God’s glory returns to the temple
1Then the man brought me to the gate facing east, 2and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory. 3The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he43:3 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts I came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the River Kebar, and I fell face down. 4The glory of the Lord entered the temple through the gate facing east. 5Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
6While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple. 7He said: ‘Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet. This is where I will live among the Israelites for ever. The people of Israel will never again defile my holy name – neither they nor their kings – by their prostitution and the funeral offerings43:7 Or the memorial monuments; also in verse 9 for their kings at their death.43:7 Or their high places 8When they placed their threshold next to my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them, they defiled my holy name by their detestable practices. So I destroyed them in my anger. 9Now let them put away from me their prostitution and the funeral offerings for their kings, and I will live among them for ever.
10‘Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins. Let them consider its perfection, 11and if they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the design of the temple – its arrangement, its exits and entrances – its whole design and all its regulations43:11 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts regulations and its whole design and laws. Write these down before them so that they may be faithful to its design and follow all its regulations.
12‘This is the law of the temple: all the surrounding area on top of the mountain will be most holy. Such is the law of the temple.
The great altar restored
13‘These are the measurements of the altar in long cubits,43:13 That is, about 53 centimetres; also in verses 14 and 17. The long cubit is the basic unit for linear measurement throughout chapters 40–48. that cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth: its gutter is a cubit deep and a cubit wide, with a kerb of one span43:13 That is, about 27 centimetres around the edge. And this is the height of the altar: 14from the gutter on the ground up to the lower ledge that goes round the altar it is two cubits high, and the ledge is a cubit wide.43:14 That is, about 105 centimetres high and 53 centimetres wide From this lower ledge to the upper ledge that goes round the altar it is four cubits high, and that ledge is also a cubit wide.43:14 That is, about 2.1 metres high and 53 centimetres wide 15Above that, the altar hearth is four cubits high, and four horns project upwards from the hearth. 16The altar hearth is square, twelve cubits43:16 That is, about 6.4 metres long and twelve cubits wide. 17The upper ledge also is square, fourteen cubits43:17 That is, about 7.4 metres long and fourteen cubits wide. All round the altar is a gutter of one cubit with a kerb of half a cubit.43:17 That is, about 27 centimetres The steps of the altar face east.’
18Then he said to me, ‘Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: these will be the regulations for sacrificing burnt offerings and splashing blood against the altar when it is built: 19you are to give a young bull as a sin offering43:19 Or purification offering; also in verse 21, 22 and 25 to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok, who come near to minister before me, declares the Sovereign Lord. 20You are to take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar and on the four corners of the upper ledge and all round the rim, and so purify the altar and make atonement for it. 21You are to take the bull for the sin offering and burn it in the designated part of the temple area outside the sanctuary.
22‘On the second day you are to offer a male goat without defect for a sin offering, and the altar is to be purified as it was purified with the bull. 23When you have finished purifying it, you are to offer a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without defect. 24You are to offer them before the Lord, and the priests are to sprinkle salt on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the Lord.
25‘For seven days you are to provide a male goat daily for a sin offering; you are also to provide a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without defect. 26For seven days they are to make atonement for the altar and cleanse it; thus they will dedicate it. 27At the end of these days, from the eighth day on, the priests are to present your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar. Then I will accept you, declares the Sovereign Lord.’
耶和华的荣光充满圣殿
1后来，那人带我来到东门， 2只见以色列上帝的荣光从东方而来，祂的声音如澎湃的洪涛，大地也因祂的荣耀而发出光芒。 3这异象如同我从前在祂毁灭耶路撒冷时看见的异象，也像我在迦巴鲁河边看见的异象，我便俯伏在地。 4耶和华的荣光从东门进入圣殿。 5上帝的灵把我举起，带我进入内院，耶和华的荣光充满圣殿。
6那人仍然站在我身旁，我听见有一位从殿中对我说： 7“人子啊，这里是我的宝座，是我踏脚的地方，我要与以色列人永远同住。以色列的君民必不再因不忠贞或在高处为他们死去的君王立碑而玷污我的圣名。 8他们不再在我圣殿旁边建庙宇，使它们的门槛和门柱紧挨着我的门槛和门柱，以致我与它们只有一墙之隔。他们曾经行可憎的事，玷污我的圣名，所以我发怒消灭他们。 9现在，他们要停止祭拜偶像和他们死去的君王，我就永远住在他们当中。
10“人子啊，你要向以色列人描述所看见的圣殿，让他们思考圣殿的设计，使他们为自己的罪恶而羞愧。 11他们若为自己的行为感到羞愧，你就把殿的构造、出入口等整个设计，以及殿中的一切律例和法则告诉他们，并且当着他们的面写下来，让他们忠于设计，遵守律例。 12殿所在的山顶周围都是至圣之地，这是有关殿的法则。
13“以下是祭坛的尺寸，底槽深五十厘米，与四边的宽度相等，周围环绕着一条二十二厘米高的边框， 14从底座到下层台座高一米，边宽五十厘米，下层台座到上一层高二米，边宽五十厘米。 15最高一层是祭台，高二米，祭台上的四角向上突起。 16祭台是方形的，长宽各六米， 17下面的台座是方形的，长宽各七米，周围环绕着一条二十五厘米高的边框。底座四围的边宽五十厘米，上祭台的石阶在东面。”
18祂对我说：“人子啊，主耶和华这样说，‘祭坛建成后，要按以下的规矩在上面献燔祭和洒血。 19你要将一头公牛犊作为赎罪祭给撒督后裔中做祭司的利未人，他们可以前来事奉我。这是主耶和华说的。 20取些公牛犊的血抹在祭坛的四角、台座的四角和四边，使祭坛洁净，为祭坛赎罪， 21并把赎罪用的公牛犊拿到圣所外指定的地方焚烧。 22第二天，你要献上一头毫无残疾的公山羊作赎罪祭，就像献公牛一样，使祭坛洁净。 23祭坛洁净后，你要取来一头毫无残疾的公牛犊和一只毫无残疾的公绵羊， 24祭司要把盐撒在祭牲上，作为燔祭献在耶和华面前。 25一连七天，每天都要献上一只公山羊、一头公牛犊和一只公绵羊作赎罪祭，都不可有残疾。 26在这七天之内，他们要为祭坛赎罪，使坛洁净，成为圣坛。 27从第八天开始，祭司要在祭坛上献你们的燔祭和平安祭，我必悦纳你们。这是主耶和华说的。’”
