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Return of the Lord’s Glory and Description of Sacrifices and Worship

43 And he brought me to the gate which was facing east.[a] And, look! The glory of the God of Israel, it came from the way of the east, and its sound was like the sound of many waters[b] and the land radiated due to his glory! And[c] the appearance of the vision which I saw was as[d] the vision which I saw at his[e] coming to destroy the city, and these visions were also as[f] the vision which I saw by the Kebar River,[g] and I fell on my face.

And then the glory of Yahweh came to the temple by the way of the gate facing east.[h] And the Spirit lifted me and it brought me to the inner courtyard and, look! The glory of Yahweh filled the temple! And I heard someone speaking to me from the house,[i] and a man was standing beside me. And he said to me, “Son of man,[j] this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet where I will dwell[k] in the midst of the Israelites[l] to eternity, and they, the house of Israel, they and their kings, will not again defile my holy name[m] with their fornication and with their offerings for the dead[n] of their kings on their high places. When they placed their threshold[o] with[p] my threshold, their doorframe beside my doorframe and the[q] wall was between me and between them, then they defiled my holy name,[r] with their detestable things that they did, and so I consumed them in my anger. Now let them send their fornication far away and the offerings for the dead[s] of their kings away from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them forever.[t]

10 You, son of man,[u] describe to the house of Israel the temple and let them be ashamed of their iniquities and let them measure the pattern. 11 And if they are ashamed of all that they did, then the plan of the temple and its arrangement and its exits and its entrances and all of its plans[v] and all of its statutes. And all of its plans[w] and all of its laws[x] make known to them and write them before their eyes, so that they may remember all of its plans and all of its statutes, so that they do them! 12 This is the law[y] of the temple: On the top of the mountain, all of its territory, all the way around it,[z] will be most holy.[aa] Look, this is the law of the temple.

13 And these are the measurements of the altar in the cubits[ab] (a cubit is a cubit and a handbreadth):[ac] now its gutter[ad] is a cubit[ae] in depth by a cubit[af] in width[ag] and its rim along its edge all around is one span,[ah] and this is also the height of the altar. 14 And from the gutter[ai] at the ground up to the lower ledge is two cubits,[aj] and its width is one cubit,[ak] and from the small ledge up to the large ledge is four cubits,[al] and its width is one cubit. 15 And the altar hearth was four cubits,[am] and from the altar hearth and upwards[an] were the four horns of the altar. 16 And the altar hearth was twelve[ao] cubits in length and twelve[ap] cubits in width[aq]; it was squared on its four sides.[ar] 17 And the ledge was fourteen[as] cubits in length with fourteen[at] cubits its width[au] to all four of its sides, and a rim was all around it of one-half cubit.[av] And the gutter[aw] for it was a cubit[ax] all around, and its steps were facing east.”

18 And he said to me, “Son of man,[ay] thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘These are the statutes of the altar on the day when it is made,[az] to sacrifice a burnt offering on it and to sprinkle blood on it. 19 And you must give to the Levitical priests who are from the offspring of Zadok, the ones coming near me,” declares[ba] the Lord Yahweh, “to serve me, a bull, a calf[bb] as a sin offering.

