Division of the Land

48 “Now (A)these are the names of the tribes: from the northern extremity, [a]beside the way of Hethlon to [b]Lebo-hamath, as far as Hazar-enan at the border of Damascus, toward the north [c]beside Hamath, [d]running from east to west, (B)Dan, one portion. Beside the border of Dan, from the east side to the west side, (C)Asher, one portion. Beside the border of Asher, from the east side to the west side, (D)Naphtali, one portion. Beside the border of Naphtali, from the east side to the west side, (E)Manasseh, one portion. Beside the border of Manasseh, from the east side to the west side, (F)Ephraim, one portion. Beside the border of Ephraim, from the east side to the west side, (G)Reuben, one portion. Beside the border of Reuben, from the east side to the west side, (H)Judah, one portion.

“And beside the border of Judah, from the east side to the west side, shall be the [e]allotment which you shall [f]set apart, twenty-five thousand [g]cubits in width, and in length like one of the portions, from the east side to the west side; and the (I)sanctuary shall be in the middle of it. The allotment that you shall set apart to the Lord shall be twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width.

Portion for the Priests

10 The holy allotment shall be for these, namely for the (J)priests, toward the north twenty-five thousand cubits in length, toward the west ten thousand in width, toward the east ten thousand in width, and toward the south twenty-five thousand in length; and the sanctuary of the Lord shall be in its midst. 11 It shall be for the priests who are sanctified of the (K)sons of Zadok, who have [h]taken the responsibility I gave them, who did not go astray when the sons of Israel went astray as the (L)Levites went astray. 12 It shall be an allotment to them from the allotment of the land, a most holy reserve, by the border of the Levites. 13 And alongside the border of the priests, the Levites shall have twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width. The entire length shall be twenty-five thousand cubits and the width ten thousand. 14 Moreover, they (M)shall not sell or exchange any of it, or allow this [i]choice portion of land to pass to others; for it is holy to the Lord.

15 “The remainder, five thousand cubits in width and twenty-five thousand [j]in length, shall be for (N)common use for the city, for homes and for [k]open spaces; and the city shall be in its midst. 16 And these shall be its measurements: the north side, 4,500 cubits, the south side (O)4,500 cubits, the east side 4,500 cubits, and the west side, 4,500 cubits. 17 The city shall have [l]open spaces: on the north 250 cubits, on the south 250 cubits, on the east 250 cubits, and on the west 250 cubits. 18 The remainder of the length alongside the holy allotment shall be ten thousand cubits toward the east and ten thousand toward the west; and it shall be [m]alongside the holy allotment. And its produce shall be food for the workers of the city. 19 And the workers of the city, out of all the tribes of Israel, shall cultivate it. 20 The whole allotment shall be twenty-five thousand by twenty-five thousand cubits; you shall [n]set apart the holy allotment, a [o]square, with the [p]property of the city.

Portion for the Prince

21 “The (P)remainder shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy allotment and of the [q]property of the city; in front of the twenty-five thousand cubits of the allotment toward the east border and westward in front of the twenty-five thousand toward the west border, alongside the portions, it shall be for the prince. And the holy allotment and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the middle of it. 22 And exclusive of the [r]property of the Levites and the [s]property of the city, which are in the middle of that which belongs to the prince, everything between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin shall belong to the prince.

Portion for Other Tribes

23 “As for the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west side, (Q)Benjamin, one portion. 24 Beside the border of Benjamin, from the east side to the west side, (R)Simeon, one portion. 25 Beside the border of Simeon, from the east side to the west side, (S)Issachar, one portion. 26 Beside the border of Issachar, from the east side to the west side, (T)Zebulun, one portion. 27 Beside the border of Zebulun, from the east side to the west side, (U)Gad, one portion. 28 And beside the border of Gad, at the south side toward the south, the border shall be from (V)Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, to the brook of Egypt, to the (W)Great Sea. 29 This is the (X)land which you shall divide by lot to the tribes of Israel for an inheritance, and these are their several portions,” declares the Lord [t]God.

