Ezekiel 40; Acts 4

red bookmark icon blue bookmark icon gold bookmark icon
Ezekiel 40

Vision of the New Temple

wIn the twenty-fifth year xof our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, yin the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, zthe hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me to the city.1 In avisions of God he brought me to the land of Israel, and set me down on ba very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south. When he brought me there, behold, there was ca man whose appearance was dlike bronze, with ea linen cord and fa measuring reed in his hand. And he was standing in the gateway. And the man said to me, gSon of man, hlook with your eyes, and hhear 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. iDeclare all that you see to the house of Israel.

The East Gate to the Outer Court

And behold, there was ja 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, keach being a cubit and a handbreadth2 in length. So he measured the thickness of the wall, one reed; and the height, one reed. Then he went into lthe gateway facing east, mgoing up its steps, and measured the threshold of the gate, one reed deep.3 And nthe 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. Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, on the inside, one reed. Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, eight cubits; oand its jambs, two cubits; and the vestibule of the gate was at the inner end. 10 And there were three side rooms on either side of the east gate. pThe three were of the same size, and the jambs on either side were of the same size. 11 Then he measured the width of the opening of the gateway, ten cubits; and the length of the gateway, thirteen cubits. 12 There was a barrier before the side rooms, one cubit on either side. And the side rooms were six cubits on either side. 13 Then 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. 14 He measured also qthe vestibule, sixty cubits. And around the vestibule of the gateway was the court.4 15 From the front of the gate at the entrance to the front of the inner vestibule of the gate was fifty cubits. 16 And the gateway had rwindows all around, narrowing inwards toward the side rooms and toward their sjambs, and likewise the vestibule had windows all around inside, and on the jambs were tpalm trees.

The Outer Court

17 Then he brought me into uthe outer court. And behold, there were vchambers and a wpavement, all around the court. xThirty chambers faced the pavement. 18 And the pavement ran along the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates. This was the lower pavement. 19 Then 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

20 As for ythe gate that faced toward the north, belonging to uthe outer court, he measured its length and its breadth. 21 Its nside rooms, three on either side, and its jambs and its vestibule were of the same size as those of zthe first gate. Its length was afifty cubits, and its breadth btwenty-five cubits. 22 And cits windows, its vestibule, and cits palm trees were of the same size as those of the gate that faced toward the east. And by seven steps dpeople would go up to it, and find its vestibule before them. 23 And opposite the gate on the north, as on the east, was a gate to ethe inner court. And fhe measured from gate to gate, a hundred cubits.

The South Gate

24 And he led me toward the south, and behold, there was a gate on the south. And ghe measured its jambs and its vestibule; they had the same size as the others. 25 Both it and its vestibule hhad windows all around, like the windows of the others. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. 26 And there were seven steps leading up to it, and its vestibule was before them, and it had ipalm trees on its jambs, one on either side. 27 And there was a gate on the south of jthe inner court. And he measured from gate to gate toward the south, a hundred cubits.

The Inner Court

28 Then he brought me to jthe inner court through the south gate, and khe measured the south gate. It was of the same size as the others. 29 Its lside rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and both it and its vestibule mhad windows all around. mIts length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. 30 And there were vestibules all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits broad. 31 Its vestibule faced the outer court, and ipalm trees were on its jambs, and nits stairway had eight steps.

32 Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and ohe measured the gate. It was of the same size as the others. 33 Its 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. 34 pIts vestibule faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps.

35 Then he brought me to qthe north gate, and rhe measured it. It had the same size as the others. 36 Its 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. 37 Its vestibule8 faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps.

38 There was sa chamber with its door in the vestibule of the gate,9 twhere the burnt offering was to be washed. 39 And in the vestibule of the gate were two utables on either side, on which the vburnt offering and the wsin offering and the xguilt offering were to be slaughtered. 40 And 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. 41 yFour tables were on either side of the gate, eight tables, zon which to slaughter. 42 And there were four tables aof 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 vburnt offerings and the sacrifices were slaughtered. 43 And 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

44 On the outside of the inner gateway there were two bchambers11 in the cinner court, one12 at the side of the north gate facing south, the other at the side of the south13 gate facing north. 45 And he said to me, This chamber that faces south is for the priests dwho have charge of the temple, 46 and the chamber that faces north is for the priests ewho have charge of the altar. These are fthe sons of Zadok, who alone14 among the sons of Levi may come gnear to the Lord to minister to him. 47 And he measured the court, ha hundred cubits long and ha hundred cubits broad, a square. And ithe altar was in front of the temple.

The Vestibule of the Temple

48 Then he brought me to jthe vestibule of the temple and measured the kjambs of the vestibule, five cubits on either side. And the breadth of the gate was fourteen cubits, and the sidewalls of the gate15 were three cubits on either side. 49 lThe length of the vestibule was twenty cubits, and the breadth twelve16 cubits, and people would go up to it by ten steps.17 And there were pillars beside the jambs, one on either side.


Acts 4

Peter and John Before the Council

And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and lthe captain of the temple and mthe Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming nin Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and oput them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and pthe number of the men came to about five thousand.

On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with qAnnas the high priest and rCaiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, sBy what power or tby what name did you do this? Then Peter, ufilled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today vconcerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that wby the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, xwhom God raised from the deadby him this man is standing before you well. 11 yThis Jesus1 is the stone that was zrejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.2 12 And there is asalvation bin no one else, for cthere is no other dname under heaven given among men3 by which we must be saved.

13 eNow when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed fstanding beside them, gthey had nothing to say in opposition. 15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 16 saying, hWhat shall we do with these men? For that ia notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them jto speak no more to anyone in this name. 18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, kWhether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for lwe cannot but speak of what mwe have seen and heard. 21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, nbecause of the people, for all were praising God ofor what had happened. 22 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

The Believers Pray for Boldness

23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices ptogether to God and said, Sovereign Lord, qwho made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant,4 said by the Holy Spirit,

rWhy did the Gentiles rage,

and the peoples plot in vain?

26  The kings of the earth set themselves,

and sthe rulers were gathered together,

against the Lord and against his tAnointed5

27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your uholy servant Jesus, vwhom you anointed, both wHerod and xPontius Pilate, along ywith the Gentiles and zthe peoples of Israel, 28 ato do whatever your hand and byour plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, clook upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all dboldness, 30 while eyou stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed fthrough the name of your gholy servant Jesus. 31 And when they had prayed, hthe place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and ithey were all filled with the Holy Spirit and jcontinued to speak the word of God with boldness.

They Had Everything in Common

32 Now the full number of those who believed were of kone heart and lsoul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but mthey had everything in common. 33 And with great npower the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and ogreat grace was upon them all. 34 pThere was not a needy person among them, for qas many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and rlaid it at the apostles’ feet, and sit was distributed to each as any had need. 36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means tson of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, 37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and ulaid it at the apostles’ feet.