O city of God, what glorious things are said of you! Interlude

神的城啊，有荣耀的事乃指着你说的。细拉

上帝的城啊，有荣耀的事是指着你说的。（细拉）

神的城啊，有荣耀的事是指着你说的。（细拉）

上帝的城啊，人们传扬你的荣耀。（细拉）

神的城啊！有很多荣耀的事，都是指着你说的。（细拉）

神的城啊，有许多荣耀的事是指着你说的！细拉

神的城啊，有榮耀的事乃指着你說的。（細拉）

上帝的城啊，有榮耀的事是指着你說的。（細拉）

神的城啊，有榮耀的事是指着你說的。（細拉）

上帝的城啊，人們傳揚你的榮耀。（細拉）

神的城啊！有很多榮耀的事，都是指著你說的。（細拉）

上帝之城啊，有許多榮耀事、乃指着你而說的。（細拉）

神的城啊，有許多榮耀的事是指著你說的！細拉

上帝之邑歟、有榮之事、指爾而言兮、

上帝有命、將被榮光於其邑兮、

天主之城歟、有言應許爾多榮耀之事、細拉、

於穆聖邑。光榮何極。

Glorious things are said of you, city of God:

City of God, the Lord says glorious things about you.

Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God. Selah

Glorious things are said about you, city of God. Selah

Glorious things are spoken of you, City of God. Selah

Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God! Selah

Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God.[ Selah

Glorious things are said about you, city of God. Selah

Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.

People say wonderful things about you, O city of God.( Selah)

Glorious things are spoken about you, city of God. Selah.

I will increase not only the people, but also your animals. O mountains of Israel, I will bring people to live on you once again. I will make you even more prosperous than you were before. Then you will know that I am the Lord.I will cause my people to walk on you once again, and you will be their territory. You will never again rob them of their children.“ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The other nations taunt you, saying,‘ Israel is a land that devours its own people and robs them of their children!’But you will never again devour your people or rob them of their children, says the Sovereign Lord.I will not let you hear those other nations insult you, and you will no longer be mocked by them. You will not be a land that causes its nation to fall, says the Sovereign Lord.”Then this further message came to me from the Lord:“ Son of man, when the people of Israel were living in their own land, they defiled it by the evil way they lived. To me their conduct was as unclean as a woman’s menstrual cloth.They polluted the land with murder and the worship of idols, so I poured out my fury on them.I scattered them to many lands to punish them for the evil way they had lived.But when they were scattered among the nations, they brought shame on my holy name. For the nations said,‘ These are the people of the Lord, but he couldn’t keep them safe in his own land!’Then I was concerned for my holy name, on which my people brought shame among the nations.“ Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations.I will show how holy my great name is— the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign Lord, then the nations will know that I am the Lord.For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.“ Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols.And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.“ And you will live in Israel, the land I gave your ancestors long ago. You will be my people, and I will be your God.I will cleanse you of your filthy behavior. I will give you good crops of grain, and I will send no more famines on the land.I will give you great harvests from your fruit trees and fields, and never again will the surrounding nations be able to scoff at your land for its famines.Then you will remember your past sins and despise yourselves for all the detestable things you did.But remember, says the Sovereign Lord, I am not doing this because you deserve it. O my people of Israel, you should be utterly ashamed of all you have done!“ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I cleanse you from your sins, I will repopulate your cities, and the ruins will be rebuilt.The fields that used to lie empty and desolate in plain view of everyone will again be farmed.And when I bring you back, people will say,‘ This former wasteland is now like the Garden of Eden! The abandoned and ruined cities now have strong walls and are filled with people!’Then the surrounding nations that survive will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruins and replanted the wasteland. For I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do what I say.“ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am ready to hear Israel’s prayers and to increase their numbers like a flock.They will be as numerous as the sacred flocks that fill Jerusalem’s streets at the time of her festivals. The ruined cities will be crowded with people once more, and everyone will know that I am the Lord.”

I will make my home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.And when my Temple is among them forever, the nations will know that I am the Lord, who makes Israel holy.”

So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone— like jasper as clear as crystal.The city wall was broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates.There were three gates on each side— east, north, south, and west.The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles.Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick( according to the human standard used by the angel).The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass.The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones: the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.The twelve gates were made of pearls— each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass.I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory.Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there.And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city.Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty— but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.

No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering.You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect.

