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Dividing the Land

48 “These are the ·areas of the tribes named here [L names of the tribes]: Dan will have one share at the northern border. It will go from the sea through Hethlon to Lebo Hamath [47:15], all the way to Hazar Enan [47:17], ·where Damascus lies to the north. It will stop there next to Hamath [or …which is located on the northern border of Damascus next to Hamath]. This will be Dan’s northern border from the east side to the ·Mediterranean Sea on the west side [L west].

“·South of [L Beside] Dan’s border, Asher will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.

“·South of [L Beside] Asher’s border, Naphtali will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.

“·South of [L Beside] Naphtali’s border, Manasseh will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.

“·South of [L Beside] Manasseh’s border, Ephraim will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.

“·South of [L Beside] Ephraim’s border, Reuben will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.

“·South of [L Beside] Reuben’s border, Judah will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.

“·South of [L Beside] Judah’s border will be the ·holy area which you are to give [portion set apart]. It will be ·about seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits] wide and as long and wide as one of the tribes’ shares. It will run from the east side to the west side. The ·Temple [L sanctuary] will be in the middle of this area.

“The share which you will give the Lord will be ·about seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits] long and ·three miles [L ten thousand cubits] wide. 10 The ·holy area [sacred allotment] will be divided among these people. The priests will have land ·about seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits] long on the north and south sides, and ·three miles [L ten thousand cubits] wide on the west and east sides. The ·Temple [sanctuary] of the Lord will be in the middle of it. 11 This land is for the ·priests who are given the holy duty of serving the Lord [L consecrated priests]. ·They [L …who] are the ·descendants [sons] of Zadok who ·did my work [were faithful to me; kept my charge] and did not ·leave me [go astray] when Israel and the Levites ·left me [went astray]. 12 They will have as their share a very holy part of the holy portion of the land. It will be next to the land of the Levites.

13 “Alongside the land for the priests, the Levites will have a share ·about seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits] long and ·three miles [L ten thousand cubits] wide; its full length will be ·about seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits] and its full width ·about three miles [L ten thousand cubits]. 14 The Levites are not to sell or ·trade [exchange] any of this land. They are not to ·let anyone else own [transfer; alienate] any of this best part of the land, because it ·belongs [is set apart/holy] to the Lord.

City Property

15 “The rest of the area will be ·about one and one-half miles [L five thousand cubits] wide and ·seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits] long. It will ·not be holy but [be for common use and] will belong to the city and be used for homes and pastures. The city will be in the middle of it. 16 These are the city’s measurements: the north side will be ·about one mile [L four thousand five hundred cubits], the south side ·about one mile [L four thousand five hundred cubits], the east side ·about one mile [L four thousand five hundred cubits], and the west side ·about one mile [L four thousand five hundred cubits]. 17 The city’s land for pastures will be ·about four hundred thirty-seven feet [L two hundred fifty cubits] on the north, ·four hundred thirty-seven feet [L two hundred fifty cubits] on the south, ·four hundred thirty-seven feet [L two hundred fifty cubits] on the east, and ·four hundred thirty-seven feet [L two hundred fifty cubits] on the west. 18 Along the long side of the holy area there will be left ·three miles [L ten thousand cubits] on the east and ·three miles [L ten thousand cubits] on the west. It will be used to grow food for the city workers. 19 The city workers from all the tribes of Israel will farm this land. 20 This whole area will be square, ·seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits] by ·seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits]. You shall give to the Lord the holy share along with the city property.

21 “Land that is left over on both sides of the holy area and city property will belong to the ·ruler [prince]. That land will extend eastward from the ·seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits] of the holy area to the eastern border and westward from the ·seven miles [L twenty-five thousand cubits] to the ·Mediterranean Sea [L western border]. Both of these areas run the length of the lands of the tribes, and they belong to the ·ruler [prince]. The holy area with the ·Holy Place [sanctuary] of the ·Temple [L house] will be in the middle. 22 The Levites’ land and the city property will be in the middle of the lands belonging to the ·ruler [prince]. Those lands will be between Judah’s border and Benjamin’s border.

The Other Tribes’ Land

23 “Here is what the rest of the tribes will receive: Benjamin will have one share. It will go from the east side to the ·Mediterranean Sea on the west side [L west side].

24 “·South of [L Beside] Benjamin’s land, Simeon will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.

25 “·South of [L Beside] Simeon’s land, Issachar will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.

26 “·South of [L Beside] Issachar’s land, Zebulun will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.

27 “·South of [L Beside] Zebulun’s land, Gad will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.

28 “The southern border of Gad’s land will go ·east from Tamar on the Dead Sea [L from Tamar; 47:18] to the waters of Meribah Kadesh [47:19]. Then it will run along the brook of Egypt to the ·Mediterranean [L Great] Sea.

29 “This is the land you will divide among the tribes of Israel to be their shares,” says the Lord God.

The Gates of the City

30 “These will be the ·outside borders [or exits] of the city: The north side will measure ·more than one mile [L four thousand five hundred cubits]. 31 There will be three gates facing north: Reuben’s Gate, Judah’s Gate, and Levi’s Gate, named for the tribes of Israel.

32 “The east side will measure ·more than one mile [L four thousand five hundred cubits]. There will be three gates facing east: Joseph’s Gate, Benjamin’s Gate, and Dan’s Gate.

33 “The south side will measure ·more than one mile [L four thousand five hundred cubits]. There will be three gates facing south: Simeon’s Gate, Issachar’s Gate, and Zebulun’s Gate.

34 “The west side will measure ·more than one mile [L four thousand five hundred cubits]. There will be three gates facing west: Gad’s Gate, Asher’s Gate, and Naphtali’s Gate.