20 You must take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar,[bc] and the four corners of the ledge, and on the rim all around; thus you must purify it and make atonement for it. 21 And you must take the bull, the sin offering, and you must burn it in the designated place of the temple outside of the holy place. 22 And on the second day you must offer a he-goat without defect as a sin offering, and they must purify the altar like[bd] they purified with the bull. 23 When you are finished[be] from purifying, you must offer a bull, a calf,[bf] without defect, and a ram from the flock without defect. 24 And you must bring them near before[bg] Yahweh, and the priests must throw salt on them, and they must offer them as a burnt offering to Yahweh. 25 For seven days you must provide a goat of sin offering for the day and a bull, a calf,[bh] and a ram from the flock without defect; you must provide them. 26 Seven days they must purify the altar and they must cleanse it and so they will consecrate it.[bi] 27 And they will finish the days, and then[bj] on the eighth day and beyond that the priests will offer on the altar your burnt offerings and your fellowship offerings, and then I will be pleased with you,” declares[bk] the Lord Yahweh.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 43:1 Literally “which was facing to the way of the east”
  2. Ezekiel 43:2 Hebrew “water”
  3. Ezekiel 43:3 Or “and as”; as is not needed in translation
  4. Ezekiel 43:3 Or “like”
  5. Ezekiel 43:3 Or “my coming”
  6. Ezekiel 43:3 Or “like”
  7. Ezekiel 43:3 Literally “river of Kebar”
  8. Ezekiel 43:4 Literally “by the way of the gate which its face was to the way of the east”
  9. Ezekiel 43:6 Or “from inside”
  10. Ezekiel 43:7 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
  11. Ezekiel 43:7 Literally “which I will dwell there”
  12. Ezekiel 43:7 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  13. Ezekiel 43:7 Literally “the name of my holiness”
  14. Ezekiel 43:7 Or “corpses”
  15. Ezekiel 43:8 Literally “in/at their placing their threshold”
  16. Ezekiel 43:8 Or “beside/next to”
  17. Ezekiel 43:8 Or “their”
  18. Ezekiel 43:8 Literally “the name of my holiness”
  19. Ezekiel 43:9 Or “corpses”
  20. Ezekiel 43:9 Literally “to eternity”
  21. Ezekiel 43:10 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
  22. Ezekiel 43:11 Or “its entire pattern”
  23. Ezekiel 43:11 Or “purposes”
  24. Ezekiel 43:11 According to the reading tradition (Qere); cf. BHS
  25. Ezekiel 43:12 Literally “torah” or “instruction”
  26. Ezekiel 43:12 Literally “all around, all around”
  27. Ezekiel 43:12 Literally “will be a holiness of holinesses”
  28. Ezekiel 43:13 Or “in long cubits”
  29. Ezekiel 43:13 That is, about 18 inches (regular cubit) + 3 inches = 21 inches (long cubit)
  30. Ezekiel 43:13 Or “trench” (NJPS)
  31. Ezekiel 43:13 That is, 21 inches
  32. Ezekiel 43:13 That is, 21 inches
  33. Ezekiel 43:13 Literally “the cubit and cubit its width”
  34. Ezekiel 43:13 That is, 9 inches
  35. Ezekiel 43:14 Or “trench”
  36. Ezekiel 43:14 That is, 3 feet 6 inches
  37. Ezekiel 43:14 That is, 21 inches
  38. Ezekiel 43:14 That is, 7 feet
  39. Ezekiel 43:15 That is, 7 feet
  40. Ezekiel 43:15 Literally “and to above”
  41. Ezekiel 43:16 Literally “two ten”
  42. Ezekiel 43:16 Literally “two ten”
  43. Ezekiel 43:16 That is, 21 feet square
  44. Ezekiel 43:16 Literally “squared to the four of its sides”
  45. Ezekiel 43:17 Literally “four ten”
  46. Ezekiel 43:17 Literally “four ten”
  47. Ezekiel 43:17 That is, 24.5 feet on all four sides, a square
  48. Ezekiel 43:17 That is, 10.5 inches
  49. Ezekiel 43:17 Or “trench”
  50. Ezekiel 43:17 That is, 21 inches
  51. Ezekiel 43:18 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
  52. Ezekiel 43:18 Literally “to be made it”
  53. Ezekiel 43:19 Literally “declaration of”
  54. Ezekiel 43:19 Literally “son of cattle,” or “son of the herd”
  55. Ezekiel 43:20 Literally “on its four horns”
  56. Ezekiel 43:22 Literally “as that”
  57. Ezekiel 43:23 Literally “at your finishing”
  58. Ezekiel 43:23 Literally “son of cattle,” or “son of the herd”
  59. Ezekiel 43:24 Literally “to the face of”
  60. Ezekiel 43:25 Literally “son of cattle,” or “son of the herd”
  61. Ezekiel 43:26 Literally “they must fill its hand”
  62. Ezekiel 43:27 Literally “and it will happen”
  63. Ezekiel 43:27 Literally “declaration of”

God’s Glory Returns to the Temple

43 Then the man brought me to the gate facing east,(A) and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters,(B) and the land was radiant with his glory.(C) The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he[a] came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. The glory(D) of the Lord entered the temple through the gate facing east.(E) Then the Spirit(F) lifted me up(G) and brought me into the inner court, and the glory(H) of the Lord filled the temple.(I)

