Ezekiel Sees the Future Temple in Jerusalem
1-2 Twenty-five years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, and 14 years after the Babylonians had captured Jerusalem, the Lord's power took control of me on the tenth day of the first month. The Lord showed me some visions in which I was carried to the top of a high mountain in Jerusalem. I looked to the south and saw what looked like a city full of buildings. 3 In my vision the Lord took me closer, and I saw a man who was sparkling like polished bronze. He was standing near one of the gates and was holding a tape measure in one hand and a measuring stick in the other. 4 The man said, “Ezekiel, son of man, pay close attention to everything I'm going to show you—that's why you've been brought here. Listen carefully, because you must tell the people of Israel what you see.”
The East Gate
5 The first thing I saw was an outer wall that completely surrounded the temple area. The man took his measuring stick, which was three meters long, and measured the wall; it was three meters high and three meters thick. 6-7 Then he went to the east gate, where he walked up steps that led to a long passageway. On each side of this passageway were three guardrooms, which were three meters square, and they were separated by walls two and a half meters thick. The man measured the distance between the opening of the gate and the first guardroom, and it was three meters, the thickness of the outer wall.
At the far end of this passageway, I saw an entrance room that faced the courtyard of the temple itself. There was also a distance of three meters between the last guardroom and the entrance room 8-9 at the end of the passageway. The man measured this room: It was four meters from the doorway to the opposite wall, and the distance from the doorway to the wall on either side was one meter. 10 The three guardrooms on each side of the passageway were the same size, and the walls that separated them were the same thickness.
11 Next, the man measured the width of the passageway, and it was six and a half meters, but the two doors of the gate were only five meters wide. 12 In front of the guardrooms, which were three meters square, was a railing about 50 centimeters high and 50 centimeters thick. 13 The man measured the distance from the back wall of one of these rooms to the same spot in the room directly across the passageway, and it was twelve and a half meters. 14 He measured the entrance room at the far end of the passageway, and it was ten meters wide. 15 Finally, he measured the total length of the passageway, from the outer wall to the entrance room, and it was 25 meters. 16 The three walls in the guardrooms had small windows in them, just like the ones in the entrance room. The walls along the passageway were decorated with carvings of palm trees.
The Outer Courtyard
17 The man then led me through the passageway and into the outer courtyard of the temple, where I saw 30 rooms built around the outside of the courtyard. These side rooms were built against the outer wall, and in front of them was a sidewalk that circled the courtyard. 18 This was known as the lower sidewalk, and it was 25 meters wide.
19 I saw the gates that led to the inner courtyard of the temple and noticed that they were higher than those leading to the outer courtyard. The man measured the distance between the outer and inner gates, and it was 50 meters.
The North Gate
20 Next, the man measured the north gate that led to the outer courtyard. 21 This gate also had three guardrooms on each side of a passageway. The measurements of these rooms, the walls between them, and the entrance room at the far end of the passageway were exactly the same as those of the east gate. The north gate was also 25 meters long and 12.5 meters wide, 22 and the windows, the entrance room, and the carvings of palm trees were just like those in the east gate. The entrance room also faced the courtyard of the temple and had seven steps leading up to it. 23 Directly across the outer courtyard was a gate that led to the inner courtyard, just as there was for the east gate. The man measured the distance between the outer and inner gate, and it was 50 meters.
The South Gate
24 The man then took me to the south gate. He measured the walls and the entrance room of this gate, and the measurements were exactly the same as those of the other two gates. 25 There were windows in the guardrooms of this gate and in the entrance room, just like the others, and this gate was also 25 meters long and 12.5 meters wide. 26 Seven steps led up to the gate; the entrance room was at the far end of the passageway and faced the courtyard of the temple. Carvings of palm trees decorated the walls along the passageway. 27 And directly across the outer courtyard was a gate on the south side of the inner courtyard. The man measured the distance between the outer and inner gate, and it was also 50 meters.
The Gates Leading to the Inner Courtyard
28 We then went into the inner courtyard, through the gate on the south side of the temple. The man measured the gate, and it was the same size as the gates in the outer wall. 29-30 In fact, everything along the passageway was also the same size, including the guardrooms, the walls separating them, the entrance room at the far end, and the windows. This gate, like the others, was 25 meters long and 12.5 meters wide. 31 The entrance room of this gate faced the outer courtyard, and carvings of palm trees decorated the walls of the passageway. Eight steps led up to this gate.
