Eze 40 | BSB | STEP | 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 Jerusalem had been struck down— on that very day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and He took me there.

Ezekiel 40

The Man with a Measuring Rod

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 Jerusalem had been struck down— on that very day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and He took me there. 2 In visions of God He took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose southern slope was a structure that resembled a city. 3 So He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze. He was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. 4 “Son of man,” he said to me, “look with your eyes, hear with your ears, and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that [is why] you have been brought here. Report everything you see to the house of Israel.”

The East Gate

5 And I saw a wall surrounding the temple area. Now the length of the measuring rod in the man’s hand [was] six [long] cubits ^{▼▼Measured in long cubits, that is about 10.5 feet or 3.2 meters; also in verse 12. The long cubit of about 21 inches or 53 centimeters is the basic unit of length throughout Ezekiel 40 to 48.} ( [each measuring a] cubit and a handbreadth ), and he measured the [wall to be] one rod thick [and] one rod high. 6 Then he came to the gate facing east and climbed its steps. He measured the threshold of the gate [to be] one rod deep. ^{▼▼Hebrew deep, and one threshold, one reed deep} 7 Each gate chamber [was] one rod long and one [rod] wide, and [there were] five cubits ^{▼▼Measured in long cubits, that is about 8.75 feet or 2.65 meters; also in verse 48} between the gate chambers. The inner threshold of the gate by the portico facing inward [was] one rod [deep] . 8 Then he measured the portico of the gateway inside ; 9 [it was] eight cubits [deep] ^{▼▼Measured in long cubits, that is about 14 feet or 4.2 meters} and its jambs [were] two cubits [thick] . ^{▼▼Measured in long cubits, that is about 3.5 feet or 1.1 meters; also in verse 22} And the portico of the gateway faced [the temple] . 10 There were three gate chambers on each side of the east gate, each with the same measurements, and the gateposts on either side also had the same measurements. 11 And he measured the width of the gateway entrance [to be] ten cubits, ^{▼▼Measured in long cubits, that is about 17.5 feet or 5.3 meters} and its length [was] thirteen cubits. ^{▼▼Measured in long cubits, that is about 23 feet or 6.9 meters} 12 In front of each gate chamber was a wall one cubit [high] , and the gate chambers [were] six cubits square. 13 Then he measured the gateway from the roof of a gate chamber to the roof of the opposite one; [the distance was] twenty-five cubits ^{▼▼Measured in long cubits, that is about 44 feet or 13 meters; also in verses 21, 25, 29, 30, 33, and 36} from doorway to doorway. 14 Next he measured the gateposts [to be] sixty cubits [high] . ^{▼▼Measured in long cubits, that is about 105 feet or 32 meters} The gateway [extended] around to the gatepost of the courtyard. 15 And the distance from the entrance of the gateway to the far end of [its] inner portico [was] fifty cubits. ^{▼▼Measured in long cubits, that is about 87.5 feet or 26.5 meters; also in verses 21, 25, 29, 33, and 36} 16 The gate chambers and their side pillars ^{▼▼Or gateposts or jambs or projecting walls; here and throughout Ezekiel 40 and 41.} had beveled windows all around the inside of the gateway. The porticos also had windows all around on the inside. Each side pillar was decorated with palm trees.

The Outer Court

17 Then he brought me into the outer court, and there were chambers and a pavement laid out all around the court. Thirty chambers faced the pavement, 18 which flanked the gateways and corresponded to the length of the gates; this was the lower pavement. 19 Then he measured the distance from the front of the lower gateway to the outside of the inner court; it was a hundred cubits ^{▼▼Measured in long cubits, that is about 175 feet or 53 meters; also in verses 23, 27, and 47} on the east side as well as on the north.

The North Gate

20 He also measured the length and width of the gateway of the outer court facing north. 21 Its three gate chambers on each side, its side pillars, and its portico all had the same measurements as the first gate: fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 22 Its windows, portico, and palm trees had the same measurements as those of the gate facing east. Seven steps led up to it, with its portico opposite them. 23 There was a gate to the inner court facing the north gate, just as there was on the east. He measured the distance from gateway to gateway [to be] a hundred cubits.

