there were rooms in the remaining 84 feet. At the top level there were rooms in the entire length of the building.
9
Below these rooms at the east end of the building, where the wall of the courtyard began, there was an entrance into the outer courtyard. At the south side of the Temple there was an identical building not far from the building at the west end of the Temple.
11
In front of the rooms there was a passageway just like the one on the north side. It had the same measurements, the same design, and the same kind of entrances.
12
There was a door under the rooms on the south side of the building, at the east end where the wall began.
13
The man said to me, "Both these buildings are holy. In them the priests who enter the LORD's presence eat the holiest offerings. Because the rooms are holy, the priests will place the holiest offerings there: the offerings of grain and the sacrifices offered for sin or as repayment offerings.
14
When priests have been in the Temple and want to go to the outer courtyard, they must leave in these rooms the holy clothing they wore while serving the LORD. They must put on other clothes before going out to the area where the people gather."
15
When the man had finished measuring inside the Temple area, he took me out through the east gate and then measured the outside of the area.
16
He took the measuring rod and measured the east side, and it was 840 feet.
17
Then he measured the north side, the south side, and the west side; each side had the same length, 840 feet,
20
so that the wall enclosed a square 840 feet on each side. The wall served to separate what was holy from what was not.
1
The man took me to the gate that faces east,
2
and there I saw coming from the east the dazzling light of the presence of the God of Israel. God's voice sounded like the roar of the sea, and the earth shone with the dazzling light.
3
This vision was like the one I had seen when God came to destroy Jerusalem, and the one I saw by the Chebar River. Then I threw myself face downward on the ground.
4
The dazzling light passed through the east gate and went into the Temple.
5
The LORD's spirit lifted me up and took me into the inner courtyard, where I saw that the Temple was filled with the glory of the LORD.
6
The man stood beside me there, and I heard the LORD speak to me out of the Temple:
7
"Mortal man, here is my throne. I will live here among the people of Israel and rule them forever. Neither the people of Israel nor their kings will ever again disgrace my holy name by worshiping other gods or by burying the corpses of their dead kings.
8
The kings built the doorsills and doorposts of their palace right against the doorsills and doorposts of my Temple, so that there was only a wall between us. They disgraced my holy name by all the disgusting things they did, and so in my anger I destroyed them.
9
Now they must stop worshiping other gods and remove the corpses of their kings. If they do, I will live among them forever."
10
And the LORD continued, "Mortal man, tell the people of Israel about the Temple, and let them study its plan. Make them ashamed of their sinful actions.
11
Then if they are ashamed of what they have done, explain the plan of the Temple to them: its design, its entrances and exits, its shape, the arrangement of everything, and all its rules and regulations. Write all this down for them so that they can see how everything is arranged and can carry out all the rules.
12
This is the law of the Temple: All the area surrounding it on the top of the mountain is sacred and holy."
13
These are the measurements of the altar, using the same unit of measure as in measuring the Temple. All around the base of the altar there was a gutter 20 inches deep and 20 inches wide, with a rim at the outside edge 10 inches high.
14
The lowest section of the altar, from the top of the base, was 4 feet high. The next section was set back from the edge 20 inches all around, and was 7 feet high. The section after that was also set back from the edge 20 inches all around.
15
This top section, on which the sacrifices were burned, was also 7 feet high. The projections on the four corners were higher than the rest of the top.
16
The top of the altar was a square, 20 feet on each side.
17
The middle section was also a square, 24 feet on each side, with a rim at the outside edge 10 inches high. (The gutter was 20 inches wide.) The steps going up the altar were on the east side.
18
The Sovereign LORD said to me, "Mortal man, listen to what I tell you. When the altar is built, you are to dedicate it by burning sacrifices on it and by sprinkling on it the blood of the animals that were sacrificed.
19
Those priests belonging to the tribe of Levi who are descended from Zadok are the only ones who are to come into my presence to serve me. I, the Sovereign LORD, command this. You will give them a young bull to offer as a sacrifice for sin.
20
You are to take some of its blood and put it on the projections on the top corners of the altar, on the corners of the middle section of the altar, and all around its edges. In this way you will purify the altar and consecrate it.
21
You are to take the bull that is offered as a sacrifice for sin and burn it at the specified place outside the Temple area.
22
The next day you are to take a male goat without any defects and offer it as a sacrifice for sin. Purify the altar with its blood the same way you did with the bull.
23
When you have finished doing that, take a young bull and a young ram, both of them without any defects,
24
and bring them to me. The priests will sprinkle salt on them and burn them as an offering to me.
