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Ezekiel 44:4-48:35
New International Version

4 Then the man brought me by way of the north gate(A) to the front of the temple. I looked and saw the glory of the Lord filling the temple(B) of the Lord, and I fell facedown.(C)

5 The Lord said to me, “Son of man, look carefully, listen closely and give attention to everything I tell you concerning all the regulations and instructions regarding the temple of the Lord. Give attention to the entrance(D) to the temple and all the exits of the sanctuary.(E) 6 Say to rebellious Israel,(F) ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Enough of your detestable practices, people of Israel! 7 In addition to all your other detestable practices, you brought foreigners uncircumcised in heart(G) and flesh into my sanctuary, desecrating my temple while you offered me food, fat and blood, and you broke my covenant.(H) 8 Instead of carrying out your duty in regard to my holy things, you put others in charge of my sanctuary.(I) 9 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh is to enter my sanctuary, not even the foreigners who live among the Israelites.(J)

10 “‘The Levites who went far from me when Israel went astray(K) and who wandered from me after their idols must bear the consequences of their sin.(L) 11 They may serve in my sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and serving in it; they may slaughter the burnt offerings(M) and sacrifices for the people and stand before the people and serve them.(N) 12 But because they served them in the presence of their idols and made the people of Israel fall(O) into sin, therefore I have sworn with uplifted hand(P) that they must bear the consequences of their sin, declares the Sovereign Lord.(Q) 13 They are not to come near to serve me as priests or come near any of my holy things or my most holy offerings; they must bear the shame(R) of their detestable practices.(S) 14 And I will appoint them to guard the temple for all the work that is to be done in it.(T)

15 “‘But the Levitical priests, who are descendants of Zadok(U) and who guarded my sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from me, are to come near to minister before me; they are to stand before me to offer sacrifices of fat(V) and blood, declares the Sovereign Lord.(W) 16 They alone are to enter my sanctuary; they alone are to come near my table(X) to minister before me and serve me as guards.(Y)

17 “‘When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen clothes;(Z) they must not wear any woolen garment while ministering at the gates of the inner court or inside the temple. 18 They are to wear linen turbans(AA) on their heads and linen undergarments(AB) around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire.(AC) 19 When they go out into the outer court where the people are, they are to take off the clothes they have been ministering in and are to leave them in the sacred rooms, and put on other clothes, so that the people are not consecrated(AD) through contact with their garments.(AE)

20 “‘They must not shave(AF) their heads or let their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of their heads trimmed.(AG) 21 No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court.(AH) 22 They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may marry only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests.(AI) 23 They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common(AJ) and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.(AK)

24 “‘In any dispute, the priests are to serve as judges(AL) and decide it according to my ordinances. They are to keep my laws and my decrees for all my appointed festivals,(AM) and they are to keep my Sabbaths holy.(AN)

25 “‘A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person; however, if the dead person was his father or mother, son or daughter, brother or unmarried sister, then he may defile himself.(AO) 26 After he is cleansed, he must wait seven days.(AP) 27 On the day he goes into the inner court of the sanctuary(AQ) to minister in the sanctuary, he is to offer a sin offering[a](AR) for himself, declares the Sovereign Lord.

28 “‘I am to be the only inheritance(AS) the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession. 29 They will eat(AT) the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings; and everything in Israel devoted[b] to the Lord(AU) will belong to them.(AV) 30 The best of all the firstfruits(AW) and of all your special gifts will belong to the priests. You are to give them the first portion of your ground meal(AX) so that a blessing(AY) may rest on your household.(AZ) 31 The priests must not eat anything, whether bird or animal, found dead(BA) or torn by wild animals.(BB)

Israel Fully Restored

45 “‘When you allot the land as an inheritance,(BC) you are to present to the Lord a portion of the land as a sacred district, 25,000 cubits[c] long and 20,000[d] cubits[e] wide; the entire area will be holy.(BD) 2 Of this, a section 500 cubits[f] square(BE) is to be for the sanctuary, with 50 cubits[g] around it for open land. 3 In the sacred district, measure off a section 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits[h] wide. In it will be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. 4 It will be the sacred portion of the land for the priests,(BF) who minister in the sanctuary and who draw near to minister before the Lord. It will be a place for their houses as well as a holy place for the sanctuary.(BG) 5 An area 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide will belong to the Levites, who serve in the temple, as their possession for towns to live in.[i](BH)

6 “‘You are to give the city as its property an area 5,000 cubits[j] wide and 25,000 cubits long, adjoining the sacred portion; it will belong to all Israel.(BI)

7 “‘The prince will have the land bordering each side of the area formed by the sacred district and the property of the city. It will extend westward from the west side and eastward from the east side, running lengthwise from the western to the eastern border parallel to one of the tribal portions.(BJ) 8 This land will be his possession in Israel. And my princes will no longer oppress my people but will allow the people of Israel to possess the land according to their tribes.(BK)

