Ezekiel 43

1Then the man brought me to the gate, the one that faces east. 2And there was the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. The sound of its coming was like the roar of rushing waters, and the earth shone with his glory. 3What I saw in this vision was like what I had seen when I came to destroy the city, and like the vision I had seen by the Kebar Canal, and I fell face down. 4The glory of the LORD came into the temple through the gate that faces east. 5Then the Spirit lifted me and carried me into the inner court, and there the glory of the LORD was filling the temple. 6While the man stood beside me, I heard someone speak to me out of the temple. 7He said to me, “Son of man, here is my throne, and here is the place where my feet rest. Here I will live among the Israelites forever. Never again will the house of Israel defile my holy name, neither they nor their kings, with their prostitution and with the dead bodies of their kings at their high places, 8when they set their threshold by my threshold and their doorposts next to my doorposts, so that only a wall stood between me and them. By the detestable practices they committed they defiled my holy name, and so I destroyed them in my anger. 9Now let them put their prostitution and the dead bodies of their kings far away from me, and I will live among them forever.

10As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, so that they will be ashamed of their sins, and let them study its plan. 11If they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the design of the temple, its arrangement, its exits and entrances, its whole design, and all its statutes and laws. Write it down where they can see it, so that they may keep its whole design and all its statutes and carry them out. 12This is the law of the temple: all the area around it on the top of the mountain will be most holy. This, then, is the law of the temple. 13These are the measurements of the altar in long cubits, each a cubit and a handbreadth: its gutter was about 21 inches deep and about 21 inches wide, with a rim of about 10 1/2 inches around its edge. This is the base of the altar. 14From the gutter on the ground up to the lower ledge was about 3 1/2 feet, and that ledge was about 21 inches wide. From the smaller ledge up to the larger ledge was about 7 feet, and that ledge was about 21 inches wide. 15The altar hearth was about 7 feet high, and from the altar hearth four horns projected upward. 16The altar hearth was square, about 21 feet long and about 21 feet wide. 17The upper ledge was also square, about 24 1/2 feet long and about 24 1/2 feet wide, with a rim of about 10 1/2 inches around it, and its gutter was about 21 inches all around. The altar’s steps faced east.” 18He said to me, “Son of man, the Lord GOD says this: These are the altar’s statutes for the day it is built, so that burnt offerings may be offered on it and blood splashed against it. 19You are to give a young bull for a sin offering to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok, who come near to me to serve me, declares the Lord GOD. 20Take some of the blood and smear it on the altar’s four horns, on the four corners of the upper ledge and on the rim all around. In this way you will purify the altar and make atonement for it. 21Then take the bull for the sin offering and burn it in the designated part of the temple area, outside the sanctuary. 22On the second day you are to offer a male goat without defect as a sin offering, and the priests are to purify the altar as they did with the bull. 23When you have finished purifying it, you are to offer a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without defect. 24Bring them before the LORD, and the priests are to scatter salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the LORD. 25For seven days you are to provide a goat each day as a sin offering, and a young bull and a ram from the flock, all without defect, are to be offered too. 26For seven days they are to make atonement for the altar and purify it. In this way they will dedicate it. 27When these days are over, from the eighth day on the priests are to present on the altar your burnt offerings and peace offerings, and I will accept you, declares the Lord GOD.”