1
And he led me to the gate which looked toward the way of the east.
2
And behold, the glory of the God of Israel entered along the way of the east. And his voice was like the voice of many waters. And the earth was resplendent before his majesty.
3
And I saw a vision in accord with the form that I had seen when he arrived so that he might destroy the city. And the form was in accord with the sight that I had seen beside the river Chebar. And I fell upon my face.
4
And the majesty of the Lord advanced into the temple, along the way of the gate which looked toward the east.
5
And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court. And behold, the house was filled with the glory of the Lord.
6
And I heard someone speaking to me from the house, and the man who was standing beside me
7
said to me: “Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the steps of my feet, is where I live: in the midst of the sons of Israel forever. And the house of Israel, they and their kings, shall no longer defile my holy name by their fornications, and by the ruinous ways of their kings, and by exalted places.
8
They have fabricated their threshold beside my threshold, and their doorposts beside my doorposts. And there was a wall between me and them. And they defiled my holy name by the abominations which they committed. Because of this, I consumed them in my wrath.
9
Now therefore, let them drive away their fornications, and the ruinous ways of their kings, from before me. And I will live in their midst forever.
10
But as for you, son of man, reveal the temple to the house of Israel, and let them be confounded by their iniquities, and let them measure the fabrication,
11
and let them be ashamed at all the things that they have done. Reveal to them the form and the fabrication of the house, its exits and entrances, and its entire description, and all of its precepts, and its entire order, and all of its laws. And you shall write in their sight, so that they may observe its entire description and its precepts, and so that they may accomplish them.”
12
This is the law of the house at the summit of the mountain, with all its parts all around. It is the Holy of Holies. Therefore, this is the law of the house.
The Altar of Sacrifice
13
Now these are the measures of the altar by the most true cubit, which has a cubit and a palm. Its bend was a cubit, and it was a cubit in width. And its boundary, even to its edge and all around, was the width of one palm. The trough of the altar was like this also.
14
And from the bend at the floor even to the furthest rim was two cubits, and the width was one cubit. And from the lesser rim even to the greater rim was four cubits, and the width was one cubit.
15
Now the hearth itself was four cubits. And from the hearth going upward, there were four horns.(a)
16
And the hearth was twelve cubits in length by twelve cubits in width, foursquare, with equal sides.
17
And the rim was fourteen cubits in length, by fourteen cubits in width, at its four corners. And the crown all around it was one half cubit, and its bend was one cubit all around. And its steps turned toward the east.
18
And he said to me: “Son of man, thus says the Lord God: These are the rituals of the altar, in whatever day it will be made, so that holocausts may be offered upon it, and blood may be poured out.
19
And you shall present these to the priests and to the Levites, who are of the offspring of Zadok, those who draw near to me, says the Lord God, so that they may offer to me a calf from the herd on behalf of sin.
20
And you shall take from its blood, and you shall place it on its four horns, and on the four corners of the rim, and on the crown all around. And so shall you cleanse and expiate it.
21
And you shall take the calf, which will be offered for sin, and you shall burn it in a separate place in the house, outside of the sanctuary.
22
And on the second day, you shall offer an immaculate he-goat from among the she-goats on behalf of sin. And they shall expiate the altar, just as they expiated it with the calf.
23
And when you will have completed expiating it, you shall offer an immaculate calf from the herd and an immaculate ram from the flock.
24
And you shall offer them in the sight of the Lord. And the priests shall sprinkle salt over them, and they shall offer them as a holocaust to the Lord.
25
For seven days, you shall offer daily a he-goat on behalf of sin. Also, they shall offer a calf from the herd, and a ram from the flock, ones that are immaculate.
26
For seven days, they shall expiate the altar, and they shall cleanse it, and they shall fill its hand.(b)
27
Then, when the days have been completed, on the eighth day and thereafter, the priests shall offer your holocausts upon the altar along with the peace offering. And I will be pleased with you, says the Lord God.”
Footnotes