God’s Glory Returns to the Temple

1Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looks toward the east. 2I saw the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth was illuminated with his glory. 3It was like the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city; and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face. 4YHWH’s glory came into the house by the way of the gate which faces toward the east. 5The Spirit took me up and brought me into the inner court, and I saw the glory of YHWH filling the house.

6I heard one speaking to me out of the house, and a man stood by me. 7He said to me, “Son of humanity, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell among the children of Israel forever. The house of Israel will no more defile my holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their prostitution and by the dead bodies of their kings in their high places; 8in 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 their abominations which they have committed. Therefore I have consumed them in my anger. 9Now 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 humanity, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern. 11If they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the form of the house, its fashion, its exits, its entrances, its structure, all its ordinances, all its forms, and all its laws; and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form of it, and all its ordinances, and do them.

12“This is the law of the house. On the top of the mountain the whole limit around it will be most holy. Yes, this is the law of the house.

The Great Altar

13“These are the measurements of the altar by cubits (the cubit+43:13 A normal cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters. A hand width is about 4.3 inches or 11 cm. is a cubit and a hand width): the bottom is a cubit, and the width a cubit, and its border around its edge a span;+43:13 A span is the length from the tip of a man’s thumb to the tip of his little finger when his hand is stretched out (about half a cubit, or 9 inches, or 22.8 cm.) and this is the base of the altar. 14From the bottom on the ground to the lower ledge is two cubits, and the width one cubit; and from the lesser ledge to the greater ledge is four cubits, and the width a cubit. 15The upper altar is four cubits; and from the altar hearth and upward there is four horns. 16The altar hearth is twelve cubits long by twelve wide, square in its four sides. 17The ledge is fourteen cubits long by fourteen wide in its four sides; and the border about it is half a cubit; and its bottom is a cubit around; and its steps look toward the east.”

18He said to me, “Son of humanity, Lord YHWH 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. 19You are to give to the Levitical priests who are of the offspring of Zadok, who are near to me, to minister to me,’ says Lord YHWH, ‘a young bull for a sin offering. 20You are to take its blood and put it on its four horns, and on the four corners of the ledge, and on the border all around. Thus, you will cleanse it and make atonement for it. 21You are also to take the bull of the sin offering and burn it in the appointed place of the house, outside of the sanctuary.

22“On the second day you are to offer a male goat without defect for a sin offering. They will cleanse the altar, as they cleansed it with the bull. 23When you have finished cleansing it, you will offer a young bull without defect and a ram out of the flock without defect. 24You are to bring them near to YHWH, and the priests are to cast salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to YHWH.

25“For seven days you are to prepare a daily goat as a sin offering. Prepare also a young bull and a ram out of the flock, without defect. 26For seven days they will they atonement for the altar and purify it. So will they consecrate it. 27When they have completed the days, from the eighth day onward, the priests are to present y’all’s burnt offerings on the altar and y’all’s peace offerings. Then I will accept y’all,’ says Lord YHWH.”