A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High.

It is high and magnificent; the whole earth rejoices to see it! Mount Zion, the holy mountain, is the city of the great King!God himself is in Jerusalem’s towers, revealing himself as its defender.

“ Return home, you wayward children,” says the Lord,“ for I am your master. I will bring you back to the land of Israel— one from this town and two from that family— from wherever you are scattered.And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding.“ And when your land is once more filled with people,” says the Lord,“ you will no longer wish for‘ the good old days’ when you possessed the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant. You will not miss those days or even remember them, and there will be no need to rebuild the Ark.In that day Jerusalem will be known as‘ The Throne of the Lord.’ All nations will come there to honor the Lord. They will no longer stubbornly follow their own evil desires.

“ The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem to buy back those in Israel who have turned from their sins,” says the Lord.“ And this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord.“ My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children’s children forever. I, the Lord, have spoken!“ Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you.Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you.All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance.“ Look and see, for everyone is coming home! Your sons are coming from distant lands; your little daughters will be carried home.Your eyes will shine, and your heart will thrill with joy, for merchants from around the world will come to you. They will bring you the wealth of many lands.Vast caravans of camels will converge on you, the camels of Midian and Ephah. The people of Sheba will bring gold and frankincense and will come worshiping the Lord.The flocks of Kedar will be given to you, and the rams of Nebaioth will be brought for my altars. I will accept their offerings, and I will make my Temple glorious.“ And what do I see flying like clouds to Israel, like doves to their nests?They are ships from the ends of the earth, from lands that trust in me, led by the great ships of Tarshish. They are bringing the people of Israel home from far away, carrying their silver and gold. They will honor the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has filled you with splendor.“ Foreigners will come to rebuild your towns, and their kings will serve you. For though I have destroyed you in my anger, I will now have mercy on you through my grace.Your gates will stay open day and night to receive the wealth of many lands. The kings of the world will be led as captives in a victory procession.For the nations that refuse to serve you will be destroyed.“ The glory of Lebanon will be yours— the forests of cypress, fir, and pine— to beautify my sanctuary. My Temple will be glorious!The descendants of your tormentors will come and bow before you. Those who despised you will kiss your feet. They will call you the City of the Lord, and Zion of the Holy One of Israel.“ Though you were once despised and hated, with no one traveling through you, I will make you beautiful forever, a joy to all generations.Powerful kings and mighty nations will satisfy your every need, as though you were a child nursing at the breast of a queen. You will know at last that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.I will exchange your bronze for gold, your iron for silver, your wood for bronze, and your stones for iron. I will make peace your leader and righteousness your ruler.Violence will disappear from your land; the desolation and destruction of war will end. Salvation will surround you like city walls, and praise will be on the lips of all who enter there.“ No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.Your sun will never set; your moon will not go down. For the Lord will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end.All your people will be righteous. They will possess their land forever, for I will plant them there with my own hands in order to bring myself glory.The smallest family will become a thousand people, and the tiniest group will become a mighty nation. At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen.”

They will come home and sing songs of joy on the heights of Jerusalem. They will be radiant because of the Lord’s good gifts— the abundant crops of grain, new wine, and olive oil, and the healthy flocks and herds. Their life will be like a watered garden, and all their sorrows will be gone.The young women will dance for joy, and the men— old and young— will join in the celebration. I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing.

Let the people on Mount Zion rejoice. Let all the towns of Judah be glad because of your justice.Go, inspect the city of Jerusalem. Walk around and count the many towers.Take note of the fortified walls, and tour all the citadels, that you may describe them to future generations.

Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever.Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever.

Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy! For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.”

“ Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense!For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities.“ Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don’t be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood.For your Creator will be your husband; the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth.For the Lord has called you back from your grief— as though you were a young wife abandoned by her husband,” says your God.“ For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will take you back.In a burst of anger I turned my face away for a little while. But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer.“ Just as I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth, so now I swear that I will never again be angry and punish you.For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the Lord, who has mercy on you.

