The Babylonian Exile

And from the centre of the ground unto the lower border is two cubits, and the breadth one cubit, and from the lesser border unto the greater border four cubits, and the breadth a cubit.

`And the altar is four cubits, and from the altar and upward are four horns.

And the altar is twelve long by twelve broad, square in its four squares.

And the border is fourteen long by fourteen broad, at its four squares, and the border round about it is half a cubit, and the centre to it is a cubit round about, and its steps are looking eastward.'

And He saith unto me, `Son of man, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: These are statutes of the altar in the day of its being made to cause burnt-offering to go up on it, and to sprinkle on it blood.

And thou hast given unto the priests, the Levites, who are of the seed of Zadok--who are near unto Me, an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, to serve Me--a calf from the herd, for a sin-offering.

And thou hast taken of its blood, and hast put it on its four horns, and on the four corners of its border, and on the border round about, and hast cleansed it, and purified it.

And thou hast taken the bullock of the sin-offering, and hast burnt it in the appointed place of the house at the outside of the sanctuary.

And on the second day thou dost bring near a kid of the goats, a perfect one, for a sin-offering, and they have cleansed the altar, as they cleansed it for the bullock.

In thy finishing cleansing, thou dost bring near a calf, a son of the herd, a perfect one, and a ram out of the flock, a perfect one.

And thou hast brought them near before Jehovah, and the priests have cast upon them salt, and have caused them to go up, a burnt-offering to Jehovah.

Seven days thou dost prepare a goat for a sin-offering daily, and a bullock, a son of the herd, and a ram out of the flock, perfect ones, do they prepare.

Seven days they purify the altar, and have cleansed it, and filled their hand.

And the days are completed, and it hath come to pass on the eighth day, and henceforth, the priests prepare on the altar your burnt-offerings and your peace-offerings, and I have accepted you--an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'

And he causeth me to turn back the way of the gate of the outer sanctuary that is looking eastward, and it is shut.

And Jehovah saith unto me, `This gate is shut, it is not opened, and none doth go in by it, for Jehovah, God of Israel, hath come in by it, and it hath been shut.

The prince, who is prince, he sitteth by it to eat bread before Jehovah, by the way of the porch of the gate he cometh in, and by its way he goeth out.'

And he bringeth me in the way of the north gate unto the front of the house, and I look, and lo, filled hath the honour of Jehovah the house of Jehovah, and I fall on my face.

And Jehovah saith unto me, `Son of man, set thy heart, and see with thine eyes, and with thine ears hear, all that I am speaking with thee, of all the statutes of the house of Jehovah, and of all its laws; and thou hast set thy heart to the entrance of the house, with all the outlets of the sanctuary,

and hast said unto the rebellious, unto the house of Israel: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Enough to you--of all your abominations, O house of Israel.

In your bringing in sons of a stranger, uncircumcised of heart, and uncircumcised of flesh, to be in My sanctuary, to pollute it, even My house, in your bringing near My bread, fat, and blood, and they break My covenant by all your abominations,

and ye have not kept the charge of My holy things, and ye set them for keepers of My charge in My sanctuary for you.

`Thus said the Lord Jehovah: No son of a stranger, uncircumcised of heart, and uncircumcised of flesh, cometh in unto My sanctuary, even any son of a stranger, who is in the midst of the sons of Israel,

but--the Levites who have gone far off from me, in the wandering of Israel when they went astray from Me after their idols, and they have borne their iniquity.

And they have been in My sanctuary ministrants, overseers at the gates of the house, and ministrants at the house; they slay the burnt-offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they stand before them to serve them.