Ezekiel 46
Expanded Bible
Rules for Worship
46 “‘This is what the Lord God says: The east gate of the inner courtyard will stay shut on the six working days, but it will be opened on the Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon. 2 The ·ruler [prince] will enter from outside through the ·porch [portico] of the gateway and stand by the gatepost, while the priests offer the ·ruler’s [prince’s] burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offering [Lev. 3:1]. The ruler will ·worship [bow down] at the ·entrance [threshold] of the gateway, and then he will go out. But the gate will not be shut until evening. 3 The people of the land will worship at the entrance of that gateway ·in the presence of [before] the Lord on the Sabbaths and New Moons. 4 This is the burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] the ruler will offer to the Lord on the Sabbath day: six male lambs ·that have nothing wrong with them [without blemish/defect] and a ·male sheep [ram] ·that has nothing wrong with it [without blemish/defect]. 5 He must give a ·half-bushel [L ephah; 45:11] ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering with the male sheep, but he ·may [or will] give as much grain offering with the lambs as ·he pleases [or he is able; L a gift of his hand]. He must also give a ·gallon [L hin] of olive oil for each ·half bushel [L ephah] of grain. 6 On the day of the New Moon he must offer a young bull ·that has nothing wrong with it [without blemish/defect]. He must also offer six lambs and a male sheep ·that have nothing wrong with them [all without blemish/defect]. 7 The ruler must give a ·half-bushel [L ephah] ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering [Lev. 2:1] with the bull and ·one-half bushel [L an ephah] with the ·male sheep [ram]. With the lambs, he ·may [or will] give as much grain ·as he pleases [or as he is able; L a gift of his hand]. But he must give a ·gallon [L hin] of olive oil for each half bushel of grain. 8 When the ·ruler [prince] enters, he must go in through the ·porch [portico] of the gateway, and he must go out the same way.
9 “‘When the people of the land come ·into the Lord’s presence [before the Lord] at the ·special feasts [appointed festivals], those who enter through the north gate to worship must go out through the south gate. Those who enter through the south gate must go out through the north gate. They must not return the same way they entered; everyone must go out ·the opposite way [straight ahead]. 10 The ·ruler [prince] will go in with the people when they go in and go out with them when they go out.
11 “‘At the feasts and ·regular times of worship [appointed festivals] ·one-half bushel [L an ephah] of grain must be offered with a young bull, and ·one-half bushel [L an ephah] of grain must be offered with a ·male sheep [ram]. But with an offering of lambs, the ruler may give as much grain as ·he pleases [or he is able; L a gift of his hand]. He should give a ·gallon [L hin] of olive oil for each ·half bushel [L ephah] of grain. 12 The ·ruler [prince] may give an ·offering as a special gift to the Lord [freewill offering]; it may be a burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] or ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offering [Lev. 3:1]. When he gives it to the Lord, the ·inner east gate [gate facing east] is to be opened for him. He must offer his burnt offering or his ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offering [Lev. 3:1] as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he will go out, and the gate will be shut after he has left.
13 “‘Every day you will give a year-old lamb ·that has nothing wrong with it [without blemish/defect] for a burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] to the Lord. Do it ·every morning [morning by morning]. 14 Also, you must offer a ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering [Lev. 2:1] with the lamb ·every morning [morning by morning]. For this you will give ·three and one-third quarts [L a sixth of an ephah] of grain and ·one and one-third quarts [L a third of an ephah] of olive oil, to make the fine flour moist, as a ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering [Lev. 2:1] to the Lord. This is a ·rule that must be kept from now on [perpetual statute; lasting ordinance]. 15 So you must always give the lamb, together with the ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering [Lev. 2:1] and the olive oil, ·every morning [morning by morning] as a ·regular [perpetual] burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17].
Rules for the Ruler
16 “‘This is what the Lord God says: If the ·ruler [prince] gives a gift from his ·land [inheritance] to any of his sons, that land will belong to the son and then to the son’s children. It is their property ·passed down from their family [L by inheritance]. 17 But if the ruler gives a gift from his ·land [inheritance] to any of his servants, that land will belong to the servant only until the year of freedom [C the year of Jubilee; Lev. 25:8–15]. Then the land will go back to the ·ruler [prince]. ·Only the ruler’s sons may keep a gift of land from the ruler [L His inheritance shall be only for his sons]. 18 The ·ruler [prince] must not take any of the people’s ·land [inheritance], forcing them out of their land. He must give his sons ·some of his own land [inheritance from his own property] so my people will not be scattered out of their own land.’”
The Special Kitchens
19 The man led me through the entrance at the side of the gateway to the priests’ ·holy rooms [sacred chambers] that face north. ·There I saw [L And look/T behold] a place at the far west end. 20 The man said to me, “This is where the priests will boil the ·meat of the penalty [L penalty; or guilt; reparation] offering [Lev. 5:14—6:7] and ·sin [or purification] offering [Lev. 4:3] and bake the ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering [Lev. 3:1]. Then they will not need to bring these holy offerings into the outer courtyard, ·because that would hurt [L which would transmit holiness to] the people [C the purity of God’s holiness would destroy sinful human beings; Lev. 16:2].”
21 Then the man brought me out into the outer courtyard and led me to its four corners. [L And look/T behold] In each corner of the courtyard was a smaller courtyard. 22 Small courtyards were in the four corners of the courtyard. Each small courtyard was the same size, ·seventy feet [L forty cubits] long and ·fifty-two and one-half feet [L thirty cubits] wide. 23 A ·stone wall [L row] was around each of the four small courtyards, and ·places for cooking [fireplaces; boiling places] were built in each of the ·stone walls [rows]. 24 The man said to me, “These are the kitchens where those who ·work [minister] in the Temple will boil the sacrifices offered by the people.”
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