CHAPTER 42
Then the man led me out
northward
into
the outer
court,
and he brought me
to
the group of chambers
opposite
the temple courtyard
and
the outer wall
on
the north side.
Gallery
faced
gallery
in three levels,
opposite
the twenty cubits
that
belonged to the inner
court
and opposite
the pavement
that
belonged to the outer
court.
In front
of the chambers
was an inner walkway
ten
cubits
wide
and a hundred
cubits
long.
Their doors
were on the north.
Now the upper
chambers
were smaller
because
the galleries
took more space
from the chambers
on the lower
and middle floors
of the building.
For
they
were arranged in three stories
and had no
pillars
like those
of the courts;
so
the upper chambers were set back further
than the lower
and middle floors.
A wall
on the outside
ran in
front
of the chambers,
parallel to them,
toward
the outer
court,
for fifty
cubits.
For
the chambers
on the outer
court
were fifty
cubits
long,
while those facing
the temple
were a hundred
cubits long.
And below
these
chambers was
the entrance
on the east side
as one enters
them
from the outer
court.
On the
south side
along the length
of the wall
of the outer court
were chambers,
adjoining
the courtyard
and
opposite
the building,
with a passageway
in front of them,
just like the chambers
that were
on
the north.
They had the same length
and width,
as well as all
their exits,
measurements,
and entrances.
And corresponding to the doors
of the chambers
that were
facing
south,
there was a door
in front
of the walkway
that was parallel
to the wall
extending
eastward.
Then the man said
to me,
“The north
and south
chambers
facing
the temple courtyard
are the holy
chambers
where
the priests
who
approach
the LORD
will eat
the most holy offerings.
There
they will place
the most holy offerings—
the grain offerings,
the sin offerings,
and the guilt offerings—
for
the place
is holy.
Once the priests
have entered
the holy area,
they must not
go out
into
the outer
court
until they have left behind
the garments
in which they minister,
for
these
are holy.
They are to put on
other
clothes
before they approach
the places
that are
for the people."
Now when the man had finished
measuring
the interior
of the temple area,
he led me out
by
the gate
that
faced
east,
and he measured the area
all
around:
So he measured
the area on all four
sides.
It had a wall
all
around,
five
hundred cubits
long
and five
hundred cubits
wide,
to separate
the holy
from the common.