40
In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was struck, in the same day, Yahweh’s hand was on me, and he brought me there. In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, whereon was as it were the frame of a city on the south. He brought me there; and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate. The man said to me, Son of man, see with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart on all that I shall show you; for, to the intent that I may show them to you, you are brought here: declare all that you see to the house of Israel.
Behold, a wall on the outside of the house all around, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed six cubits+ long, of a cubit and a hand width each: so he measured the thickness of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.
Then came he to the gate which looks toward the east, and went up its steps: and he measured the threshold of the gate, one reed wide; and the other threshold, one reed wide. Every lodge was one reed long, and one reed wide; and between the lodges was five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate toward the house was one reed.
He measured also the porch of the gate toward the house, one reed. Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and its posts, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was toward the house.
10 The lodges of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that side; they three were of one measure: and the posts had one measure on this side and on that side. 11 He measured the width of the opening of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits; 12 and a border before the lodges, one cubit on this side, and a border, one cubit on that side; and the lodges, six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side. 13 He measured the gate from the roof of the one lodge to the roof of the other, a width of twenty-five cubits; door against door. 14 He made also posts, sixty cubits; and the court reached to the posts, around the gate. 15 From the forefront of the gate at the entrance to the forefront of the inner porch of the gate were fifty cubits. 16 There were closed windows to the lodges, and to their posts within the gate all around, and likewise to the arches; and windows were around inward; and on each post were palm trees.
17 Then brought he me into the outer court; and behold, there were rooms and a pavement, made for the court all around: thirty rooms were on the pavement. 18 The pavement was by the side of the gates, answerable to the length of the gates, even the lower pavement. 19 Then he measured the width from the forefront of the lower gate to the forefront of the inner court outside, one hundred cubits, both on the east and on the north.
20 The gate of the outer court whose prospect is toward the north, he measured its length and its width. 21 The lodges of it were three on this side and three on that side; and its posts and its arches were after the measure of the first gate: its length was fifty cubits, and the width twenty-five cubits. 22 The windows of it, and its arches, and the palm trees of it, were after the measure of the gate whose prospect is toward the east; and they went up to it by seven steps; and its arches were before them. 23 There was a gate to the inner court facing the other gate, on the north and on the east; and he measured from gate to gate one hundred cubits.
24 He led me toward the south; and behold, a gate toward the south: and he measured its posts and its arches according to these measurements. 25 There were windows in it and in its arches all around, like those windows: the length was fifty cubits, and the width twenty-five cubits. 26 There were seven steps to go up to it, and its arches were before them; and it had palm trees, one on this side, and another on that side, on its posts. 27 There was a gate to the inner court toward the south: and he measured from gate to gate toward the south a hundred cubits.
28 Then he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measurements; 29 and its lodges, and its posts, and its arches, according to these measurements: and there were windows in it and in its arches all around; it was fifty cubits long, and twenty-five cubits wide. 30 There were arches all around, twenty-five cubits long, and five cubits wide. 31 The arches of it were toward the outer court; and palm trees were on its posts: and the ascent to it had eight steps.
32 He brought me into the inner court toward the east: and he measured the gate according to these measurements; 33 and its lodges, and its posts, and its arches, according to these measurements: and there were windows therein and in its arches all around; it was fifty cubits long, and twenty-five cubits wide. 34 The arches of it were toward the outer court; and palm trees were on its posts, on this side, and on that side: and the ascent to it had eight steps.
35 He brought me to the north gate: and he measured it according to these measurements; 36 its lodges, its posts, and its arches: and there were windows therein all around; the length was fifty cubits, and the width twenty-five cubits. 37 The posts of it were toward the outer court; and palm trees were on its posts, on this side, and on that side: and the ascent to it had eight steps.
38 A room with its door was by the posts at the gates; there they washed the burnt offering. 39 In the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, on which to kill the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering. 40 On the one side outside, as one goes up to the entry of the gate toward the north, were two tables; and on the other side, which belonged to the porch of the gate, were two tables. 41 Four tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate; eight tables, whereupon they killed the sacrifices. 42 There were four tables for the burnt offering, of cut stone, a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half wide, and one cubit high; whereupon they laid the instruments with which they killed the burnt offering and the sacrifice. 43 The hooks, a hand width long, were fastened within all around: and on the tables was the meat of the offering.
44 Outside of the inner gate were rooms for the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their prospect was toward the south; one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north. 45 He said to me, This room, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the duty of the house; 46 and the room whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the duty of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok, who from among the sons of Levi come near to Yahweh to minister to him. 47 He measured the court, one hundred cubits long, and a hundred cubits wide, square; and the altar was before the house.
48 Then he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side: and the width of the gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side. 49 The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the width eleven cubits; even by the steps by which they went up to it: and there were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side.
+A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.