To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago. They will revive them, though they have been deserted for many generations.Foreigners will be your servants. They will feed your flocks and plow your fields and tend your vineyards.You will be called priests of the Lord, ministers of our God. You will feed on the treasures of the nations and boast in their riches.Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.“ For I, the Lord, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them.Their descendants will be recognized and honored among the nations. Everyone will realize that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels.The Sovereign Lord will show his justice to the nations of the world. Everyone will praise him! His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, with plants springing up everywhere.Because I love Zion, I will not keep still. Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch.The nations will see your righteousness. World leaders will be blinded by your glory. And you will be given a new name by the Lord’s own mouth.The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see— a splendid crown in the hand of God.Never again will you be called“ The Forsaken City” or“ The Desolate Land.” Your new name will be“ The City of God’s Delight” and“ The Bride of God,” for the Lord delights in you and will claim you as his bride.Your children will commit themselves to you, O Jerusalem, just as a young man commits himself to his bride. Then God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray day and night, continually. Take no rest, all you who pray to the Lord.Give the Lord no rest until he completes his work, until he makes Jerusalem the pride of the earth.The Lord has sworn to Jerusalem by his own strength:“ I will never again hand you over to your enemies. Never again will foreign warriors come and take away your grain and new wine.You raised the grain, and you will eat it, praising the Lord. Within the courtyards of the Temple, you yourselves will drink the wine you have pressed.”Go out through the gates! Prepare the highway for my people to return! Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders; raise a flag for all the nations to see.The Lord has sent this message to every land:“ Tell the people of Israel,‘ Look, your Savior is coming. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’”They will be called“ The Holy People” and“ The People Redeemed by the Lord.” And Jerusalem will be known as“ The Desirable Place” and“ The City No Longer Forsaken.”

Yet Jerusalem says,“ The Lord has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us.”“ Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins.Soon your descendants will come back, and all who are trying to destroy you will go away.Look around you and see, for all your children will come back to you. As surely as I live,” says the Lord,“ they will be like jewels or bridal ornaments for you to display.“ Even the most desolate parts of your abandoned land will soon be crowded with your people. Your enemies who enslaved you will be far away.The generations born in exile will return and say,‘ We need more room! It’s crowded here!’Then you will think to yourself,‘ Who has given me all these descendants? For most of my children were killed, and the rest were carried away into exile. I was left here all alone. Where did all these people come from? Who bore these children? Who raised them for me?’”This is what the Sovereign Lord says:“ See, I will give a signal to the godless nations. They will carry your little sons back to you in their arms; they will bring your daughters on their shoulders.Kings and queens will serve you and care for all your needs. They will bow to the earth before you and lick the dust from your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Those who trust in me will never be put to shame.”Who can snatch the plunder of war from the hands of a warrior? Who can demand that a tyrant let his captives go?But the Lord says,“ The captives of warriors will be released, and the plunder of tyrants will be retrieved. For I will fight those who fight you, and I will save your children.I will feed your enemies with their own flesh. They will be drunk with rivers of their own blood. All the world will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.”

