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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”

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.