The Man with a Measuring Rod (Zechariah 2:1–5)
1 CPDV In the twenty-fifth year of our transmigration, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck, on this very day, the hand of the Lord was placed upon me, and he brought me to that place. BSB BSB: In 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 Jerusalem had been struck down—on that very day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and He took me there.
2 CPDV In the visions of God, he brought me into the land of Israel, and he released me on an exceedingly high mountain, on which there was something like the edifice of a city, verging toward the south. BSB BSB: In visions of God He took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose southern slope was a structure that resembled a city.
3 CPDV And he led me into that place. And behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a linen rope in his hand, and a measuring reed in his hand. And he was standing at the gate. BSB BSB: So He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze. He was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand.
4 CPDV And the same man said to me: “Son of man, look with your eyes, and listen with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I will reveal to you. For you have been brought to this place, so that these things may be revealed to you. Announce all that you see to the house of Israel.” BSB BSB: “Son of man,” he said to me, “look with your eyes, hear with your ears, and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Report to the house of Israel everything you see.”
The East Gate 5 CPDV And behold, there was a wall outside of the house, encircling it all around, and in the man’s hand was a measuring reed of six cubits and a palm. And he measured the width of the edifice with one reed; likewise, the height with one reed. BSB BSB: And I saw a wall surrounding the temple area. Now the length of the measuring rod in the man’s hand was six long cubits (each measuring a cubit and a handbreadth), and he measured the wall to be one rod thick and one rod high.
6 CPDV And he went to the gate which looked toward the east, and he ascended by its steps. And he measured the width of the threshold of the gate as one reed, that is, one threshold was one reed in width. BSB BSB: Then he came to the gate facing east and climbed its steps. He measured the threshold of the gate to be one rod deep.
7 CPDV And a chamber was one reed in length and one reed in width. And between the chambers, there were five cubits. BSB BSB: Each gate chamber was one rod long and one rod wide, and there were five cubits between the gate chambers. The inner threshold of the gate by the portico facing inward was one rod deep.
8 CPDV And the threshold of the gate, next to the inner vestibule of the gate, was one reed. BSB BSB: Then he measured the portico of the gateway inside;
9 CPDV And he measured the vestibule of the gate as eight cubits, and its front as two cubits. But the vestibule of the gate was inside. BSB BSB: it was eight cubits deep, and its jambs were two cubits thick. And the portico of the gateway faced the temple.
10 CPDV Moreover, the chambers of the gate, toward the way of the east, were three from one side to the other. The three were of one measure, and the fronts were of one measure, on both sides. BSB BSB: There were three gate chambers on each side of the east gate, each with the same measurements, and the gateposts on either side also had the same measurements.
11 CPDV And he measured the width of the threshold of the gate as ten cubits, and the length of the gate as thirteen cubits. BSB BSB: And he measured the width of the gateway entrance to be ten cubits, and its length was thirteen cubits.
12 CPDV And before the chambers, the border was one cubit. And on both sides, the border was one cubit. But the chambers were six cubits, from one side to the other. BSB BSB: In front of each gate chamber was a wall one cubit high, and the gate chambers were six cubits square.
13 CPDV And he measured the gate, from the roof of one chamber to the roof of another, twenty-five cubits in width, from door to door. BSB BSB: Then he measured the gateway from the roof of one gate chamber to the roof of the opposite one; the distance was twenty-five cubits from doorway to doorway.
14 CPDV And he found the fronts to be sixty cubits. And at the front, there was a court for the gate on every side all around. BSB BSB: Next he measured the gateposts to be sixty cubits high. The gateway extended around to the gatepost of the courtyard.
15 CPDV And before the face of the gate, which extended even to the face of the vestibule of the gate of the interior, there were fifty cubits. BSB BSB: And the distance from the entrance of the gateway to the far end of its inner portico was fifty cubits.
16 CPDV And there were slanting windows in the chambers and at their fronts, which were within the gate on every side all around. And similarly, there were also windows in the vestibules all around the interior, and there were images of palm trees before the fronts. BSB BSB: The gate chambers and their side pillars had beveled windows all around the inside of the gateway. The porticos also had windows all around on the inside. Each side pillar was decorated with palm trees.
