Read the Bible

Yahweh's Glory Returns to the Temple

¹ Then he led me to the ^(C1)gate, the gate facing toward the east;² and behold, the ^(C1)glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the ^(C2)east. And His ^(C3)voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth ^(C4)shone with His glory.³ And it was like the appearance of the vision which I saw, like the ^(C1)vision which I saw when ^(F1)He came to ^(C2)bring the city to ruin. And the visions were like the vision which I saw by the ^(C3)river Chebar; and I ^(C4)fell on my face.⁴ And the glory of Yahweh came into the house by the way of the gate facing toward the ^(C1)east.⁵ And the ^(C1)Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the ^(C2)glory of Yahweh filled the house.

⁶ Then I heard one speaking to me from the house, while a ^(C1)man was standing beside me.⁷ He said to me, "Son of man, this is the place of My ^(C1)throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will ^(C2)dwell among the sons of Israel forever. And the house of Israel will not again defile My holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their harlotry and by the ^(F1)(C3)corpses of their kings ^(F2)when they die,⁸ by putting their threshold by My threshold and their door post beside My door post, with only the wall between Me and them. And they have ^(C1)defiled My holy name by their abominations which they have done. So I have consumed them in My anger.⁹ "Now let them ^(C1)put away their harlotry and the ^(F1)corpses of their kings far from Me; and I will ^(C2)dwell among them forever.

¹⁰ "As for you, son of man, ^(F1)(C1)describe the house of Yahweh to the house of Israel, that they may feel ^(C2)dishonor for their iniquities; and let them measure the ^(F2)(C3)plan.¹¹ "If they feel dishonor for all that they have done, make known to them the ^(F1)design of the house, its structure, its ^(C1)exits, its entrances, all its designs, all its statutes^(F2), and all its laws. And write it ^(C2)in their sight so that they may keep its whole ^(F1)design and all its statutes and ^(C3)do them.¹² "This is the ^(F1)law of the house: within its entire boundary, on the top of the ^(C1)mountain all around, shall be most holy. Behold, this is the ^(F1)law of the house.

The Altar and Offerings

¹³ "And these are the measurements of the ^(C1)altar by cubits (the ^(C2)cubit being a ^(F1)cubit and a ^(F2)handbreadth): the ^(F3)base shall be a cubit and the width a cubit, and its border on its edge round about one ^(F4)span; and this shall be the height of the ^(F5)base of the altar.¹⁴ "And from the base on the ground to the lower ^(C1)ledge shall be two ^(F1)cubits and the width one cubit; and from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge shall be four cubits and the width ^(F2)one cubit.¹⁵ "And the ^(F1)altar hearth shall be four cubits; and from the ^(F1)altar hearth shall extend upwards four ^(C1)horns.¹⁶ "Now the ^(F1)altar hearth shall be ^(F2)twelve cubits long by twelve wide, ^(C1)square in its four sides.¹⁷ "The ledge shall be ^(F1)fourteen cubits long by fourteen wide in its four sides; the border around it shall be half a cubit, and its base shall be a cubit round about; and its ^(C1)steps shall ^(F2)(C2)face the east."

¹⁸ And He said to me, "^(C1)Son of man, thus says Lord Yahweh, 'These are the statutes for the altar on the day it is made, to offer ^(C2)burnt offerings on it and to ^(C3)splash blood on it.¹⁹ 'And you shall give to the Levitical priests who are from the seed of ^(C1)Zadok, who draw ^(C2)near to Me to minister to Me,' declares Lord Yahweh, 'a ^(C3)bull from the herd for a ^(C4)sin offering.²⁰ 'You shall also take some of its blood and put it on its four ^(C1)horns and on the four corners of the ^(C2)ledge and on the border round about; thus you shall ^(C3)purify it and make atonement for it.²¹ 'And you shall take the bull for the sin offering, and it shall be ^(C1)burned in the appointed place of the house, outside the sanctuary.

²² 'Now on the second day you shall bring near a ^(C1)male goat without blemish for a sin offering, and they shall ^(C2)purify the altar as they purified it with the bull.²³ 'When you have finished purifying it, you shall present a ^(C1)bull from the herd without blemish and a ^(C2)ram without blemish from the flock.²⁴ 'And you shall bring them near before Yahweh, and the priests shall throw ^(C1)salt on them, and they shall offer them up as a burnt offering to Yahweh.²⁵ '^(C1)For seven days you shall offer daily a goat for a sin offering; also a bull from the herd and a ram from the flock, without blemish, shall be offered.²⁶ 'For seven days they shall make atonement for the altar and purify it; so shall they ^(F1)ordain it.²⁷ 'So they will complete the days. And it shall be that on the ^(C1)eighth day and onward, the priests shall ^(F1)offer on the altar your burnt offerings and your ^(C2)peace offerings; and I will ^(C3)accept you,' declares Lord Yahweh."