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Ezekiel 40

New International Reader’s Version



1 It was the 14th year after Jerusalem had been captured. We had been brought to Babylon as prisoners. It was the tenth day of a month near the beginning of the 25th year after that. On that day the power of the LORD came on me. He took me back to my land. 2 In visions God gave me, he brought me to the land of Israel. He set me on a very high mountain. Some buildings were on the south side of it. They looked like a city. 3 He took me there. I saw a man who appeared to be made out of bronze. He was standing at the gate of the outer courtyard. He was holding a linen measuring tape and a measuring rod. 4 The man said to me, ‘Son of man, look carefully and listen closely. Pay attention to everything I show you. That is why the LORD brought you here. Tell the people of Israel everything you see.’ 



5 I saw a wall that completely surrounded the temple area. The measuring rod in the man’s hand was 3.6 metres long. He measured the wall with it. The wall was as thick and as high as one measuring rod. 6 Then the man went to the east gate. He climbed its steps. He measured the gateway. It was one rod wide. 7 The rooms where the guards stood were one rod long and one rod wide. The walls between the rooms were almost 3 metres thick. The gateway next to the porch was one rod wide. The porch faced the front of the temple. 8 Then the man measured the porch of the gateway. 9 It was 4.8 metres wide. Each of its doorposts was 1.2 metres thick. The porch of the gateway faced the front of the temple. 10 Inside the east gate were three rooms on each side. All the rooms were the same size. The walls on each side of the rooms had the same thickness. 11 Then the man measured the entrance of the gateway. It was 6 metres wide and 7.8 metres long. 12 In front of each room was a wall. It was 60 centimetres high. The rooms measured 3.6 metres on each side. 13 Then he measured the gateway from the back wall of one room to the back wall of the room opposite it. It was 15 metres from the top of one wall to the top of the other. 14 He measured along the front of the side walls all around the inside of the gateway. The total was 36 metres. That didn’t include the porch that faced the courtyard. 15 It was 30 metres from the entrance of the gateway to the far end of its porch. 16 The rooms and their side walls inside the gateway had narrow openings on top of them. So did the porch. All the openings faced the inside. The front of each side wall was decorated with a palm tree. 



17 Then the man brought me into the outer courtyard. There I saw some rooms and a pavement. They had been built all around the courtyard. Along the pavement were 30 rooms. 18 The pavement went all the way up to the sides of the gateways. It was as wide as they were long. This was the lower pavement. 19 Then he measured from the inside of the lower gateway to the outside of the inner courtyard. The east side measured 60 metres. So did the north side. 



20 Then the man measured the north gate. He wanted to show me how long and wide it was. The gate led into the outer courtyard. 21 It had three rooms on each side. Their side walls and porch measured the same as the ones at the first gateway. They measured 30 metres long and 15 metres wide. 22 Its openings, porch and palm tree decorations measured the same as the ones at the east gate. Seven steps led up to the north gate. Its porch was opposite them. 23 The inner courtyard had a gate. It faced the gate on the north. It was just like the east gate. He measured from one gate to the one opposite it. The total was 60 metres. 



24 Then the man led me to the south side of the courtyard. There I saw the south gate. He measured its doorposts and porch. They measured the same as the others. 25 The gateway and its porch had narrow openings all around. The openings were the same as the others had. The side walls and porch measured 30 metres long and 15 metres wide. 26 Seven steps led up to it. Its porch was opposite them. The front of each side wall was decorated with a palm tree. 27 The inner courtyard also had a gate that faced south. The man measured from this gate to the outer gate on the south side. The total was 60 metres. 



28 Then the man brought me into the inner courtyard. We went through the south gate. He measured it. It was the same size as the others. 29 Its rooms, side walls and porch measured the same as the ones at the other gateways. The gateway and its porch had openings all around. The side walls and porch measured 30 metres long and 15 metres wide. 30 The porches of the gateways around the inner courtyard were 15 metres wide and 3 metres long. 31 Its porch faced the outer courtyard. Palm trees decorated its doorposts. Eight steps led up to it. 32 Then the man brought me to the east side of the inner courtyard. There he measured the gateway. It was the same size as the others. 33 Its rooms, side walls and porch measured the same as the ones at the other gateways. The gateway and its porch had openings all around. The side walls and porch measured 30 metres long and 15 metres wide. 34 Its porch faced the outer courtyard. Each doorpost was decorated with a palm tree. Eight steps led up to the porch. 35 Then the man brought me to the north gate. He measured it. It was the same size as the others. 36 Its rooms, side walls and porch measured the same as the ones at the other gateways. It had openings all around. The side walls and the porch measured 30 metres long and 15 metres wide. 37 The porch faced the outer courtyard. Each doorpost was decorated with a palm tree. Eight steps led up to the porch. 



