The Man with a Measuring Rod
(Zechariah 2:1–5)

1In the twenty-fifth year of our transmigration, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck, on this very day, the hand of the Lord was placed upon me, and he brought me to that place. 2In the visions of God, he brought me into the land of Israel, and he released me on an exceedingly high mountain, on which there was something like the edifice of a city, verging toward the south. 3And he led me into that place. And behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a linen rope in his hand, and a measuring reed in his hand. And he was standing at the gate. 4And the same man said to me: “Son of man, look with your eyes, and listen with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I will reveal to you. For you have been brought to this place, so that these things may be revealed to you. Announce all that you see to the house of Israel.”

The East Gate

5And behold, there was a wall outside of the house, encircling it all around, and in the man’s hand was a measuring reed of six cubits and a palm. And he measured the width of the edifice with one reed; likewise, the height with one reed. 6And he went to the gate which looked toward the east, and he ascended by its steps. And he measured the width of the threshold of the gate as one reed, that is, one threshold was one reed in width. 7And a chamber was one reed in length and one reed in width. And between the chambers, there were five cubits. 8And the threshold of the gate, next to the inner vestibule of the gate, was one reed. 9And he measured the vestibule of the gate as eight cubits, and its front as two cubits. But the vestibule of the gate was inside. 10Moreover, the chambers of the gate, toward the way of the east, were three from one side to the other. The three were of one measure, and the fronts were of one measure, on both sides. 11And he measured the width of the threshold of the gate as ten cubits, and the length of the gate as thirteen cubits. 12And before the chambers, the border was one cubit. And on both sides, the border was one cubit. But the chambers were six cubits, from one side to the other. 13And he measured the gate, from the roof of one chamber to the roof of another, twenty-five cubits in width, from door to door. 14And he found the fronts to be sixty cubits. And at the front, there was a court for the gate on every side all around. 15And before the face of the gate, which extended even to the face of the vestibule of the gate of the interior, there were fifty cubits. 16And there were slanting windows in the chambers and at their fronts, which were within the gate on every side all around. And similarly, there were also windows in the vestibules all around the interior, and there were images of palm trees before the fronts.

The Outer Court

17And he led me away to the outer court, and behold, there were storerooms and a layer of pavement stones throughout the court. Thirty storerooms encircled the pavement. 18And the pavement in front of the gates, along the length of the gates, was lower. 19And he measured the width, from the face of the lower gate to the front of the outer part of the inner court, to be one hundred cubits, to the east and to the north.

The North Gate

20Likewise, he measured the gate of the outer court, which looked to the way of the north, to be as much in length as in width. 21And its chambers were three from one side to the other. And its front and its vestibule, in accord with the measure of the former gate, were fifty cubits in its length and twenty-five cubits in width. 22Now its windows, and the vestibule, and the engravings were in accord with the measure of the gate which looked to the east. And its ascent was by seven steps, and a vestibule was before it. 23And the gate of the inner court was opposite the gate of the north, and that of the east. And he measured from gate to gate as one hundred cubits.

The South Gate

24And he led me to the way of the south, and behold, there was a gate which looked toward the south. And he measured its front and its vestibule to be the same as the measures above. 25And its windows and the vestibule all around were like the other windows: fifty cubits in length and twenty-five cubits in width. 26And there were seven steps to ascend to it, and a vestibule before its doors. And there were engraved palm trees, one on each side, at its front. 27And there was a gate at the inner court, on the way to the south. And he measured from one gate to another, on the way to the south, to be one hundred cubits.

The Gates of the Inner Court

28And he led me into the inner court, to the south gate. And he measured the gate to be in accord with the measures above. 29Its chamber, and its front, and its vestibule had the same measures. And its windows and its vestibule all around were fifty cubits in length, and twenty-five cubits in width. 30And the vestibule all around was twenty-five cubits in length, and five cubits in width. 31And its vestibule was toward the outer court, and its palm trees were at the front. And there were eight steps to ascend to it.

32And he led me into the inner court, along the way of the east. And he measured the gate to be in accord with the measures above. 33Its chamber, and its front, and its vestibule were as above. And its windows and its vestibules all around were fifty cubits in length, and twenty-five cubits in width. 34And it had a vestibule, that is, at the outer court. And the engraved palm trees at its front were on one side and the other. And its ascent was by eight steps.

35And he led me to the gate which looked toward the north. And he measured it to be in accord with the measures above. 36Its chamber, and its front, and its vestibule, and its windows all around were fifty cubits in length, and twenty-five cubits in width. 37And its vestibule looked toward the outer court. And an engraving of palm trees at its front was on one side and the other. And its ascent was by eight steps.

Eight Tables for Sacrifices

38And at each one of the storerooms, there was a door at the front of the gates. There, they washed the holocaust. 39And at the vestibule of the gate, there were two tables on one side, and two tables on the other side, so that the holocaust, and the offering for sin, and the offering for transgression could be immolated upon them. 40And at the outer side, which ascends to the door of the gate that goes toward the north, there were two tables. And at the other side, before the vestibule of the gate, there were two tables. 41Four tables were on one side, and four tables were on the other side; along the sides of the gate, there were eight tables, upon which they immolated. 42Now the four tables for the holocausts were constructed of square stones: one and a half cubit in length, and one and a half cubits in width, and one cubit in height. Upon these, they placed the vessels, in which the holocaust and the victim were immolated. 43And their edges were one palm in width, turned inward all around. And the flesh of the oblation was on the tables.

Chambers for Ministry

44And outside the interior gate, there were storerooms for the cantors, in the inner court, which was beside the gate that looks toward the north. And their face was opposite the way to the south; one was beside the east gate, which looked toward the way of the north. 45And he said to me: “This is the storeroom that looks toward the south; it shall be for the priests who keep watch for the protection of the temple. 46Moreover, the storeroom that looks toward the north will be for the priests who keep watch over the ministry of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, those among the sons of Levi who may draw near to the Lord, so that they may minister to him.”

The Inner Court

47And he measured the court to be one hundred cubits in length, and one hundred cubits in width, with four equal sides. And the altar was before the face of the temple.

48And he led me into the vestibule of the temple. And he measured the vestibule to be five cubits on one side, and five cubits on the other side. And the width of the gate was three cubits on one side, and three cubits on the other side. 49Now the length of the vestibule was twenty cubits, and the width was eleven cubits, and there were eight steps to ascend to it. And there were pillars at the front, one on this side and another on that side.