The Glory of the LORD Enters

1Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looks toward the east:

2And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.

3And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face.

4And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate which faces toward the east.

5So the Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.

6And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.

7And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their harlotry, nor by the dead bodies of their kings on their high places.

8In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: therefore I have consumed them in my anger.

9Now let them put away their harlotry, and the dead bodies of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them forever.

10You son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.

11And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, show them the form of the house, and its plan, and its exits, and its entrances, and all its design, and all its ordinances, and all its forms, and all its laws: and write it in their sight, that they may keep its whole design, and all its ordinances, and do them.

12This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole area round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.

Measurements of the Altar

13And these are the measurements of the altar by cubits: The cubit is a cubit and a handbreadth; the base shall be a cubit high, and the width a cubit, and its rim all around its edge shall be a span: and this shall be the height of the altar.

14And from the base upon the ground to the lower ledge shall be two cubits, and the width one cubit; and from the smaller ledge even to the larger ledge shall be four cubits, and the width one cubit.

15So the altar hearth shall be four cubits; and from the altar hearth and extending upward shall be four horns.

16And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve wide, square in the four corners.

17And the ledge shall be fourteen cubits long and fourteen wide on its four sides; and the rim around it shall be half a cubit wide; and its base shall be a cubit all around; and its steps shall face toward the east.

The Altar Consecrated

18And he said unto me, Son of man, thus says the Lord GOD; These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings on it, and to sprinkle blood on it.

19And you shall give to the priests, the Levites, that are of the descendants of Zadok, who approach unto me, to minister unto me, says the Lord GOD, a young bullock for a sin offering.

20And you shall take some of its blood, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the ledge, and upon the rim around it: thus shall you cleanse and purge it.

21You shall take the bullock also of the sin offering, and shall burn it in the appointed place of the house, outside the sanctuary.

22And on the second day you shall offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they did cleanse it with the bullock.

23When you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a young bullock without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish.

24And you shall offer them before the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the LORD.

25Seven days shall you prepare every day a goat for a sin offering: they shall also prepare a young bullock, and a ram out of the flock, without blemish.

26Seven days shall they purge the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate themselves.

27And when these days are completed, it shall be, that upon the eighth day, and thereafter, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, says the Lord GOD.