Ezekiel 48

Now these are the names of the tribes. From the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as one goeth to Hamath, Hazarenan, the border of Damascus northward, to the coast of Hamath; for these are his sides east and west; a portion for Dan.

1Here are the names of the tribes and their pieces of land. The strip farthest north belongs to Dan. It runs along the road to Hethlon and on toward Lebo-hamath. It reaches Hazar-enan, near the border of Damascus, with Hamath to the north. Dan's strip stretches all the way from the east side to the west side.

2And by the border of Dan, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Asher.

2Next to Dan's land, Asher gets one strip. It also runs from east to west.

3And by the border of Asher, from the east side even unto the west side, a portion for Naphtali.

3Next to Asher's land, Naphtali gets one strip, running from east to west.

4And by the border of Naphtali, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Manasseh.

4Next to Naphtali's land, Manasseh gets one strip, running from east to west.

5And by the border of Manasseh, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Ephraim.

5Next to Manasseh's land, Ephraim gets one strip, running from east to west.

6And by the border of Ephraim, from the east side even unto the west side, a portion for Reuben.

6Next to Ephraim's land, Reuben gets one strip, running from east to west.

7And by the border of Reuben, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Judah.

7Next to Reuben's land, Judah gets one strip, running from east to west.

8And by the border of Judah, from the east side unto the west side, shall be the offering which ye shall offer of five and twenty thousand reeds in breadth, and in length as one of the other parts, from the east side unto the west side: and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it.

8Next to Judah's land is a strip you must set apart for God. It runs from east to west, like the others. It is 25,000 cubits wide. It is as long as one tribe's strip. In the middle of it stands the temple, the holy house where God is worshiped.

NoteThe KJV gives most of these numbers with no unit. The measuring unit was the cubit, about half a metre, or 18 inches.

9The oblation that ye shall offer unto the LORD shall be of five and twenty thousand in length, and of ten thousand in breadth.

9The part you set apart for the LORD will be 25,000 cubits long. It will be 10,000 cubits wide.

10And for them, even for the priests, shall be this holy oblation; toward the north five and twenty thousand in length, and toward the west ten thousand in breadth, and toward the east ten thousand in breadth, and toward the south five and twenty thousand in length: and the sanctuary of the LORD shall be in the midst thereof.

10This holy piece belongs to the priests, the men who serve God at the temple. Its north side is 25,000 cubits long. Its west side is 10,000 cubits wide. Its east side is 10,000 cubits wide. Its south side is 25,000 cubits long. The LORD's temple stands right in the middle of it.

11It shall be for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok; which have kept my charge, which went not astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray.

11This land is for the priests who were chosen for God's work. They come from the family of Zadok. They kept doing what God told them. They did not wander away when the people of Israel wandered away. The Levites did wander away.

12And this oblation of the land that is offered shall be unto them a thing most holy by the border of the Levites.

12This piece of land is a special gift for the priests. It is the most holy part of the land. It lies right beside the land of the Levites, the men who helped at the temple.

13And over against the border of the priests the Levites shall have five and twenty thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth: all the length shall be five and twenty thousand, and the breadth ten thousand.

13Next to the priests' land, the Levites get their own piece. It is 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide. So the whole length is 25,000 cubits and the width is 10,000.

14And they shall not sell of it, neither exchange, nor alienate the firstfruits of the land: for it is holy unto the LORD.

14They must not sell any of this land. They must not trade it or hand it over to anyone. It is the best part of the land. It belongs to the LORD.

15And the five thousand, that are left in the breadth over against the five and twenty thousand, shall be a profane place for the city, for dwelling, and for suburbs: and the city shall be in the midst thereof.

15The strip that is left is 5,000 cubits wide and 25,000 cubits long. It is for everyday use, not for holy things. It is for the city, for houses, and for open land. The city will sit in the middle of it.

NoteThe KJV calls this a "profane place." In 1611 that meant ordinary or everyday, used for normal living. It did not mean bad.

16And these shall be the measures thereof; the north side four thousand and five hundred, and the south side four thousand and five hundred, and on the east side four thousand and five hundred, and the west side four thousand and five hundred.

16Here are the city's measurements. The north side is 4,500 cubits. The south side is 4,500 cubits. The east side is 4,500 cubits. The west side is 4,500 cubits.