On April 28, during the twenty fifth year of our captivity— fourteen years after the fall of Jerusalem— the Lord took hold of me.In a vision from God he took me to the land of Israel and set me down on a very high mountain. From there I could see toward the south what appeared to be a city.As he brought me nearer, I saw a man whose face shone like bronze standing beside a gateway entrance. He was holding in his hand a linen measuring cord and a measuring rod.He said to me,“ Son of man, watch and listen. Pay close attention to everything I show you. You have been brought here so I can show you many things. Then you will return to the people of Israel and tell them everything you have seen.”I could see a wall completely surrounding the Temple area. The man took a measuring rod that was 10 1/2 feet long and measured the wall, and the wall was 10 1/2 feet thick and 10 1/2 feet high.Then he went over to the eastern gateway. He climbed the steps and measured the threshold of the gateway; it was 10 1/2 feet front to back.There were guard alcoves on each side built into the gateway passage. Each of these alcoves was 10 1/2 feet square, with a distance between them of 8 3/4 feet along the passage wall. The gateway’s inner threshold, which led to the entry room at the inner end of the gateway passage, was 10 1/2 feet front to back.He also measured the entry room of the gateway.It was 14 feet across, with supporting columns 3 1/2 feet thick. This entry room was at the inner end of the gateway structure, facing toward the Temple.There were three guard alcoves on each side of the gateway passage. Each had the same measurements, and the dividing walls separating them were also identical.The man measured the gateway entrance, which was 17 1/2 feet wide at the opening and 22 3/4 feet wide in the gateway passage.In front of each of the guard alcoves was a 21 inch curb. The alcoves themselves were 10 1/2 feet on each side.Then he measured the entire width of the gateway, measuring the distance between the back walls of facing guard alcoves; this distance was 43 3/4 feet.He measured the dividing walls all along the inside of the gateway up to the entry room of the gateway; this distance was 105 feet.The full length of the gateway passage was 87 1/2 feet from one end to the other.There were recessed windows that narrowed inward through the walls of the guard alcoves and their dividing walls. There were also windows in the entry room. The surfaces of the dividing walls were decorated with carved palm trees.Then the man brought me through the gateway into the outer courtyard of the Temple. A stone pavement ran along the walls of the courtyard, and thirty rooms were built against the walls, opening onto the pavement.This pavement flanked the gates and extended out from the walls into the courtyard the same distance as the gateway entrance. This was the lower pavement.Then the man measured across the Temple’s outer courtyard between the outer and inner gateways; the distance was 175 feet.The man measured the gateway on the north just like the one on the east.Here, too, there were three guard alcoves on each side, with dividing walls and an entry room. All the measurements matched those of the east gateway. The gateway passage was 87 1/2 feet long and 43 3/4 feet wide between the back walls of facing guard alcoves.The windows, the entry room, and the palm tree decorations were identical to those in the east gateway. There were seven steps leading up to the gateway entrance, and the entry room was at the inner end of the gateway passage.Here on the north side, just as on the east, there was another gateway leading to the Temple’s inner courtyard directly opposite this outer gateway. The distance between the two gateways was 175 feet.Then the man took me around to the south gateway and measured its various parts, and they were exactly the same as in the others.It had windows along the walls as the others did, and there was an entry room where the gateway passage opened into the outer courtyard. And like the others, the gateway passage was 87 1/2 feet long and 43 3/4 feet wide between the back walls of facing guard alcoves.This gateway also had a stairway of seven steps leading up to it, and an entry room at the inner end, and palm tree decorations along the dividing walls.And here again, directly opposite the outer gateway, was another gateway that led into the inner courtyard. The distance between the two gateways was 175 feet.Then the man took me to the south gateway leading into the inner courtyard. He measured it, and it had the same measurements as the other gateways.Its guard alcoves, dividing walls, and entry room were the same size as those in the others. It also had windows along its walls and in the entry room. And like the others, the gateway passage was 87 1/2 feet long and 43 3/4 feet wide.( The entry rooms of the gateways leading into the inner courtyard were 14 feet across and 43 3/4 feet wide.)The entry room to the south gateway faced into the outer courtyard. It had palm tree decorations on its columns, and there were eight steps leading to its entrance.Then he took me to the east gateway leading to the inner courtyard. He measured it, and it had the same measurements as the other gateways.Its guard alcoves, dividing walls, and entry room were the same size as those of the others, and there were windows along the walls and in the entry room. The gateway passage measured 87 1/2 feet long and 43 3/4 feet wide.Its entry room faced into the outer courtyard. It had palm tree decorations on its columns, and there were eight steps leading to its entrance.Then he took me around to the north gateway leading to the inner courtyard. He measured it, and it had the same measurements as the other gateways.The guard alcoves, dividing walls, and entry room of this gateway had the same measurements as in the others and the same window arrangements. The gateway passage measured 87 1/2 feet long and 43 3/4 feet wide.Its entry room faced into the outer courtyard, and it had palm tree decorations on the columns. There were eight steps leading to its entrance.A door led from the entry room of one of the inner gateways into a side room, where the meat for sacrifices was washed.On each side of this entry room were two tables, where the sacrificial animals were slaughtered for the burnt offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings.Outside the entry room, on each side of the stairs going up to the north entrance, were two more tables.So there were eight tables in all— four inside and four outside— where the sacrifices were cut up and prepared.There were also four tables of finished stone for preparation of the burnt offerings, each 31 1/2 inches square and 21 inches high. On these tables were placed the butchering knives and other implements for slaughtering the sacrificial animals.There were hooks, each 3 inches long, fastened all around the foyer walls. The sacrificial meat was laid on the tables.Inside the inner courtyard were two rooms, one beside the north gateway, facing south, and the other beside the south gateway, facing north.And the man said to me,“ The room beside the north inner gate is for the priests who supervise the Temple maintenance.The room beside the south inner gate is for the priests in charge of the altar— the descendants of Zadok— for they alone of all the Levites may approach the Lord to minister to him.”Then the man measured the inner courtyard, and it was a square, 175 feet wide and 175 feet across. The altar stood in the courtyard in front of the Temple.Then he brought me to the entry room of the Temple. He measured the walls on either side of the opening to the entry room, and they were 8 3/4 feet thick. The entrance itself was 24 1/2 feet wide, and the walls on each side of the entrance were an additional 5 1/4 feet long.The entry room was 35 feet wide and 21 feet deep. There were ten steps leading up to it, with a column on each side.

