For they were in three stories and had no pillars like the pillars of the courts; therefore the upper chambers<n id="1" /> were set back from the ground more than the lower and upper ones.

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;This is the law of the temple: The entire area on top of the mountain all around will be most holy. Indeed, this is the law of the temple.p>

<p class="bodytext">And I said, &#8220;Ah, sovereign <sc>Lordsc>, I have never been ceremonially defiled before. I have never eaten a carcass or an animal torn by wild beasts; from my youth up, unclean meat<n id="1" /> has never entered my mouth.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;See here &#8211; this was the iniquity<n id="1" /> of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters had majesty, abundance of food, and enjoyed carefree ease, but they did not help<n id="2" /> the poor and needy.

&#8220;Say to the rebellious house of Israel:<n id="1" /> &#8216;Don&#8217;t you know what these things mean?&#8217;<n id="2" /> Say: &#8216;See here, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem<n id="3" /> and took her king and her officials prisoner and brought them to himself in Babylon.

Therefore prophesy, and tell them, &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: Look, I am about to open your graves and will raise you from your graves, my people. I will bring you to the land of Israel.

tell them, &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: Look, I am about to take the branch of Joseph which is in the hand of Ephraim and the tribes of Israel associated with him, and I will place them on the stick of Judah,<n id="1" /> and make them into one stick &#8211; they will be one in my hand.&#8217;<n id="2" />

Then tell them, &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: Look, I am about to take the Israelites from among the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from round about and bring them to their land.

The man said to me, &#8220;Son of man, watch closely, listen carefully, and pay attention<n id="1" /> to everything I show you, for you have been brought here so that I can show it to you.<n id="2" /> Tell the house of Israel everything you see.&#8221;p>

When the priests enter, then they will not go out from the sanctuary to the outer court without taking off their garments in which they minister, for these are holy; they will put on other garments, then they will go near the places where the people are.&#8221;p>

When they ask you, &#8216;Why are you groaning?&#8217; you will reply, &#8216;Because of the report that has come. Every heart will melt with fear and every hand will be limp; everyone<n id="1" /> will faint and every knee will be wet with urine.&#8217;<n id="2" /> Pay attention &#8211; it is coming and it will happen, declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Then he said to me, &#8220;The north chambers and the south chambers which face the courtyard are holy chambers where the priests<n id="1" /> who approach the <sc>Lordsc> will eat the most holy offerings. There they will place the most holy offerings &#8211; the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, because the place is holy.