9 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You have gone far enough, princes of Israel! Give up your violence and oppression(BL) and do what is just and right.(BM) Stop dispossessing my people, declares the Sovereign Lord. 10 You are to use accurate scales,(BN) an accurate ephah[k](BO) and an accurate bath.[l] 11 The ephah(BP) and the bath are to be the same size, the bath containing a tenth of a homer and the ephah a tenth of a homer; the homer is to be the standard measure for both. 12 The shekel[m] is to consist of twenty gerahs.(BQ) Twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels equal one mina.[n]

13 “‘This is the special gift you are to offer: a sixth of an ephah[o] from each homer of wheat and a sixth of an ephah[p] from each homer of barley. 14 The prescribed portion of olive oil, measured by the bath, is a tenth of a bath[q] from each cor (which consists of ten baths or one homer, for ten baths are equivalent to a homer). 15 Also one sheep is to be taken from every flock of two hundred from the well-watered pastures of Israel. These will be used for the grain offerings, burnt offerings(BR) and fellowship offerings to make atonement(BS) for the people, declares the Sovereign Lord. 16 All the people of the land will be required to give this special offering to the prince in Israel. 17 It will be the duty of the prince to provide the burnt offerings, grain offerings and drink offerings at the festivals, the New Moons(BT) and the Sabbaths(BU)—at all the appointed festivals of Israel. He will provide the sin offerings,[r] grain offerings, burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to make atonement for the Israelites.(BV)

18 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In the first month(BW) on the first day you are to take a young bull without defect(BX) and purify the sanctuary.(BY) 19 The priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple, on the four corners of the upper ledge(BZ) of the altar(CA) and on the gateposts of the inner court. 20 You are to do the same on the seventh day of the month for anyone who sins unintentionally(CB) or through ignorance; so you are to make atonement for the temple.

21 “‘In the first month on the fourteenth day you are to observe the Passover,(CC) a festival lasting seven days, during which you shall eat bread made without yeast. 22 On that day the prince is to provide a bull as a sin offering for himself and for all the people of the land.(CD) 23 Every day during the seven days of the festival he is to provide seven bulls and seven rams(CE) without defect as a burnt offering to the Lord, and a male goat for a sin offering.(CF) 24 He is to provide as a grain offering(CG) an ephah for each bull and an ephah for each ram, along with a hin[s] of olive oil for each ephah.(CH)

25 “‘During the seven days of the festival,(CI) which begins in the seventh month on the fifteenth day, he is to make the same provision for sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings and oil.(CJ)

46 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The gate of the inner court(CK) facing east(CL) is to be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon(CM) it is to be opened. 2 The prince is to enter from the outside through the portico(CN) of the gateway and stand by the gatepost. The priests are to sacrifice his burnt offering(CO) and his fellowship offerings. He is to bow down in worship at the threshold of the gateway and then go out, but the gate will not be shut until evening.(CP) 3 On the Sabbaths(CQ) and New Moons the people of the land are to worship in the presence of the Lord at the entrance of that gateway.(CR) 4 The burnt offering the prince brings to the Lord on the Sabbath day is to be six male lambs and a ram, all without defect. 5 The grain offering given with the ram is to be an ephah,[t] and the grain offering with the lambs is to be as much as he pleases, along with a hin[u] of olive oil for each ephah.(CS) 6 On the day of the New Moon(CT) he is to offer a young bull, six lambs and a ram, all without defect.(CU) 7 He is to provide as a grain offering one ephah with the bull, one ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as he wants to give, along with a hin of oil for each ephah.(CV) 8 When the prince enters, he is to go in through the portico(CW) of the gateway, and he is to come out the same way.(CX)

9 “‘When the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed festivals,(CY) whoever enters by the north gate to worship is to go out the south gate; and whoever enters by the south gate is to go out the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which they entered, but each is to go out the opposite gate. 10 The prince is to be among them, going in when they go in and going out when they go out.(CZ) 11 At the feasts and the appointed festivals, the grain offering is to be an ephah with a bull, an ephah with a ram, and with the lambs as much as he pleases, along with a hin of oil for each ephah.(DA)

12 “‘When the prince provides(DB) a freewill offering(DC) to the Lord—whether a burnt offering or fellowship offerings—the gate facing east is to be opened for him. He shall offer his burnt offering or his fellowship offerings as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and after he has gone out, the gate will be shut.(DD)

13 “‘Every day you are to provide a year-old lamb without defect for a burnt offering to the Lord; morning by morning(DE) you shall provide it.(DF) 14 You are also to provide with it morning by morning a grain offering, consisting of a sixth of an ephah[v] with a third of a hin[w] of oil(DG) to moisten the flour. The presenting of this grain offering to the Lord is a lasting ordinance.(DH) 15 So the lamb and the grain offering and the oil shall be provided morning by morning for a regular(DI) burnt offering.(DJ)

16 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: If the prince makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his sons, it will also belong to his descendants; it is to be their property by inheritance.(DK) 17 If, however, he makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, the servant may keep it until the year of freedom;(DL) then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance belongs to his sons only; it is theirs. 18 The prince must not take(DM) any of the inheritance(DN) of the people, driving them off their property. He is to give his sons their inheritance out of his own property, so that not one of my people will be separated from their property.’”