38 A room with a doorway was by the porch of each inner gateway. The burnt offerings were washed there. 39 On each side of the porch of the gateway were two tables. The burnt offerings were killed on them. So were the sin offerings and guilt offerings. 40 Two more tables were by the outer wall of the gateway porch. They were near the steps at the entrance of the north gateway. Two more tables were on the other side of the steps. 41 So there were four tables on each side of the gateway. The total number of tables was eight. Animals for sacrifice were killed on all of them. 42 There were also four other tables for the burnt offerings. They were made out of blocks of stone. Each table was 90 centimetres long and 90 centimetres wide. And each was almost 60 centimetres high. The tools for killing the burnt offerings and other sacrifices were placed on them. 43 Large hooks hung on the walls all around. Each was 8 centimetres long. The meat of the offerings was placed on the tables. 



44 Near the inner gates were two rooms. They were in the inner courtyard. One room was next to the north gate. It faced south. The other one was next to the south gate. It faced north. 45 The man said to me, ‘The room that faces south is for the priests who guard the temple. 46 The one that faces north is for the priests who guard the altar. All these priests are the sons of Zadok. They are the only Levites who can approach the LORD to serve him.’ 47 Then the man measured the courtyard. It was square. It measured 60 metres long and 60 metres wide. And the altar was in front of the temple. 



48 The man brought me to the porch of the temple. He measured the doorposts of the porch. Each of them was almost 3 metres wide. The entrance was 8.4 metres wide. Each of the side walls was 1.8 metres wide. 49 The porch was 12 metres wide. It was 7.2 metres from front to back. It was reached by some stairs. Pillars were on each side of the doorposts. 

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Ezekiel 40

English Standard Version



1 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, the hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me to the city.[1] (Eze 1:2; Eze 1:3; Eze 20:1; Eze 26:1; Eze 33:21) 2 In visions of God he brought me to the land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south. (Eze 1:1; Eze 43:12; Re 21:10) 3 When he brought me there, behold, there was a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring reed in his hand. And he was standing in the gateway. (Eze 1:7; Eze 9:2; Eze 42:16; Eze 43:6; Eze 47:3; Re 11:1) 4 And the man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.” (Eze 2:1; Eze 43:10; Eze 44:5) 



5 And behold, there was a wall all around the outside of the temple area, and the length of the measuring reed in the man’s hand was six long cubits, each being a cubit and a handbreadth[2] in length. So he measured the thickness of the wall, one reed; and the height, one reed. (Eze 41:8; Eze 42:20; Eze 43:13) 6 Then he went into the gateway facing east, going up its steps, and measured the threshold of the gate, one reed deep.[3] (Eze 40:22; Eze 43:1) 7 And the side rooms, one reed long and one reed broad; and the space between the side rooms, five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the vestibule of the gate at the inner end, one reed. (Eze 40:29; Eze 40:33; Eze 40:36) 8 Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, on the inside, one reed. 9 Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, eight cubits; and its jambs, two cubits; and the vestibule of the gate was at the inner end. (Eze 41:1) 10 And there were three side rooms on either side of the east gate. The three were of the same size, and the jambs on either side were of the same size. (Eze 40:7) 11 Then he measured the width of the opening of the gateway, ten cubits; and the length of the gateway, thirteen cubits. 12 There was a barrier before the side rooms, one cubit on either side. And the side rooms were six cubits on either side. 13 Then he measured the gate from the ceiling of the one side room to the ceiling of the other, a breadth of twenty-five cubits; the openings faced each other. 14 He measured also the vestibule, sixty cubits. And around the vestibule of the gateway was the court.[4] (Eze 40:9; Eze 40:16) 15 From the front of the gate at the entrance to the front of the inner vestibule of the gate was fifty cubits. 16 And the gateway had windows all around, narrowing inwards toward the side rooms and toward their jambs, and likewise the vestibule had windows all around inside, and on the jambs were palm trees. (1Ki 6:4; Eze 40:9; Eze 40:14; Eze 41:16; Eze 41:18; Eze 41:26) 



17 Then he brought me into the outer court. And behold, there were chambers and a pavement, all around the court. Thirty chambers faced the pavement. (2Ki 23:11; 2Ch 7:3; Eze 40:38; Eze 40:44; Eze 40:46; Eze 41:6; Eze 41:10; Eze 42:1; Eze 45:5; Re 11:2) 18 And the pavement ran along the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates. This was the lower pavement. 19 Then he measured the distance from the inner front of the lower gate to the outer front of the inner court,[5] a hundred cubits on the east side and on the north side.[6] 



