Division of the Land
1“When you divide the land among the tribes of Israel, you must set aside a section for the Lord as his holy portion. This piece of land will be 8-1/3 miles long and 6-2/3 miles wide.45:1 As in Greek version, which reads 25,000 [cubits] [13.3 kilometers] long and 20,000 [cubits] [10.6 kilometers] wide; Hebrew reads 25,000 [cubits] long and 10,000 [cubits] [3-1/3 miles or 5.3 kilometers] wide. Compare 45:3, 5; 48:9. The entire area will be holy.
2A section of this land, measuring 875 feet by 875 feet,45:2a Hebrew 500 [cubits] [265 meters] by 500 [cubits], a square. will be set aside for the Temple. An additional strip of land 87-1/2 feet45:2b Hebrew 50 cubits [26.5 meters]. wide is to be left empty all around it.
3Within the larger sacred area, measure out a portion of land 8-1/3 miles long and 3-1/3 miles wide.45:3 Hebrew 25,000 [cubits] [13.3 kilometers] long and 10,000 [cubits] [5.3 kilometers] wide; also in 45:5. Within it the sanctuary of the Most Holy Place will be located.
4This area will be holy, set aside for the priests who minister to the Lord in the sanctuary. They will use it for their homes, and my Temple will be located within it.
5The strip of sacred land next to it, also 8-1/3 miles long and 3-1/3 miles wide, will be a living area for the Levites who work at the Temple. It will be their possession and a place for their towns.45:5 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads They will have as their possession 20 rooms.
6“Adjacent to the larger sacred area will be a section of land 8-1/3 miles long and 1-2/3 miles wide.45:6 Hebrew 25,000 [cubits] [13.3 kilometers] long and 5,000 [cubits] [2.65 kilometers] wide. This will be set aside for a city where anyone in Israel can live.
7“Two special sections of land will be set apart for the prince. One section will share a border with the east side of the sacred lands and city, and the second section will share a border on the west side. Then the far eastern and western borders of the prince’s lands will line up with the eastern and western boundaries of the tribal areas.
8These sections of land will be the prince’s allotment. Then my princes will no longer oppress and rob my people; they will assign the rest of the land to the people, giving an allotment to each tribe.
Rules for the Princes
9“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Enough, you princes of Israel! Stop your violence and oppression and do what is just and right. Quit robbing and cheating my people out of their land. Stop expelling them from their homes, says the Sovereign Lord.
10Use only honest weights and scales and honest measures, both dry and liquid.45:10 Hebrew Use honest scales, an honest ephah, and an honest bath.
11The homer45:11a The homer measures about 50 gallons or 220 liters. will be your standard unit for measuring volume. The ephah and the bath45:11b The ephah is a dry measure; the bath is a liquid measure. will each measure one-tenth of a homer.
12The standard unit for weight will be the silver shekel.45:12a The shekel weighs about 0.4 ounces or 11 grams. One shekel will consist of twenty gerahs, and sixty shekels will be equal to one mina.45:12b Elsewhere the mina is equated to 50 shekels.
Special Offerings and Celebrations
13“You must give this tax to the prince: one bushel of wheat or barley for every 6045:13 Hebrew 1/6 of an ephah from each homer of wheat and 1/6 of an ephah from each homer of barley. you harvest,
14one percent of your olive oil,45:14 Hebrew the portion of oil, measured by the bath, is 1/10 of a bath from each cor, which consists of 10 baths or 1 homer, for 10 baths are equivalent to a homer.
15and one sheep or goat for every 200 in your flocks in Israel. These will be the grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings that will make atonement for the people who bring them, says the Sovereign Lord.
16All the people of Israel must join in bringing these offerings to the prince.
17The prince will be required to provide offerings that are given at the religious festivals, the new moon celebrations, the Sabbath days, and all other similar occasions. He will provide the sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings, liquid offerings, and peace offerings to purify the people of Israel, making them right with the Lord.45:17 Or to make atonement for the people of Israel.
18“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In early spring, on the first day of each new year,45:18 Hebrew On the first day of the first month, of the Hebrew calendar. This day in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in March or April. sacrifice a young bull with no defects to purify the Temple.
19The priest will take blood from this sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the Temple, the four corners of the upper ledge of the altar, and the gateposts at the entrance to the inner courtyard.
20Do this also on the seventh day of the new year for anyone who has sinned through error or ignorance. In this way, you will purify45:20 Or will make atonement for. the Temple.
21“On the fourteenth day of the first month,45:21 This day in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in late March, April, or early May. you must celebrate the Passover. This festival will last for seven days. The bread you eat during that time must be made without yeast.
22On the day of Passover the prince will provide a young bull as a sin offering for himself and the people of Israel.
23On each of the seven days of the feast he will prepare a burnt offering to the Lord, consisting of seven young bulls and seven rams without defects. A male goat will also be given each day for a sin offering.
24The prince will provide a basket of flour as a grain offering and a gallon of olive oil45:24 Hebrew an ephah [20 quarts or 22 liters] of flour . . . and a hin [3.8 liters] of olive oil. with each young bull and ram.
25“During the seven days of the Festival of Shelters, which occurs every year in early autumn,45:25 Hebrew the festival which begins on the fifteenth day of the seventh month (see Lev 23:34). This day in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in late September, October, or early November. the prince will provide these same sacrifices for the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the grain offering, along with the required olive oil.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
