Weekly Torah Portion Table of Contents

Ezekiel 43:10-27

¹⁰[Now] you, O mortal, describe the Temple to the House of Israel, and let them measure its design. But let them be ashamed of their iniquities: ¹¹When they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the plan of the Temple and its layout, its exits and entrances-its entire plan, and all the laws and instructions pertaining to its entire plan. Write it down before their eyes, that they may faithfully follow its entire plan and all its laws. ¹²Such are the instructions for the Temple on top of the mountain: the entire area of its enclosure shall be most holy. Thus far the instructions for the Temple.

¹³And these are the dimensions of the altar, in cubits where each is a cubit and a handbreadth. The trench shall be a cubit deep and a cubit wide, with a rim one span high around its edge. And the height shall be as follows: ¹⁴From the trench in the ground to the lower ledge, which shall be a cubit wide: 2 cubits; from the lower ledge to the upper ledge, which shall likewise be a cubit wide: 4 cubits; ¹⁵and the height of the altar hearth shall be 4 cubits, with 4 horns projecting upward from the hearth: 4 cubits. ¹⁶Now the hearth shall be 12 cubits long and 12 broad, square, with 4 equal sides. ¹⁷Hence, the [upper] base shall be 14 cubits broad, with 4 equal sides. The surrounding rim shall be half a cubit [high], and the surrounding trench shall measure one cubit. And the ramp shall face east.

¹⁸Then he said to me: O mortal, thus said the Lord God: These are the directions for the altar on the day it is erected, so that burnt offerings may be offered up on it and blood dashed against it. ¹⁹You shall give to the levitical priests who are of the stock of Zadok, and so eligible to minister to Me-declares the Lord God-a young bull of the herd for a sin offering. ²⁰You shall take some of its blood and apply it to the four horns [of the altar], to the four corners of the base, and to the surrounding rim; thus you shall purge it and perform purification upon it. ²¹Then you shall take the bull of sin offering and burn it in the designated area of the Temple, outside the Sanctuary.

²²On the following day, you shall offer a goat without blemish as a sin offering; and the altar shall be purged [with it] just as it was purged with the bull. ²³When you have completed the ritual of purging, you shall offer a bull of the herd without blemish and a ram of the flock without blemish. ²⁴Offer them to the Lord; let the priests throw salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord. ²⁵Every day, for seven days, you shall present a goat of sin offering, as well as a bull of the herd and a ram of the flock; you shall present unblemished ones. ²⁶Seven days they shall purge the altar and cleanse it; thus shall it be consecrated.

²⁷And when these days are over, then from the eighth day onward the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and your offerings of well-being on the altar; and I will extend My favor to you-declares the Lord God.

Weekly Torah Portion Table of Contents