The City Gates

30 “Now these are the exits of the city: on the (Y)north side, 4,500 cubits by measurement, 31 [u]shall be the gates of the city, [v](Z)named for the tribes of Israel, three gates toward the north: the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; and the gate of Levi, one. 32 On the east side, 4,500 cubits, [w]shall be three gates: the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; and the gate of Dan, one. 33 On the south side, 4,500 cubits by measurement, [x]shall be three gates: the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Issachar, one; and the gate of Zebulun, one. 34 On the west side, 4,500 cubits, shall be three gates: the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; and the gate of Naphtali, one. 35 The city shall be eighteen thousand cubits all around; and the (AA)name of the city from that day shall be, ‘[y]The (AB)Lord is there.’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 48:1 Lit at the hand of
  2. Ezekiel 48:1 Or the entrance of Hamath
  3. Ezekiel 48:1 Lit at the hand of
  4. Ezekiel 48:1 Lit and there shall be to it an east and the west side
  5. Ezekiel 48:8 Or contribution, and so throughout the ch
  6. Ezekiel 48:8 Lit raise
  7. Ezekiel 48:8 Each of these cubits equals about 21 in. or 53 cm
  8. Ezekiel 48:11 Lit kept the duty to Me
  9. Ezekiel 48:14 Lit first; or first fruits
  10. Ezekiel 48:15 Lit in front
  11. Ezekiel 48:15 Or pasture land
  12. Ezekiel 48:17 Or pasture land
  13. Ezekiel 48:18 Or exactly as
  14. Ezekiel 48:20 Lit raise
  15. Ezekiel 48:20 Lit fourth
  16. Ezekiel 48:20 Or possession
  17. Ezekiel 48:21 Or possession
  18. Ezekiel 48:22 Or possession
  19. Ezekiel 48:22 Or possession
  20. Ezekiel 48:29 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  21. Ezekiel 48:31 Lit and the gates
  22. Ezekiel 48:31 Lit according to the names of
  23. Ezekiel 48:32 Lit and three gates
  24. Ezekiel 48:33 Lit and three gates
  25. Ezekiel 48:35 Heb YHWH-shammah

The Division of the Land

48 “These are the tribes, listed by name: At the northern frontier, Dan(A) will have one portion; it will follow the Hethlon road(B) to Lebo Hamath;(C) Hazar Enan and the northern border of Damascus next to Hamath will be part of its border from the east side to the west side.

“Asher(D) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Dan from east to west.

“Naphtali(E) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Asher from east to west.

“Manasseh(F) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Naphtali from east to west.

“Ephraim(G) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Manasseh(H) from east to west.(I)

“Reuben(J) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Ephraim from east to west.

“Judah(K) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Reuben from east to west.

“Bordering the territory of Judah from east to west will be the portion you are to present as a special gift. It will be 25,000 cubits[a] wide, and its length from east to west will equal one of the tribal portions; the sanctuary will be in the center of it.(L)

“The special portion you are to offer to the Lord will be 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits[b] wide.(M) 10 This will be the sacred portion for the priests. It will be 25,000 cubits long on the north side, 10,000 cubits wide on the west side, 10,000 cubits wide on the east side and 25,000 cubits long on the south side. In the center of it will be the sanctuary of the Lord.(N) 11 This will be for the consecrated priests, the Zadokites,(O) who were faithful in serving me(P) and did not go astray as the Levites did when the Israelites went astray.(Q) 12 It will be a special gift to them from the sacred portion of the land, a most holy portion, bordering the territory of the Levites.

13 “Alongside the territory of the priests, the Levites will have an allotment 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide. Its total length will be 25,000 cubits and its width 10,000 cubits.(R) 14 They must not sell or exchange any of it. This is the best of the land and must not pass into other hands, because it is holy to the Lord.(S)

15 “The remaining area, 5,000 cubits[c] wide and 25,000 cubits long, will be for the common use of the city, for houses and for pastureland. The city will be in the center of it 16 and will have these measurements: the north side 4,500 cubits,[d] the south side 4,500 cubits, the east side 4,500 cubits, and the west side 4,500 cubits.(T) 17 The pastureland for the city will be 250 cubits[e] on the north, 250 cubits on the south, 250 cubits on the east, and 250 cubits on the west. 18 What remains of the area, bordering on the sacred portion and running the length of it, will be 10,000 cubits on the east side and 10,000 cubits on the west side. Its produce will supply food for the workers of the city.(U) 19 The workers from the city who farm it will come from all the tribes of Israel. 20 The entire portion will be a square, 25,000 cubits on each side. As a special gift you will set aside the sacred portion, along with the property of the city.

21 “What remains on both sides of the area formed by the sacred portion and the property of the city will belong to the prince. It will extend eastward from the 25,000 cubits of the sacred portion to the eastern border, and westward from the 25,000 cubits to the western border. Both these areas running the length of the tribal portions will belong to the prince, and the sacred portion with the temple sanctuary will be in the center of them.(V) 22 So the property of the Levites and the property of the city will lie in the center of the area that belongs to the prince. The area belonging to the prince will lie between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin.

