Ezekiel 48
Expanded Bible
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].
2 “·South of [L Beside] Dan’s border, Asher will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.
3 “·South of [L Beside] Asher’s border, Naphtali will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.
4 “·South of [L Beside] Naphtali’s border, Manasseh will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.
5 “·South of [L Beside] Manasseh’s border, Ephraim will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.
6 “·South of [L Beside] Ephraim’s border, Reuben will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.
7 “·South of [L Beside] Reuben’s border, Judah will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.
8 “·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.
9 “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.”
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