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45 “‘“Moreover, when you divide by lot the land for inheritance, you shall offer an offering to Yahweh, a holy portion of the land. The length shall be the length of twenty-five thousand reeds, and the width shall be ten thousand. It shall be holy in all its border all around. Of this there shall be a five hundred by five hundred square for the holy place; and fifty cubits[a] for its pasture lands all around. Of this measure you shall measure a length of twenty-five thousand, and a width of ten thousand. In it shall be the sanctuary, which is most holy. It is a holy portion of the land; it shall be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, who come near to minister to Yahweh. It shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. Twenty-five thousand in length, and ten thousand in width, shall be for the Levites, the ministers of the house, as a possession for themselves, for twenty rooms.

“‘“You shall appoint the possession of the city five thousand wide, and twenty-five thousand long, side by side with the offering of the holy portion: it shall be for the whole house of Israel.

“‘“What is for the prince shall be on the one side and on the other side of the holy offering and of the possession of the city, in front of the holy offering and in front of the possession of the city, on the west side westward, and on the east side eastward; and in length answerable to one of the portions, from the west border to the east border. In the land it shall be to him for a possession in Israel. My princes shall no more oppress my people; but they shall give the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes.”

“‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Let it suffice you, princes of Israel: remove violence and plunder, and execute justice and righteousness; dispossessing my people,” says the Lord Yahweh.

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Footnotes

  1. 45:2 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.

Instructions about Divisions of the Renewed Land

45 And when you allocate the land as an inheritance, you shall provide a contribution for Yahweh as a holy portion from the land, its length being twenty-five thousand cubits[a] and its width ten thousand cubits;[b] it is holy in all its territory, all around. And there shall be from this area five hundred cubits[c] by five hundred cubits, squared all around, for the sanctuary; and fifty cubits[d][e] of open space shall be for it all around it. And from this measured area you shall measure a length of twenty-five[f] thousand cubits[g] and a width of ten thousand cubits,[h] and in it will be the sanctuary, the most holy place.[i] It[j] is a holy portion from the land; it will be for the priests, the servants of the sanctuary who approach[k] to serve Yahweh, and it will be for them a place for houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. And an area twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand cubits in width will be for the Levites, the servants of the temple. It will serve as property for them as cities to dwell in.[l] And as property of the city, you must set apart alongside the contribution of the sanctuary a portion five thousand cubits[m] in width and twenty-five thousand cubits[n] in length, and it shall be for the entire house of Israel.

And a portion will be for[o] the prince on both sides[p] of the holy district,[q] and both sides of the property of the city, and alongside[r] the property of the city on the west,[s] and alongside the property on the east.[t] And also its length[u] corresponds to one of the tribal portions to the west[v] running to the eastern border.[w] This shall be to him with respect to the land[x] as property in Israel; and so my princes shall not again oppress my people, but they shall give the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes.”

Thus says the Lord Yahweh, “Enough of this for you, the princes of Israel; put away violence and destruction and do justice and righteousness; revoke your acts of dispossession from upon[y] my people!” declares[z] the Lord Yahweh.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 45:1 Or 8.33 miles
  2. Ezekiel 45:1 Hebrew 3.5 miles; LXX reads 6.67 miles in width, or 20,000 cubits (cf. 45:3, 5; 48:9)
  3. Ezekiel 45:2 That is, “875 feet by 875 feet”
  4. Ezekiel 45:2 Hebrew “cubit”
  5. Ezekiel 45:2 That is, “87.5 feet”
  6. Ezekiel 45:3 According to the reading tradition (Qere)
  7. Ezekiel 45:3 That is, 8.33 miles; cf. 45:5
  8. Ezekiel 45:3 That is, 3.5 miles; cf. 45:5
  9. Ezekiel 45:3 Literally “the holiness of holinesses”
  10. Ezekiel 45:4 Or “this area”
  11. Ezekiel 45:4 Literally “the ones who approach”
  12. Ezekiel 45:5 Literally “twenty chambers”
  13. Ezekiel 45:6 That is, 1.67 miles
  14. Ezekiel 45:6 That is, 8.33 miles
  15. Ezekiel 45:7 Hebrew “to”
  16. Ezekiel 45:7 Literally “from this and from this”
  17. Ezekiel 45:7 Literally “the contribution of the holiness”
  18. Ezekiel 45:7 Literally “to the front of”
  19. Ezekiel 45:7 Literally “from/on the side of the sea”
  20. Ezekiel 45:7 Literally “from/on the side of east”
  21. Ezekiel 45:7 Or “portion”
  22. Ezekiel 45:7 Literally “corresponding to one of the portions from the boundary of the sea”
  23. Ezekiel 45:7 Literally “to the boundary of the east”
  24. Ezekiel 45:8 Literally “to the land”
  25. Ezekiel 45:9 Or “against”
  26. Ezekiel 45:9 Literally “declaration of”