« | Ezekiel 41 | » |
1 After that, the man brought me into the sanctuary of the Temple. He measured the walls on either side of its doorway, and they were 10-1/2 feet thick.
2 The doorway was 17-1/2 feet wide, and the walls on each side of it were 8-3/4 feet long. The sanctuary itself was 70 feet long and 35 feet wide.
3 Then he went beyond the sanctuary into the inner room. He measured the walls on either side of its entrance, and they were 3-1/2 feet thick. The entrance was 10-1/2 feet wide, and the walls on each side of the entrance were 12-1/4 feet long.
4 The inner room of the sanctuary was 35 feet long and 35 feet wide. "This," he told me, "is the Most Holy Place."
5 Then he measured the wall of the Temple, and it was 10-1/2 feet thick. There was a row of rooms along the outside wall; each room was 7 feet wide.
6 These side rooms were built in three levels, one above the other, with thirty rooms on each level. The supports for these side rooms rested on exterior ledges on the Temple wall; they did not extend into the wall.
7 Each level was wider than the one below it, corresponding to the narrowing of the Temple wall as it rose higher. A stairway led up from the bottom level through the middle level to the top level.
8 I saw that the Temple was built on a terrace, which provided a foundation for the side rooms. This terrace was 10-1/2 feet high.
9 The outer wall of the Temple's side rooms was 8-3/4 feet thick. This left an open area between these side rooms
10 and the row of rooms along the outer wall of the inner courtyard. This open area was 35 feet wide, and it went all the way around the Temple.
11 Two doors opened from the side rooms into the terrace yard, which was 8-3/4 feet wide. One door faced north and the other south.
12 A large building stood on the west, facing the Temple courtyard. It was 122-1/2 feet wide and 157-1/2 feet long, and its walls were 8-3/4 feet thick.
13 Then the man measured the Temple, and it was 175 feet long. The courtyard around the building, including its walls, was an additional 175 feet in length.
14 The inner courtyard to the east of the Temple was also 175 feet wide.
15 The building to the west, including its two walls, was also 175 feet wide.The sanctuary, the inner room, and the entry room of the Temple
16 were all paneled with wood, as were the frames of the recessed windows. The inner walls of the Temple were paneled with wood above and below the windows.
17 The space above the door leading into the inner room, and its walls inside and out, were also paneled.
18 All the walls were decorated with carvings of cherubim, each with two faces, and there was a carving of a palm tree between each of the cherubim.
19 One face-- that of a man-- looked toward the palm tree on one side. The other face-- that of a young lion-- looked toward the palm tree on the other side. The figures were carved all along the inside of the Temple,
20 from the floor to the top of the walls, including the outer wall of the sanctuary.
21 There were square columns at the entrance to the sanctuary, and the ones at the entrance of the Most Holy Place were similar.
22 There was an altar made of wood, 5-1/4 feet high and 3-1/2 feet across. Its corners, base, and sides were all made of wood. "This," the man told me, "is the table that stands in the LORD's presence."
23 Both the sanctuary and the Most Holy Place had double doorways,
24 each with two swinging doors.
25 The doors leading into the sanctuary were decorated with carved cherubim and palm trees, just as on the walls. And there was a wooden roof at the front of the entry room to the Temple.
26 On both sides of the entry room were recessed windows decorated with carved palm trees. The side rooms along the outside wall also had roofs.
The New Living Translation (NLT)
The New Living Translation (NLT) is a modern English translation of the Bible that aims to make the Scriptures accessible and engaging for contemporary readers. First published in 1996 by Tyndale House Publishers, the NLT was conceived as an effort to create a translation that combines both accuracy and readability. Unlike many other translations that focus on a word-for-word rendering of the original texts, the NLT employs a thought-for-thought translation philosophy, also known as dynamic equivalence. This approach prioritizes conveying the meaning and message of the original texts in a way that is natural and understandable in modern English.
One of the defining features of the NLT is its commitment to clarity and simplicity. The translators, a team of over 90 evangelical scholars, aimed to create a text that would be approachable for a wide audience, including those who may find traditional translations challenging to read. The NLT’s language is contemporary and conversational, making it particularly effective for public reading, teaching, and personal study. This emphasis on readability helps ensure that the profound messages of the Bible are easily grasped and retained by readers from various backgrounds and levels of biblical knowledge.
The NLT also incorporates a rich array of study aids designed to enhance the reader’s understanding of the biblical text. These include book introductions, footnotes, cross-references, and explanatory notes that provide historical, cultural, and theological context. These features are particularly useful for readers who seek a deeper comprehension of the Scriptures and their application to modern life. The translation also includes clear and concise headings that help guide readers through the narrative and thematic structure of each book, making it easier to follow and comprehend the overall message.
Despite its many strengths, the New Living Translation has faced some criticism, particularly from those who favor more literal translations. Critics argue that the dynamic equivalence approach, while making the text more readable, can sometimes result in a loss of the precise nuances and literary qualities of the original languages. Some scholars believe that certain theological concepts might be oversimplified in the process of making the text more accessible. Nevertheless, the NLT remains one of the most popular and widely used translations today, valued for its readability, clarity, and ability to convey the timeless truths of the Bible in a way that resonates with contemporary readers.