16. The hearth was twelve cubits long and twelve cubits wide, a square with four equal sides.
17. The upper ledge was fourteen cubits long and fourteen cubits wide on all four sides. The rim around it was half a cubit, with a channel one cubit all around. The steps faced east.
18. Then he said to me: Son of man, thus says the Lord God: These are the statutes for the altar when it is set up for sacrificing burnt offerings and splashing blood on it.
19. A young bull must be brought as a purification offering to the priests, the Levites descended from Zadok, who come near to serve me—oracle of the Lord God.
20. You shall take some of its blood and smear it on the four horns of the altar, and on the four corners of the ledge, and all around its rim. Thus you shall purify and purge it.
21. Then take the bull as purification offering and burn it in the appointed place outside the sanctuary.
22. On the second day present an unblemished male goat as a purification offering, to purify the altar as you did with the bull.
23. When you have completed the purification, you must bring an unblemished young bull and an unblemished ram from the flock
24. and present them before the Lord. The priests shall throw salt on them and sacrifice them as burnt offerings to the Lord.
25. Daily for seven days you shall give a male goat as a purification offering; and a young bull and a ram from the flock, all unblemished, shall be offered
26. for seven days. Thus they shall purge the altar, in order to cleanse and dedicate it.