The Lord's Glory Returns to the Temple
1 The man took me back to the east gate of the temple, 2 where I saw the brightness of the glory of Israel's God coming from the east. The sound I heard was as loud as ocean waves, and everything around was shining with the dazzling brightness of his glory. 3 This vision was like the one I had seen when God came to destroy Jerusalem and like the one I had seen near the Chebar River.
I immediately bowed with my face to the ground, 4 and the Lord's glory came through the east gate and into the temple. 5 The Lord's Spirit lifted me to my feet and carried me to the inner courtyard, where I saw that the Lord's glory had filled the temple.
6 The man was standing beside me, and I heard the Lord say from inside the temple:
7 Ezekiel, son of man, this temple is my throne on earth. I will live here among the people of Israel forever. They and their kings will never again disgrace me by worshiping idols at local shrines or by setting up memorials to their dead kings. 8 Israel's kings built their palaces so close to my holy temple that only a wall separated them from me. Then these kings disgraced me with their evil ways, and in my fierce anger I destroyed them. 9 But if the people and their kings stop worshiping other gods and tear down those memorials, I will live among them forever.
10 The people of Israel must suffer shame for sinning against me, so tell them about my holy temple. Let them think about it, 11 then if they are truly sorry, describe for them the design and shape of the temple, the gates, the measurements, and how the buildings are arranged. Explain the regulations about worshiping there, then write down these things, so they can study and obey them.
12 The temple area on my holy mountain must be kept sacred! This is the most important law about the temple.
The Altar
13 According to the official standards, the altar in the temple had the following measurements: Around the bottom of the altar was a gutter 50 centimeters wide and 50 centimeters deep, with a 25-centimeter ledge on the outer rim. 14-17 The altar rested on a base and had three sections, each one of them square. The bottom section was 8 meters on each side and one meter high. The middle section was 7 meters on each side and 2 meters high, and it had a 25-centimeter rim around its outer edge. The top section, which was 6 meters on each side and 2 meters high, was the place where sacrifices were burned, and the four corners of the top section looked like the horns of a bull. The steps leading up to the altar were on the east side.
The Dedication of the Altar
18 The Lord God said:
Ezekiel, son of man, after the altar is built, it must be dedicated by offering sacrifices on it and by splattering it with blood. Here is what you must do: 19 The priests of the Levi tribe from the family of Zadok the priest are the only ones who may serve in my temple—this is my law. So give them a young bull to slaughter as a sacrifice for sin. 20 Take some of the animal's blood and smear it on the four corners of the altar, some on the corners of the middle section, and some more on the rim around its edge. That will purify the altar and make it fit for offering sacrifices to me. 21 Then take the body of the bull outside the temple area and burn it at the special place.
22 The next day, a goat that has nothing wrong with it must be offered as a sacrifice for sin. Purify the altar with its blood, just as you did with the blood of the bull. 23 Then choose a young bull and a young ram that have nothing wrong with them, 24 and bring them to my temple. The priests will sprinkle salt on them and offer them as sacrifices to please me.
25 Each day for the next seven days, you must offer a goat and a bull and a ram as sacrifices for sin. These animals must have nothing wrong with them. 26 The priests will purify the altar during those days, so that it will be acceptable to me and ready to use. 27 From then on, the priests will use this altar to offer sacrifices to please me and sacrifices to ask my blessing. Then I will be pleased with the people of Israel. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
Oshingefimano shOmwene tashi i mo
1 Opo nee ye a twala nge koshivelo shopondje sha taalela koushilo. 2 Ndele tala, oshingefimano shaKalunga kaIsrael she uya sha dja kombinga yokoushilo. Ndele oshihomo shasho sha li ngaashi oshihomo shomeva mahapu, nedu ola vema koshingefimano shaye. 3 Nemoniko nde li mona olo la li ngaashi emoniko linya nde li monene mokuuya kwange okuhanauna po oshilando. Omamoniko a li ngaashi emoniko nde li monene pomulonga waKebar. Ndele ame onda wila poshi. 4 Noshingefimano shOmwene sha ya motembeli omoshivelo osho sha taalela koushilo. 5 NOmhepo ya yelula nge noya twala nge moluumbo lomenielela. Ndele tala, oshingefimano shOmwene sha yadifa otembeli. 6 Ndele ame nda uda Umwe ta popi naame motembeli fimbo omulumenhu e li pwaame. 7 Ndele Ye okwa lombwela nge: “Kaana komunhu, eshi onhele yolukalwapangelo lange nonhele yoshififinwa sheemhadi dange, muyo Ame ohandi ka kala mokati kovana vaIsrael fiyo alushe. Neumbo laIsrael itali ka shekifa vali edina lange liyapuki, vo neehamba davo nokuhaela kwado noimhu yeehamba davo pokufya kwado, 8 osheshi vo va tula oshikulo shoposhi poshikulo shange shoposhi nolumhango lavo polumhango lange, opo pa li ekuma alike pokati ketu naavo. Ndele vo ova shekifa edina lange liyapuki noixuna yavo ve i ninga, opo Ame mehandu lange nde va komba po. 9 Paife otava ka twala kokule naame okuhaela kwavo noimhu yeehamba davo, ndele Ame ohandi ka kala mokati kavo fiyo alushe. 10 Oove, kaana komunhu, eenghundana dotembeli ei di shiivifila eumbo laIsrael, vo opo va fye ohoni molwomatauluko avo. Oyo nai va ningile oshihopaenenwa sha yela. 11 Ndele vo eshi hava fi ohoni molwaaishe ve i ningile, ove va shiivifila okufa kwotembeli naaishe ei i li meni, noivelo yokuya mo noivelo yokudja mo, nomalupe aeshe, neenghedimhango, nomalombwelo aeshe neemhango adishe. Yo i shangela moipafi yavo, opo vo va diinine okufa akushe kwayo neenghedimhango adishe nove i wanife. 12 Eshi omhango yotembeli: Koxulo yomhunda pe nokukala onhele aishe yayo iyapukielela keembinga adishe. Tala, omhango yotembeli ei.
