Ezekiel 48
The Voice
48 Eternal One: Here are the tribes and their allocated regions from north to south: Dan will have the land in the far north. It will run west to east along the road from Hethlon to Lebo-hamath to Hazer-enan (on the border of Damascus and next to Hamath). 2 Asher will get the territory south of Dan’s border from east to west. 3 Naphtali will be allotted the region immediately south of Asher’s border from east to west. 4 Manasseh will have the land south of Naphtali’s border from east to west. 5 Ephraim will get the territory that borders Manasseh on the south from east to west. 6 Reuben will be allotted the region immediately south of Ephraim from east to west. 7 Judah will have the land south of Reuben’s border from east to west.
8 The land adjoining Judah’s southern border from east to west is to be set aside as sacred ground. It will be 8⅓ miles wide and as long as the other tribal regions from east to west. The temple complex will sit at the center, 9 in an area dedicated to the Eternal One that is 8⅓ miles long and 3⅓ miles wide. 10-11 The priests will be allotted an area that is 8⅓ miles wide along its northern border, 3⅓ miles wide along its eastern and western borders, and 8⅓ miles wide along its southern border. The temple of the Eternal will sit at the center of the sacred ground. It will be set aside specifically for the priests who descended from Zadok, the only people who remained faithful to Me when all of Israel, including the Levites, abandoned Me. 12-13 This sacred ground will be allotted to them when the rest of the land is distributed to the other tribes. To its north will be the Levites’ sector. It will be the same size and shape as the land given to the priests: 8⅓ miles long and 3⅓ miles wide. 14 Neither the priests nor the Levites may sell or trade any of this land. No one is to put it to any other use, for this land is holy to the Eternal One.
15 Another strip of land will be available to the rest of Israel for building houses and pasturing their animals. It will be 8⅓ miles long and 1⅔ miles wide. A city will be built in the heart of this land. 16 It is to be arranged as a square, measuring 1½ miles on each side: north, south, east, and west. 17 Around the perimeter of the city will be an open area extending 150 yards to the north, south, east, and west. 18 The rest of the land running south of the priests’ allotment will be used to grow food for those who work in the city. It will stretch 3⅓ miles to the east and 3⅓ miles to the west of the city. 19 Anyone who works in the city—regardless of his tribal affiliation—will be allowed to farm the land. 20 The entire area will be a square that measures 8⅓ miles on every side; you are to set aside this ground as holy for the priests and Levites, for the temple, and for the city as I’ve directed.
21 The land located on both sides—east and west—of the sacred ground and the city is to be given to the prince. It will stretch 8⅓ miles to the east and 8⅓ miles to the west of the Levites’, priests’, and the city’s squares of land. So the prince will have two areas of land adjoining the sacred ground containing the temple complex at its center. 22 The prince gets one share (in two sections adjacent to the sacred ground) between Judah’s southern border and Benjamin’s northern border.
23 Here are the remaining tribes and their allocated regions: Benjamin will have the territory directly south of the prince’s and the city’s lands from the east to the west. 24 Simeon will get the land that borders Benjamin’s southern border from east to west. 25 Issachar will be allotted the region south of the border of Simeon from east to west. 26 Zebulun will have the land adjoining Issachar’s southern border from east to west. 27 Gad will get the territory south of Zebulun’s border from east to west. 28 The southern border of Gad will run from Tamar in the east to the waters of Meribath-kadesh and along the brook of Egypt all the way to the Mediterranean Sea.[a] 29 This is how I want you to divide the land between the tribes of Israel. Their portions will be their inheritances.
30-31 As for the exits from the city—the city gates—they are to be named after the tribes of Israel. On the north wall, which is 1½ miles long, the three gates are to be named after Reuben, Judah, and Levi. 32 On the east wall, which is 1½ miles long, the three gates are to be named after Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan. 33 On the south wall, which is 1½ miles long, the three gates are to be named after Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun. 34 On the west wall, which is 1½ miles long, the three gates are to be named after Gad, Asher, and Naphtali. 35 The total distance around the city will be 6 miles. From that day forward, the name of the city will be The Eternal One Lives There.
Footnotes
- 48:28 Literally, Great Sea
Ezekiel 48
English Standard Version
48 “These are the names of the tribes: Beginning at the northern extreme, beside (A)the way of Hethlon (B)to Lebo-hamath, as far as (C)Hazar-enan (which is on the northern border of (D)Damascus over against Hamath), and extending[a] from the east side to the west,[b] (E)Dan, one portion. 2 Adjoining the territory of Dan, from the east side to the west, (F)Asher, one portion. 3 Adjoining the territory of Asher, from the east side to the west, (G)Naphtali, one portion. 4 Adjoining the territory of Naphtali, from the east side to the west, Manasseh, one portion. 5 Adjoining the territory of Manasseh, from the east side to the west, Ephraim, one portion. 6 Adjoining the territory of Ephraim, from the east side to the west, Reuben, one portion. 7 Adjoining the territory of Reuben, from the east side to the west, Judah, one portion.