25
Each day for seven days you are to offer a goat, a bull, and a ram as sacrifices for sin. All of them must be without any defects.
26
For seven days the priests are to consecrate the altar and make it ready for use.
27
When the week is over, the priests are to begin offering on the altar the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings of the people. Then I will be pleased with all of you. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken."
1
The man led me to the outer gate at the east side of the Temple area. The gate was closed,
2
and the LORD said to me, "This gate will stay closed and will never be opened. No human being is allowed to use it, because I, the LORD God of Israel, have entered through it. It is to remain closed.
3
The ruling prince, however, may go there to eat a holy meal in my presence. He is to enter and leave the gateway through the entrance room at the inner end."
4
Then the man took me through the north gate to the front of the Temple. As I looked, I saw that the Temple of the LORD was filled with the dazzling light of his presence. I threw myself face downward on the ground,
5
and the LORD said to me, "Mortal man, pay attention to everything you see and hear. I am going to tell you the rules and regulations for the Temple. Note carefully which persons are allowed to go in and out of the Temple, and which persons are not allowed.
6
"Tell those rebellious people of Israel that I, the Sovereign LORD, will no longer tolerate the disgusting things that they have been doing.
7
They have profaned my Temple by letting uncircumcised foreigners, people who do not obey me, enter the Temple when the fat and the blood of the sacrifices are being offered to me. So my people have broken my covenant by all the disgusting things they have done.
8
They have not taken charge of the sacred rituals in my Temple, but instead have put foreigners in charge.
9
"I, the Sovereign LORD, declare that no uncircumcised foreigner, no one who disobeys me, will enter my Temple, not even a foreigner who lives among the people of Israel."
10
The LORD said to me, "I am punishing those Levites who, together with the rest of the people of Israel, deserted me and worshiped idols.
11
They may serve me in the Temple by taking charge of the gates and by performing the work of the Temple. They may kill the animals which the people offer for burnt offerings and for sacrifices, and they are to be on duty to serve the people.
12
But because they conducted the worship of idols for the people of Israel and in this way led the people into sin, I, the Sovereign LORD, solemnly swear that they must be punished.
13
They are not to serve me as priests or to go near anything that is holy to me or to enter the Most Holy Place. This is the punishment for the disgusting things they have done.
14
I am assigning to them the menial work that is to be done in the Temple."
15
The Sovereign LORD said, "Those priests belonging to the tribe of Levi who are descended from Zadok, however, continued to serve me faithfully in the Temple when the rest of the people of Israel turned away from me. So now they are the ones who are to serve me and come into my presence to offer me the fat and the blood of the sacrifices.
16
They alone will enter my Temple, serve at my altar, and conduct the Temple worship.
17
When they enter the gateway to the inner courtyard of the Temple, they are to put on linen clothing. They must not wear anything made of wool when they are on duty in the inner courtyard or in the Temple.
18
So that they won't perspire, they are to wear linen turbans and linen trousers, but no belt.
19
Before they go to the outer courtyard where the people are, they must first take off the clothes they wore on duty in the Temple and leave them in the holy rooms. They are to put on other clothing in order to keep their sacred clothing from harming the people.
20
"Priests must neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow long. They are to keep it a proper length.
21
Priests must not drink any wine before going into the inner courtyard.
22
No priest may marry a divorced woman; he is to marry only an Israelite virgin or the widow of another priest.
23
"The priests are to teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is not, and between what is ritually clean and what is not.
24
When a legal dispute arises, the priests are to decide the case according to my laws. They are to keep the religious festivals according to my rules and regulations, and they are to keep the Sabbaths holy.
25
"A priest is not to become ritually unclean by touching a corpse, unless it is one of his parents, one of his children or a brother or an unmarried sister.
26
After he has become clean again, he must wait seven days
27
and then go into the inner courtyard of the Temple and offer a sacrifice for his purification, so that he can serve in the Temple again. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken.
28
"The priests have the priesthood as their share of what I have given Israel to be handed down from one generation to another. They are not to hold property in Israel; I am all they need.
29
The grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the repayment offerings will be the priests' food, and they are to receive everything in Israel that is set apart for me.
30
The priests are to have the best of all the first harvest and of everything else that is offered to me. Each time the people bake bread, they are to give the priests the first loaf as an offering, and my blessing will rest on their homes.
31
The priests must not eat any bird or animal that dies a natural death or is killed by another animal."
