Chronological
Rules for Worship
46 “‘This is what the Lord God says: The east gate of the inner courtyard will be shut on the six working days. But it will be opened on the Sabbath day. And it will be open on the day of the New Moon. 2 The ruler will enter through the porch of the gateway. He will enter from outside and stand by the gatepost. Then the priests will offer the ruler’s burnt offering and fellowship offerings. The ruler will worship at the entrance of the gate. 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. They will worship there in the presence of the Lord on the Sabbaths and New Moons. 4 This is the burnt offering the ruler will offer to the Lord on the Sabbath day. It will be six male lambs that have nothing wrong with them. And it will be a male sheep that has nothing wrong with it. 5 He must give a half bushel grain offering with the male sheep. But he can give as much grain offering with the lambs as he pleases. He must also give a gallon of olive oil for each half bushel of grain. 6 On the day of the New Moon he must offer a young bull. It must have nothing wrong with it. He must also offer six lambs and a male sheep. They also must have nothing wrong with them. 7 The ruler must give a half bushel grain offering with the bull. And he must give the same with the male sheep. With the lambs, he can give as much grain as he pleases. But he must give a gallon of olive oil for each half bushel of grain. 8 And when the ruler enters, he must go in through the porch of the gateway. He must go out the same way.
9 “‘The people of the land must come before the Lord at the special feasts. Anyone who enters through the north gate to worship must go out through the south gate. Anyone who enters through the south gate must go out through the north gate. No one will return the same way he entered. Each person will go out straight ahead. 10 When the people go in, the ruler will go in with them. When they go out, the ruler will go out.
11 “‘At the feasts and regular times of worship a half bushel of grain must be offered. It will be offered with a young bull. And a half bushel of grain must be offered with a male sheep. But with an offering of lambs, the ruler may give as much grain as he pleases. He should give a gallon of olive oil for each half bushel of grain. 12 The ruler may give an offering as a special gift to the Lord. It may be a burnt offering or fellowship offering. When he gives it to the Lord, the inner east gate will be opened for him. He must offer his burnt offering and his fellowship offerings as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he will go out. After he has gone out, the gate will be shut.
13 “‘Every morning you will give a year-old lamb that has nothing wrong with it. It will be for a burnt offering to the Lord every day. 14 Also, you must offer a grain offering with the lamb every morning. With it you will give three and a third quarts of grain and one and a third quarts of olive oil. This is to make the fine flour moist. It will be a grain offering to the Lord. This is a rule that must be kept from now on. 15 So they must always give the lamb, the grain offering and the olive oil every morning as a burnt offering.
Rules for the Ruler
16 “‘This is what the Lord God says: The ruler might give a gift from his land to one of his sons. Then that land will belong to that son’s children. It is their property from their family. 17 But the ruler might give a gift from his land to one of his slaves. That land will belong to the slave only until the year of freedom. Then the land will go back to the ruler. Only the ruler’s sons may keep a gift of land from the ruler. 18 The ruler must not take any of the people’s land. He must not force them out of their land. He must give his sons land from his own land. Then 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. He led me to the priests’ holy rooms that face north. There I saw a place at the west end. 20 The man said to me, “This is where the priests will boil the meat of the penalty offering and sin offering. There the priests will bake the grain offering. Then they will not need to bring these offerings into the outer courtyard. That would hurt the people.”
21 Then the man brought me out to the outer courtyard. He led me to its four corners. 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 70 feet long and 52½ feet wide. All four corners measured the same. 23 A stone wall was around each of the four small courtyards. Places for cooking were built in each of the stone walls. 24 The man said to me, “These are the kitchens. The Temple priests will boil the sacrifices for the people here.”
The River from the Temple
47 The man led me back to the door of the Temple. I saw water coming out from under the doorway that faces east. (The Temple faced east.) The water flowed down from the south end of the Temple. It was south of the altar. 2 The man brought me out through the outer north gate. And he led me around outside to the outer east gate. The water was coming out on the south side of the gate.
3 The man went toward the east with a line in his hand. He measured about a third of a mile. Then he led me through water that came up to my ankles. 4 The man measured about a third of a mile again. Then he led me through water that came up to my knees. Then he measured about a third of a mile again. And he led me through water up to my waist. 5 The man measured about a third of a mile again. But it was now a river that I could not cross. The water had risen too high. It was deep enough for swimming. It was a river that no one could cross. 6 The man asked me, “Human being, do you see this?”
Then the man led me back along the bank of the river. 7 As I went back, I saw many trees on both sides of the water. 8 The man said to me, “This water will flow toward the eastern areas. It will go down into the Jordan Valley. When the water enters the Dead Sea, it will become fresh. 9 And everywhere the river goes, there will be many animals and fish. Wherever this water goes the Dead Sea will become fresh. So where the river goes there will be many living things. 10 Fishermen will stand by the sea. From En Gedi all the way to En Eglaim will become a place to spread fishing nets. There will be many kinds of fish in the Dead Sea. There will be as many kinds of fish as there are in the Mediterranean Sea. 11 But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh. They will be left for salt. 12 All kinds of fruit trees will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not dry and die. The trees will have fruit every month because the water for them comes from the Temple. The fruit from the trees will be for food. And their leaves will be for medicine.”
