15. and the altar hearth, 7 feet, and from the altar hearth four horns projecting upward.
16. Now the altar hearth is a perfect square, 21 feet long and 21 feet wide.
17. The ledge is 24½ feet long and 24½ feet wide on four sides; the border around it is 10½ inches, and its surrounding base 1¾ feet. Its steps face east.”
18. 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,
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. You will also take the bull for the sin offering, and it will be burned in the appointed place in the temple, outside the sanctuary.
22. “On the second day, you will offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering. They will purify the altar just as they purified it with the bull.
23. When you have finished purifying it, you will offer an unblemished young bull and an unblemished ram from the flock.
24. You will present them before the Lord, and the priests will scatter salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord.
25. “For seven days you will provide every day a goat for a sin offering; a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without blemish, will be provided.
26. For seven days they will make atonement for the altar and cleanse it, so they will consecrate it.
27. 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.”