Study Desk

Then he ^(a)brought me out into the ^(b)outer court, the way ^(c)toward the north; and he brought me to the ^(d)chamber which was opposite the ^(e)separate area and opposite the ^(f)building toward the north.

Along the length, which was a ^(g)hundred cubits, was the north door; the width was fifty cubits.

Opposite the ^(h)twenty cubits which belonged to the inner court, and opposite the ⁽ⁱ⁾pavement which belonged to the outer court, was ^[a](j)gallery corresponding to ^[b]gallery in three stories.

Before the ^(k)chambers was an inner walk ten cubits wide, a way of one hundred cubits; and their openings were on the north.

Now the upper chambers were ^[c]smaller because the ^[d](l)galleries took more space away from them than from the lower and middle ones in the building.

For they were in ^(m)three stories and had no pillars like the pillars of the courts; therefore the upper chambers were ^[e]set back from the ground upward, more than the lower and middle ones.

As for the ⁽ⁿ⁾outer wall by the side of the chambers, toward the outer court facing the chambers, its length was fifty cubits.

For the length of the chambers which were in the outer court was fifty cubits; and behold, the length of those facing the temple was a ^(o)hundred cubits.

Below these chambers was the ^(p)entrance on the east side, as one enters them from the outer court.

In the ^[f]thickness of the ^(q)wall of the court toward the east, facing the ^(r)separate area and facing the building, there were ^(s)chambers.

The ^(t)way in front of them was like the appearance of the chambers which were on the north, according to their length so was their width, and all their exits were both according to their arrangements and openings.

Corresponding to the openings of the chambers which were toward the south was an opening at the head of the way, the way in front of the ^(u)wall toward the east, as one enters them.

Then he said to me, "The north chambers and the south chambers, which are opposite the ^(v)separate area, they are the ^(w)holy chambers where the priests who are ^(x)near to the Lord shall eat the ^(y)most holy things. There they shall lay the most holy things, the grain offering, the sin offering and the guilt offering; for the place is holy.

When the priests enter, then they shall not go out into the outer court from the sanctuary ^[g]without ^(z)laying there their ^(aa)garments in which they minister, for they are holy. They shall put on other garments; then they shall approach that which is for the people."

Now when he had finished measuring the inner house, he brought me out by the way of the ^(ab)gate which faced toward the east and measured it all around.

He measured on the east side with the measuring reed five hundred reeds by the ^(ac)measuring reed.

He measured on the north side five hundred reeds by the measuring reed.

On the south side he measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.

He turned to the west side and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.

He measured it ^[h]on the four sides; it had a ^(ad)wall all around, the ^(ae)length five hundred and the ^(af)width five hundred, to ^(ag)divide between the holy and the profane.

Then he led me to the ^(a)gate, the gate facing toward the east;

and behold, the ^(b)glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the ^(c)east. And His ^(d)voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth ^(e)shone with His glory.

And it was like the appearance of the vision which I saw, like the ^(f)vision which I saw when ^[a]He came to ^(g)destroy the city. And the visions were like the vision which I saw by the ^(h)river Chebar; and I ⁽ⁱ⁾fell on my face.

And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate facing toward the ^(j)east.

And the ^(k)Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the ^(l)glory of the Lord filled the house.

Then I heard one speaking to me from the house, while a ^(m)man was standing beside me.

He said to me, "Son of man, this is the place of My ⁽ⁿ⁾throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will ^(o)dwell among the sons of Israel forever. And the house of Israel will not again defile My holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their harlotry and by the ^[b](p)corpses of their kings ^[c]when they die,

by setting their threshold by My threshold and their door post beside My door post, with only the wall between Me and them. And they have ^(q)defiled My holy name by their abominations which they have committed. So I have consumed them in My anger.

Now let them ^(r)put away their harlotry and the ^[d]corpses of their kings far from Me; and I will ^(s)dwell among them forever.

"As for you, son of man, ^[e](t)describe the ^[f]temple to the house of Israel, that they may be ^(u)ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the ^[g](v)plan.

If they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the ^[h]design of the house, its structure, its ^(w)exits, its entrances, all its designs, all its statutes^[i], and all its laws. And write it ^(x)in their sight, so that they may observe its whole ^[j]design and all its statutes and ^(y)do them.

This is the ^[k]law of the house: its entire ^[l]area on the top of the ^(z)mountain all around shall be most holy. Behold, this is the ^[m]law of the house.

"And these are the measurements of the ^(aa)altar by cubits (the ^(ab)cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth): the ^[n]base shall be a cubit and the width a cubit, and its border on its edge round about one span; and this shall be the height of the ^[o]base of the altar.

From the base on the ground to the lower ^(ac)ledge shall be two cubits and the width one cubit; and from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge shall be four cubits and the width ^[p]one cubit.

The ^[q]altar hearth shall be four cubits; and from the ^[r]altar hearth shall extend upwards four ^(ad)horns.

Now the ^[s]altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve wide, ^(ae)square in its four sides.

The ledge shall be fourteen cubits long by fourteen wide in its four sides, the border around it shall be half a cubit and its base shall be a cubit round about; and its ^(af)steps shall ^[t](ag)face the east."

And He said to me, "^(ah)Son of man, thus says the Lord ^[u] God , ‘These are the statutes for the altar on the day it is built, to offer ^(ai)burnt offerings on it and to ^(aj)sprinkle blood on it.

You shall give to the Levitical priests who are from the offspring of ^(ak)Zadok, who draw ^(al)near to Me to minister to Me,' declares the Lord God , ‘a ^(am)young bull for a ^(an)sin offering.

You shall take some of its blood and put it on its four ^(ao)horns and on the four corners of the ^(ap)ledge and on the border round about; thus you shall ^(aq)cleanse it and make atonement for it.

