1På den tiende dag i den første måned i det 25. år af vores eksil, 14 år efter Jerusalems fald, kom Herrens kraft over mig, og han førte mig i ånden helt til Jerusalem.2I mit syn ankom jeg til Israel og blev anbragt på et højt bjerg, hvorfra jeg foran mig[1] så noget, der lignede en by.3Jeg fik øje på en mand, der lyste som skinnende bronze. Han stod ved den østlige port i muren omkring tempelpladsen, og i hånden holdt han en målesnor og en målestok.4„Du menneske,” sagde han til mig. „Hold øjne og ører åbne og læg nøje mærke til alt, hvad jeg viser dig. Du er blevet ført hertil, for at jeg kan vise dig mange ting. Bagefter skal du fortælle det hele til Israels folk.”5Jeg kunne se muren hele vejen rundt om tempelområdet, og manden målte murens højde og bredde, der svarede præcis til længden af hans målestok, som var 3 m.6Manden kaldte mig nu hen til østporten i muren. Vi gik op ad trappen, hvorefter han målte tærsklen i portåbningen. Den havde målestokkens længde og var altså 3 meter bred.7Inden for porten kom vi forbi nogle vagtrum, som alle var 3 gange 3 m, og imellem rummene var der 2,5 m. Dernæst kom vi til tærsklen til den modsatte port, den som førte ind mod templets ydre forgård. Den var også 3 m bred.8Så målte han forhallen før porten, og den var 4 m.9Dens søjler var en meter brede og den vendte ind mod templet.10Af vagtrum var der tre på hver side af passagen mellem den ydre og indre port, og de havde samme mål. Og søjlerne på hver side havde også alle samme mål.11Indgangspartiet i portåbningen mod øst var 5 m bredt, og passagen imellem portene var 6,5 m bred.12Foran hvert af vagtrummene ud mod passagen var der stenbænke, som var en halv meter bred og en halv meter høj.13Derefter målte manden bredden af hele portkomplekset fra ydermuren af vagtrummet på den ene side til ydermuren af vagtrummet, der lå lige overfor på den anden side. Den var 12,5 m.14Søjlerne ved forhallen blev anslået til at være 30 m høje,[2] og forhallen vendte som sagt ud mod templets ydre forgård.15Der var i alt 25 m fra den ene ende af portkomplekset til den anden.16Der var gittervinduer i vagtrummene og i murene imellem rummene. Alle søjler var dekoreret med palmemotiver.17-18Manden førte mig nu videre ind i den ydre forgård, hvor der var 30 rum bygget op ad muren mod nord, øst og syd. Forgården var belagt med fliser i to niveauer. Det nederste niveau gik fra ydermuren og indad i en bredde, der svarede til portkompleksernes længde. Det øverste niveau dækkede resten af forgården ind til indermuren.19Så målte han afstanden fra porten til den ydre forgård til porten til den indre forgård. Afstanden mellem de to portkomplekser var 50 m, og det gjaldt både mod øst og nord.20Han førte mig derefter hen til portkomplekset mod nord og målte både dets længde og bredde.21Det havde også tre vagtrum på hver side, og målene var de samme som for portkomplekset mod øst, 25 m i længden og 12,5 m i bredden.22Også vinduer, forhal, søjler og palmemotiver var som i østporten. En trappe med syv trin førte op til den ydre portindgang, og forhallen vendte ind mod den ydre forgård.23Overfor det ydre portkompleks lå der både mod nord og øst et indre portkompleks, som førte ind til den indre forgård. Afstanden mellem de ydre og indre portkomplekser var 50 m.24Derefter førte han mig videre til portkomplekset mod syd. Der var også en forhal og søjler, som han målte, og det var de samme mål som før.25Hele portkomplekset var 25 m langt og 12,5 m bredt som de andre, og der var vinduer i væggene og i forhallen som i de andre.26Der var syv trappetrin op til den ydre indgang, forhallen vendte ind mod den ydre forgård, og der var palmemotiver på søjlerne.27Overfor det ydre sydlige portkompleks lå det indre sydportkompleks, som førte ind til den indre forgård. Afstanden mellem de to portkomplekser var 50 m.28Så førte han mig gennem det indre sydportkompleks ind i den indre forgård. Undervejs målte han portkomplekset, og det havde samme mål som de andre.29Vagtrummene, søjlerne og forhallen havde nøjagtig samme mål som i de ydre porte, og der var vinduer i væggene og i forhallen. Portkomplekset var 25 m langt og 12,5 m bredt.30Hver forhal i de tre portkomplekser omkring den indre gård var 12,5 m i bredden og 2,5 m dyb.31Otte trappetrin førte op til portens indgang, forhallen vendte ud mod den ydre forgård, og der var palmemotiver på søjlerne.32Derpå førte han mig hen til det indre østlige portkompleks. Dets mål svarede til de øvrige portes:33Vagtrummene, søjlerne og forhallen var de samme, og der var vinduer i væggene og i forhallen. Portkomplekset var 25 m langt og 12,5 m bredt.34Forhallen vendte ud mod den ydre forgård, og der var palmemotiver på søjlerne. Også her var der otte trappetrin.35Så førte han mig til det indre nordlige portkompleks, hvis mål svarede til de øvrige portes.36Vagtrummene, søjlerne og forhallen var nøjagtig som de andre, og portkomplekset var 25 m langt og 12,5 m bredt.37Forhallen vendte ud mod den ydre forgård, og der var palmemotiver på søjlerne. Også her førte otte trappetrin op til porten.38Der ved det indre