19 Then the man brought me through the entrance(DO) at the side of the gate to the sacred rooms facing north,(DP) which belonged to the priests, and showed me a place at the western end. 20 He said to me, “This is the place where the priests are to cook the guilt offering and the sin offering[x] and bake the grain offering, to avoid bringing them into the outer court and consecrating(DQ) the people.”(DR)

21 He then brought me to the outer court and led me around to its four corners, and I saw in each corner another court. 22 In the four corners of the outer court were enclosed[y] courts, forty cubits long and thirty cubits wide;[z] each of the courts in the four corners was the same size. 23 Around the inside of each of the four courts was a ledge of stone, with places for fire built all around under the ledge. 24 He said to me, “These are the kitchens where those who minister at the temple are to cook the sacrifices of the people.”

The River From the Temple

47 The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water(DS) coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar.(DT) 2 He then brought me out through the north gate(DU) and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side.

3 As the man went eastward with a measuring line(DV) in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits[aa] and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. 4 He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. 5 He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river(DW) that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross.(DX) 6 He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?”

Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river.(DY) 8 He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah,[ab](DZ) where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh.(EA) 9 Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live.(EB) 10 Fishermen(EC) will stand along the shore; from En Gedi(ED) to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets.(EE) The fish will be of many kinds(EF)—like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea.(EG) 11 But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt.(EH) 12 Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river.(EI) Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit(EJ) fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary(EK) flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.(EL)”

The Boundaries of the Land

13 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “These are the boundaries(EM) of the land that you will divide among the twelve tribes of Israel as their inheritance, with two portions for Joseph.(EN) 14 You are to divide it equally among them. Because I swore with uplifted hand to give it to your ancestors, this land will become your inheritance.(EO)

15 “This is to be the boundary of the land:(EP)

“On the north side it will run from the Mediterranean Sea(EQ) by the Hethlon road(ER) past Lebo Hamath to Zedad, 16 Berothah[ac](ES) and Sibraim (which lies on the border between Damascus and Hamath),(ET) as far as Hazer Hattikon, which is on the border of Hauran. 17 The boundary will extend from the sea to Hazar Enan,[ad] along the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This will be the northern boundary.(EU)

18 “On the east side the boundary will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, to the Dead Sea and as far as Tamar.[ae] This will be the eastern boundary.(EV)

19 “On the south side it will run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah Kadesh,(EW) then along the Wadi of Egypt(EX) to the Mediterranean Sea.(EY) This will be the southern boundary.

20 “On the west side, the Mediterranean Sea will be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo Hamath.(EZ) This will be the western boundary.(FA)

21 “You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 You are to allot it as an inheritance(FB) for yourselves and for the foreigners(FC) residing among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.(FD) 23 In whatever tribe a foreigner resides, there you are to give them their inheritance,” declares the Sovereign Lord.(FE)

The Division of the Land

48 “These are the tribes, listed by name: At the northern frontier, Dan(FF) will have one portion; it will follow the Hethlon road(FG) to Lebo Hamath;(FH) Hazar Enan and the northern border of Damascus next to Hamath will be part of its border from the east side to the west side.

2 “Asher(FI) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Dan from east to west.

3 “Naphtali(FJ) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Asher from east to west.

4 “Manasseh(FK) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Naphtali from east to west.

5 “Ephraim(FL) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Manasseh(FM) from east to west.(FN)

6 “Reuben(FO) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Ephraim from east to west.

7 “Judah(FP) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Reuben from east to west.

8 “Bordering the territory of Judah from east to west will be the portion you are to present as a special gift. It will be 25,000 cubits[af] wide, and its length from east to west will equal one of the tribal portions; the sanctuary will be in the center of it.(FQ)

9 “The special portion you are to offer to the Lord will be 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits[ag] wide.(FR) 10 This will be the sacred portion for the priests. It will be 25,000 cubits long on the north side, 10,000 cubits wide on the west side, 10,000 cubits wide on the east side and 25,000 cubits long on the south side. In the center of it will be the sanctuary of the Lord.(FS) 11 This will be for the consecrated priests, the Zadokites,(FT) who were faithful in serving me(FU) and did not go astray as the Levites did when the Israelites went astray.(FV) 12 It will be a special gift to them from the sacred portion of the land, a most holy portion, bordering the territory of the Levites.

