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The Land Is Divided

45 “‘When you divide the land for the Israelite tribes by throwing lots, you must give a part of the land to belong to the Lord. It will be ·about seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits] long and ·about six miles [L twenty thousand cubits] wide; all of this land will be holy. From this land, an area ·eight hundred seventy-five feet [L five hundred cubits] square will be for the ·Temple [sanctuary]. There will be an open space around the Temple that is ·eighty-seven and one-half feet [L fifty cubits] wide. In the holy area you will measure a part ·about seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits] long and ·three miles wide [L ten thousand cubits], and in it will be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. This ·holy part [sacred portion] of the land will be for the priests who ·serve [minister] in the ·Temple [sanctuary], who come near to the Lord to ·serve [minister to] him. It will be a place for the priests’ houses and ·for the Temple [L a holy place for the sanctuary]. Another area ·about seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits] long and ·three miles wide [L ten thousand cubits] will be for the Levites, who ·serve [minister] in the Temple area. It will belong to them so they will have cities in which to live.

“‘You must give the city an area that is ·about one and one-half miles [L five thousand cubits] wide and ·about seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits] long, along the side of the holy area. It will belong to all the ·people [L house] of Israel.

“‘The ·ruler [prince] will have land on both sides of the holy ·area [allotment; contribution] and the city. On the west of the holy area, his land will reach to the eastern border [C apparently the Mediterranean Sea]. On the east of the holy area, his land will reach to the eastern border [C of the country]. It will be as long as the land given to each tribe. Only this land will be the ruler’s ·property [possession] in Israel. So my rulers will not ·be cruel to [oppress] my people anymore [C such a large portion would keep the king from wanting to seize land, as Ahab had done (1 Kin. 21); see v. 9], but they will let each tribe in the ·nation [L house] of Israel have its share of the land.

“‘This is what the Lord God says: ·You have gone far enough [Enough!], you ·rulers [princes] of Israel! Stop ·being cruel and hurting people [your violence and oppression], and do what is right and ·fair [just]. Stop ·forcing my people out of their homes [evicting my people], says the Lord God.

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The Lords Portion of the Land

45 “Now when you (A)divide the land by lot for inheritance, you shall offer [a]an (B)allotment to the Lord, a (C)holy portion of the land; the length shall be a length of twenty-five thousand [b](D)cubits, and the width shall be [c]twenty thousand. It shall be holy within its entire surrounding boundary. Out of this there shall be for the sanctuary a square encompassing (E)five hundred by five hundred cubits, and fifty cubits for its [d](F)open space round about. From this [e]area you shall measure a length of twenty-five thousand cubits and a width of ten thousand cubits; and in it shall be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. It shall be the holy portion of the land; it shall be for the (G)priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, who (H)come near to serve the Lord, and it shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. An area (I)twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width shall be for the Levites, the ministers of the house, and for their possession [f]cities in which to live.

“And you shall give the (J)city possession of an area five thousand cubits wide and twenty-five thousand cubits long, alongside the [g]allotment of the holy portion; it shall be for the entire house of Israel.

Portion for the Prince

“And the (K)prince shall have land on either side of the holy [h]allotment and the [i]property of the city, adjacent to the holy [j]allotment and the [k]property of the city, on the west side toward the west and on the east side toward the east, and in length comparable to one of the portions, from the west border to the east border. This shall be his land as a possession in Israel; so My princes shall no longer (L)oppress My people, but they shall give the rest of the land to the house of Israel (M)according to their tribes.”

‘This is what the Lord [l]God says: “(N)Enough, you princes of Israel; get rid of (O)violence and destruction, and (P)practice justice and righteousness. Revoke your (Q)evictions of My people,” declares the Lord God.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 45:1 Or a contribution
  2. Ezekiel 45:1 Each of these cubits equals about 21 in. or 53 cm
  3. Ezekiel 45:1 As in LXX; MT 10,000
  4. Ezekiel 45:2 Or pasture land
  5. Ezekiel 45:3 Lit measure
  6. Ezekiel 45:5 As in LXX; MT twenty chambers
  7. Ezekiel 45:6 Or contribution
  8. Ezekiel 45:7 Or contribution
  9. Ezekiel 45:7 Lit possession
  10. Ezekiel 45:7 Or contribution
  11. Ezekiel 45:7 Lit possession
  12. Ezekiel 45:9 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch