Ezekiel, 43

1. Then he led me to the gate which faces the east,

1. He took me to the gate, the one facing east.

2. and there I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. I heard a sound like the roaring of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory.

2. I saw the glory of the God of Israel approaching from the east. A sound came with him like the sound of the ocean, and the earth shone with his glory.

3. The vision was like that which I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and like that which I had seen by the river Chebar. I fell prone

3. This vision was like the one I had seen when I had come for the destruction of the city, and like the one I had seen by the River Chebar. Then I fell to the ground.

4. as the glory of the LORD entered the temple by way of the gate which faces the east,

4. The glory of Yahweh arrived at the Temple by the east gate.

5. but spirit lifted me up and brought me to the inner court. And I saw that the temple was filled with the glory of the LORD.

5. The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; I saw the glory of Yahweh fill the Temple.

6. Then I heard someone speaking to me from the temple, while the man stood beside me.

6. And I heard someone speaking to me from the Temple while the man stood beside me.

7. The voice said to me: Son of man, this is where my throne shall be, this is where I will set the soles of my feet; here I will dwell among the Israelites forever. Never again shall they and their kings profane my holy name with their harlotries and with the corpses of their kings (their high places).

7. He said, 'Son of man, this is the dais of my throne, the step on which I rest my feet. I shall live here among the Israelites for ever; and the House of Israel, they and their kings, will never again defile my holy name with their whorings and the corpses of their kings,

8. When they placed their threshold against my threshold and their doorpost next to mine, so that only a wall was between us, they profaned my holy name by their abominable deeds; therefore I consumed them in my wrath.

8. by putting their threshold beside my threshold and their doorposts beside my door-posts, with a party wall shared by them and me. They used to defile my holy name by their loathsome practices, and this is why I put an end to them in my anger.

9. From now on they shall put far from me their harlotry and the corpses of their kings, and I will dwell in their midst forever.

9. From now on they will banish their whorings and the corpses of their kings from my presence and I shall live among them for ever.

10. As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel (that they may be ashamed of their sins), both its measurements and its design;

10. 'Son of man, describe this Temple to the House of Israel, to shame them out of their loathsome practices. (Let them draw up the plan of it.)

11. (and if they are ashamed of all that they have done,) make known to them the form and design of the temple, its exits and entrances, all its statutes and laws; write these down for them to see, that they may carefully observe all its laws and statutes.

11. And, if they are ashamed of their behaviour, show them the design and plan of the Temple, its exits and entrances, its shape, how all of it is arranged, the entire design and all its principles. Give them all this in writing so that they can see and take note of its design and the way it is all arranged and carry it out.

12. This is the law of the temple: its whole surrounding area on the mountain top shall be most sacred.

12. This is the charter of the Temple: all the surrounding space on the mountain top is an especially holy area. (Such is the charter of the Temple.)'

13. These were the measurements of the altar in cubits of one cubit plus a handbreadth. Its base was one cubit high and one cubit deep, with a rim around its edges of one span. The height of the altar itself was as follows:

13. These were the dimensions of the altar, in cubits each of a cubit plus a handsbreadth. The base: one cubit high and one cubit wide; the space by the runnel, all round the edge of the altar, one handsbreadth.

14. from its base at the bottom up to the lower edge it was two cubits high, and this ledge was one cubit deep; from the lower to the upper ledge it was four cubits high, and this ledge also was one cubit deep;

14. From the ground level of the base up to the lower plinth, two cubits high and one cubit wide; from the lesser plinth to the greater plinth, four cubits high and one cubit wide.

15. the hearth of the altar was four cubits high, and extending from the top of the hearth were the four horns of the altar.

15. The altar hearth: four cubits high, with four horns projecting from the hearth,

16. The hearth was a square: twelve cubits long and twelve cubits wide.

16. the hearth was four-square: twelve cubits by twelve cubits;

17. The upper ledge was also a square: fourteen cubits long and fourteen cubits wide. The lower ledge, likewise a square, was sixteen cubits long and sixteen cubits wide, with a half-cubit rim surrounding it. And there was a base of one cubit all around. The steps of the altar face the east.

17. and the square plinth: fourteen cubits by fourteen cubits; and the ledge all round: half a cubit; and the base: one cubit all round. The steps were on the east side.

18. Then he said to me: Son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: These are the statutes for the altar when it is set up for the offering of holocausts upon it and for the sprinkling of blood against it.

18. He said to me, 'Son of man, the Lord Yahweh says this, "As regards the altar, this is how things must be done when it has been built for the sacrifice of the burnt offering and for the pouring of blood.

19. Give a young bull as a sin offering to the priests, the Levites who are of the line of Zadok, who draw near me to minister to me, says the Lord GOD.

19. To the levitical priests -- those of the race of Zadok -- who approach me to serve me -- declares the Lord Yahweh -- you must give a young bull as a sacrifice for sin.

20. Take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar, and on the four corners of the ledge, and on the rim all around. Thus you shall purify it and make atonement for it.

20. You must take some of its blood and put it on the four horns, on the four corners of the plinth and on the surrounding ledge. In this way you will purify it and make expiation on it.

21. Then take the bull of the sin offering, which is to be burnt in a designated part of the temple, outside the sanctuary.

21. Then take the bull of the sacrifice for sin and burn it in that part of the Temple which is cut off from the sanctuary.

22. On the second day present an unblemished he-goat as a sin offering, to purify the altar as was done with the bull.

22. On the second day, you must offer an unblemished he-goat as the sacrifice for sin, and the altar must be purified again as was done with the bull.

23. When you have finished the purification, bring an unblemished young bull and an unblemished ram from the flock,

23. When you have finished the purification, you must offer a young, unblemished bull and an unblemished ram from the flock.

24. and present them before the LORD; the priests shall strew salt on them and offer them to the LORD as holocausts.

24. You must present them before Yahweh, and the priests will sprinkle salt on them and offer them as burnt offerings to Yahweh.

25. Daily for seven days you shall offer a he-goat as a sin offering, and a young bull and a ram from the flock, all unblemished, shall be offered

25. As a sacrifice for sin, every day for seven days you must offer a he-goat, a bull and an unblemished ram from the flock.

26. for seven days. Thus atonement shall be made for the altar, and it shall be purified and dedicated.

26. In this way the altar will be expiated and will be purified and inaugurated.

27. And when these days are over, from the eighth day on, the priests shall offer your holocausts and peace offerings on the altar. Then I will accept you, says the Lord GOD.

27. At the end of that time, on the eighth day and afterwards, the priest will offer your burnt offerings and your communion sacrifices on the altar, and I shall look favourably on you -- declares the Lord Yahweh." '