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v1
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 destroyed, in this day exactly, the hand of Yahweh was on me, and he brought me there
v2
in visions from God. He brought me to the land of Israel and put me on a very high mountain, and on it was something like a structure of a city to the south.
v3
And he brought me there, and look, there was a man whose ^[Hebrew “his”] appearance was like the appearance of bronze, and a cord of linen was in his hand and a reed for measurement; he was standing in the gate.
v4
And the man spoke to me, “Son of man, ^[Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”] look with your eyes and listen with your ears and apply ^[Or “set/put”] your heart to all that I am showing you, for you were brought here in order to show you this; tell all that you are seeing to the house of Israel.”
v5
And there was a wall on the outside of the temple all the way around it, ^[Literally “all around, all around”] and in the hand of the man the reed ^[Or “rod”] for measurement was six long cubits, according to ^[Literally “with/in”] the cubit ^[That is, about 18 inches] and a handbreadth, ^[A handbreadth wasabout 3 inches; the reed/rod was 10.5 feet long] and he measured the width of the outer wall as one reed, ^[That is, 10.5 feet] and the height as one reed. ^[That is, about 10.5 feet]
v6
And then he went toward ^[Or “to”] the gate whose face was to the east. ^[Literally “to the way toward the east”] And he went up by ^[Or “with”] its steps, and he measured the threshold of the gate, one reed ^[That is, about 10.5 feet] wide.
v7
And the alcove ^[Or “niches” in the temple tower] was one reed ^[That is, about 10.5 feet] long and one reed ^[That is, about 10.5 feet] wide, ^[That is, 10.5 x 10.5 feet] and between the alcoves was five cubits, ^[That is, about 8.75 feet] and the threshold of the gate along the side of the portico of the gate on the inside ^[Literally “from the house”] was one reed. ^[That is, about 10.5 feet]
v8
And then he measured the portico of the gate on the inside ^[Literally “from the house”] as one reed. ^[That is, about 10.5 feet.]
v9
And he measured the portico of the gate as eight cubits, ^[That is, about 14 feet] and its pilaster was two cubits ^[That is, 3.5 feet] thick, and he measured the portico of the gate on the inside. ^[Literally “from the house”]
v10
And the alcoves ^[Hebrew “alcove”] of the gate toward the way ^[Or “direction”] eastward ^[Literally “of the east”] were three on each side; ^[Literally “was three from here and three from here”] the same measurements applied to all three of them; ^[Literally “measurement one was to the three of them”] and the same measurement applied to the pilaster ^[Literally “measurement one was to the pilaster”] on each side. ^[Literally “from here and from there”]
v11
And he measured the width of the doorway of the gate as ten cubits ^[That is, 17.5 feet] and the length of the gateway ^[Hebrew “gate”] was thirteen cubits. ^[That is, 22.75 feet; or the inside width of the gateway was 22.75 feet]
v12
And a wall ^[Or “guard wall”; others prefer “curb” (NLT)] was before ^[Literally “was to the face of”] the alcoves; one cubit ^[That is, about 18 inches] on either side ^[Literally “cubit one and cubit one”; or 21 inches] was the wall from here. ^[Or “from the front”] And the alcove was six cubits ^[That is, 10.5 feet] on each side. ^[Literally “was six cubits from here and six cubits from here”]
v13
And he measured the gate from the top slab of the alcove to its opposite top slab as twenty-five cubits in width, from one entrance to the other one opposite it. ^[Literally “doorway opposite doorway”]
v14
And he made the pilasters sixty cubits, ^[That is, 105 feet (problematic in this context)] and to the pilaster of the courtyard all the way around the gate. ^[Literally “the gate all around, all around”]
v15
And from the front of ^[Literally “and at the face of”] the gate at the entrance to the front of ^[Literally “the face of”] the portico of the inner gate was fifty cubits. ^[That is, 87.5 feet]
v16
And there were narrow windows for the alcoves and for their pilasters to the inside of the gate all the way around ^[Literally “all around, all around”] it. And likewise with respect to the porticos and windows were all the way around ^[Literally “all around, all around”] to the inside, and on a pilaster there were images of palm trees. ^[Hebrew “tree”]
v17
And he brought me to the outer courtyard, and there were chambers and a pavement made for the courtyard all around it, and thirty chambers were facing to the pavement.
v18
And the pavement flanked ^[Literally “was to the side of”] the side of the gates and all along the gates; ^[Literally “to along side the length of the gates”] this describes the lower pavement.
v19
And he measured the width from the front of ^[Literally “to the face of”] the lower gate to the front of ^[Literally “to the face of”] the outside of the inner courtyard as a hundred cubits ^[That is, 175 feet] to the east and to the north.
v20
And as for the gate that had its face toward the north ^[Literally “to the way of the north”] of the outer courtyard, he measured its length and its width.
v21
And its alcoves were three on each side, ^[Literally “three from here and three from here”] and its pilasters and its porticos had the same measurement ^[Literally “it was like the measurement of”] as the first gate: its length was fifty cubits, ^[That is, 87.5 feet] and its width was twenty-five cubits. ^[Literally “in/by the cubit”; 43.5 feet]
v22
And its windows and its porticos and its palm tree images were like the measurement of the gate that was facing toward the east; ^[Literally “its face to the way of the east”] and it had ^[Literally “and with steps”] seven steps that go up it, and there were porticos before them. ^[Literally “to the face of them”]
v23
And a gate led to the inner courtyard, opposite the gate to the north and to the east, and he measured from gate to gate as a hundred cubits. ^[That is, 175 feet]
v24
And then he took me toward the south, ^[Literally “to the way of the south”] and look, a gate toward the south, ^[Literally “to the way of the south”] and he measured its pilasters and its porticos; they had measurements just like the others. ^[Literally “like the measurements the these”]
v25
And there were for it windows and for its porticos all the way around it ^[Literally “all around, all around”] like these windows; fifty cubits ^[That is, 87.5 feet] long and twenty-five cubits ^[That is, 43.75 feet] wide.
