The Vision of the Gates

1Next, he brought me to the east-facing gate, 2and the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. His voice sounded like roaringa water, and the land shimmered from his glory. 3His appearance in the vision that I was having was similar to what I observed in the vision where he had come to destroy the city, and also like the visions that I saw by the Chebar River. I fell flat on my face 4while the glory of the LORD entered the Temple through the east-facing gate. 5Just then, the Spirit lifted me up and carried me into the inner courtyard, where the glory of the LORD was filling the Temple! 6I heard someone speaking to me from the Temple, and a man appeared, standing beside me!

God to Live among His People

7“Son of Man,” the Lord GOD toldb me, “This is where my throne is, where I place the soles of my feet, and where I will live among the Israelis forever. The house of Israel will no longer defile my holy name—neither they nor their kings—by their unfaithfulness, by the lifeless idolsc of their kings on their funeral mounds,d 8by their setting up their threshold too close to my threshold and their door post too close to my door post, with a wall between me and them. After all, they have defiled my holy name by the loathsome things that they did, so I devoured them in my anger. 9But now let them send their unfaithfulness—that is, the lifeless idolse of their kings—far away from me, and I will live among them forever.”

Ezekiel Describes the Temple

10“And now, Son of Man, describe the Temple to the house of Israel. They will be ashamed because of their sin. They will measure its pattern. 11If they are ashamed of everything that they’ve done, you are to reveal to them the design of the Temple, its structure, its exits and entrances, its plans, its ordinances, and all of its regulations. Write it down where they can see it and remember all of its designs and regulations, so they will implement them. 12This is to be the regulation for the Temple: the entire area on top of the mountain is to be considered wholly consecrated. This is to be the law of the Temple.”

The Altar

13“Here are the measurements of the altar in cubits that were a cubit and a handbreadthf long: its base is a cubitg long and a cubith wide, and its border around the edge at one handbreadthi is to be the height of the altar. 14From the base on the ground to its lower edge is to be two cubits,j with its width to be one cubit.k From the lesser ledge to the larger edge is to be four cubits.l Its width is to be one cubit.m 15The hearth is to be four cubits high,n and four horns are to extend upwards from the hearth. 16The hearth is to be twelve cubitso long and twelve cubitsp wide; that is, it will be a four-sided square. 17It is to have a ledge fourteen cubitsq long by fourteen cubitsr wide around the four sides. Its border is to be half a cubits and its base is to be a cubitt all around, with its steps facing east.”

The Offerings

18Then he told me, “This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘These are the regulations for the altar, starting the day that it is constructed for presenting burnt offerings and sprinkling blood. 19You are to present to the Levitical priests, Zadok’s descendants, who will approach me to serve me, a young bull for a sin offering,’ declares the Lord GOD. 20You are to take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar,u on the four corners of its ledge, and on the border that surrounds it, thus cleansing it and making an atonement for it. 21You are also to present a bull for a sin offering, incinerating it in the appointed place at the Temple, outside the sanctuary.

22‘The second day following commencement of offerings,v you are to offer a male goat without defect for a sin offering to cleanse the altar the same way they cleansed it with the bull. 23After you’ve finished the cleansing, you are to present a young bull without defect and a ram from the flock without defect. 24You are to present them in the LORD’s presence, and the priests are to throw salt on them and then present them as a burnt offering to the LORD.

25‘Every day for a week, you are to prepare a goat for a sin offering, a young bull, and a ram from the flock, eachw without defect. 26For a seven day period they are to make atonement for the altar, purifying it and consecrating it. 27When they will have completed this period,x starting the next day,y the priests are to offer your burnt offerings on the altar, along with your peace offerings, and I will accept you,’ declares the Lord GOD.”