35 “The city will measure ·about six miles around [L eighteen thousand cubits]. From then on the name of the city will be The Lord Is There.”

48 The lots of the tribes. 9 The parts of the possession of the Priests, of the Temple, of the Levites, of the city, and of the Prince are rehearsed.

Now these are the names of the [a]tribes. From the North side, to the coast toward Hethlon as one goeth to Hamath, Hazar, Enan, and the border of Damascus Northward the coast of Hamath, even from the East side to the West shall be a portion for Dan.

And by the border of Dan from the East side unto the West side, a portion for Asher.

And by the border of Asher from the East part even unto the West part, a portion for Naphtali.

And by the border of Naphtali from the East quarter unto the West side, a portion for Manasseh.

And by the border of Manasseh, from the East side unto the West side, a portion for Ephraim.

And by the border of Ephraim, from the East part even unto the West part, a portion for Reuben.

And by the border of Reuben, from the East quarter unto the West quarter, a portion for Judah.

And by the border of Judah from the East part unto the West part [b]shall be the offering which they shall offer of five and twenty thousand reeds broad, and of length as one of the other parts, from the East side unto the West side, and the Sanctuary shall be in the midst of it.

The oblation that ye shall offer unto the Lord, shall be of five and twenty thousand long, and of ten thousand the breadth.

10 And for them, even for the Priests shall be this holy oblation, toward the North five and twenty thousand long, and toward the West, ten thousand broad, and toward the East ten thousand broad, and toward the South five and twenty thousand long, and the Sanctuary of the Lord shall be in the midst thereof.

11 It shall be for the Priests that are sanctified of the sons of (A)Zadok, which have kept my charge, which went not astray, when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray.

12 Therefore this oblation of the land that is offered shall be theirs, as a thing most holy by the border of the Levites.

13 And over against the border of the Priests the Levites shall have five and twenty thousand long, and [ten] thousand broad: all the length shall be five and twenty thousand, and the breadth ten thousand.

14 And they shall not sell of it, neither change it, nor alienate the firstfruits of the land: for it is holy unto the Lord.

15 And the five thousand that are left in the breadth over against the five and twenty thousand, shall be a profane place for the city, for housing, and for suburbs, and the city shall be in the midst thereof.

16 And these shall be the measures thereof, the North part five hundred and four thousand, and the South part [c]five hundred and four thousand, and the East part five hundred and four thousand, and the West part five hundred and four thousand.

17 And the suburbs of the city shall be toward the North two hundred and fifty, and toward the South two hundred and fifty, and toward the East two hundred and fifty, and toward the West two hundred and fifty.

18 And the residue in length over against the oblation of the holy portion shall be ten thousand Eastward, and ten thousand Westward: and it shall be over against the oblation of the holy portion, and the increase thereof shall be for food unto them that serve in the city.

19 And they that serve in the city, shall be of all the tribes of Israel that shall serve therein.

20 All the oblation shall be five and twenty thousand with [d]five and twenty thousand: you shall offer this oblation foursquare for the Sanctuary, and for the possession of the city.

21 And the residue shall be for the prince on the one side and on the other of the oblation of the Sanctuary, and of the possession of the city, over against the five and twenty thousand of the oblation toward the East border, and Westward over against the five and twenty thousand toward the West border, over against shall be for the portion of the prince: this shall be the holy oblation, and the house of the Sanctuary shall be in the midst thereof.

22 Moreover, from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, that which is in the midst shall be the prince’s: between the border [e]of Judah, and between the border of Benjamin shall be the Princes.

23 And the rest of the tribes shall be thus: from the East part unto the West part, Benjamin shall be a portion.

24 And by the border of Benjamin, from the East side unto the West side, Simeon a portion.

25 And by the border of Simeon from the East part unto the West part, Issachar a portion.

26 And by the border of Issachar, from the East side unto the West, Zebulun a portion.

27 And by the border of Zebulun, from the East part unto the West part, Gad a portion.

28 And by the border of Gad at the South side, toward [f]Temath, the border shall be even from [g]Tamar, unto the waters of Meribah in Kadesh, and to the [h]river, that runneth into the main sea.

29 This is the land, which ye shall distribute unto the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their portions, saith the Lord God.

30 And these are the bounds of the city, on the North side five hundred, and four thousand measures.

31 And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel, the gates Northward, one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, and one gate of Levi.

32 And at the East side five hundred and four thousand, and three gates, and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, and one gate of Dan.

33 And at the South side, five hundred and four thousand measures, and three ports, one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, and one gate of Zebulun.

34 At the West side, five hundred and four thousand, with their three gates, one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, and one gate of Naphtali.

35 It was round about eighteen thousand measures, and the name of the city from that day shall be, [i]The Lord is there.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 48:1 The tribes after that they entered into the land under Joshua, divided the land somewhat otherwise than is here set forth by this vision.
  2. Ezekiel 48:8 That is, the portion of the ground which they shall separate and appoint to the Lord, which shall be divided into three parts, for the Priests, for the Prince, and for the city.
  3. Ezekiel 48:16 Meaning, that it should be square.
  4. Ezekiel 48:20 Every way it shall be five and twenty thousand.
  5. Ezekiel 48:22 So that Judah was on the North side of the Prince’s and Levites’ portions, and Benjamin on the South side.
  6. Ezekiel 48:28 Which is here taken for Edom.
  7. Ezekiel 48:28 Which was Jericho the city of palm trees.
  8. Ezekiel 48:28 Meaning, Nile that runneth into the Sea, called Mediterranean.
  9. Ezekiel 48:35 Hebrew, Jehovah Shammah.