The Babylonian Exile

from the base on the ground to the lower ledge, three-and-a-half feet, with the width twenty-one inches; from the lower ledge to the upper ledge, seven feet, with the width again twenty-one inches.

The hearth measures seven feet [high], with four horns on top of the hearth.

The hearth is a square twenty-one feet on each of its four sides.

The ledge measures a square twenty-four-and-a-half feet on each of its four sides; the molding around it ten-and-a-half inches [across]; and its base twenty-one inches [larger than the rest, all the way] around. Its steps face east.

He said to me, "Human being, Adonai ELOHIM says, 'These are the regulations for the altar when the time comes to construct it, offer burnt offerings on it and splash the blood against it:

you are to give to the cohanim, who are L'vi'im descended from Tzadok and who approach to serve me,' says Adonai ELOHIM, 'a young bull as a sin offering.

You are to take its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge and on the molding all the way around; this is how you will purify it and make atonement for it.

You are also to take the bull which is the sin offering and have it burned up at the designated place [on the grounds] of the house, outside the sanctuary.

On the second day you are to offer a male goat without defect as a sin offering, and they are to purify the altar as they purified it with the bull.

When you have finished purifying it, you are to offer a young bull without defect and a ram from the flock without defect.

You are to present them before ADONAI, and the cohanim will throw salt on them and offer them as a burnt offering to ADONAI.

Every day, for seven days, you are to prepare a goat as a sin offering; they are also to prepare a young bull and a ram from the flock without defect.

For seven days, they are to make atonement for the altar and cleanse it; in this way they are to consecrate it.

When these days are over, then, on the eighth day and afterwards, the cohanim will present your burnt offerings on the altar and your peace offerings; and I will accept you,' says Adonai ELOHIM."

Then he brought me back by way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east; and it was shut.

ADONAI said to me, "This gate will remain shut; it will not be opened, and no one will go through it; because ADONAI, the God of Isra'el, has gone through it. Therefore, it is to be kept shut.

Only the prince, since he is a prince, is to sit there to eat his meal before ADONAI; he is to enter through the vestibule of the gate and leave the same way."

Then he brought me through the north gate to the front of the house. I looked, saw ADONAI's glory filling the house of ADONAI, and fell on my face.

ADONAI said to me, "Human being, pay attention; see with your eyes and hear with your ears everything I tell you about all the regulations of ADONAI's house and about all its Torah; pay attention to who can enter the house and who must be excluded from the sanctuary.

You are to tell the rebels, the house of Isra'el, that this is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'House of Isra'el, enough of all your disgusting practices!

You brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in both heart and flesh, to be in my sanctuary and profane it - yes, my house - when you offered my food, the fat and the blood; thus in addition to all your disgusting practices, they broke my covenant.

Instead of taking care of my holy things yourselves, you have put these people in charge of my sanctuary.'

Here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'No foreigner, uncircumcised in both heart and flesh, is to enter my sanctuary - no foreigner living among the people of Isra'el.

"'Rather, the L'vi'im, who went far away from me when Isra'el went astray, going astray after their idols - they will bear the consequences of their guilt,

but they are to serve in my sanctuary. They will have charge of the gates of the house and of serving in the house; they will slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people; and they will attend and serve them.