nordportkompleks[3] så jeg tæt ved søjlerne til forhallen et rum med en dør. Rummet var beregnet til at vaske offerkødet, før det blev lagt på alteret.39I forhallen stod der på hver side af midtergangen to borde, der blev brugt til at lægge kødet fra de slagtede offerdyr på, hvad enten det var brændofre, syndofre eller skyldofre.40Uden for forhallen var der tilsvarende to borde på hver side af indgangen.41I alt var der altså otte borde, som blev brugt til at lægge de slagtede offerdyr på,[4] fire borde inde i forhallen og fire borde udenfor.42Ved siden af trappetrinene op til porten stod der fire borde af tilhugne sten, hvorpå man opbevarede knivene og de øvrige redskaber, der blev brugt ved slagtningen. Stenbordene var 75 gange 75 cm med en højde på 50 cm.43På ydermuren af portkomplekset var der fastgjort en lang række kroge af en håndsbreds længde til brug ved parteringen af offerdyrene. Efter parteringen og afvaskningen blev de udskårne stykker anbragt på bordene.44Derpå førte han mig ind i den indre forgård, og jeg så, at der var bygget to rum til præsterne. Det ene lå tæt ved nordporten og havde indgang mod syd, og den anden lå tæt ved sydporten og havde indgang mod nord.45Manden forklarede mig, at rummet ved nordporten skulle bruges af de præster, der havde ansvar for den daglige tjeneste i templet,46mens rummet ved sydporten var for de præster, der skulle forrette altertjenesten, altså Zadoks efterkommere, de eneste levitter, der måtte nærme sig Herren og udføre denne tjeneste.47Derefter målte han den indre forgård: Den var 50 m på hver led. Alteret stod foran tempelbygningen.48Så førte han mig hen til selve tempelbygningens forhal. Den havde to enorme søjler hver på 2,5 gange 2,5 m. Indgangen var 7 m bred og de to sidemure var hver 1,5 m brede.49Forhallen målte 10 m gange 5,5 m. En trappe førte op til forhallen, og der var søjler på begge sider af trappen.
1In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, the hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me to the city.[1] (Ez 1,2; Ez 1,3; Ez 20,1; Ez 26,1; Ez 33,21)2In visions of God he brought me to the land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south. (Ez 1,1; Ez 43,12; Åb 21,10)3When he brought me there, behold, there was a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring reed in his hand. And he was standing in the gateway. (Ez 1,7; Ez 9,2; Ez 42,16; Ez 43,6; Ez 47,3; Åb 11,1)4And the man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.” (Ez 2,1; Ez 43,10; Ez 44,5)
The East Gate to the Outer Court
5And behold, there was a wall all around the outside of the temple area, and the length of the measuring reed in the man’s hand was six long cubits, each being a cubit and a handbreadth[2] in length. So he measured the thickness of the wall, one reed; and the height, one reed. (Ez 41,8; Ez 42,20; Ez 43,13)6Then he went into the gateway facing east, going up its steps, and measured the threshold of the gate, one reed deep.[3] (Ez 40,22; Ez 43,1)7And the side rooms, one reed long and one reed broad; and the space between the side rooms, five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the vestibule of the gate at the inner end, one reed. (Ez 40,29; Ez 40,33; Ez 40,36)8Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, on the inside, one reed.9Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, eight cubits; and its jambs, two cubits; and the vestibule of the gate was at the inner end. (Ez 41,1)10And there were three side rooms on either side of the east gate. The three were of the same size, and the jambs on either side were of the same size. (Ez 40,7)11Then he measured the width of the opening of the gateway, ten cubits; and the length of the gateway, thirteen cubits.12There was a barrier before the side rooms, one cubit on either side. And the side rooms were six cubits on either side.13Then he measured the gate from the ceiling of the one side room to the ceiling of the other, a breadth of twenty-five cubits; the openings faced each other.14He measured also the vestibule, sixty cubits. And around the vestibule of the gateway was the court.[4] (Ez 40,9; Ez 40,16)15From the front of the gate at the entrance to the front of the inner vestibule of the gate was fifty cubits.16And the gateway had windows all around, narrowing inwards toward the side rooms and toward their jambs, and likewise the vestibule had windows all around inside, and on the jambs were palm trees. (1.Kong 6,4; Ez 40,9; Ez 40,14; Ez 41,16; Ez 41,18; Ez 41,26)
The Outer Court
17Then he brought me into the outer court. And behold, there were chambers and a pavement, all around the court. Thirty chambers faced the pavement. (2.Kong 23,11; 2.Krøn 7,3; Ez 40,38; Ez 40,44; Ez 40,46; Ez 41,6; Ez 41,10; Ez 42,1; Ez 45,5; Åb 11,2)18And the pavement ran along the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates. This was the lower pavement.19Then he measured the distance from the inner front of the lower gate to the outer front of the inner court,[5] a hundred cubits on the east side and on the north side.[6]