v26
And seven steps were going up to it and its porticos before them. ^[Literally “to the face of them”] And it had palm tree images ^[Literally “and palm tree images were for it”] all along ^[Literally “from here and one from here to”] its pilasters.
v27
And there was to the way of the south ^[That is, “to the south”] a gate for the inner courtyard, and he measured from gate to the gate on the way of the south, a hundred cubits. ^[That is, 175 feet]
v28
And he brought me to the inner courtyard through ^[Or “at”] the gate of the south, and he measured the south gate, and it had measurements like the others. ^[Literally “the measurements the these”]
v29
And its alcoves and its pilasters and its porticos were just like these measurements. And it had windows for it and for its porticos ^[Hebrew “portico”] all the way around, ^[Literally “all around, all around”] fifty cubits ^[Hebrew “cubit”] along ^[Literally “long”] its length, and twenty-five cubits ^[That is, 43.75 feet] wide.
v30
And there were porticos all the way around ^[Literally “all around, all around”] its length, twenty-five cubits; ^[That is, 43.75 feet] and its width was five cubits. ^[That is, 8.75 feet, which differs from 40:9; the LXX and some Greek versions lack this verse altogether]
v31
And its porticos were to the outer courtyard, and palm tree images were on its pilasters, and eight steps were for its stairs.
v32
And he brought me to the inner courtyard by way of the east gate, and he measured the gate as just like the other measurements. ^[Literally “the measurements the these”]
v33
And its alcoves and its pilasters and its porticos were also like these measurements, and windows were for it and for its porticos all around; ^[Literally “all around, all around”] its length was fifty cubits, ^[That is, 87.5 feet] and it was twenty-five cubits ^[That is, 43.75 feet] wide.
v34
And its porticos were toward the outer courtyard, and palm tree images were on its pilasters one each side, ^[Literally “from here and from here”] and eight steps served as it stairs. ^[Literally “and eight steps its stairs”]
v35
And he brought me to the gate of the north, and he measured it; and he measured the same measurements as these others, ^[Literally “like the measurements the these”]
v36
its alcoves, its pilasters and porticos, and its windows ^[Literally “its windows were for it”] all the way around, ^[Literally “all around, all around”] and a length of fifty cubits ^[That is, 87.5 feet] and twenty-five cubits wide. ^[That is, 43.75 feet]
v37
And its pilasters faced the outer courtyard, ^[Literally “were to the courtyard the outer”] and it had palm tree images on its pilasters ^[Literally “and palm tree images were for its pilaster”] on each side; ^[Literally “from here and from here”] and eight steps served as its stairs.
v38
And a chamber with its doorway was in ^[Or “set among”] the pilasters at the gates, ^[Or “gate”] and there they rinsed off ^[Or “washed”] the burnt offering.
v39
And in the portico of the gate were two tables on each side ^[Literally “were two tables from here and two tables from here”] to slaughter the burnt offering on them and the sin offering and the guilt offering.
v40
And on the outer side as one goes up to the doorway of the gate to the north were two tables, and on the other side, which is toward the portico of the gate, were two tables.
v41
On each side of the gate were four tables, ^[Literally “four tables from here and four tables from here”] eight tables in all, and on them they slaughtered sacrifices.
v42
And four tables were for the burnt offering, and made of dressed stones, one cubit and a half ^[That is, 31.5 inches] long and one cubit and a half wide and one cubit ^[That is, 21 inches] high was their measurements, ^[Literally “_was_to them] and they placed the objects ^[Or “instruments/utensils”] with which they slaughtered the burnt offering on them and the sacrifice.
v43
And there were double-pronged hooks, one handbreadth in width, put in place in the house ^[Or “inside”] all around, and on the tables was the flesh of the offering.
v44
And on the outside of the inner gate, there were chambers for ^[Hebrew “of”] singers in the inner courtyard, which was to the side of the north gate, and their faces ^[That is, of the chambers] were to the south ^[Literally “were to the way of the south”] with respect to one, and on the side of the east gate one facing to the north.
v45
And he said to me, “This chamber with its face toward the south ^[Literally “which its face is to the way of the south”] is for the priests who are taking care of the responsibility of the temple.
v46
And the chamber with its face to the north ^[Literally “with its face is to the way of the north”] is for the priests who are taking care of the responsibility of the altar. They are the descendants ^[Or “sons”] of Zadok, the ones who approach from among the descendants ^[Or “sons”] of Levi to Yahweh to serve him.”
v47
And he measured the courtyard as to its length, a hundred cubits, ^[That is, 175 feet] and a hundred cubits ^[That is, 175 feet] wide, squared, and the altar is in front of ^[Literally “before face of”] the temple.
v48
And he brought me to the portico of the temple, and he measured the pilaster of the portico, five cubits on each side, ^[That is, 8.75 feet; literally “five cubits from here and five cubits from here”] and the width of the gate was three cubits on each side. ^[Literally “was three cubit_s_ from here and three cubits from here”]
v49
The length of the portico was twenty cubits ^[That is, 35 feet] and its width eleven cubits, ^[That is, 19.25 feet; LXX reads 12 cubits or 21 feet] and with ten steps they went up to it, and the pilasters had pillars, ^[Literally “and pillars were to the pilasters”] one on each side. ^[Literally “one from here and one from here”]