CHAPTER 40
In the twenty-fifth
year
of our exile,
at the beginning
of the year,
on the tenth
day of the month—
in the fourteenth
year
after
Jerusalem
had been struck down—
on that
very
day
the hand
of the LORD
was
upon me,
and He took
me
there.
In visions
of God
He took
me to
the land
of Israel
and set me
on
a very
high
mountain,
on whose southern slope
was a structure
that resembled a city.
So He took
me there,
and I saw
a man
whose appearance
was like bronze.
He
was standing
in the gateway
with a linen
cord
and a measuring
rod
in his hand.
“Son
of man,”
he said
to me,
“look
with your eyes,
hear
with your ears,
and pay attention
to everything
I
am going to show you,
for
that
is why
you have been brought
here.
Report
everything
you
see
to the house
of Israel.”
And I saw
a wall
surrounding
the temple area.
Now the length of the measuring
rod
in the man’s
hand
was six long
cubits
(each measuring a cubit
and a handbreadth),
and he measured
the wall to be
one
rod
thick
and one
rod
high.
Then he came
to
the gate
facing
east
and climbed
its steps.
He measured
the threshold
of the gate to be
one
rod
deep.
Each gate chamber
was one
rod
long
and one rod
wide,
and there were five
cubits
between
the gate chambers.
The inner threshold
of the gate
by the portico
facing inward
was one
rod deep.
it was
eight
cubits deep
and its jambs were
two
cubits thick.
And the portico
of the gateway
faced the temple.
There were three
gate chambers
on each side
of the east
gate,
each with the same
measurements,
and the gateposts
on either side
also had the same
measurements.
And he measured
the width
of the gateway
entrance
to be ten
cubits,
and its length
was thirteen
cubits.
In front
of each gate chamber
was a wall
one
cubit high,
and the gate chambers
were six
cubits
square.
Then he measured
the gateway
from the roof
of a gate chamber
to the roof
of the opposite one;
the distance was twenty-five
cubits
from doorway
to
doorway.
Next he measured
the gateposts
to be sixty
cubits high.
The gateway extended
around
to
the gatepost
of the courtyard.
And the distance from
the entrance
of the gateway
to
the far end of
its
inner
portico
was fifty
cubits.
The gate chambers
and their side pillars
had
beveled
windows
all around
the inside
of the gateway.
The porticos
also had windows
all around
on the inside.
Each side pillar
was decorated with palm trees.
Then he brought
me into
the outer
court,
and there
were chambers
and a pavement
laid out
all around
the court.
Thirty
chambers
faced
the pavement,
which flanked
the gateways
and corresponded to
the length
of the gates;
this was the lower
pavement.
Then he measured
the distance
from the front
of the lower
gateway
to the outside
of the inner
court;
it was a hundred
cubits
on the east side
as well as on the north.
Its three
gate chambers
on each side,
its side pillars,
and its portico
all had
the same measurements
as the first
gate:
fifty
cubits
long
and twenty-five
cubits
wide.
Its windows,
portico,
and palm trees
had the same measurements
as those of the gate
facing
east.
Seven
steps
led up to it,
with its portico
opposite them.
There was a gate
to the inner
court
facing
the north
gate,
just as there was on the east.
He measured the distance
from gateway
to
gateway
to be a hundred
cubits.
Then he led
me to
the south side,
and I saw
a gateway
facing
south.
He measured
its side pillars
and portico,
and they had the same measurements
as the others.
Both the gateway and its portico
had windows
all around,
like the other
windows.
It was fifty
cubits
long
and twenty-five
cubits
wide.
Seven
steps
led up to it,
and its portico
was opposite them;
it had palm trees
on
its side pillars,
one
on each side.
The inner
court
also had a gate
facing
south,
and he measured
the distance from gateway
to
gateway
toward
the south
to be a hundred
cubits.
Next he brought me
into
the inner
court
through the south
gate,
and he measured
the south
gate;
it had the same measurements
as the others.
Its gate chambers,
side pillars,
and portico
had the same measurements
as the others.
Both the gateway and its portico
had windows
all around;
it was fifty
cubits
long
and twenty-five
cubits
wide.
Its portico
faced
the outer
court,
and its side pillars
were decorated with palm trees.
Eight
steps
led up to it.
And he brought
me to
the inner
court
on
the east side,
and he measured
the gateway;
it had the same measurements
as the others.
Its gate chambers,
side pillars,
and portico
had the same measurements
as the others.
Both the gateway and its portico
had windows
all around.
It was fifty
cubits
long
and twenty-five
cubits
wide.
Its portico
faced the outer
court,
and its side pillars
were decorated with palm trees
on each side.
Eight
steps
led up to it.
Then he brought
me to
the north
gate
and measured it.
It had the same measurements
as the others,
as did its gate chambers,
side pillars,
and portico.
It also had windows
all around.
It was fifty
cubits
long
twenty-five
cubits
wide.
Its portico
faced the outer
court,
and its side pillars
were decorated with palm trees
on each side.
Eight
steps
led up to it.
There was a chamber
with a doorway
by the portico
in each of the inner gateways.
There
the burnt offering
was to be washed.
Inside the portico
of the gateway
were two
tables
on each side,
on which
the burnt offerings,
sin offerings,
and guilt offerings
were to be slaughtered.
Outside,
as one goes up
to the entrance
of the north
gate,
there were two
tables
on
one side
and two
more tables
on
the other
side
of the gate’s
portico.
So there were four
tables
inside the gateway
and four
outside—
eight
tables
in all—
on which the sacrifices were to be slaug
There were also four
tables
of dressed stone
for the burnt offering,
each a cubit
and a
half
long,
a cubit
and a
half
wide,
and a
cubit
high.
On these
were placed
the utensils
used to slaughter
the burnt offerings
and other sacrifices.
The double-pronged hooks,
each a
handbreadth long,
were fastened
all around
the inside of the room,
and the flesh
of the offering
was to be placed on
the tables.
Outside
the inner
gate,
within the inner
court,
were two chambers,
one
beside
the north
gate
and facing
south,
and another
beside
the south gate
and facing
north.
Then the man said
to me:
“The
chamber
that
faces
south
is for the priests
who have
charge
of the temple,
and the chamber
that
faces
north
is for the priests
who have
charge
of the altar.
These
are the sons
of Zadok,
the only Levites
who may approach
the LORD
to minister before Him.”
Next he measured
the court.
It was square,
a hundred
cubits
long
and a hundred
cubits
wide.
And the altar was
in front
of the temple.
Then he brought
me to
the portico
of the temple
and measured
the side pillars
of the portico
to be five
cubits
on each
side.
The width
of the gateway was fourteen cubits and i
were three
cubits
on either side.
The portico
was twenty
cubits
wide
and twelve
cubits
deep,
and ten steps
led up
to it.
There were columns
by
the side pillars,
one
on each side.