Ezekiel 43

Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east:

Then, he guided me to the eastern gate, the one that gazes upon the sunrise.

And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.

Suddenly, the magnificent presence of Israel's God appeared from the east. His voice, powerful and soothing, echoed like a roaring waterfall. His radiant glory illuminated the entire earth.

And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face.

The vision I saw, the same one that led me to the city's destruction, was as vivid as the one I had by the Chebar River. Overwhelmed, I fell to my knees.

And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.

The magnificent radiance of the LORD filled the house, entering through the gate that faces the east.

So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.

The spirit lifted me and brought me into the inner court. There, I was awestruck as the radiant presence of the Lord filled the temple.

And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.

I felt his voice resonate from within the home, and sensed the presence of a man standing beside me.

And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places.

He told me, "Human, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet, where I will live among the people of Israel forever. My sacred name will no longer be dishonored by them or their kings, through their prostitution or the dead bodies of their kings at their high places."

In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger.

They dared to place their unholy thresholds next to mine and their doorposts beside my sacred ones, with only a wall between me and them. They tainted my holy name with their vile acts. So, in my fury, I destroyed them.

Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.

Let them abandon their sinful ways and the remnants of their past rulers. Keep them far from me, and I promise to remain with them eternally.

Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.

Hey, human, describe the temple to your people, the Israelites, so they will be ashamed of their wrongdoings. Let them study its plan.

And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.

If they regret their actions, show them the structure of the house, its design, its exits and entrances, its rules and laws. Write it down where they can see, so they can follow its structure and rules.

This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.

The sacred rule of the home is this; the entire boundary atop the mountain is profoundly holy. Remember, this is the home's sacred rule.

And these are the measures of the altar after the cubits: The cubit is a cubit and an hand breadth; even the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about shall be a span: and this shall be the higher place of the altar.

Here are the dimensions of the altar, in long cubits, each a cubit plus the width of a hand: The base is one cubit deep and one cubit wide, and the border around its edge is the length of a hand span. This will be the elevated part of the altar.

And from the bottom upon the ground even to the lower settle shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser settle even to the greater settle shall be four cubits, and the breadth one cubit.

From the base on the ground to the first step, it will be two units long and one unit wide. From the first step to the second step, it will be four units long and one unit wide.

So the altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar and upward shall be four horns.

The altar hearth will stand four cubits high, and four horns will rise upwards from the hearth.

And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square in the four squares thereof.

The altar will be a perfect square, twelve units each side, radiating balance and harmony from all four corners.

And the settle shall be fourteen cubits long and fourteen broad in the four squares thereof; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and the bottom thereof shall be a cubit about; and his stairs shall look toward the east.

The platform will be a perfect square, 14 cubits each side. It will have a small half-cubit border, and its base will measure a cubit all around. Its steps will face the rising sun in the east.

And he said unto me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon.

He told me, "Human, this is what the Lord God says: These are the rules for the altar on the day it's made, for offering sacrifices and sprinkling blood on it."

And thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach unto me, to minister unto me, saith the Lord GOD, a young bullock for a sin offering.

You must present a young bull as a sin offering to the Levite priests, descendants of Zadok who serve me, says the Lord God.

And thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the settle, and upon the border round about: thus shalt thou cleanse and purge it.

Take some of its blood and smear it on the four corners and edges. This is how you purify and cleanse it.

Thou shalt take the bullock also of the sin offering, and he shall burn it in the appointed place of the house, without the sanctuary.

You must also take the bull for the sin offering. It should be burned in the designated area outside the sacred place.

And on the second day thou shalt offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they did cleanse it with the bullock.

On the second day, present a flawless young goat as a sin offering. They will purify the altar with it, just as they did with the bull.

When thou hast made an end of cleansing it, thou shalt offer a young bullock without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish.

Once you've finished purifying it, present a flawless young bull and a perfect ram from your herd.

And thou shalt offer them before the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the LORD.

Present your offerings to God, let the priests sprinkle them with salt, and then give them up as a burnt sacrifice to the Lord.

Seven days shalt thou prepare every day a goat for a sin offering: they shall also prepare a young bullock, and a ram out of the flock, without blemish.

For seven days, you must ready a goat daily as an offering for sin. Also, prepare a young bull and a flawless ram from your herd.

Seven days shall they purge the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate themselves.

For a full week, they must cleanse the altar, making it pure. During this time, they should also dedicate themselves fully.

And when these days are expired, it shall be, that upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord GOD.

After these days pass, on the eighth day and beyond, the priests will present your sacrifices and peace offerings on the altar. I, the Lord God, will accept you with open arms.