20 As for the gate that faced toward the north, belonging to the outer court, he measured its length and its breadth. (Eze 40:6; Eze 40:17) 21 Its side rooms, three on either side, and its jambs and its vestibule were of the same size as those of the first gate. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. (Eze 40:6; Eze 40:7; Eze 40:13; Eze 40:15) 22 And its windows, its vestibule, and its palm trees were of the same size as those of the gate that faced toward the east. And by seven steps people would go up to it, and find its vestibule before them. (Eze 40:6; Eze 40:16) 23 And opposite the gate on the north, as on the east, was a gate to the inner court. And he measured from gate to gate, a hundred cubits. (Eze 8:3; Eze 40:27; Eze 40:28) 



24 And he led me toward the south, and behold, there was a gate on the south. And he measured its jambs and its vestibule; they had the same size as the others. (Eze 40:21) 25 Both it and its vestibule had windows all around, like the windows of the others. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. (Eze 40:22) 26 And there were seven steps leading up to it, and its vestibule was before them, and it had palm trees on its jambs, one on either side. (Eze 40:16) 27 And there was a gate on the south of the inner court. And he measured from gate to gate toward the south, a hundred cubits. (Eze 8:16; Eze 40:23) 



28 Then he brought me to the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate. It was of the same size as the others. (Eze 40:24; Eze 40:27) 29 Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and both it and its vestibule had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. (Eze 40:7; Eze 40:25) 30 And there were vestibules all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits broad. 31 Its vestibule faced the outer court, and palm trees were on its jambs, and its stairway had eight steps. (Eze 40:22; Eze 40:26) 32 Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gate. It was of the same size as the others. (Eze 40:21) 33 Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and both it and its vestibule had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. 34 Its vestibule faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps. (Eze 40:31) 35 Then he brought me to the north gate, and he measured it. It had the same size as the others. (Eze 40:32; Eze 47:2) 36 Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others,[7] and it had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. 37 Its vestibule[8] faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps. 38 There was a chamber with its door in the vestibule of the gate,[9] where the burnt offering was to be washed. (2Ch 4:6; Eze 40:17; Eze 46:2) 39 And in the vestibule of the gate were two tables on either side, on which the burnt offering and the sin offering and the guilt offering were to be slaughtered. (Le 1:3; Le 4:2; Le 5:1; Eze 40:42; Eze 42:13; Eze 46:2; Eze 46:20) 40 And off to the side, on the outside as one goes up to the entrance of the north gate, were two tables; and off to the other side of the vestibule of the gate were two tables. 41 Four tables were on either side of the gate, eight tables, on which to slaughter. (Eze 40:38; Eze 40:39) 42 And there were four tables of hewn stone for the burnt offering, a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, and one cubit high, on which the instruments were to be laid with which the burnt offerings and the sacrifices were slaughtered. (Ex 20:25; Eze 40:39) 43 And hooks,[10] a handbreadth long, were fastened all around within. And on the tables the flesh of the offering was to be laid. 



44 On the outside of the inner gateway there were two chambers[11] in the inner court, one[12] at the side of the north gate facing south, the other at the side of the south[13] gate facing north. (1Ch 6:31; Eze 40:17; Eze 40:38) 45 And he said to me, “This chamber that faces south is for the priests who have charge of the temple, (Le 8:35; Nu 1:53; 1Ch 9:23; Eze 44:8; Eze 44:14; Eze 44:16; Eze 48:11) 46 and the chamber that faces north is for the priests who have charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who alone[14] among the sons of Levi may come near to the Lord to minister to him.” (Nu 3:31; Nu 18:5; 1Ki 2:35; 1Ch 24:3; 1Ch 24:6; Eze 42:13; Eze 43:19; Eze 44:15; Eze 45:4) 47 And he measured the court, a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits broad, a square. And the altar was in front of the temple. (Ex 40:29; Eze 41:13; Eze 43:13; Mt 23:35) 



48 Then he brought me to the vestibule of the temple and measured the jambs of the vestibule, five cubits on either side. And the breadth of the gate was fourteen cubits, and the sidewalls of the gate[15] were three cubits on either side. (Eze 40:9; Eze 41:25) 49 The length of the vestibule was twenty cubits, and the breadth twelve[16] cubits, and people would go up to it by ten steps.[17] And there were pillars beside the jambs, one on either side. (1Ki 6:3) 

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The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.