You shall also take the bull for the sin offering, and it shall be ^(ar)burned in the appointed place of the house, outside the sanctuary.

‘On the second day you shall offer a ^(as)male goat without blemish for a sin offering, and they shall ^(at)cleanse the altar as they cleansed it with the bull.

When you have finished cleansing it, you shall present a ^(au)young bull without blemish and a ^(av)ram without blemish from the flock.

You shall present them before the Lord , and the priests shall throw ^(aw)salt on them, and they shall offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord .

^(ax)For seven days you shall prepare daily a goat for a sin offering; also a young bull and a ram from the flock, without blemish, shall be prepared.

For seven days they shall make atonement for the altar and purify it; so shall they ^[v]consecrate it.

When they have completed the days, it shall be that on the ^(ay)eighth day and onward, the priests shall ^[w]offer your burnt offerings on the altar, and your ^(az)peace offerings; and I will ^(ba)accept you,' declares the Lord God ."

Then He brought me back by the way of the ^(a)outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces the east; and it was shut.

The Lord said to me, "This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the ^(b) Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut.

As for the ^(c)prince, he shall sit in it as prince to ^(d)eat bread before the Lord ; he shall ^(e)enter by way of the ^(f)porch of the gate and shall go out ^[a]by the same way."

Then He brought me by way of the ^(g)north gate to the front of the house; and I looked, and behold, the ^(h)glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord , and I ⁽ⁱ⁾fell on my face.

The Lord said to me, "Son of man, ^[b](j)mark well, see with your eyes and hear with your ears all that I say to you concerning all the ^(k)statutes of the house of the Lord and concerning all its laws; and ^[c]mark well the entrance of the house, with all exits of the sanctuary.

You shall say to the ^[d](l)rebellious ones, to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord ^[e] God , "^(m)Enough of all your abominations, O house of Israel,

when you brought in ⁽ⁿ⁾foreigners, ^(o)uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary to profane it, even My house, when you ^(p)offered My food, the fat and the blood; for they ^(q)made My covenant void—this in addition to all your abominations.

And you have not ^(r)kept charge of My holy things yourselves, but you have set foreigners ^[f]to keep charge of My sanctuary."

‘Thus says the Lord God , "^(s)No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the sons of Israel, shall enter My sanctuary.

But the Levites who went far from Me when Israel went astray, who ^(t)went astray from Me after their idols, shall ^(u)bear the punishment for their iniquity.

Yet they shall be ^(v)ministers in My sanctuary, having ^(w)oversight at the gates of the house and ^(x)ministering in the house; they shall ^(y)slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall ^(z)stand before them to minister to them.

Because they ministered to them ^(aa)before their idols and became a ^(ab)stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have ^[g](ac)sworn against them," declares the Lord God , "that they shall ^(ad)bear the punishment for their iniquity.

And they shall ^(ae)not come near to Me to serve as a priest to Me, nor come near to any of My holy things, to the things that are most holy; but they will ^(af)bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed.

Yet I will ^[h]appoint them ^[i]to ^(ag)keep charge of the house, of all its service and of all that shall be done in it.

"But the ^(ah)Levitical priests, the sons of ^(ai)Zadok, who ^(aj)kept charge of My sanctuary when the sons of Israel ^(ak)went astray from Me, shall come near to Me to minister to Me; and they shall ^(al)stand before Me to offer Me the ^(am)fat and the blood," declares the Lord God .

"They shall ^(an)enter My sanctuary; they shall come near to My ^(ao)table to minister to Me and keep My charge.

It shall be that when they enter at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with ^(ap)linen garments; and wool shall not ^[j]be on them while they are ministering in the gates of the inner court and in the house.

Linen ^(aq)turbans shall be on their heads and ^(ar)linen undergarments shall be on their loins; they shall not gird themselves with anything which makes them sweat.

When they go out into the outer court, into the outer court to the people, they shall ^(as)put off their garments in which they have been ministering and lay them in the holy chambers; then they shall put on other garments so that they will ^(at)not transmit holiness to the people with their garments.

Also they shall ^(au)not shave their heads, yet they shall not ^(av)let their locks ^[k]grow long; they shall only trim the hair of their heads.

^(aw)Nor shall any of the priests drink wine when they enter the inner court.

And they shall not ^[l]marry a widow or a ^(ax)divorced woman but shall ^(ay)take virgins from the offspring of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest.

Moreover, they shall teach My people the ^(az)difference between the holy and the profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

In a dispute ^(ba)they shall take their stand to judge; they shall judge it according to My ordinances. They shall also keep My laws and My statutes in all My ^(bb)appointed feasts and ^(bc)sanctify My sabbaths.

^[m](bd)They shall not go to a dead person to defile themselves; however, for father, for mother, for son, for daughter, for brother, or for a sister who has not had a husband, they may defile themselves.

After he is ^(be)cleansed, seven days shall ^[n]elapse for him.

On the day that he goes into the sanctuary, into the ^(bf)inner court to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his ^(bg)sin offering," declares the Lord God .

"And it shall be with regard to an inheritance for them, that ^(bh)I am their inheritance; and you shall give them no possession in Israel—I am their possession.

They shall ^(bi)eat the grain offering, the sin offering and the guilt offering; and every ^[o](bj)devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs.

The first of all the ^(bk)first fruits of every kind and every ^[p]contribution of every kind, from all your ^[q]contributions, shall be for the priests; you shall also give to the priest the ^(bl)first of your ^[r]dough to cause a ^(bm)blessing to rest on your house.

The priests shall not eat any bird or beast that has ^(bn)died a natural death or has been torn to pieces.