13 “Alongside the territory of the priests, the Levites will have an allotment 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide. Its total length will be 25,000 cubits and its width 10,000 cubits.(FW) 14 They must not sell or exchange any of it. This is the best of the land and must not pass into other hands, because it is holy to the Lord.(FX)

15 “The remaining area, 5,000 cubits[ah] wide and 25,000 cubits long, will be for the common use of the city, for houses and for pastureland. The city will be in the center of it 16 and will have these measurements: the north side 4,500 cubits,[ai] the south side 4,500 cubits, the east side 4,500 cubits, and the west side 4,500 cubits.(FY) 17 The pastureland for the city will be 250 cubits[aj] on the north, 250 cubits on the south, 250 cubits on the east, and 250 cubits on the west. 18 What remains of the area, bordering on the sacred portion and running the length of it, will be 10,000 cubits on the east side and 10,000 cubits on the west side. Its produce will supply food for the workers of the city.(FZ) 19 The workers from the city who farm it will come from all the tribes of Israel. 20 The entire portion will be a square, 25,000 cubits on each side. As a special gift you will set aside the sacred portion, along with the property of the city.

21 “What remains on both sides of the area formed by the sacred portion and the property of the city will belong to the prince. It will extend eastward from the 25,000 cubits of the sacred portion to the eastern border, and westward from the 25,000 cubits to the western border. Both these areas running the length of the tribal portions will belong to the prince, and the sacred portion with the temple sanctuary will be in the center of them.(GA) 22 So the property of the Levites and the property of the city will lie in the center of the area that belongs to the prince. The area belonging to the prince will lie between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin.

23 “As for the rest of the tribes: Benjamin(GB) will have one portion; it will extend from the east side to the west side.

24 “Simeon(GC) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Benjamin from east to west.

25 “Issachar(GD) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Simeon from east to west.

26 “Zebulun(GE) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Issachar from east to west.

27 “Gad(GF) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Zebulun from east to west.

28 “The southern boundary of Gad will run south from Tamar(GG) to the waters of Meribah Kadesh, then along the Wadi of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea.(GH)

29 “This is the land you are to allot as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel, and these will be their portions,” declares the Sovereign Lord.(GI)

The Gates of the New City

30 “These will be the exits of the city: Beginning on the north side, which is 4,500 cubits long, 31 the gates of the city will be named after the tribes of Israel. The three gates on the north side will be the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah and the gate of Levi.

32 “On the east side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three gates: the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin and the gate of Dan.

33 “On the south side, which measures 4,500 cubits, will be three gates: the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar and the gate of Zebulun.

34 “On the west side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three gates: the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher and the gate of Naphtali.(GJ)

35 “The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits.[ak]

“And the name of the city from that time on will be:

the Lord is there.(GK)”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 44:27 Or purification offering; also in verse 29
  2. Ezekiel 44:29 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord.
  3. Ezekiel 45:1 That is, about 8 miles or about 13 kilometers; also in verses 3, 5 and 6
  4. Ezekiel 45:1 Septuagint (see also verses 3 and 5 and 48:9); Hebrew 10,000
  5. Ezekiel 45:1 That is, about 6 1/2 miles or about 11 kilometers
  6. Ezekiel 45:2 That is, about 875 feet or about 265 meters
  7. Ezekiel 45:2 That is, about 88 feet or about 27 meters
  8. Ezekiel 45:3 That is, about 3 1/3 miles or about 5.3 kilometers; also in verse 5
  9. Ezekiel 45:5 Septuagint; Hebrew temple; they will have as their possession 20 rooms
  10. Ezekiel 45:6 That is, about 1 2/3 miles or about 2.7 kilometers
  11. Ezekiel 45:10 An ephah was a dry measure having the capacity of about 3/5 bushel or about 22 liters.
  12. Ezekiel 45:10 A bath was a liquid measure equaling about 6 gallons or about 22 liters.
  13. Ezekiel 45:12 A shekel weighed about 2/5 ounce or about 12 grams.
  14. Ezekiel 45:12 That is, 60 shekels; the common mina was 50 shekels. Sixty shekels were about 1 1/2 pounds or about 690 grams.
  15. Ezekiel 45:13 That is, probably about 6 pounds or about 2.7 kilograms
  16. Ezekiel 45:13 That is, probably about 5 pounds or about 2.3 kilograms
  17. Ezekiel 45:14 That is, about 2 1/2 quarts or about 2.2 liters
  18. Ezekiel 45:17 Or purification offerings; also in verses 19, 22, 23 and 25
  19. Ezekiel 45:24 That is, about 1 gallon or about 3.8 liters
  20. Ezekiel 46:5 That is, probably about 35 pounds or about 16 kilograms; also in verses 7 and 11
  21. Ezekiel 46:5 That is, about 1 gallon or about 3.8 liters; also in verses 7 and 11
  22. Ezekiel 46:14 That is, probably about 6 pounds or about 2.7 kilograms
  23. Ezekiel 46:14 That is, about 1 1/2 quarts or about 1.3 liters
  24. Ezekiel 46:20 Or purification offering
  25. Ezekiel 46:22 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  26. Ezekiel 46:22 That is, about 70 feet long and 53 feet wide or about 21 meters long and 16 meters wide
  27. Ezekiel 47:3 That is, about 1,700 feet or about 530 meters
  28. Ezekiel 47:8 Or the Jordan Valley
  29. Ezekiel 47:16 See Septuagint and 48:1; Hebrew road to go into Zedad, 16 Hamath, Berothah.
  30. Ezekiel 47:17 Hebrew Enon, a variant of Enan
  31. Ezekiel 47:18 See Syriac; Hebrew Israel. You will measure to the Dead Sea.
  32. Ezekiel 48:8 That is, about 8 miles or about 13 kilometers; also in verses 9, 10, 13, 15, 20 and 21
  33. Ezekiel 48:9 That is, about 3 1/3 miles or about 5.3 kilometers; also in verses 10, 13 and 18
  34. Ezekiel 48:15 That is, about 1 2/3 miles or about 2.7 kilometers
  35. Ezekiel 48:16 That is, about 1 1/2 miles or about 2.4 kilometers; also in verses 30, 32, 33 and 34
  36. Ezekiel 48:17 That is, about 440 feet or about 135 meters
  37. Ezekiel 48:35 That is, about 6 miles or about 9.5 kilometers
Listen to Ezekiel 44:4-48:35
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Ezekiel 44:4-48:35
New King James Version

Those Admitted to the Temple

4 Also He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the [a]temple; so I looked, and (A)behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord; (B)and I fell on my face. 5 And the Lord said to me, (C)“Son of man, [b]mark well, see with your eyes and hear with your ears, all that I say to you concerning all the (D)ordinances of the house of the Lord and all its laws. Mark well who may enter the house and all who go out from the sanctuary.

6 “Now say to the (E)rebellious, to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “O house of Israel, (F)let Us have no more of all your abominations. 7 (G)When you brought in (H)foreigners, (I)uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary to defile it—My house—and when you offered (J)My food, (K)the fat and the blood, then they broke My covenant because of all your abominations. 8 And you have not (L)kept charge of My holy things, but you have set others to keep charge of My sanctuary for you.” 9 Thus says the Lord God: (M)“No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter My sanctuary, including any foreigner who is among the children of Israel.

Laws Governing Priests

10 (N)“And the Levites who went far from Me, when Israel went astray, who strayed away from Me after their idols, they shall bear their iniquity. 11 Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, (O)as gatekeepers of the house and ministers of the house; (P)they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and (Q)they shall stand before them to minister to them. 12 Because they ministered to them before their idols and (R)caused[c] the house of Israel to fall into iniquity, therefore I have (S)raised My hand in an oath against them,” says the Lord God, “that they shall bear their iniquity. 13 (T)And they shall not come near Me to minister to Me as priest, nor come near any of My holy things, nor into the Most Holy Place; but they shall (U)bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed. 14 Nevertheless I will make them (V)keep charge of the temple, for all its work, and for all that has to be done in it.

15 (W)“But the priests, the Levites, (X)the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary (Y)when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they (Z)shall stand before Me to offer to Me the (AA)fat and the blood,” says the Lord God. 16 “They shall (AB)enter My sanctuary, and they shall come near (AC)My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge. 17 And it shall be, whenever they enter the gates of the inner court, that (AD)they shall put on linen garments; no wool shall come upon them while they minister within the gates of the inner court or within the house. 18 (AE)They shall have linen turbans on their heads and linen trousers on their bodies; they shall not clothe themselves with anything that causes sweat. 19 When they go out to the outer court, to the outer court to the people, (AF)they shall take off their garments in which they have ministered, leave them in the holy chambers, and put on other garments; and in their holy garments they shall (AG)not sanctify the people.

20 (AH)“They shall neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow (AI)long, but they shall keep their hair well trimmed. 21 (AJ)No priest shall drink wine when he enters the inner court. 22 They shall not take as wife a (AK)widow or a divorced woman, but take virgins of the descendants of the house of Israel, or widows of priests.

23 “And (AL)they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to (AM)discern between the unclean and the clean. 24 (AN)In controversy they shall stand as judges, and judge it according to My judgments. They shall keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed meetings, (AO)and they shall hallow My Sabbaths.

25 “They shall not defile themselves by coming near a dead person. Only for father or mother, for son or daughter, for brother or unmarried sister may they defile themselves. 26 (AP)After he is cleansed, they shall count seven days for him. 27 And on the day that he goes to the sanctuary to minister in the sanctuary, (AQ)he must offer his sin offering (AR)in the inner court,” says the Lord God.

28 “It shall be, in regard to their inheritance, that I (AS)am their inheritance. You shall give them no (AT)possession in Israel, for I am their possession. 29 (AU)They shall eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering; (AV)every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs. 30 The (AW)best[d] of all firstfruits of any kind, and every sacrifice of any kind from all your sacrifices, shall be the priest’s; also you (AX)shall give to the priest the first of your ground meal, (AY)to cause a blessing to rest on your house. 31 The priests shall not eat anything, bird or beast, that (AZ)died naturally or was torn by wild beasts.