32 Next, we went through the east gate to the inner courtyard. The man measured this gate, and it was the same size as the others. 33 The guardrooms, the walls separating them, and its entrance room had the same measurements as the other gates. The guardrooms and the entrance room had windows, and the gate was 25 meters long and 12.5 meters wide. 34 The entrance room faced the outer courtyard, and the walls in the passageway were decorated with carvings of palm trees. Eight steps also led up to this gate.
35 Then the man took me to the north gate. He measured it, and it was the same size as the others, 36 including the guardrooms, the walls separating them, and the entrance room. There were also windows in this gate. It was 25 meters long and 12.5 meters wide, 37 and like the other inner gates, its entrance room faced the outer courtyard, and its walls were decorated with carvings of palm trees. Eight steps also led up to this gate.
The Rooms for Sacrificing Animals
38-39 Inside the entrance room of the north gate, I saw four tables, two on each side of the room, where the animals to be sacrificed were killed. Just outside this room was a small building used for washing the animals before they were offered as sacrifices to please the Lord or sacrifices for sin or sacrifices to make things right. 40 Four more tables were in the outer courtyard, two on each side of the steps leading into the entrance room. 41 So there was a total of eight tables, four inside and four outside, where the animals were killed, 42-43 and where the meat was placed until it was sacrificed on the altar.
Next to the tables in the entrance room were four stone tables 50 centimeters high and 75 centimeters square; the equipment used for killing the animals was kept on top of these tables. All around the walls of this room was a 75-millimeter shelf.
The Rooms Belonging to the Priests
44 The man then took me to the inner courtyard, where I saw two buildings, one beside the inner gate on the north and the other beside the inner gate on the south. 45 He said, “The building beside the north gate belongs to the priests who serve in the temple, 46 and the building beside the south gate belongs to those who serve at the altar. All of them are descendants of Zadok and are the only Levites allowed to serve as the Lord's priests.”
The Inner Courtyard and the Temple
47 Now the man measured the inner courtyard; it was 50 meters square. I also saw an altar in front of the temple.
48 We walked to the porch of the temple, and the man measured the doorway of the porch: It was seven meters long, two and a half meters wide, and the distance from the doorway to the wall on either side was one and a half meters. 49 The porch itself was ten meters by six meters, with steps leading up to it. There was a column on each side of these steps.
1 In the fiue and twentieth yeere of our being in captiuitie, in the beginning of the yeere, in the tenth day of the moneth, in the fourteenth yeere after that the citie was smitten, in the selfe same day, the hande of the Lord was vpon mee, and brought me thither. 2 Into the lande of Israel brought he me by a diuine vision, and set me vpon a very hie mountaine, whereupon was as the building of a citie, toward the South. 3 And he brought me thither, and beholde, there was a man, whose similitude was to looke to, like brasse, with a linnen thread in his hand, and a reede to measure with: and he stoode at the gate. 4 And the man said vnto me, Sonne of man, beholde with thine eyes, and heare with thine eares, and set thine heart vpon all that I shall shew thee: for to the intent, that they might be shewed thee, art thou brought hither: declare al that thou seest, vnto the house of Israel. 5 And beholde, I sawe a wall on the outside of the house round about: and in the mans hand was a reede to measure with, of sixe cubites long, by the cubite, and an hand breadth: so he measured the breadth of the buylding with one reede, and the height with one reede. 6 Then came he vnto the gate, which looketh towarde the East, and went vp the stayres thereof, and measured the poste of the gate, which was one reede broade, and the other poste of the gate, which was one reede broade. 7 And euery chamber was one reede long, and one reede broad, and betweene the chambers were fiue cubites: and the post of the gate by the porch of the gate within was one reede. 8 He measured also the porche of the gate within with one reede. 9 Then measured he the porch of the gate of eight cubites, and the postes thereof, of two cubites, and the porch of the gate was inward. 10 And the chambers of the gate Eastwarde, were three on this side, and three on that side: they three were of one measure, and the postes had one measure on this side, and one on that side. 11 And he measured the breadth of the entrie of the gate ten cubites, and the height of the gate thirteene cubites. 12 The space also before the chambers was one cubite on this side, and the space was one cubite on that side, and the chambers were sixe cubites on this side and sixe cubites on that side. 13 He measured then the gate from the roufe of a chamber to the toppe of the gate: the breadth was fiue and twentie cubites, doore against doore. 14 He made also postes of threescore cubites, and the postes of the court, and of the gate had one measure round about. 15 And vpon the forefront of the entry of the gate vnto the forefront of the porch of the gate within were fiftie cubites. 16 And there were narrowe windowes in the chambers, and in their postes within the gate round about, and likewise to the arches: and the windowes went rounde about within: and vpon the postes were palme trees. 