17And the suburbs of the city shall be toward the north two hundred and fifty, and toward the south two hundred and fifty, and toward the east two hundred and fifty, and toward the west two hundred and fifty.

17The open land around the city reaches 250 cubits to the north. It reaches 250 cubits to the south, 250 to the east, and 250 to the west.

NoteThe KJV word "suburbs" here means open grassy land around the city, where animals could feed. It does not mean neighborhoods.

18And the residue in length over against the oblation of the holy portion shall be ten thousand eastward, and ten thousand westward: and it shall be over against the oblation of the holy portion; and the increase thereof shall be for food unto them that serve the city.

18The land that is left lies right beside the holy strip. It goes 10,000 cubits to the east and 10,000 cubits to the west. Whatever grows there will feed the workers of the city.

19And they that serve the city shall serve it out of all the tribes of Israel.

19The workers who farm that land will come from all the tribes of Israel.

20All the oblation shall be five and twenty thousand by five and twenty thousand: ye shall offer the holy oblation foursquare, with the possession of the city.

20The whole set-apart area is a square. Each side is 25,000 cubits long. You will set apart this holy area, along with the city's land.

21And the residue shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy oblation, and of the possession of the city, over against the five and twenty thousand of the oblation toward the east border, and westward over against the five and twenty thousand toward the west border, over against the portions for the prince: and it shall be the holy oblation; and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the midst thereof.

21The land left on both sides belongs to the prince, the ruler. It lies next to the holy area and the city's land. It stretches east from the 25,000 cubits to the eastern border. It stretches west from the 25,000 cubits to the western border. It runs alongside the tribes' strips. In the middle of it all are the holy area and the temple.

22Moreover from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, being in the midst of that which is the prince’s, between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, shall be for the prince.

22So the Levites' land and the city's land sit in the middle. The prince's land is on both sides of them. All of this lies between Judah's border and Benjamin's border.

23As for the rest of the tribes, from the east side unto the west side, Benjamin shall have a portion.

23Now for the rest of the tribes. Benjamin gets one strip, from the east side to the west side.

24And by the border of Benjamin, from the east side unto the west side, Simeon shall have a portion.

24Next to Benjamin's land, Simeon gets one strip, running from east to west.

25And by the border of Simeon, from the east side unto the west side, Issachar a portion.

25Next to Simeon's land, Issachar gets one strip, running from east to west.

26And by the border of Issachar, from the east side unto the west side, Zebulun a portion.

26Next to Issachar's land, Zebulun gets one strip, running from east to west.

27And by the border of Zebulun, from the east side unto the west side, Gad a portion.

27Next to Zebulun's land, Gad gets one strip, running from east to west.

28And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of strife in Kadesh, and to the river toward the great sea.

28Gad's land is farthest south. Its southern border starts at Tamar. It goes to the waters of Meribah at Kadesh. Then it follows the stream out to the Great Sea.

Note"The waters of strife in Kadesh" is a place name, also written Meribath-kadesh. "The great sea" is the Mediterranean Sea.

29This is the land which ye shall divide by lot unto the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their portions, saith the Lord GOD.

29This is the land you will divide up among the tribes of Israel. Each tribe will keep its own part. These are their pieces, says the Lord GOD.

30And these are the goings out of the city on the north side, four thousand and five hundred measures.

30Here are the ways out of the city. The north side is 4,500 cubits long.

31And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi.

31The city gates are named after the tribes of Israel. There are three gates on the north side. One is Reuben's gate, one is Judah's gate, and one is Levi's gate.

32And at the east side four thousand and five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan.

32The east side is 4,500 cubits long and has three gates. One is Joseph's gate, one is Benjamin's gate, and one is Dan's gate.

33And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun.

33The south side is 4,500 cubits long and has three gates. One is Simeon's gate, one is Issachar's gate, and one is Zebulun's gate.

34At the west side four thousand and five hundred, with their three gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali.

34The west side is 4,500 cubits long and has three gates. One is Gad's gate, one is Asher's gate, and one is Naphtali's gate.

35It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there.

35All the way around, the city measures 18,000 cubits. From that day on, the city's name will be: THE LORD IS THERE.