The Holy District

45 “Moreover, when you (BA)divide the land by lot into inheritance, you shall (BB)set apart a district for the Lord, a holy section of the land; its length shall be twenty-five thousand cubits, and the width ten thousand. It shall be holy throughout its territory all around. 2 Of this there shall be a square plot for the sanctuary, (BC)five hundred by five hundred rods, with fifty cubits around it for an open space. 3 So this is the district you shall measure: twenty-five thousand cubits long and ten thousand wide; (BD)in it shall be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. 4 It shall be (BE)a holy section of the land, belonging to the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, who come near to minister to the Lord; it shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. 5 (BF)An area twenty-five thousand cubits long and ten thousand wide shall belong to the Levites, the ministers of the [e]temple; they shall have (BG)twenty[f] chambers as a possession.

Properties of the City and the Prince

6 (BH)“You shall appoint as the property of the city an area five thousand cubits wide and twenty-five thousand long, adjacent to the district of the holy section; it shall belong to the whole house of Israel.

7 (BI)“The prince shall have a section on one side and the other of the holy district and the city’s property; and bordering on the holy district and the city’s property, extending westward on the west side and eastward on the east side, the length shall be side by side with one of the tribal portions, from the west border to the east border. 8 The land shall be his possession in Israel; and (BJ)My princes shall no more oppress My people, but they shall give the rest of the land to the house of Israel, according to their tribes.”

Laws Governing the Prince

9 ‘Thus says the Lord God: (BK)“Enough, O princes of Israel! (BL)Remove violence and plundering, execute justice and righteousness, and stop dispossessing My people,” says the Lord God. 10 “You shall have (BM)honest scales, an honest ephah, and an honest bath. 11 The ephah and the bath shall be of the same measure, so that the bath contains one-tenth of a homer, and the ephah one-tenth of a homer; their measure shall be according to the homer. 12 The (BN)shekel shall be twenty gerahs; twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels, and fifteen shekels shall be your mina.

13 “This is the offering which you shall offer: you shall give one-sixth of an ephah from a homer of wheat, and one-sixth of an ephah from a homer of barley. 14 The ordinance concerning oil, the bath of oil, is one-tenth of a bath from a kor. A kor is a homer or ten baths, for ten baths are a homer. 15 And one lamb shall be given from a flock of two hundred, from the rich pastures of Israel. These shall be for grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, (BO)to make atonement for them,” says the Lord God. 16 “All the people of the land shall give this offering for the prince in Israel. 17 Then it shall be the (BP)prince’s part to give burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings, at the feasts, the New Moons, the Sabbaths, and at all the appointed seasons of the house of Israel. He shall prepare the sin offering, the grain offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings to make atonement for the house of Israel.”

Keeping the Feasts(BQ)

18 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “In the first month, on the first day of the month, you shall take a young bull without blemish and (BR)cleanse the sanctuary. 19 (BS)The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the [g]temple, on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the gateposts of the gate of the inner court. 20 And so you shall do on the seventh day of the month (BT)for everyone who has sinned unintentionally or in ignorance. Thus you shall make atonement for the temple.

21 (BU)“In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall observe the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten. 22 And on that day the prince shall prepare for himself and for all the people of the land (BV)a bull for a sin offering. 23 On the (BW)seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt offering to the Lord, seven bulls and seven rams without blemish, daily for seven days, (BX)and a kid of the goats daily for a sin offering. 24 (BY)And he shall prepare a grain offering of one ephah for each bull and one ephah for each ram, together with a hin of oil for each ephah.

25 “In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month, at the (BZ)feast, he shall do likewise for seven days, according to the sin offering, the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the oil.”

The Manner of Worship

46 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “The gateway of the inner court that faces toward the east shall be shut the six (CA)working days; but on the Sabbath it shall be opened, and on the day of the New Moon it shall be opened. 2 (CB)The prince shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway from the outside, and stand by the gatepost. The priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings. He shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening. 3 Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the entrance to this gateway before the Lord on the Sabbaths and the New Moons. 4 The burnt offering that (CC)the prince offers to the Lord on the (CD)Sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish; 5 (CE)and the grain offering shall be one ephah for a ram, and the grain offering for the lambs, [h]as much as he wants to give, as well as a hin of oil with every ephah. 6 On the day of the New Moon it shall be a young bull without blemish, six lambs, and a ram; they shall be without blemish. 7 He shall prepare a grain offering of an ephah for a bull, an ephah for a ram, [i]as much as he wants to give for the lambs, and a hin of oil with every ephah. 8 (CF)When the prince enters, he shall go in by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way.

9 “But when the people of the land (CG)come before the Lord on the appointed feast days, whoever enters by way of the north (CH)gate to worship shall go out by way of the south gate; and whoever enters by way of the south gate shall go out by way of the north gate. He shall not return by way of the gate through which he came, but shall go out through the opposite gate. 10 The prince shall then be in their midst. When they go in, he shall go in; and when they go out, he shall go out. 11 At the festivals and the appointed feast days (CI)the grain offering shall be an ephah for a bull, an ephah for a ram, as much as he wants to give for the lambs, and a hin of oil with every ephah.

12 “Now when the prince makes a voluntary burnt offering or voluntary peace offering to the Lord, the gate that faces toward the east (CJ)shall then be opened for him; and he shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings as he did on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and after he goes out the gate shall be shut.

