The Holy District

45 “When (A)you allot the land as an inheritance, (B)you shall set apart for the Lord a portion of the land as a holy district, 25,000 cubits[a] long and 20,000[b] cubits broad. It shall be holy throughout its whole extent. (C)Of this a square plot of 500 by 500 cubits shall be for the sanctuary, with fifty cubits for (D)an open space around it. And (E)from this measured district you shall measure off a section 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 broad, (F)in which shall be the sanctuary, (G)the Most Holy Place. (H)It shall be the holy portion of the land. It shall be for the priests, who minister in the sanctuary and approach the Lord to minister to him, and it shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. (I)Another section, 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits broad, shall be for the Levites who minister at the temple, as their possession for cities to live in.[c]

“Alongside the portion set apart as the holy district (J)you shall assign for the property of the city an area 5,000 cubits broad and 25,000 cubits long. (K)It shall belong to the whole house of Israel.

The Portion for the Prince

(L)“And to (M)the prince shall belong the land on both sides of the holy district and the property of the city, alongside the holy district and the property of the city, on the west and on the east, corresponding in length to one of the tribal portions, and extending from the western to the eastern boundary of the land. It is to be his property in Israel. And (N)my princes shall no more oppress my people, but (O)they shall let the house of Israel have the land according to their tribes.

“Thus says the Lord God: (P)Enough, O princes of Israel! Put away violence and oppression, and execute justice and righteousness. Cease (Q)your evictions of my people, declares the Lord God.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 45:1 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  2. Ezekiel 45:1 Septuagint; Hebrew 10,000
  3. Ezekiel 45:5 Septuagint; Hebrew as their possession, twenty chambers

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.