The Glory of the Lord Returns to the Temple
1 Afterward he brought me to the gate, the gate that looks toward the east. 2 The glory of the the Lord of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of roaring water, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. 3 It was just like the the vision that I saw, the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city, and the visions were like the vision that which I saw by the river Chebar, and I fell on my face. 4 The glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate which faces toward the east. 5 The Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the house.
6 I heard one speaking to me from the house, and a man stood by me. 7 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 among the Israelites forever. The house of Israel will no longer defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their prostitution, and by the dead bodies of their kings in their high places, 8 in their setting of their threshold by my threshold and their door post beside my door post. There was a wall between me and them, and they have defiled my holy name by the abominations which they have committed. Therefore I have consumed them in my anger. 9 Now let them put away their prostitution and the dead bodies of their kings, far from me. Then I will dwell among them forever.
10 You, son of man, show this temple to the house of Israel so that they may be ashamed of their iniquities, and let them measure the plan. 11 If they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the structure of the temple, and its fashion, and its exits, and its entrances, and all its designs, and all its ordinances, and all its details and laws; and write it down in their sight so that they may keep its entire plan, with all its ordinances, and do them.
12 This is the law of the temple. On the top of the mountain the whole limit around it shall be most holy. This is the law of the temple.”
The Altar of Sacrifice
13 “These are the measurements of the altar by cubits (the cubit is one cubit and a hand width): the bottom shall be eighteen inches, and the width eighteen inches, and its border around its edge nine inches and this shall be the base of the altar. 14 From the bottom on the ground to the lower ledge shall be three feet, and the width one and a half feet; and from the lesser ledge to the greater ledge shall be six feet, and the width one and a half feet. 15 The upper altar shall be six feet, and from the altar hearth and upward there shall be four horns. 16 The altar hearth shall be eighteen feet long by eighteen feet wide, square in its four sides. 17 The ledge shall be twenty one feet long by twenty one feet wide in its four sides, and the border around it shall be nine inches, and its bottom shall be eighteen inches around; and its steps shall look toward the east.”
The Altar Consecrated
18 He said to me, “Son of man, this is what the Lord God says: ‘These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they make it, to offer burnt offerings on it and to sprinkle blood on it. 19 You shall give to the Levitical priests who are of the offspring of Zadok, who are near to me, to minister to me,’ says the Lord God, ‘a young bull for a sin offering. 20 You shall take of its blood, and put it on its four horns, and on the four corners of the ledge, and on the border all around. You shall cleanse it and make atonement for it that way. 21 You shall also take the bull of the sin offering, and it shall be burned in the appointed place of the house, outside of the sanctuary.
22 On the second day you shall offer a male goat without defect for a sin offering, and they shall cleanse the altar, as they cleansed it with the bull. 23 When you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without defect and a ram from the flock without defect. 24 You shall bring them near to the Lord, and the priests shall cast salt on them, and they shall offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord.
25 Seven days you shall prepare every day a goat for a sin offering. They shall also prepare a young bull and a ram out of the flock, without defect. 26 Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and purify it. So shall they consecrate it. 27 When they have accomplished the days, it shall be that on the eighth day, and forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings on the altar and your peace offerings. Then I will accept you,” says the Lord God