13 (CK)“You shall daily make a burnt offering to the Lord of a lamb of the first year without blemish; you shall prepare it [j]every morning. 14 And you shall prepare a grain offering with it every morning, a sixth of an ephah, and a third of a hin of oil to moisten the fine flour. This grain offering is a perpetual ordinance, to be made regularly to the Lord. 15 Thus they shall prepare the lamb, the grain offering, and the oil, as a (CL)regular burnt offering every morning.”

The Prince and Inheritance Laws

16 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “If the prince gives a gift of some of his inheritance to any of his sons, it shall belong to his sons; it is their possession by inheritance. 17 But if he gives a gift of some of his inheritance to one of his servants, it shall be his until (CM)the year of liberty, after which it shall return to the prince. But his inheritance shall belong to his sons; it shall become theirs. 18 Moreover (CN)the prince shall not take any of the people’s inheritance by evicting them from their property; he shall provide an inheritance for his sons from his own property, so that none of My people may be scattered from his property.” ’ ”

How the Offerings Were Prepared

19 Now he brought me through the entrance, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy (CO)chambers of the priests which face toward the north; and there a place was situated at their extreme western end. 20 And he said to me, “This is the place where the priests shall (CP)boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, and where they shall (CQ)bake the grain offering, so that they do not bring them out into the outer court (CR)to sanctify the people.”

21 Then he brought me out into the outer court and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and in fact, in every corner of the court there was another court. 22 In the four corners of the court were enclosed courts, forty cubits long and thirty wide; all four corners were the same size. 23 There was a row of building stones all around in them, all around the four of them; and [k]cooking hearths were made under the rows of stones all around. 24 And he said to me, “These are the [l]kitchens where the ministers of the [m]temple shall (CS)boil the sacrifices of the people.”

The Healing Waters and Trees

47 Then he brought me back to the door of the [n]temple; and there was (CT)water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces (CU)east; and there was water, running out on the right side.

3 And when (CV)the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles. 4 Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. 5 Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. 6 He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river.

7 When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many (CW)trees on one side and the other. 8 Then he said to me: “This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the [o]valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. 9 And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever [p]the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. 10 It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish (CX)of the Great Sea, exceedingly many. 11 But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt. 12 (CY)Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; (CZ)their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for (DA)medicine.”[q]

Borders of the Land(DB)

13 Thus says the Lord God: “These are the (DC)borders by which you shall divide the land as an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel. (DD)Joseph shall have two portions. 14 You shall inherit it equally with one another; for I (DE)raised My hand in an oath to give it to your fathers, and this land shall (DF)fall to you as your inheritance.

15 “This shall be the border of the land on the north: from the Great Sea, by (DG)the road to Hethlon, as one goes to (DH)Zedad, 16 (DI)Hamath, (DJ)Berothah, Sibraim (which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath), to Hazar Hatticon (which is on the border of Hauran). 17 Thus the boundary shall be from the Sea to (DK)Hazar Enan, the border of Damascus; and as for the north, northward, it is the border of Hamath. This is the north side.

18 “On the east side you shall mark out the border from between Hauran and Damascus, and between Gilead and the land of Israel, along the Jordan, and along the eastern side of the sea. This is the east side.

19 “The south side, toward the [r]South, shall be from Tamar to (DL)the waters of [s]Meribah by Kadesh, along the brook to the Great Sea. This is the south side, toward the South.

20 “The west side shall be the Great Sea, from the southern boundary until one comes to a point opposite Hamath. This is the west side.

21 “Thus you shall (DM)divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 It shall be that you will divide it by (DN)lot as an inheritance for yourselves, (DO)and for the strangers who dwell among you and who bear children among you. (DP)They shall be to you as native-born among the children of Israel; they shall have an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 And it shall be that in whatever tribe the stranger dwells, there you shall give him his inheritance,” says the Lord God.

Division of the Land

48 “Now these are the names of the tribes: (DQ)From the northern border along the road to Hethlon at the entrance of Hamath, to Hazar Enan, the border of Damascus northward, in the direction of Hamath, there shall be one section for (DR)Dan from its east to its west side; 2 by the border of Dan, from the east side to the west, one section for (DS)Asher; 3 by the border of Asher, from the east side to the west, one section for (DT)Naphtali; 4 by the border of Naphtali, from the east side to the west, one section for (DU)Manasseh; 5 by the border of Manasseh, from the east side to the west, one section for (DV)Ephraim; 6 by the border of Ephraim, from the east side to the west, one section for (DW)Reuben; 7 by the border of Reuben, from the east side to the west, one section for (DX)Judah; 8 by the border of Judah, from the east side to the west, shall be (DY)the district which you shall set apart, twenty-five thousand cubits in width, and in length the same as one of the other portions, from the east side to the west, with the (DZ)sanctuary in the center.