While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple. He said: “Son of man, this is the place of my throne(J) and the place for the soles of my feet. This is where I will live among the Israelites forever. The people of Israel will never again defile(K) my holy name—neither they nor their kings—by their prostitution and the funeral offerings[b] for their kings at their death.[c](L) When they placed their threshold next to my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them, they defiled my holy name by their detestable practices. So I destroyed them in my anger. Now let them put away from me their prostitution and the funeral offerings for their kings, and I will live among them forever.(M)

10 “Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed(N) of their sins. Let them consider its perfection, 11 and if they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the design of the temple—its arrangement, its exits and entrances—its whole design and all its regulations[d] and laws. Write these down before them so that they may be faithful to its design and follow all its regulations.(O)

12 “This is the law of the temple: All the surrounding area(P) on top of the mountain will be most holy.(Q) Such is the law of the temple.

The Great Altar Restored

13 “These are the measurements of the altar(R) in long cubits,[e] that cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth: Its gutter is a cubit deep and a cubit wide, with a rim of one span[f] around the edge. And this is the height of the altar: 14 From the gutter on the ground up to the lower ledge that goes around the altar it is two cubits high, and the ledge is a cubit wide.[g] From this lower ledge to the upper ledge that goes around the altar it is four cubits high, and that ledge is also a cubit wide.[h] 15 Above that, the altar hearth(S) is four cubits high, and four horns(T) project upward from the hearth. 16 The altar hearth is square, twelve cubits[i] long and twelve cubits wide.(U) 17 The upper ledge(V) also is square, fourteen cubits[j] long and fourteen cubits wide. All around the altar is a gutter of one cubit with a rim of half a cubit.[k] The steps(W) of the altar face east.(X)

18 Then he said to me, “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: These will be the regulations for sacrificing burnt offerings(Y) and splashing blood(Z) against the altar when it is built: 19 You are to give a young bull(AA) as a sin offering[l] to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok,(AB) who come near(AC) to minister before me, declares the Sovereign Lord. 20 You are to take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar(AD) and on the four corners of the upper ledge(AE) and all around the rim, and so purify the altar(AF) and make atonement for it. 21 You are to take the bull for the sin offering and burn it in the designated part of the temple area outside the sanctuary.(AG)

22 “On the second day you are to offer a male goat without defect for a sin offering, and the altar is to be purified as it was purified with the bull. 23 When you have finished purifying it, you are to offer a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without defect.(AH) 24 You are to offer them before the Lord, and the priests are to sprinkle salt(AI) on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the Lord.

25 “For seven days(AJ) you are to provide a male goat daily for a sin offering; you are also to provide a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without defect.(AK) 26 For seven days they are to make atonement for the altar and cleanse it; thus they will dedicate it. 27 At the end of these days, from the eighth day(AL) on, the priests are to present your burnt offerings(AM) and fellowship offerings(AN) on the altar. Then I will accept you, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 43:3 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts I
  2. Ezekiel 43:7 Or the memorial monuments; also in verse 9
  3. Ezekiel 43:7 Or their high places
  4. Ezekiel 43:11 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts regulations and its whole design
  5. Ezekiel 43:13 That is, about 21 inches or about 53 centimeters; also in verses 14 and 17. The long cubit is the basic unit for linear measurement throughout Ezekiel 40–48.
  6. Ezekiel 43:13 That is, about 11 inches or about 27 centimeters
  7. Ezekiel 43:14 That is, about 3 1/2 feet high and 1 3/4 feet wide or about 105 centimeters high and 53 centimeters wide
  8. Ezekiel 43:14 That is, about 7 feet high and 1 3/4 feet wide or about 2.1 meters high and 53 centimeters wide
  9. Ezekiel 43:16 That is, about 21 feet or about 6.4 meters
  10. Ezekiel 43:17 That is, about 25 feet or about 7.4 meters
  11. Ezekiel 43:17 That is, about 11 inches or about 27 centimeters
  12. Ezekiel 43:19 Or purification offering; also in verses 21, 22 and 25