The Outer Court 17 CPDV And he led me away to the outer court, and behold, there were storerooms and a layer of pavement stones throughout the court. Thirty storerooms encircled the pavement. BSB BSB: Then he brought me into the outer court, and there were chambers and a pavement laid out all around the court. Thirty chambers faced the pavement,
18 CPDV And the pavement in front of the gates, along the length of the gates, was lower. BSB BSB: which flanked the gateways and corresponded to the length of the gates; this was the lower pavement.
19 CPDV And he measured the width, from the face of the lower gate to the front of the outer part of the inner court, to be one hundred cubits, to the east and to the north. BSB BSB: Then he measured the distance from the front of the lower gateway to the outside of the inner court; it was a hundred cubits on the east side as well as on the north.
The North Gate 20 CPDV Likewise, he measured the gate of the outer court, which looked to the way of the north, to be as much in length as in width. BSB BSB: He also measured the length and width of the gateway of the outer court facing north.
21 CPDV And its chambers were three from one side to the other. And its front and its vestibule, in accord with the measure of the former gate, were fifty cubits in its length and twenty-five cubits in width. BSB BSB: Its three gate chambers on each side, its side pillars, and its portico all had the same measurements as the first gate: fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
22 CPDV Now its windows, and the vestibule, and the engravings were in accord with the measure of the gate which looked to the east. And its ascent was by seven steps, and a vestibule was before it. BSB BSB: Its windows, portico, and palm trees had the same measurements as those of the gate facing east. Seven steps led up to it, with its portico opposite them.
23 CPDV And the gate of the inner court was opposite the gate of the north, and that of the east. And he measured from gate to gate as one hundred cubits. BSB BSB: There was a gate to the inner court facing the north gate, just as there was on the east. He measured the distance from gateway to gateway to be a hundred cubits.
The South Gate 24 CPDV And he led me to the way of the south, and behold, there was a gate which looked toward the south. And he measured its front and its vestibule to be the same as the measures above. BSB BSB: Then he led me to the south side, and I saw a gateway facing south. He measured its side pillars and portico, and they had the same measurements as the others.
25 CPDV And its windows and the vestibule all around were like the other windows: fifty cubits in length and twenty-five cubits in width. BSB BSB: Both the gateway and its portico had windows all around, like the other windows. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
26 CPDV And there were seven steps to ascend to it, and a vestibule before its doors. And there were engraved palm trees, one on each side, at its front. BSB BSB: Seven steps led up to it, and its portico was opposite them; it had palm trees on its side pillars, one on each side.
27 CPDV And there was a gate at the inner court, on the way to the south. And he measured from one gate to another, on the way to the south, to be one hundred cubits. BSB BSB: The inner court also had a gate facing south, and he measured the distance from gateway to gateway toward the south to be a hundred cubits.
The Gates of the Inner Court 28 CPDV And he led me into the inner court, to the south gate. And he measured the gate to be in accord with the measures above. BSB BSB: Next he brought me into the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate; it had the same measurements as the others.
29 CPDV Its chamber, and its front, and its vestibule had the same measures. And its windows and its vestibule all around were fifty cubits in length, and twenty-five cubits in width. BSB BSB: Its gate chambers, side pillars, and portico had the same measurements as the others. Both the gateway and its portico had windows all around; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
30 CPDV And the vestibule all around was twenty-five cubits in length, and five cubits in width. BSB BSB: (The porticoes around the inner court were twenty-five cubits long and five cubits deep.)
31 CPDV And its vestibule was toward the outer court, and its palm trees were at the front. And there were eight steps to ascend to it. BSB BSB: Its portico faced the outer court, and its side pillars were decorated with palm trees. Eight steps led up to it.
32 CPDV And he led me into the inner court, along the way of the east. And he measured the gate to be in accord with the measures above. BSB BSB: And he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gateway; it had the same measurements as the others.
33 CPDV Its chamber, and its front, and its vestibule were as above. And its windows and its vestibules all around were fifty cubits in length, and twenty-five cubits in width. BSB BSB: Its gate chambers, side pillars, and portico had the same measurements as the others. Both the gateway and its portico had windows all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
34 CPDV And it had a vestibule, that is, at the outer court. And the engraved palm trees at its front were on one side and the other. And its ascent was by eight steps. BSB BSB: Its portico faced the outer court, and its side pillars were decorated with palm trees on each side. Eight steps led up to it.