8 “Adjoining the territory of Judah, from the east side to the west, shall be (H)the portion which you shall set apart, 25,000 cubits[c] in breadth, and in length equal to one of the tribal portions, from the east side to the west, with (I)the sanctuary in the midst of it. 9 The portion that you shall set apart for the Lord shall be 25,000 cubits in length, and 20,000[d] in breadth. 10 (J)These shall be the allotments of the holy portion: the priests shall have an allotment measuring 25,000 cubits on the northern side, 10,000 cubits in breadth on the western side, 10,000 in breadth on the eastern side, and 25,000 in length on the southern side, with the sanctuary of the Lord in the midst of it. 11 This shall be for (K)the consecrated priests, (L)the sons of Zadok, who kept my charge, who did not go astray when the people of Israel went astray, (M)as the Levites did. 12 And it shall belong to them as a special portion from the holy portion of the land, a most holy place, adjoining the territory of the Levites. 13 (N)And alongside the territory of the priests, the Levites shall have an allotment 25,000 cubits in length and 10,000 in breadth. The whole length shall be 25,000 cubits and the breadth 20,000.[e] 14 They (O)shall not sell or exchange any of it. They shall not alienate (P)this choice portion of the land, for it is holy to the Lord.
15 (Q)“The remainder, 5,000 cubits in breadth and 25,000 in length, shall be (R)for common use for the city, for dwellings and for (S)open country. In the midst of it shall be the city, 16 and these shall be its measurements: (T)the north side 4,500 cubits, the south side 4,500, the east side 4,500, and the west side 4,500. 17 And the city shall have open land: on the north 250 cubits, on the south 250, on the east 250, and on the west 250. 18 The remainder of the length alongside the holy portion shall be 10,000 cubits to the east, and 10,000 to the west, and it shall be alongside the holy portion. (U)Its produce shall be food for the workers of the city. 19 And the workers of the city, from all the tribes of Israel, shall till it. 20 The whole portion that (V)you shall set apart shall be 25,000 cubits square, that is, the holy portion together with the property of the city.
21 (W)“What remains on both sides of the holy portion and of the property of the city shall belong to the prince. Extending from the 25,000 cubits of the holy portion to the east border, and westward from the 25,000 cubits to the west border, parallel to the tribal portions, it shall belong to the prince. (X)The holy portion with the sanctuary of the temple shall be in its midst. 22 It shall be separate from the property of the Levites and the property of the city, which are in the midst of that which belongs to the prince. The portion of the prince shall lie between the territory of Judah and the territory of Benjamin.
23 “As for the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west, Benjamin, one portion. 24 Adjoining the territory of Benjamin, from the east side to the west, Simeon, one portion. 25 Adjoining the territory of Simeon, from the east side to the west, Issachar, one portion. 26 Adjoining the territory of Issachar, from the east side to the west, Zebulun, one portion. 27 Adjoining the territory of Zebulun, from the east side to the west, Gad, one portion. 28 And adjoining the territory of Gad to the south, the boundary shall run (Y)from Tamar to the waters of (Z)Meribah-kadesh, from there along the Brook of Egypt[f] to (AA)the Great Sea.[g] 29 This is the land that (AB)you shall allot as an inheritance among the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions, declares the Lord God.
The Gates of the City
30 “These shall be (AC)the exits of the city: On the north side, which is to be (AD)4,500 cubits by measure, 31 (AE)three gates, the gate of (AF)Reuben, the gate of (AG)Judah, and the gate of (AH)Levi, the gates of the city being named after the tribes of Israel. 32 On the east side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin, and the gate of Dan. 33 On the south side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, three gates, the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar, and the gate of Zebulun. 34 On the west side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates,[h] the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher, and the gate of Naphtali. 35 The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And (AI)the name of the city from that time on shall be, (AJ)The Lord Is There.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 48:1 Probable reading; Hebrew and they shall be his
- Ezekiel 48:1 Septuagint (compare verses 2–8); Hebrew the east side the west
- Ezekiel 48:8 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters; a long cubit (see 40:5) was about 21 inches or 53 centimeters
- Ezekiel 48:9 Compare 45:1; Hebrew 10,000
- Ezekiel 48:13 Septuagint; Hebrew 10,000
- Ezekiel 48:28 Hebrew lacks of Egypt
- Ezekiel 48:28 That is, the Mediterranean Sea
- Ezekiel 48:34 One Hebrew manuscript, Syriac (compare Septuagint); most Hebrew manuscripts their gates three
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