This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Your enemies have taunted you, saying,‘ Aha! Now the ancient heights belong to us!’

“ Here is the list of the tribes of Israel and the territory each is to receive. The territory of Dan is in the extreme north. Its boundary line follows the Hethlon road to Lebo hamath and then runs on to Hazar enan on the border of Damascus, with Hamath to the north. Dan’s territory extends all the way across the land of Israel from east to west.“ Asher’s territory lies south of Dan’s and also extends from east to west.Naphtali’s land lies south of Asher’s, also extending from east to west.Then comes Manasseh south of Naphtali, and its territory also extends from east to west.South of Manasseh is Ephraim,and then Reuben,and then Judah, all of whose boundaries extend from east to west.“ South of Judah is the land set aside for a special purpose. It will be 8 1/3 miles wide and will extend as far east and west as the tribal territories, with the Temple at the center.“ The area set aside for the Lord’s Temple will be 8 1/3 miles long and 6 2/3 miles wide.For the priests there will be a strip of land measuring 8 1/3 miles long by 3 1/3 miles wide, with the Lord’s Temple at the center.This area is set aside for the ordained priests, the descendants of Zadok who served me faithfully and did not go astray with the people of Israel and the rest of the Levites.It will be their special portion when the land is distributed, the most sacred land of all. Next to the priests’ territory will lie the land where the other Levites will live.“ The land allotted to the Levites will be the same size and shape as that belonging to the priests— 8 1/3 miles long and 3 1/3 miles wide. Together these portions of land will measure 8 1/3 miles long by 6 2/3 miles wide.None of this special land may ever be sold or traded or used by others, for it belongs to the Lord; it is set apart as holy.“ An additional strip of land 8 1/3 miles long by 1 2/3 miles wide, south of the sacred Temple area, will be allotted for public use— homes, pasturelands, and common lands, with a city at the center.The city will measure 1 1/2 miles on each side— north, south, east, and west.Open lands will surround the city for 150 yards in every direction.Outside the city there will be a farming area that stretches 3 1/3 miles to the east and 3 1/3 miles to the west along the border of the sacred area. This farmland will produce food for the people working in the city.Those who come from the various tribes to work in the city may farm it.This entire area— including the sacred lands and the city— is a square that measures 8 1/3 miles on each side.“ The areas that remain, to the east and to the west of the sacred lands and the city, will belong to the prince. Each of these areas will be 8 1/3 miles wide, extending in opposite directions to the eastern and western borders of Israel, with the sacred lands and the sanctuary of the Temple in the center.So the prince’s land will include everything between the territories allotted to Judah and Benjamin, except for the areas set aside for the sacred lands and the city.“ These are the territories allotted to the rest of the tribes. Benjamin’s territory lies just south of the prince’s lands, and it extends across the entire land of Israel from east to west.South of Benjamin’s territory lies that of Simeon, also extending across the land from east to west.Next is the territory of Issachar with the same eastern and western boundaries.“ Then comes the territory of Zebulun, which also extends across the land from east to west.The territory of Gad is just south of Zebulun with the same borders to the east and west.The southern border of Gad runs from Tamar to the waters of Meribah at Kadesh and then follows the Brook of Egypt to the Mediterranean.“ These are the allotments that will be set aside for each tribe’s exclusive possession. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!“ These will be the exits to the city: On the north wall, which is 1 1/2 miles long,there will be three gates, each one named after a tribe of Israel. The first will be named for Reuben, the second for Judah, and the third for Levi.On the east wall, also 1 1/2 miles long, the gates will be named for Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan.The south wall, also 1 1/2 miles long, will have gates named for Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun.And on the west wall, also 1 1/2 miles long, the gates will be named for Gad, Asher, and Naphtali.“ The distance around the entire city will be 6 miles. And from that day the name of the city will be‘ The Lord Is There.’”