Oaltari yexwikiloyambo
13 “Ndele oiyelekifo yokuyeleka oaltari ya yelekifwa nomaludimbo (oludimbo limwe olo li fike poludimbo limwe la wedelwa oule weke): Ekanghameno: oule wopombada oludimbo limwe nounene oludimbo limwe. Oshikelelifo shasho shoshinhoko she shi dingilila, fiyo okolungenge lasho sha li eke limwe. Omufika woaltari oyou: 14 Kekanghameno loposhi fiyo okolukambo loposhi omaludimbo avali, nounene oludimbo limwe. Nokolukambo olu linini fiyo okolukambo linene omaludimbo ane, nounene oludimbo limwe. 15 Fiyo okediko lokuxwikila omaxwikiloyambo omaludimbo ane, nomediko lokuxwikila po omaxwikiloyambo eembinga nhee de litwa pombada. 16 Ediko lokuxwikila po omaxwikiloyambo oule omaludimbo omulongo naavali, nounene walo omaludimbo omulongo naavali, la li li nomingenge nhee, di fike pamwe, keemhati dalo. 17 Noule weemhatikuma omaludimbo omulongo naane, nounene omulongo naane keemhati dado, nolukambo lado la dingilila oludimbo loshinhoko. Ekanghameno lado oludimbo limwe kombinga nombinga, neendodo dado da taalela oushilo.”
18 Ndele ye okwa lombwela nge: “Kaana komunhu, Omwene Kalunga ta ti ngaha: ‘Eshi eenghedimhango doaltari: Mefiku tuu olo eshi yo ya pwa okulongwa, omaxwikiloyambo opo a etwe kuyo nohonde opo i shaminwe kuyo, 19 u nokupa ovapristeli Ovalevi, ava oludalo laSadok ndele tava itavelelwa okweehena kwaame va longele nge, Omwene Kalunga ta ti, u noku va pa omhunya ngaashi etimbayambo. 20 Ndele ove u nokukufa mo ohonde yomohonde yayo noku i vaeka keembinga nhee dayo nopomakololo ane olukambo nokomukunghulo wa dingilila. Nosho ngaha ove u noku i yapula noku i etela ekwatakanifo. 21 Opo nee mu nokukufa ongobe omhedi yetimbayambo, ndele vo ve noku i xwikila monhele yomotembeli ya tongolelwa oshilonga eshi, pondje yotembeli. 22 Ndele mefiku etivali ove u nokweeta oshikombo shihe noshiponga ngaashi etimbayambo. Noaltari i nokuyapulwa ngaashi ya yapulwa nongobe yomhedi. 23 Ngeenge mwa mane okuyapula, u nokweeta onhana yondume ihe noshiponga nodi ihe noshiponga yomeedi. 24 Ndele ove u noku di eta koshipala shOmwene, novapristeli ve nokuunda omongwa kombada yado noku di eta kOmwene ngaashi omaxwikiloyambo. 25 Momafiku aheyali, keshe efiku, u nokulongekida oshikombo, ongobe yomhedi nodi yondume molwetimbayambo. Aishe nai kale ihe na oshipo. 26 Momafiku aheyali mu nokweetela oaltari ekwatakanifo noku i feta noku i yapula, 27 ndele mu nokuwanifa omafiku aa. Opo nee mefiku etihetatu nosho yo momafiku taa shikula, ovapristeli ove nokulongekida omaxwikiloyambo avo nomapanduloyambo koaltari, ndele Ame ohandi ke va hokwa, Omwene Kalunga ta ti.’ ”