The South Gate

24 Then he led me to the south side, and I saw a gateway facing south. He measured its side pillars and portico, and they had the same measurements as the others. 25 Both the gateway and its portico had windows all around, like the other windows. [It was] fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 26 Seven steps led up to it , and its portico was opposite them; it had palm trees on its side pillars, one on each side. 27 The inner court also had a gate facing south, and he measured [the distance] from gateway to gateway toward the south [to be] a hundred cubits.

The Gates of the Inner Court

28 Next he brought me into the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate; it had the same measurements as the others. 29 Its gate chambers, side pillars, and portico had the same measurements as the others. Both the gateway and its portico had 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 wide.) 31 Its portico faced the outer court, and its side pillars were decorated with palm trees. Eight steps led up to it. 32 And he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gateway; it had the same measurements as the others. 33 Its gate chambers, side pillars, and portico had the same measurements as the others. Both [the gateway] and its portico had windows all around. It [was] fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 34 Its portico faced the outer court, and its side pillars were decorated with palm trees on each side. Eight steps led up to it. 35 Then he brought me to the north gate and measured [it] . It had the same measurements as the others, 36 as did its gate chambers, side pillars, and portico. It also had windows all around. [It was] fifty cubits long twenty-five cubits wide. 37 Its portico ^{▼▼LXX, Vulgate (compare verses 26, 31, 34); Hebrew jambs} faced the outer court, and its side pillars were decorated with palm trees on each side. Eight steps led up to it.

Eight Tables for Sacrifices

38 There was a chamber with a doorway by the portico ^{▼▼Hebrew at the jambs} in each of the inner gateways. There the burnt offering was to be washed. 39 Inside the portico of the gateway [were] two tables on each side, on which the burnt offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings were to be slaughtered. 40 Outside, as one goes up to the entrance of the north gate, there were two tables on one side and two more tables on the other side of the gate’s portico. 41 So there were four tables inside the gateway and four outside— eight tables in all— on which the sacrifices were to be slaughtered. 42 There were also four tables of dressed stone for the burnt offering, each a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit high. ^{▼▼Measured in long cubits, that is about 2.65 feet in length and width, and 21 inches high (80 centimeters in length and width, and 53 centimeters high)} On these were placed the utensils used to slaughter the burnt offerings and other sacrifices. 43 The double-pronged hooks, ^{▼▼Or shelves} each a handbreadth [long] , ^{▼▼That is, about 2.9 inches or 7.4 centimeters} were fastened all around the inside of the room, and the flesh of the offering was to be placed on the tables.

Rooms for the Priests

44 Outside the inner gate, within the inner court, were two chambers, one ^{▼▼LXX; Hebrew were chambers for the singers} beside the north gate and facing south, and another beside the south gate ^{▼▼LXX; Hebrew east} and facing north. 45 Then the man said to me: “The chamber that faces south is for the priests who have charge of the temple, 46 and the chamber that faces north is for the priests who have charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, the [only] Levites who may approach the LORD to minister before Him.”

The Inner Courtyard

47 Next he measured the court. It was square, a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide. And the altar [was] in front of the temple. 48 Then he brought me to the portico of the temple and measured the side pillars of the portico [to be] five cubits on each side. The width of the gateway was [fourteen cubits and its sidewalls were] ^{▼▼LXX, measured in long cubits, that is about 24.5 feet or 7.4 meters; Hebrew does not include fourteen cubits and its sidewalls were} three cubits ^{▼▼Measured in long cubits, that is about 5.25 feet or 1.6 meters} on either side. 49 The portico [was] twenty cubits ^{▼▼Measured in long cubits, that is about 35 feet or 10.6 meters} wide and twelve cubits ^{▼▼LXX, measured in long cubits, that is about 21 feet or 6.4 meters; Hebrew eleven cubits, that is about 19.25 feet or 5.8 meters} deep, and [ten] steps ^{▼▼LXX; Hebrew does not include ten} led up to it. There were columns by the side pillars, one on each side.