He said to me: "Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet, where I will live among the people of Israel forever. The house of Israel will no longer profane my holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their spiritual prostitution or by the pillars of their kings set up when they die.
When they placed their threshold by my threshold and their doorpost by my doorpost, with only the wall between me and them, they profaned my holy name by the abominable deeds they committed. So I consumed them in my anger.
When they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple, its pattern, its exits and entrances, and its whole design— all its statutes, its entire design, and all its laws; write it all down in their sight, so that they may observe its entire design and all its statutes and do them.
"And these are the measurements of the altar: Its base is 1— feet high, and 1— feet wide, and its border nine inches on its edge. This is to be the height of the altar.
From the base of the ground to the lower edge is 3— feet, and the width 1— feet; and from the smaller ledge to the larger edge, 7 feet, and the width 1— feet;
The ledge is 24— feet long and 24— feet wide on four sides; the border around it is 10— inches, and its surrounding base 1— feet. Its steps face east."
Then he said to me: "Son of man, this is what the sovereign LORD says: These are the statutes of the altar: On the day it is built to offer up burnt offerings on it and to sprinkle blood on it,
you will give a young bull for a sin offering to the Levitical priests who are descended from Zadok, who approach me to minister to me, declares the sovereign LORD.
You will take some of its blood, and place it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge, and on the border all around; you will cleanse it and make atonement for it.
When the prescribed period is over, on the eighth day and thereafter the priests will offer up on the altar your burnt offerings and your peace offerings; I will accept you, declares the sovereign LORD."