The North Gate
20As for the gate that faced toward the north, belonging to the outer court, he measured its length and its breadth. (Ez 40,6; Ez 40,17)21Its side rooms, three on either side, and its jambs and its vestibule were of the same size as those of the first gate. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. (Ez 40,6; Ez 40,7; Ez 40,13; Ez 40,15)22And its windows, its vestibule, and its palm trees were of the same size as those of the gate that faced toward the east. And by seven steps people would go up to it, and find its vestibule before them. (Ez 40,6; Ez 40,16)23And opposite the gate on the north, as on the east, was a gate to the inner court. And he measured from gate to gate, a hundred cubits. (Ez 8,3; Ez 40,27; Ez 40,28)
The South Gate
24And he led me toward the south, and behold, there was a gate on the south. And he measured its jambs and its vestibule; they had the same size as the others. (Ez 40,21)25Both it and its vestibule had windows all around, like the windows of the others. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. (Ez 40,22)26And there were seven steps leading up to it, and its vestibule was before them, and it had palm trees on its jambs, one on either side. (Ez 40,16)27And there was a gate on the south of the inner court. And he measured from gate to gate toward the south, a hundred cubits. (Ez 8,16; Ez 40,23)
The Inner Court
28Then he brought me to the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate. It was of the same size as the others. (Ez 40,24; Ez 40,27)29Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and both it and its vestibule had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. (Ez 40,7; Ez 40,25)30And there were vestibules all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits broad.31Its vestibule faced the outer court, and palm trees were on its jambs, and its stairway had eight steps. (Ez 40,22; Ez 40,26)32Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gate. It was of the same size as the others. (Ez 40,21)33Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and both it and its vestibule had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits.34Its vestibule faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps. (Ez 40,31)35Then he brought me to the north gate, and he measured it. It had the same size as the others. (Ez 40,32; Ez 47,2)36Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others,[7] and it had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits.37Its vestibule[8] faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps.38There was a chamber with its door in the vestibule of the gate,[9] where the burnt offering was to be washed. (2.Krøn 4,6; Ez 40,17; Ez 46,2)39And in the vestibule of the gate were two tables on either side, on which the burnt offering and the sin offering and the guilt offering were to be slaughtered. (3.Mos 1,3; 3.Mos 4,2; 3.Mos 5,1; Ez 40,42; Ez 42,13; Ez 46,2; Ez 46,20)40And off to the side, on the outside as one goes up to the entrance of the north gate, were two tables; and off to the other side of the vestibule of the gate were two tables.41Four tables were on either side of the gate, eight tables, on which to slaughter. (Ez 40,38; Ez 40,39)42And there were four tables of hewn stone for the burnt offering, a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, and one cubit high, on which the instruments were to be laid with which the burnt offerings and the sacrifices were slaughtered. (2.Mos 20,25; Ez 40,39)43And hooks,[10] a handbreadth long, were fastened all around within. And on the tables the flesh of the offering was to be laid.
Chambers for the Priests
44On the outside of the inner gateway there were two chambers[11] in the inner court, one[12] at the side of the north gate facing south, the other at the side of the south[13] gate facing north. (1.Krøn 6,31; Ez 40,17; Ez 40,38)45And he said to me, “This chamber that faces south is for the priests who have charge of the temple, (3.Mos 8,35; 4.Mos 1,53; 1.Krøn 9,23; Ez 44,8; Ez 44,14; Ez 44,16; Ez 48,11)46and the chamber that faces north is for the priests who have charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who alone[14] among the sons of Levi may come near to the Lord to minister to him.” (4.Mos 3,31; 4.Mos 18,5; 1.Kong 2,35; 1.Krøn 24,3; 1.Krøn 24,6; Ez 42,13; Ez 43,19; Ez 44,15; Ez 45,4)47And he measured the court, a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits broad, a square. And the altar was in front of the temple. (2.Mos 40,29; Ez 41,13; Ez 43,13; Matt 23,35)
The Vestibule of the Temple
48Then he brought me to the vestibule of the temple and measured the jambs of the vestibule, five cubits on either side. And the breadth of the gate was fourteen cubits, and the sidewalls of the gate[15] were three cubits on either side. (Ez 40,9; Ez 41,25)49The length of the vestibule was twenty cubits, and the breadth twelve[16] cubits, and people would go up to it by ten steps.[17] And there were pillars beside the jambs, one on either side. (1.Kong 6,3)