Yahweh’s glory returned to the temple

1Then in the vision the man brought me to the entrance on the east side.

2Suddenly I saw the glory/brightness of the God of Israel coming from the east. The sound of his coming was like the roar of a rushing river, and all that area shone with his glory.

3What I saw in this vision was like what I saw in the visions that I had seen previously, first by the Kebar River and later when God came to destroy Jerusalem. I prostrated myself on the ground.

4The glory of Yahweh entered the temple through the east entrance.

5Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner courtyard, and the glory of Yahweh filled the temple.

6Then while the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speak to me from inside the temple.

7He said, “You human, this is my temple, the place whereI sit on my throne and where I rest my feet. This is where I will live with the Israeli people forever. The Israeli people and their kings will never again disgrace me [SYN] by worshiping other gods [MET] at the shrines on their hilltops, or by building monuments to honor their kings who have died.

8They placed their altars near mine, and the doorposts of their temples were next to the doorposts of my temple. There was only a wall between them. And they disgraced me by the detestable things that they did. So, being very angry with them, I got rid of them.

9Now they must stop this disgusting worship of idols and these rituals to honor their kings who have died. If they stop doing those things, I will live among them forever.

10You human, describe to the Israeli people what this temple that I have shown you in a vision is like, in order that they will be ashamed of the sins that they have committed which resulted in their temple in Jerusalem being destroyed.

11If they are ashamed of all the evil things that they have done, tell them all about the temple that I showed you: its design/shape, the exits and entrances, and everything else about it. And tell them all my laws and regulations about worshiping me there. Write all these things down while they watch you, in order that they will be able to faithfully obey those laws.

12And this is the supreme law about the temple [DOU]: All of the area on top of the hill where the temple will be built must be kept sacred and holy.”

The altar

13These are the measurements of the altar, using the same kind of measuring stick that was used for the temple area: There is a gutter around the altar that is ◄21 in./53 cm.► deep and ◄21 in./53 cm.► wide. There is a rim around it that is ◄9 in./23 cm.► wide.

14The lower part of the gutter is ◄3-1/2 feet/1.1 meters► high to the lower ledge/rim that surrounds the altar. The lower ledge is ◄21 in./53 cm.► wide. The upper part of the altar is ◄7 feet/2.1 meters► high, up to the upper ledge. That ledge is also ◄21 in./53 cm.► wide.

15The ◄hearth/place where the sacrifices are burned► at the top of the altar is another ◄7 feet/2.2 meters► high, and there is a projection that juts/extends up from each of the four corners.

16That place at the top of the altar is square, ◄21 feet/6.4 meters► on each side.

17The upper ledge is also a square, ◄24-1/2 feet/7.4 meters► on each side. There is a ◄21 in./53 cm.► gutter at the bottom of the altar, and a ◄10.5 in./26.6 cm.► rim all around it. There are steps up to the east side of the altar.”

18Then the man said to me, “You human, this is what Yahweh the Lord says: These are the regulations for sacrificing offerings that will be completely burned and for sprinkling the blood against the sides of the altar when it is built:

19You must present to the priests a young bull to be an offering to cause the altar to be acceptable to me. The priests are descendants of Levi, from the clan of Zadok, who come near to the altar to serve me.

20You must take some of the blood from the bull that is sacrificed, and smear it on the four projections of the altar and on the four corners of the upper ledge, and all around the rim, to cause the altar to be acceptable to me, and to consecrate it.

21You must burn that bull outside the temple in the part of the temple area that I have designated for that.

22The next day, you must offer a male goat that has no defects, to be an offering to cause the altar to be acceptable to me. Then you must purify the altar again, like you did with the bull that was sacrificed.

23When you have finished doing all that, you must offer a young bull and a ram, both of them without any defects.

24You must offer them to me, Yahweh, and the priests must sprinkle salt on them and completely burn them on the altar for a sacrifice to me.

25Then, each day for seven days, you must bring to the priest a male goat to be sacrificed for an offering to cause the altar to be acceptable to me. You must also sacrifice a young bull and a ram, each without any defect.

26For seven days the priests will consecrate the altar and cause it to be acceptable to me. By doing that they will dedicate it to me.

27At the end of those seven days, starting on the following day, the priests will continue to put on the altar offerings to be completely burned and offerings to maintain fellowship with me. Then I will accept you. That it what I, Yahweh the Lord, declare.”