Ezekiel 40

Vision of the Man with a Measuring Rod

1In the 1twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the 2city was 3taken, on this very day the 4hand of the Lord was upon me and He brought me there. 2In the 5visions of God He brought me into the land of Israel and set me on a very 6high mountain, and on it 7to the south there was something like a 8structure of a city. 3So He brought me there; and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of 9bronze, with a 10thread of flax and a 11measuring 12rod in his hand; and he was standing in the gateway. 4And the man said to me, “13Son of man, 14see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and 15pay attention to all that I am going to show you; for you have been brought here in order to show it to you. 16Declare to the house of Israel all that you see.”

Measurements Relating to the Temple

5And behold, there was a 17wall on the outside of the 18temple all around, and in the man’s hand was a measuring rod of six 19cubits, 20each of which was a 21cubit and a hand width. So he measured the thickness of the 22wall, one rod; and the height, one rod. 6Then he went to the gate which faced 23east, went up its steps, and measured the threshold of the gate, one rod 24in width; and the other threshold was one rod 25in width. 7The 26guardroom was one rod long and one rod wide; and there were five cubits between the guardrooms. And the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate 27facing inward was one rod. 8Then he measured the porch of the gate 28facing inward, one rod. 9And he measured the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and its side pillars, two cubits. And the porch of the gate was 29faced inward. 10The guardrooms of the gate toward the east numbered three on each side; the three of them had the same measurement. The side pillars also had the same measurement on each side. 11And he measured the width of the 30gateway, ten cubits, and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits. 12There was a 31barrier wall one cubit wide in front of the guardrooms on each side; and the guardrooms were six cubits square on each side. 13And he measured the gate from the roof of the one guardroom to the roof of the other, a width of twenty-five cubits, from one door to the door opposite. 14He made the side pillars sixty cubits high; the gate extended all around to the side pillar of the 32courtyard. 15And from the front of the entrance gate to the front of the inner porch of the gate was fifty cubits. 16And there were 3334shuttered windows looking toward the guardrooms, and toward their side pillars within the gate all around, and likewise for the porches. And there were windows all around inside; and on each side pillar were 35palm tree decorations.

17Then he brought me into the 36outer courtyard, and behold, there were 37chambers and a stone pavement made for the courtyard all around; thirty chambers 38faced the pavement. 18And the pavement (that is, the lower pavement) was by the 39side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates. 19Then he measured the width from the front of the 40lower gate to the front of the exterior of the inner courtyard, a 41hundred cubits on the east and on the north.

20And as for the 42gate of the outer courtyard which faced north, he measured its length and its width. 2143It had three 44guardrooms on each side; and its 45side pillars and its porches 46had the same measurement as the first gate. Its length was 47fifty cubits, and the width 48twenty-five cubits. 22Its 49windows, its porches, and its palm tree decorations had the same measurements as the 50gate which faced east; and 51it was reached by seven 52steps, and its 53porch was in front of them. 23The inner courtyard had a gate opposite the gate on the north as well as the gate on the east; and he measured a 54hundred cubits from gate to gate.

24Then he led me toward the south, and behold, there was a 55gate toward the south; and he measured its 56side pillars and its porches according to 57those same measurements. 2558The gate and its porches had 59windows all around like 60those other windows; the length was 61fifty cubits and the width, twenty-five cubits. 26There were seven 62steps going up to it, and its porches were in front of them; and it had 63palm tree decorations on its side pillars, one on each side. 27The inner courtyard had a gate toward the 64south; and he measured from gate to gate toward the south, a 65hundred cubits.

28Then he brought me to the inner courtyard by the south gate; and he measured the south gate 66according to those same measurements. 29Its 67guardrooms also, its side pillars, and its 68porches were according to those same measurements. And 69the gate and its porches had 70windows all around; it was 71fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 30There were 72porches all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide. 31And its porches were toward the outer courtyard; and 73palm tree decorations were on its side pillars, and its stairway had eight 74steps.

32Then he brought me into the 75inner courtyard toward the east. And he measured the gate 76according to those same measurements. 33Its 77guardrooms also, its side pillars, and its porches were according to those same measurements. And 78the gate and its porches had 79windows all around; it was 80fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 34Its 81porches were toward the outer courtyard; and 82palm tree decorations were on its side pillars, on each side, and its stairway had eight 83steps.

35Then he brought me to the 84north gate; and he measured it according to those same measurements, 36with its 85guardrooms, its side pillars, and its 86porches. And 87the gate had 88windows all around; the length was 89fifty cubits and the width twenty-five cubits. 37And its side pillars were toward the outer courtyard; and 90palm tree decorations were on its side pillars, on each side, and its stairway had eight 91steps.

38A 92chamber with its doorway was by the side pillars at the gates; there they 93rinse the burnt offering. 39And in the porch of the gate were two 94tables on each side, on which to slaughter the 95burnt offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering. 40On the outer 96side, 97as one went up to the 98gateway toward the north, were two tables; and on the other 99side of the porch of the gate were two tables. 41Four 100tables were on each side 101next to the gate; eight tables on which they slaughter sacrifices. 42For the burnt offering there were four 102tables of 103cut stone, a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide, and one cubit high, on which they set the utensils with which they slaughter the 104burnt offering and the sacrifice. 43And the double 105hooks, 106one hand width in length, were installed 107in the house all around; and on the tables was the flesh of the offering.

44From the outside to the 108inner gate were 109110chambers for the 111singers in the inner courtyard, one of which was at the 112side of the north gate, with 113its front toward the south, and one at the 114side of the 115south gate facing north. 45Then he said to me, “This is the 116chamber which faces south, intended for the priests who 117are 118responsible for the 119temple; 46but the 120chamber which faces north is for the priests who 121are 122responsible for the altar. They are the 123sons of Zadok, who from the sons of Levi 124come near to the Lord to serve Him.” 47He measured the courtyard, a perfect square, a 125hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide; and the altar was in front of the 126temple.

48Then he brought me to the 127porch of the 128temple and measured each side pillar of the porch, five cubits on each side; and the width of the gate was three cubits on each side. 49The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the width eleven cubits; and at the 129stairway by which it was ascended were 130columns belonging to the side pillars, one on each side.