23 “As for the rest of the tribes: Benjamin(W) will have one portion; it will extend from the east side to the west side.

24 “Simeon(X) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Benjamin from east to west.

25 “Issachar(Y) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Simeon from east to west.

26 “Zebulun(Z) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Issachar from east to west.

27 “Gad(AA) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Zebulun from east to west.

28 “The southern boundary of Gad will run south from Tamar(AB) to the waters of Meribah Kadesh, then along the Wadi of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea.(AC)

29 “This is the land you are to allot as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel, and these will be their portions,” declares the Sovereign Lord.(AD)

The Gates of the New City

30 “These will be the exits of the city: Beginning on the north side, which is 4,500 cubits long, 31 the gates of the city will be named after the tribes of Israel. The three gates on the north side will be the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah and the gate of Levi.

32 “On the east side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three gates: the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin and the gate of Dan.

33 “On the south side, which measures 4,500 cubits, will be three gates: the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar and the gate of Zebulun.

34 “On the west side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three gates: the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher and the gate of Naphtali.(AE)

35 “The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits.[f]

“And the name of the city from that time on will be:

the Lord is there.(AF)

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 48:8 That is, about 8 miles or about 13 kilometers; also in verses 9, 10, 13, 15, 20 and 21
  2. Ezekiel 48:9 That is, about 3 1/3 miles or about 5.3 kilometers; also in verses 10, 13 and 18
  3. Ezekiel 48:15 That is, about 1 2/3 miles or about 2.7 kilometers
  4. Ezekiel 48:16 That is, about 1 1/2 miles or about 2.4 kilometers; also in verses 30, 32, 33 and 34
  5. Ezekiel 48:17 That is, about 440 feet or about 135 meters
  6. Ezekiel 48:35 That is, about 6 miles or about 9.5 kilometers

The Division of Land among Tribes in the North

The Lord said:

48 1-7 Each tribe will receive a section of land that runs from the eastern border of Israel west to the Mediterranean Sea. The northern border of Israel will run along the towns of Hethlon and Lebo-Hamath, and will end at Hazar-Enon, which is on the border between the kingdoms of Damascus and Hamath. The tribes will receive their share of land in the following order, from north to south: Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, and Judah.

The Special Section of Land

The Lord said:

South of Judah's territory will be a special section of land. Its length will be twelve and a half kilometers, and its width will run from the eastern border of Israel west to the Mediterranean Sea. My temple will be located in this section of land.

An area in the center of this land will belong to me. It will be twelve and a half kilometers long and ten kilometers[a] wide.

10 I, the Lord, will give half of my sacred land to the priests. Their share will be twelve and a half kilometers long and five kilometers wide, and my temple will be right in the middle. 11 Only priests who are descendants of Zadok will receive a share of this sacred land, because they remained faithful to me when the Levites and the rest of the Israelites started sinning. 12 The land belonging to the priests will be the most sacred area and will lie south of the area that belongs to the Levites.

13 I will give the other half of my sacred land to the Levites. Their share will also be twelve and a half kilometers long and five kilometers wide, 14 and they must never sell or trade any of this land—it is the best land and belongs to me.

15 South of my sacred land will be a section twelve and a half kilometers long and three kilometers wide. It will not be sacred, but will belong to the people of Israel and will include the city of Jerusalem, together with its houses and pastureland. 16 The city will be a square: Each side will be two kilometers long, 17 and an open area 125 meters wide will surround the city. 18 The land on the east and west sides of the city limits will be farmland for the people of Jerusalem; both sections will be five kilometers long and three kilometers wide. 19 People from the city will farm the land, no matter which tribe they belong to.

20 And so the center of this special section of land will be for my sacred land, as well as for the city and its property. The land will be a square, twelve and a half kilometers on each side.

21 The regions east and west of this square of land will belong to the ruler of Israel. His property will run east to the Jordan River and west to the Mediterranean Sea. In the very center of his property will be my sacred land, as well as the temple, 22 together with the share belonging to the Levites and the city of Jerusalem. The northern border of the ruler's property will be the land that belongs to Judah, and the southern border will be the land that belongs to Benjamin.

The Division of Land among Tribes in the South

The Lord God said:

23-27 South of this special section will be the land that belongs to the rest of Israel's tribes. Each tribe will receive a section of land that runs from the eastern border of Israel west to the Mediterranean Sea. The tribes will receive their share of land in the following order, from north to south: Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, and Gad.

28 Gad's southern border is also the southern border of Israel. It will begin at the town of Tamar, then run southwest to the springs near Meribath-Kadesh. It will continue along the Egyptian Gorge and end at the Mediterranean Sea.

