Shared Word Translation
Ezekiel 40
In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month—in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down—on that very day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me there.
In visions of God he brought me into the land of Israel and set me down on a very high mountain. Upon it was something like the structure of a city, to the south.
He brought me there, and look: there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring reed in his hand. He was standing in the gateway.
The man said to me, “Human one, see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and set your heart on all that I am showing you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Tell the house of Israel everything that you see.”
And look: there was a wall outside the temple all around. In the man’s hand was a measuring reed, six cubits long, each cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth. He measured the width of the structure: one reed; and its height: one reed.
Then he came to the gate facing east, went up its steps, and measured the threshold of the gate: one reed wide. The other threshold was one reed wide.
Each gate chamber was one reed long and one reed wide, and the space between the chambers was five cubits. The threshold of the gate beside the vestibule of the gate, toward the temple, was one reed.
He measured the vestibule of the gate, toward the temple: one reed.
Then he measured the vestibule of the gate: eight cubits; and its gateposts: two cubits. The vestibule of the gate was toward the temple.
The gate chambers of the east gate were three on this side and three on that side; the three had one measurement. The gateposts on this side and on that side had one measurement.
He measured the width of the entrance to the gate: ten cubits; the length of the gate: thirteen cubits.
There was a boundary in front of the chambers, one cubit on this side, and a boundary of one cubit on that side. Each chamber was six cubits on this side and six cubits on that side.
He measured the gate from the roof of one chamber to the roof of the other: twenty-five cubits wide, entrance opposite entrance.
He made the gateposts sixty cubits high, with the court extending to the gateposts all around the gate.
From the front of the entrance gate to the front of the inner vestibule of the gate was fifty cubits.
There were recessed windows in the chambers and in their gateposts, facing inward, all around the gate; and likewise in the vestibules. Windows were all around, facing inward, and palm trees were on the gateposts.
Then he brought me into the outer court. Look: there were chambers and a pavement made for the court all around. Thirty chambers faced the pavement.
The pavement ran alongside the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates; this was the lower pavement.
He measured the width from the front of the lower gate to the front of the inner court, outside: one hundred cubits, on the east and on the north.
As for the gate of the outer court facing north, he measured its length and its width.
Its chambers, three on this side and three on that side; its gateposts and its vestibules were like the measurements of the first gate: fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
Its windows, its vestibules, and its palm trees were like the measurements of the gate facing east. They went up to it by seven steps, and its vestibule was before them.
There was a gate to the inner court opposite the north gate and the east gate. He measured from gate to gate: one hundred cubits.
Then he led me south, and look: there was a gate facing south. He measured its gateposts and its vestibules according to these measurements.
It and its vestibules had windows all around, like those windows: fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
Seven steps led up to it, and its vestibules were before them. It had palm trees on its gateposts, one on this side and one on that side.
There was a gate to the inner court facing south. He measured from gate to gate toward the south: one hundred cubits.
Then he brought me into the inner court through the south gate. He measured the south gate according to these measurements.
Its chambers, its gateposts, and its vestibules were according to these measurements. It and its vestibules had windows all around: fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
There were vestibules all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide.
Its vestibule faced the outer court, palm trees were on its gateposts, and eight steps led up to it.
Then he brought me into the inner court toward the east. He measured the gate according to these measurements.
Its chambers, its gateposts, and its vestibules were according to these measurements. It and its vestibules had windows all around: fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
Its vestibule faced the outer court. Palm trees were on its gateposts, on this side and on that side, and eight steps led up to it.
Then he brought me to the north gate and measured it according to these measurements:
its chambers, its gateposts, its vestibules, and its windows all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
Its gateposts faced the outer court. Palm trees were on its gateposts, on this side and on that side, and eight steps led up to it.
There was a chamber with its entrance by the gateposts of the gates; there they washed the burnt offering.
In the vestibule of the gate were two tables on this side and two tables on that side, on which to slaughter the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering.
On the outside, as one goes up to the entrance of the north gate, were two tables; and on the other side, by the vestibule of the gate, were two tables.
Four tables on this side and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate: eight tables on which they slaughtered.
There were four tables for the burnt offering, made of cut stone, each one and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide, and one cubit high. On them they placed the implements with which they slaughtered the burnt offering and the sacrifice.
Double ledges, one handbreadth wide, were fixed all around inside. The flesh of the offering was to be placed on the tables.
Outside the inner gate were chambers for the singers, in the inner court: one beside the north gate, facing south; and one beside the east gate, facing north.
He said to me, “This chamber facing south is for the priests who keep charge of the temple.
The chamber facing north is for the priests who keep charge of the altar. They are the sons of Zadok, those among the sons of Levi who draw near to the LORD to minister to him.”
He measured the court: one hundred cubits long and one hundred cubits wide, square. The altar was in front of the temple.
Then he brought me to the vestibule of the temple and measured the gatepost of the vestibule: five cubits on this side and five cubits on that side. The width of the gate was three cubits on this side and three cubits on that side.
The length of the vestibule was twenty cubits, and its width was eleven cubits. There were steps by which they went up to it, and pillars stood beside the gateposts, one on this side and one on that side.