9 “The district that you shall set apart for the Lord shall be twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width. 10 To these—to the priests—the holy district shall belong: on the north twenty-five thousand cubits in length, on the west ten thousand in width, on the east ten thousand in width, and on the south twenty-five thousand in length. The sanctuary of the Lord shall be in the center. 11 (EA)It shall be for the priests of the sons of Zadok, who are sanctified, who have kept My charge, who did not go astray when the children of Israel went astray, (EB)as the Levites went astray. 12 And this district of land that is set apart shall be to them a thing most (EC)holy by the border of the Levites.

13 “Opposite the border of the priests, the (ED)Levites shall have an area twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width; its entire length shall be twenty-five thousand and its width ten thousand. 14 (EE)And they shall not sell or exchange any of it; they may not alienate this best part of the land, for it is holy to the Lord.

15 (EF)“The five thousand cubits in width that remain, along the edge of the twenty-five thousand, shall be (EG)for general use by the city, for dwellings and common-land; and the city shall be in the center. 16 These shall be its measurements: the north side four thousand five hundred cubits, the south side four thousand five hundred, the east side four thousand five hundred, and the west side four thousand five hundred. 17 The common-land of the city shall be: to the north two hundred and fifty cubits, to the south two hundred and fifty, to the east two hundred and fifty, and to the west two hundred and fifty. 18 The rest of the length, alongside the district of the holy section, shall be ten thousand cubits to the east and ten thousand to the west. It shall be adjacent to the district of the holy section, and its produce shall be food for the workers of the city. 19 (EH)The workers of the city, from all the tribes of Israel, shall cultivate it. 20 The entire district shall be twenty-five thousand cubits by twenty-five thousand cubits, foursquare. You shall set apart the holy district with the property of the city.

21 (EI)“The rest shall belong to the prince, on one side and on the other of the holy district and of the city’s property, next to the twenty-five thousand cubits of the holy district as far as the eastern border, and westward next to the twenty-five thousand as far as the western border, adjacent to the tribal portions; it shall belong to the prince. It shall be the holy district, (EJ)and the sanctuary of the [t]temple shall be in the center. 22 Moreover, apart from the possession of the Levites and the possession of the city which are in the midst of what belongs to the prince, the area between the border of Judah and the border of (EK)Benjamin shall belong to the prince.

23 “As for the rest of the tribes, from the east side to the west, Benjamin shall have one section; 24 by the border of Benjamin, from the east side to the west, (EL)Simeon shall have one section; 25 by the border of Simeon, from the east side to the west, (EM)Issachar shall have one section; 26 by the border of Issachar, from the east side to the west, (EN)Zebulun shall have one section; 27 by the border of Zebulun, from the east side to the west, (EO)Gad shall have one section; 28 by the border of Gad, on the south side, toward the [u]South, the border shall be from Tamar to (EP)the waters of [v]Meribah by Kadesh, along the brook to the (EQ)Great Sea. 29 (ER)This is the land which you shall divide by lot as an inheritance among the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions,” says the Lord God.

The Gates of the City and Its Name

30 “These are the exits of the city. On the north side, measuring four thousand five hundred cubits 31 (ES)(the gates of the city shall be named after the tribes of Israel), the three gates northward: one gate for Reuben, one gate for Judah, and one gate for Levi; 32 on the east side, four thousand five hundred cubits, three gates: one gate for Joseph, one gate for Benjamin, and one gate for Dan; 33 on the south side, measuring four thousand five hundred cubits, three gates: one gate for Simeon, one gate for Issachar, and one gate for Zebulun; 34 on the west side, four thousand five hundred cubits with their three gates: one gate for Gad, one gate for Asher, and one gate for Naphtali. 35 All the way around shall be eighteen thousand cubits; (ET)and the name of the city from that day shall be: (EU)THE[w] LORD IS THERE.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 44:4 Lit. house
  2. Ezekiel 44:5 Lit. set your heart
  3. Ezekiel 44:12 Lit. became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel
  4. Ezekiel 44:30 Lit. first
  5. Ezekiel 45:5 Lit. house
  6. Ezekiel 45:5 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX a possession, cities of dwelling
  7. Ezekiel 45:19 Lit. house
  8. Ezekiel 46:5 Lit. the gift of his hand
  9. Ezekiel 46:7 Lit. as much as his hand can reach
  10. Ezekiel 46:13 Lit. morning by morning
  11. Ezekiel 46:23 Lit. boiling places
  12. Ezekiel 46:24 Lit. house of those who boil
  13. Ezekiel 46:24 Lit. house
  14. Ezekiel 47:1 Lit. house
  15. Ezekiel 47:8 Or Arabah, the Jordan Valley
  16. Ezekiel 47:9 Lit. two rivers
  17. Ezekiel 47:12 Or healing
  18. Ezekiel 47:19 Heb. Negev
  19. Ezekiel 47:19 Lit. Strife
  20. Ezekiel 48:21 Lit. house
  21. Ezekiel 48:28 Heb. Negev
  22. Ezekiel 48:28 Lit. Strife
  23. Ezekiel 48:35 Heb. YHWH Shammah
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