29 That's how the land of Israel will be divided among the twelve tribes. I, the Lord God, have spoken.

The Gates of Jerusalem

The Lord said:

30-34 (A) The city of Jerusalem will have twelve gates, three on each of the four sides of the city wall. These gates will be named after the twelve tribes of Israel. The gates of Reuben, Judah, and Levi will be in the north; Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan will be in the east; Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun will be in the south; Gad, Asher, and Naphtali will be in the west. Each side of the city wall will be two kilometers long, 35 and so the total length of the wall will be ten kilometers. The new name of the city will be “The-Lord-Is-Here!”

Footnotes

  1. 48.9 ten: The Hebrew text has “five” (but see 45.1 and the note there).

The Sanctuary of God at the Center

48 “These are the tribes:

“Dan: one portion, along the northern boundary, following the Hethlon road that turns off to the entrance of Hamath as far as Hazor-enon so that the territory of Damascus lies to the north alongside Hamath, the northern border stretching from east to west.

“Asher: one portion, bordering Dan from east to west.

“Naphtali: one portion, bordering Asher from east to west.

“Manasseh: one portion, bordering Naphtali from east to west.

“Ephraim: one portion, bordering Manasseh from east to west.

“Reuben: one portion, bordering Ephraim from east to west.

“Judah: one portion, bordering Reuben from east to west.

8-9 “Bordering Judah from east to west is the consecrated area that you will set aside as holy: a square approximately seven by seven miles, with the Sanctuary set at the center. The consecrated area reserved for God is to be seven miles long and a little less than three miles wide.

10-12 “This is how it will be parceled out. The priest will get the area measuring seven miles on the north and south boundaries, with a width of a little more than three miles at the east and west boundaries. The Sanctuary of God will be at the center. This is for the consecrated priests, the Zadokites who stayed true in their service to me and didn’t get off track as the Levites did when Israel wandered off the main road. This is their special gift, a gift from the land itself, most holy ground, bordering the section of the Levites.

13-14 “The Levites get a section equal in size to that of the priests, roughly seven by three miles. They are not permitted to sell or trade any of it. It’s the choice part of the land, to say nothing of being holy to God.

15-19 “What’s left of the ‘sacred square’—each side measures out at seven miles by a mile and a half—is for ordinary use: the city and its buildings with open country around it, but the city at the center. The north, south, east, and west sides of the city are each about a mile and a half in length. A strip of pasture, one hundred twenty-five yards wide, will border the city on all sides. The remainder of this portion, three miles of countryside to the east and to the west of the sacred precinct, is for farming. It will supply food for the city. Workers from all the tribes of Israel will serve as field hands to farm the land.

20 “This dedicated area, set apart for holy purposes, will be a square, seven miles by seven miles, a ‘holy square,’ which includes the part set aside for the city.

21-22 “The rest of this land, the country stretching east to the Jordan and west to the Mediterranean from the seven-mile sides of the ‘holy square,’ belongs to the prince. His land is sandwiched between the tribal portions north and south, and goes out both east and west from the ‘sacred square’ with its Temple at the center. The land set aside for the Levites on one side and the city on the other is in the middle of the territory assigned to the prince. The ‘sacred square’ is flanked east and west by the prince’s land and bordered on the north and south by the territories of Judah and Benjamin, respectively.

23 “And then the rest of the tribes:

“Benjamin: one portion, stretching from the eastern to the western boundary.

24 “Simeon: one portion, bordering Benjamin from east to west.

25 “Issachar: one portion, bordering Simeon from east to west.

26 “Zebulun: one portion, bordering Issachar from east to west.

27 “Gad: one portion, bordering Zebulun from east to west.

28 “The southern boundary of Gad will run south from Tamar to the waters of Meribah-kadesh, along the Brook of Egypt and then out to the Great Mediterranean Sea.

29 “This is the land that you are to divide up among the tribes of Israel as their inheritance. These are their portions.” Decree of God, the Master.

* * *

30-31 “These are the gates of the city. On the north side, which is 2,250 yards long (the gates of the city are named after the tribes of Israel), three gates: the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah, the gate of Levi.

32 “On the east side, measuring 2,250 yards, three gates: the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin, the gate of Dan.

33 “On the south side, measuring 2,250 yards, three gates: the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar, the gate of Zebulun.

34 “On the west side, measuring 2,250 yards, three gates: the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher, the gate of Naphtali.

35 “The four sides of the city measure to a total of nearly six miles.

“From now on the name of the city will be Yahweh-Shammah:

        “God-Is-There.”