35 CPDV And he led me to the gate which looked toward the north. And he measured it to be in accord with the measures above. BSB BSB: Then he brought me to the north gate and measured it. It had the same measurements as the others,
36 CPDV Its chamber, and its front, and its vestibule, and its windows all around were fifty cubits in length, and twenty-five cubits in width. BSB BSB: as did its gate chambers, side pillars, and portico. It also had windows all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
37 CPDV And its vestibule looked toward the outer court. And an engraving of palm trees at its front was on one side and the other. And its ascent was by eight steps. BSB BSB: Its portico faced the outer court, and its side pillars were decorated with palm trees on each side. Eight steps led up to it.
Eight Tables for Sacrifices 38 CPDV And at each one of the storerooms, there was a door at the front of the gates. There, they washed the holocaust. BSB BSB: There was a chamber with a doorway by the portico in each of the inner gateways. There the burnt offering was to be washed.
39 CPDV And at the vestibule of the gate, there were two tables on one side, and two tables on the other side, so that the holocaust, and the offering for sin, and the offering for transgression could be immolated upon them. BSB BSB: Inside the portico of the gateway were two tables on each side, on which the burnt offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings were to be slaughtered.
40 CPDV And at the outer side, which ascends to the door of the gate that goes toward the north, there were two tables. And at the other side, before the vestibule of the gate, there were two tables. BSB BSB: Outside, as one goes up to the entrance of the north gateway, there were two tables on one side and two more tables on the other side of the gate’s portico.
41 CPDV Four tables were on one side, and four tables were on the other side; along the sides of the gate, there were eight tables, upon which they immolated. BSB BSB: So there were four tables inside the gateway and four outside—eight tables in all—on which the sacrifices were to be slaughtered.
42 CPDV Now the four tables for the holocausts were constructed of square stones: one and a half cubit in length, and one and a half cubits in width, and one cubit in height. Upon these, they placed the vessels, in which the holocaust and the victim were immolated. BSB BSB: There were also four tables of dressed stone for the burnt offering, each a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit high. On these were placed the utensils used to slaughter the burnt offerings and the other sacrifices.
43 CPDV And their edges were one palm in width, turned inward all around. And the flesh of the oblation was on the tables. BSB BSB: The double-pronged hooks, each a handbreadth long, were fastened all around the inside of the room, and the flesh of the offering was to be placed on the tables.
Chambers for Ministry 44 CPDV And outside the interior gate, there were storerooms for the cantors, in the inner court, which was beside the gate that looks toward the north. And their face was opposite the way to the south; one was beside the east gate, which looked toward the way of the north. BSB BSB: Outside the inner gate, within the inner court, were two chambers, one beside the north gate and facing south, and another beside the south gate and facing north.
45 CPDV And he said to me: “This is the storeroom that looks toward the south; it shall be for the priests who keep watch for the protection of the temple. BSB BSB: Then the man said to me: “The chamber that faces south is for the priests who keep charge of the temple,
46 CPDV Moreover, the storeroom that looks toward the north will be for the priests who keep watch over the ministry of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, those among the sons of Levi who may draw near to the Lord, so that they may minister to him.” BSB BSB: and the chamber that faces north is for the priests who keep charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, the only Levites who may approach the LORD to minister before Him.”
The Inner Court 47 CPDV And he measured the court to be one hundred cubits in length, and one hundred cubits in width, with four equal sides. And the altar was before the face of the temple. BSB BSB: Next he measured the court. It was square, a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide. And the altar was in front of the temple.
48 CPDV And he led me into the vestibule of the temple. And he measured the vestibule to be five cubits on one side, and five cubits on the other side. And the width of the gate was three cubits on one side, and three cubits on the other side. BSB BSB: Then he brought me to the portico of the temple and measured the side pillars of the portico to be five cubits on each side. The width of the gateway was fourteen cubits and its sidewalls were three cubits on either side.
49 CPDV Now the length of the vestibule was twenty cubits, and the width was eleven cubits, and there were eight steps to ascend to it. And there were pillars at the front, one on this side and another on that side. BSB BSB: The portico was twenty cubits wide and twelve cubits deep, and ten steps led up to it. There were columns by the side pillars, one on each side.
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