Borders of the Land
13 This is what the Lord God says: “These are the borders to divide the land among the 12 tribes of Israel. Joseph will have two parts of land. 14 You will divide the land equally. I promised to give it to your ancestors. So this land will belong to you from your family.
15 “This will be the border line of the land.
“On the north side it will start at the Mediterranean Sea. It will go by the Hethlon Road. This is where the road turns toward Lebo Hamath. And it will go to the cities of Zedad, 16 Berothah and Sibraim. Sibraim is on the border between Damascus and Hamath. And it will go on to the city of Hazer Hatticon on the border of the country of Hauran. 17 So the border line will go from the Mediterranean Sea east to the city of Hazar Enan. This is on the northern border of Damascus. And the country of Hamath will be on the north side of the border.
18 “On the east side the border runs south from a point between Hauran and Damascus. It will go along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel. It will continue to the city of Tamar on the Dead Sea. This will be the east side of the land.
19 “On the south side the border line will go west from Tamar. It will go all the way to the waters of Meribah Kadesh. Then it will run along the brook of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. This will be the south side of the land.
20 “On the west side the Mediterranean Sea will be the border line. It will go to a place across from Lebo Hamath. This will be the west side of your land.
21 “So you will divide this land among the tribes of Israel. 22 You will divide it as a property for yourselves. And it will be for you and for the foreigners who live and have children among you. These foreigners will be like people born in Israel. You will divide some land for them among the tribes of Israel. 23 In whatever tribe the foreigner lives, you will give him some land,” says the Lord God.
Dividing the Land
48 “These are the names of the tribes. Dan will have one share. It will begin at the northern border. It will go from the sea and over the Hethlon Road. It will follow the road to Lebo Hamath. It will go all the way to Hazar Enan. This is on the northern border of Damascus. It will stop there next to Hamath. This will be Dan’s northern border from the east side to the Mediterranean Sea on the west side.
2 “South of Dan’s border, Asher will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.
3 “South of Asher’s border, Naphtali will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.
4 “South of Naphtali’s border, Manasseh will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.
5 “South of Manasseh’s border, Ephraim will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.
6 “South of Ephraim’s border, Reuben will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.
7 “South of Reuben’s border, Judah will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.
8 “South of Judah’s border will be the holy area which you are to give. It will be about 7 miles wide. It will be as long and wide as one of the tribes’ shares. It will run from the east side to the west side. The Temple will be in the middle of this area.
9 “The share which you will give the Lord will be about 7 miles long and 3 miles wide. 10 The holy area will be divided among these people. For the priests on the north side, the land will measure about 7 miles. It will be 3 miles wide on the west side and 3 miles wide on the east side. It will be about 7 miles on the south side. The Temple of the Lord will be in the middle of it. 11 This land is for the priests who are given to serve the Lord. They are the descendants of Zadok who did my work. They did not leave me. The other Levites left me when Israel did. 12 This share from the holy portion of the land will be a gift for these priests. It will be next to the land of the Levites.
13 “Alongside the land for the priests, the Levites will have a share. It will be about 7 miles long and 3 miles wide. Its full length will be about 7 miles. And its full width will be about 3 miles. 14 The Levites are not to sell or trade any of this land. They will not sell any of this best part of the land. It belongs to the Lord.
City Property
15 “The rest of the land will be an area about 1½ miles wide and 7 miles long. It will be for the other people’s use. It will be for the city, for homes and for pastures. The city will be in the middle of it. 16 These are the city’s measurements: the north side will be about a mile. The south side will be about a mile. The east side will be about a mile. And the west side will be about a mile. 17 The city’s land for pastures will be about 437 feet on the north, 437 feet on the south, 437 feet on the east and 437 feet on the west. 18 Alongside the length of the holy area there will be left 3 miles on the east and 3 miles on the west. It will be used to grow food for the city workers. 19 The city workers will plow this land. The workers will be from all the tribes of Israel. 20 This whole area will be square, 7 miles by 7 miles. 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. That land will extend east of the holy area to the eastern border. And it will extend west of it to the Mediterranean Sea. Both of these areas run the length of the lands of the tribes. They belong to the ruler. The holy area with the Holy Place of the Temple will be in the middle. 22 The Levites’ land and the city property will be between the lands belonging to the ruler. The ruler’s land 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.
24 “South of Benjamin’s land, Simeon will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.
25 “South of Simeon’s land, Issachar will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.
26 “South of Issachar’s land, Zebulun will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.
27 “South of 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 to the waters of Meribah Kadesh. Then it will run along the brook of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea.
29 “This is the land you will divide among the tribes of Israel. These are to be their shares,” says the Lord God.
The Gates of the City
30 “These will be the outside borders of the city: The north side will measure more than a mile. 31 There will be three gates facing north. They are Reuben’s Gate, Judah’s Gate and Levi’s Gate. The city’s gates will be named for the tribes of Israel.
32 “The east side will measure more than a mile. There will be three gates facing east. They are Joseph’s Gate, Benjamin’s Gate and Dan’s Gate.
33 “The south side will measure more than a mile. There will be three gates facing south. They are Simeon’s Gate, Issachar’s Gate and Zebulun’s Gate.
34 “The west side will measure more than a mile. There will be three gates facing west. They are Gad’s Gate, Asher’s Gate and Naphtali’s Gate.
35 “The city will measure about six miles around. From then on the name of the city will be The Lord God Is There.”
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.