The Sacred Portion of the Land

45 “When you divide the land by lot as an inheritance,(A) you must set aside a donation to the Lord, a holy portion of the land,(B) 8⅓ miles[a] long and 6⅔ miles[b] wide. This entire tract of land will be holy. In this area there will be a square section[c] for the sanctuary, 875 by 875 feet,[d](C) with 87½ feet[e] of open space all around it. From this holy portion,[f] you will measure off an area 8⅓ miles[g] long and 3⅓ miles[h] wide, in which the sanctuary, the most holy place,(D) will stand.[i] It will be a holy area of the land to be used by the priests who minister in the sanctuary, who draw near to serve the Lord.(E) It will be a place for their houses, as well as a holy area for the sanctuary. There will be another area 8⅓ miles[j] long and 3⅓ miles[k] wide for the Levites who minister in the temple;(F) it will be their possession for towns to live in.[l]

“As the property of the city, you must set aside an area 1⅔ of a mile[m] wide and 8⅓ miles[n] long, adjacent to the holy donation of land.(G) It will be for the whole house of Israel. And the prince will have the area on each side of the holy donation of land and the city’s property, adjacent to the holy donation and the city’s property, stretching to the west on the west side and to the east on the east side.(H) Its length will correspond to one of the tribal portions from the western boundary to the eastern boundary. This will be his land as a possession in Israel. My princes will no longer oppress My people(I) but give the rest of the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes.

“This is what the Lord God says: You have gone too far,[o](J) princes of Israel! Put away violence and oppression and do what is just and right.(K) Put an end to your evictions of My people.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 45:1 Lit 25,000 [cubits]
  2. Ezekiel 45:1 LXX reads 20,000 [cubits]; MT reads 10,000 [cubits]
  3. Ezekiel 45:2 Lit square all around
  4. Ezekiel 45:2 Lit 500 by 500 [cubits]
  5. Ezekiel 45:2 Lit 50 cubits
  6. Ezekiel 45:3 Lit this measured [portion]
  7. Ezekiel 45:3 Lit 25,000 [cubits]
  8. Ezekiel 45:3 Lit 10,000 [cubits]
  9. Ezekiel 45:3 Lit be
  10. Ezekiel 45:5 Lit 25,000 [cubits]
  11. Ezekiel 45:5 Lit 10,000 [cubits]
  12. Ezekiel 45:5 LXX; MT, Syr, Tg, Vg read possession—20 chambers
  13. Ezekiel 45:6 Lit 5,000 [cubits]
  14. Ezekiel 45:6 Lit 25,000 [cubits]
  15. Ezekiel 45:9 Lit Enough of you

The holy portion

45 When you distribute the land as an inheritance, you will set aside a holy portion of land for the Lord. It will be 7.1 miles long and 5.68 miles[a] wide. It will be holy throughout the entire area. Out of this portion, an area seven hundred fifty feet by seven hundred fifty feet square will be for the sanctuary. All around it will be an open space seventy-five feet wide. Beginning with this measurement, you will measure out an area 7.1 miles long and 2.84 miles wide. The sanctuary, the most holy place, will lie on it. It is holy, set apart from the land, and it belongs to the priests who draw near to minister in the Lord’s sanctuary. It will be a place for their houses, and a holy place for the sanctuary. The area 7.1 miles long and 2.84 miles wide will be for the Levites who minister in the temple. Twenty chambers are theirs as their property. As the property for the city, you will set aside an area 1.42 miles wide and 7.1 miles long next to the holy portion. It will be for the whole house of Israel. The territory for the prince will be on both sides of the holy portion and the city property, alongside the holy portion and alongside the city property, from their western boundaries westward and from their eastern boundaries eastward. Its length will equal one tribal portion, from the western border to the eastern border. The land will be his property in Israel, and my princes will no longer oppress my people. They will give the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes.

The Lord God proclaims: Enough, princes of Israel! Turn aside from violence and oppression. Establish justice and righteousness. Cease your evictions of my people! This is what the Lord God says:

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 45:1 LXX twenty thousand (pechon, standard cubit); MT ten thousand (ammah); see note at Ezek 40:5.