17 Then brought he me into the outwarde court, and lo, there were chambers, and a pauement made for the court round about, and thirtie chambers were vpon the pauement. 18 And the pauement was by the side of the gates ouer against the length of the gates, and the pauement was beneath. 19 Then hee measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate without, vnto the forefront of the court within, an hundreth cubits Eastward and Northward. 20 And the gate of the outwarde court, that looked toward the North, measured he after the length and breadth thereof. 21 And the chambers thereof were, three on this side, and three on that side, and the postes thereof and the arches thereof were after the measure of the first gate: the length thereof was fiftie cubites, and the breadth fiue and twentie cubites. 22 And their windowes, and their arches with their palme trees, were after the measure of the gate that looketh toward the East, and the going vp vnto it had seuen steppes, and the arches therof were before them. 23 And the gate of the inner court stoode ouer against the gate towarde the North, and towarde the East, and hee measured from gate to gate an hundreth cubites. 24 After that, he brought mee towarde the South, and loe, there was a gate towarde the South, and hee measured the postes thereof, and the arches thereof according to these measures. 25 And there were windowes in it, and in the arches thereof round about, like those windowes: the height was fiftie cubites, and the breadth fiue and twentie cubites. 26 And there were seuen steps to go vp to it, and the arches thereof were before them: and it had palme trees, one on this side, and another on that side vpon the post thereof. 27 And there was a gate in the inner court towarde the South, and he measured from gate to gate towarde the South an hundreth cubites. 28 And he brought me into the inner court by the South gate, and he measured the South gate according to these measures, 29 And the chambers thereof, and the postes thereof, and the arches thereof according to these measures, and there were windowes in it, and in the arches thereof rounde about, it was fiftie cubites long and fiue and twentie cubites broade. 30 And the arches round about were fiue and twenty cubites long, and fiue cubites broad. 31 And the arches thereof were towarde the vtter court, and palme trees were vpon the postes thereof, and the going vp to it had eight steppes. 32 Againe he brought me into ye inner court toward the East, and he measured the gate according to these measures. 33 And the chambers thereof, and the postes thereof, and the arches thereof were according to these measures, and there were windowes therein, and in the arches thereof round about, it was fiftie cubites long, and fiue and twentie cubites broade. 34 And the arches thereof were towarde the vtter court, and palme trees were vpon the postes thereof, on this side and on that side, and the going vp to it had eight steppes. 35 After he brought mee to the North gate, and measured it, according to these measures, 36 The chambers thereof, the postes thereof, and the arches thereof, and there were windowes therein round about: the height was fiftie cubits, and the breadth fiue and twentie cubites. 37 And the postes thereof were towarde the vtter court, and palme trees were vpon the postes thereof on this side, and on that side, and the going vp to it had eight steps. 38 And euery chamber, and the entrie thereof was vnder the postes of the gates: there they washed the burnt offring. 39 And in the porch of the gate stoode two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, vpon the which they slew the burnt offring, and the sinne offring, and the trespas offring. 40 And at the side beyond the steppes, at the entry of the North gate stoode two tables, and on the other side, which was at the porch of the gate were two tables. 41 Foure tables were on this side, and foure tables on that side by the side of the gate, euen eight tables whereupon they slew their sacrifice. 42 And the foure tables were of hewen stone for the burnt offering, of a cubite and an halfe long, and a cubite and an halfe broade, and one cubite hie: whereupon also they layde the instruments wherewith they slew the burnt offring and the sacrifice. 43 And within were borders an hand broade, fastened round about, and vpon the tables lay the flesh of the offring. 44 And without the inner gate were ye chambers of the singers in the inner Court, which was at the side of the North gate: and their prospect was towarde the South, and one was at the side of the East gate, hauing the prospect towarde the North. 45 And he said vnto me, This chamber whose prospect is towarde the South, is for the Priestes that haue the charge to keepe the house. 46 And the chamber whose prospect is toward the North, is for the Priestes that haue the charge to keepe the altar: these are the sonnes of Zadok among ye sonnes of Leui which may come neere to the Lord to minister vnto him. 47 So he measured the court, an hundreth cubites long, and an hundreth cubits broad, eue foure square: likewise the altar that was before ye house. 48 And hee brought mee to the porch of the house, and measured the postes of the porch, fiue cubites on this side, and fiue cubites on that side: and the breadth of the gate was three cubites on this side, and three cubites on that side. 49 The length of the porch was twentie cubites, and ye breadth eleuen cubites, and he brought me by the steps whereby they went vp to it, and there were pillars by the postes, one on this side, and another on that side.