1 A fterward he brought me to the gate, the gate that faces toward the east.

Then he brought me to the east gate,

2 A nd behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory.

and I saw the shining-greatness of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters, and the earth was shining because of His greatness.

3 I t was like the appearance of the vision which I saw—like the vision which I saw when I came to destroy the city. The visions were like the vision which I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face.

It was like the special dream that I saw when He came to destroy the city. It was like the special dream that I saw by the Chebar River. I fell with my face to the ground.

4 A nd the glory of the Lord came into the temple by way of the gate which faces toward the east.

As the shining-greatness of the Lord came into the house through the east gate,

5 T he Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner open space. And the shining-greatness of the Lord filled the house.

6 T hen I heard Him speaking to me from the temple, while a man stood beside me.

While the man was standing beside me, I heard Someone speaking to me from inside the house.

7 A nd He said to me, “Son of man, this is 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. No more shall the house of Israel defile My holy name, they nor their kings, by their harlotry or with the carcasses of their kings on their high places.

And He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place for My throne and for the bottom of My feet, where I will live among the people of Israel forever. No longer will the people of Israel or their kings make My holy name unclean, by worshiping other gods or by the dead bodies of their kings.

8 W hen they set their threshold by My threshold, and their doorpost by My doorpost, with a wall between them and Me, they defiled My holy name by the abominations which they committed; therefore I have consumed them in My anger.

They put their doorways by My doorways, and their door pillars beside My door pillars, with only a wall between Me and them. In doing so, they have made My holy name unclean by the hated sins they have done. So I have destroyed them in My anger.

9 N ow let them put their harlotry and the carcasses of their kings far away from Me, and I will dwell in their midst forever.

Now let them put their worship of other gods and the dead bodies of their kings far from Me. And I will live among them forever.

10 “ Son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern.

“Son of man, tell the people of Israel about the house of the Lord, that they may be ashamed of their sins. Let them look over the plan.

11 A nd if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple and its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, its entire design and all its ordinances, all its forms and all its laws. Write it down in their sight, so that they may keep its whole design and all its ordinances, and perform them.

And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, let them know how the house is built, the house with its doors and gateways, and its whole plan. Let them know all its laws. Write it down in front of them, so that they will see its whole plan and obey all its laws.

12 T his is the law of the temple: The whole area surrounding the mountaintop is most holy. Behold, this is the law of the temple. Dimensions of the Altar

This is the law of the house: All the ground around it on top of the mountain will be most holy. This is the law of the house. The Altar

13 “ These are the measurements of the altar in cubits (the cubit is one cubit and a handbreadth): the base one cubit high and one cubit wide, with a rim all around its edge of one span. This is the height of the altar:

“This is the length, width, and height of the altar by cubits (with the length of the hand being added to the length of each arm). The base will be one cubit long and one cubit wide, with a side piece going around it as wide as a man’s spread hand. This will be the height of the altar:

14 f rom the base on the ground to the lower ledge, two cubits; the width of the ledge, one cubit; from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge, four cubits; and the width of the ledge, one cubit.

The base will be two cubits long from the base on the ground to its top, and one cubit wide. And it will be four cubits from the smaller part up to its larger top part, and one cubit wide.

15 T he altar hearth is four cubits high, with four horns extending upward from the hearth.

The altar fireplace will be four cubits high, and four horns will go up from the top four corners of the altar one cubit high.

16 T he altar hearth is twelve cubits long, twelve wide, square at its four corners;

This top part of the altar will be twelve cubits long and twelve cubits wide, the same on each of the four sides.

17 t he ledge, fourteen cubits long and fourteen wide on its four sides, with a rim of half a cubit around it; its base, one cubit all around; and its steps face toward the east.” Consecrating the Altar

The side of it will be fourteen cubits long and fourteen cubits wide, the same on each of the four sides. And a side piece half a cubit will be around that. Its base will be a cubit wide all around, and its steps will be on the east side.”

18 A nd He said to me, “Son of man, thus says the Lord God: ‘These are the ordinances for the altar on the day when it is made, for sacrificing burnt offerings on it, and for sprinkling blood on it.

And He said to me, “Son of man, the Lord God says, ‘These are the laws for giving burnt gifts and for putting blood on the altar on the day it is built:

19 Y ou shall give a young bull for a sin offering to the priests, the Levites, who are of the seed of Zadok, who approach Me to minister to Me,’ says the Lord God.

You must give a young bull for a sin gift to the Levite religious leaders of the sons of Zadok. They are the ones who come near Me to do My work,’ says the Lord God.

20 ‘ You shall take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge, and on the rim around it; thus you shall cleanse it and make atonement for it.

‘You must take some of the bull’s blood and put it on the four horns of the altar, and on the four corners of the top of the altar, and on the side piece that goes around it. In this way you will make it clean and free from sin.

21 T hen you shall also take the bull of the sin offering, and burn it in the appointed place of the temple, outside the sanctuary.

You must also take the bull for the sin gift, and burn it in the chosen place of the house, outside the holy place.

22 O n 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 cleansed it with the bull.

On the second day you must give a male goat that is perfect for a sin gift. And the altar will be made clean, as it was made clean with the bull.

23 W hen you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without blemish, and a ram from the flock without blemish.

When you have finished making it clean, you must give a young bull that is perfect, and a ram from the flock that is perfect.

24 W hen you offer them before the Lord, the priests shall throw salt on them, and they will offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord.

You must bring them before the Lord. The religious leaders will throw salt on them, and burn them on the altar as a gift to the Lord.

25 E very day for seven days you shall prepare a goat for a sin offering; they shall also prepare a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without blemish.

You must make ready a goat for a sin gift each day for seven days. Also make ready a young bull and a ram from the flock. They must be perfect.

26 S even days they shall make atonement for the altar and purify it, and so consecrate it.

For seven days they must make the altar free from sin and make it pure, so it will be set apart to Me.

27 W hen these days are over it shall be, on the eighth day and thereafter, that the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and your peace offerings on the altar; and I will accept you,’ says the Lord God.”

At the end of these days, from the eighth day on, the religious leaders will give your burnt gifts and peace gifts on the altar. And I will receive you,’ says the Lord God.”