Ezekiel 40

The Vision of the New Temple

Brought to the Mountain

1 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, fourteen years after the city was struck down, the hand of the LORD was on me, and He brought me there.

2 In visions of God He brought me into the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain. On it was something like the structure of a city to the south.

3 He brought me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze. He had a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand, and he was standing in the gateway.

4 The man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes, hear with your ears, and pay attention to everything I show you, because you were brought here so I could show it to you. Tell the house of Israel everything you see.”

The Outer Wall and East Gate

5 I saw a wall completely surrounding the temple complex. The measuring rod in the man’s hand was six long cubits, each cubit a handbreadth longer than normal. He measured the wall, it was one rod thick and one rod high.

6 Then he went to the gate facing east, went up its steps, and measured the threshold, it was one rod deep.

7 Each guardroom was one rod long and one rod wide, with five cubits between them. The inner threshold by the portico facing the temple was one rod deep.

8 He measured the portico of the gate facing inward, it was one rod deep.

9 The portico of the gate was eight cubits deep, and its side pillars were two cubits thick. The portico of the gate faced inward.

10 There were three guardrooms on each side of the east gate, all the same size, and the side pillars on each side were the same measurement.

11 He measured the width of the gate opening, ten cubits, and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits.

12 There was a barrier one cubit wide in front of each guardroom, with guardrooms six cubits square on each side.

13 He measured from the roof of one guardroom to the roof of the opposite one, twenty-five cubits from door to door.

14 He measured the gateposts, sixty cubits, and the courtyard extended to the gate all around.

15 From the front of the entrance gate to the front of the inner portico was fifty cubits.

16 There were recessed windows in the guardrooms and in the side pillars inside the gate, and palm trees were carved on the pillars.

The Outer Courtyard

17 Then he brought me into the outer courtyard. There were chambers and a stone pavement all around the courtyard, thirty chambers facing the pavement.

18 The pavement ran alongside the gates, matching their length. This was the lower pavement.

19 He measured the distance from the lower gate to the front of the inner courtyard, it was one hundred cubits.

The North and South Gates

20 He measured the gate facing north belonging to the outer courtyard, its length and width.

21 Its guardrooms, three on each side, its side pillars and portico were the same measurements as the first gate, fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.

22 Its windows, portico, and palm trees matched the east gate. It had seven steps leading up to it, with its portico facing inward.

23 The inner courtyard had a gate opposite the north gate, just like the east gate, and he measured one hundred cubits from gate to gate.

24 Then he brought me to the south side and measured the south gate. It had the same measurements as the others.

25 It had windows all around like the others. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.

26 Seven steps led up to it, and its portico faced inward, with palm trees on its side pillars.

27 The inner courtyard had a gate facing south, and he measured from gate to gate, one hundred cubits.

The Inner Courtyard

28 He brought me into the inner courtyard through the south gate and measured it, it matched the others.

29 Its guardrooms, pillars, and portico were the same size. There were windows all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.

30 There were porticoes all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits deep.

31 Its portico faced the outer courtyard, with palm trees on its pillars, and eight steps led up to it.

32 He brought me to the inner courtyard on the east side and measured the gate, it matched the others.

33 Its guardrooms, pillars, and portico were the same size, with windows all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.

34 Its portico faced the outer courtyard, palm trees were on its pillars, and eight steps led up to it.

35 Then he brought me to the north gate and measured it, it had the same measurements.

36 Its guardrooms, pillars, and portico had windows all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.

37 Its pillars faced the outer courtyard, palm trees were carved on them, and eight steps led up to it.

Chambers and Tables

38 A chamber with its doorway was by the gate pillars. That is where the burnt offering was washed.

39 Inside the portico of the gate were two tables on each side, to slaughter the burnt offering, sin offering, and guilt offering.

40 Outside, on the left as you go up to the north gate, were two tables, and on the other side of the portico were two more.

41 So there were four tables on each side of the gate, eight tables total, used for slaughtering.

42 There were also four tables of cut stone for the burnt offering, each one a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide, and one cubit high. On them were placed the tools used to slaughter the offerings.

43 Double hooks, a handbreadth long, were fastened all around inside, and the flesh of the offering was placed on the tables.

The Priests’ Chambers

44 Outside the inner gate, within the inner courtyard, were chambers for the singers, one set by the north gate facing south, and another by the east gate facing north.

45 He said to me, “This chamber facing south is for the priests who keep charge of the temple.

46 The chamber facing north is for the priests who keep charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, the only ones from the sons of Levi who may come near the LORD to minister to Him.”

The Inner Court and the Temple Entrance

47 He measured the courtyard, it was a square, one hundred cubits long and one hundred cubits wide. The altar stood in front of the temple.

48 Then he brought me to the portico of the temple and measured the side pillars, five cubits on each side. The width of the gate was fourteen cubits, and the walls on each side were three cubits thick.

49 The portico was twenty cubits wide and twelve cubits deep, and ten steps led up to it. There were pillars beside the posts, one on each side.