HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 1136
EZEKIEL 4 4
up from each of the four corners. 16 The top of
the altar is square, measuring 21 feet by 21 feet.*
17 The upper ledge also forms a square, measuring 241⁄2 feet by 241⁄2 feet,* with a 21-inch gutter
and a 101⁄2-inch curb* all around the edge. There
are steps going up the east side of the altar.”
18 Then he said to me, “Son of man, this is
what the Sovereign Lord says: These will be the
regulations for the burning of offerings and the
sprinkling of blood when the altar is built. 19 At
that time, the Levitical priests of the family of
Zadok, who minister before me, are to be given
a young bull for a sin offering, says the Sovereign Lord. 20 You will take some of its blood and
smear it on the four horns of the altar, the four
corners of the upper ledge, and the curb that
runs around that ledge. This will cleanse and
make atonement for the altar. 21 Then take the
young bull for the sin offering and burn it at the
appointed place outside the Temple area.
22 “On the second day, sacrifice as a sin offering a young male goat that has no physical
defects. Then cleanse and make atonement for
the altar again, just as you did with the young
bull. 23 When you have finished the cleansing
ceremony, offer another young bull that has no
defects and a perfect ram from the flock. 24 You
are to present them to the Lord, and the priests
are to sprinkle salt on them and offer them as a
burnt offering to the Lord.
25 “Every day for seven days a male goat,
a young bull, and a ram from the flock will
be sacrificed as a sin offering. None of these
animals may have physical defects of any kind.
26 Do this each day for seven days to cleanse
and make atonement for the altar, thus setting
it apart for holy use. 27 On the eighth day, and
on each day afterward, the priests will sacrifice
on the altar the burnt offerings and peace offerings of the people. Then I will accept you. I, the
Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
The Prince, Levites, and Priests
Then the man brought me back to the
east gateway in the outer wall of the
Temple area, but it was closed. 2 And the Lord
said to me, “This gate must remain closed; it
will never again be opened. No one will ever
open it and pass through, for the Lord, the God
of Israel, has entered here. Therefore, it must
always remain shut. 3 Only the prince himself
may sit inside this gateway to feast in the Lord’s
presence. But he may come and go only through
the entry room of the gateway.”
4 Then the man brought me through the north
gateway to the front of the Temple. I looked and
saw that the glory of the Lord filled the Temple
of the Lord, and I fell face down on the ground.
5 And the Lord said to me, “Son of man, take
careful notice. Use your eyes and ears, and listen to everything I tell you about the regulations
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concerning the Lord’s Temple. Take careful
note of the procedures for using the Temple’s
entrances and exits. 6 And give these rebels, the
people of Israel, this message from the Sovereign
Lord: O people of Israel, enough of your detestable sins! 7 You have brought uncircumcised foreigners into my sanctuary—people who have no
heart for God. In this way, you defiled my Temple
even as you offered me my food, the fat and blood
of sacrifices. In addition to all your other detestable sins, you have broken my covenant. 8 Instead
of safeguarding my sacred rituals, you have hired
foreigners to take charge of my sanctuary.
9 “So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
No foreigners, including those who live among
the people of Israel, will enter my sanctuary if
they have not been circumcised and have not
surrendered themselves to the Lord. 10 And the
men of the tribe of Levi who abandoned me
when Israel strayed away from me to worship
idols* must bear the consequences of their unfaithfulness. 11 They may still be Temple guards
and gatekeepers, and they may slaughter the
animals brought for burnt offerings and be present to help the people. 12 But they encouraged my
people to worship idols, causing Israel to fall into
deep sin. So I have taken a solemn oath that they
must bear the consequences for their sins, says
the Sovereign Lord. 13 They may not approach
me to minister as priests. They may not touch any
of my holy things or the holy offerings, for they
must bear the shame of all the detestable sins
they have committed. 14 They are to serve as the
Temple caretakers, taking charge of the maintenance work and performing general duties.
15 “However, the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok continued to minister faithfully
in the Temple when Israel abandoned me for
idols. These men will serve as my ministers.
They will stand in my presence and offer the fat
and blood of the sacrifices, says the Sovereign
Lord. 16 They alone will enter my sanctuary and
approach my table to serve me. They will fulfill
all my requirements.
17 “When they enter the gateway to the inner
courtyard, they must wear only linen clothing.
They must wear no wool while on duty in the
inner courtyard or in the Temple itself. 18 They
must wear linen turbans and linen undergarments. They must not wear anything that
would cause them to perspire. 19 When they
return to the outer courtyard where the people
are, they must take off the clothes they wear
while ministering to me. They must leave them
in the sacred rooms and put on other clothes so
they do not endanger anyone by transmitting
holiness to them through this clothing.
43:16 Hebrew 12 [cubits] [6.4 meters] long and 12 [cubits] wide.
43:17a Hebrew 14 [cubits] [7.4 meters] long and 14 [cubits]
wide. 43:17b Hebrew a gutter of 1 cubit [53 centimeters] and
a curb of 1 ⁄2 a cubit [27 centimeters]. 44:10 The Hebrew term
(literally round things) probably alludes to dung; also in 44:12.