Chapter 43

  Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looks toward the east. 

  Behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shined with his glory. 

  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 on my face. 

  The glory of Yahweh came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. 

  The Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of Yahweh filled the house. 

  I heard one speaking to me out of the house; and a man stood by me. 

  He said to me, Son of man, [this is] 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 forever. The house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their prostitution, and by the dead bodies of their kings [in] their high places; 

  in their setting of their threshold by my threshold, and their door-post beside my door-post, and there was [but] the wall between me and them; and they have defiled my holy name by their abominations which they have committed: why I have consumed them in my anger. 

  Now let them put away their prostitution, and the dead bodies of their kings, far from me; and I will dwell in the midst of them forever. 

  You, son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern. 

  If they be ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the form of the house, and the fashion of it, and the exits of it, and the entrances of it, and all the forms of it, and all the ordinances of it, and all the forms of it, and all the laws of it; and write it in their sight; that they may keep the whole form of it, and all the ordinances of it, and do them. 

  This is the law of the house: on the top of the mountain the whole limit of it round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house. 

  These are the measures of the altar by cubits (the cubit is a cubit and a handbreadth): the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border of it by the edge of it round about a span; and this shall be the base of the altar. 

  From the bottom on the ground to the lower ledge shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser ledge to the greater ledge shall be four cubits, and the breadth a cubit. 

  The upper altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar hearth and upward there shall be four horns. 

  The altar hearth shall be twelve [cubits] long by twelve broad, square in the four sides of it. 

  The ledge shall be fourteen [cubits] long by fourteen broad in the four sides of it; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and the bottom of it shall be a cubit round about; and the steps of it shall look toward the east. 

  He said to me, Son of man, thus says the Lord Yahweh: 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. 

  You shall give to the priests the Levites who are of the seed of Zadok, who are near to me, to minister to me, says the Lord Yahweh, a young bull for a sin-offering. 

  You shall take of the blood of it, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the ledge, and on the border round about: thus shall you cleanse it and make atonement for it. 

  You shall also take the bull of the sin-offering, and it shall be burnt in the appointed place of the house, outside of the sanctuary. 

  On the second day you shall offer a male goat without blemish for a sin-offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they did cleanse it with the bull. 

  When you have made an end of cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish. 

  You shall bring them near before Yahweh, and the priests shall cast salt on them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering to Yahweh. 

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

  Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and purify it; so shall they consecrate it. 

  When they have accomplished the days, it shall be that on the eighth day, and forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings on the altar, and your peace-offerings; and I will accept you, says the Lord Yahweh.