Ezekiel 45

1 “When you divide the land [as an inheritance from God] by lot as an inheritance, you are to set aside a portion [a holy allocation, a contribution] for the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], a holy [set-apart, sacred] portion of the land 25,000 cubits long [in length, a distance of five and twenty thousand reeds] and 20,000 cubits wide [in breadth, ten thousand cubits]. This entire tract of land [all the borders, the whole area] will be holy [dedicated to God, sacred]. word study 2 Within this area [designated for sacred purposes] there is to be a section [a specifically allotted space] for the sanctuary [holy place, set apart for worship] 500 cubits [a unit of measurement, approximately 75 feet] square, with 50 cubits [about 7.5 feet] around it [encompassing the perimeter] for open land [pasture, a common or shared area]. word study 3 From this holy portion [a sacred district, set apart for God], you are to measure off a length [physical distance, a long period of time] of 25,000 cubits and a width [breadth, physical size] of 10,000 cubits, and in it will be the sanctuary [a temple, a sacred space, the holy of holies], the Most Holy Place [a place of sanctity and holiness, set apart for God]. word study 4 It will be a holy [set apart, sacred] portion of the land [earth, territory] to be used by the priests [ministers, servants of God] who minister [serve, attend] in the sanctuary [holy place, temple], who draw near [approach, come close] to minister [serve, worship] before the LORD [Yehovah, God Almighty]. It will be a place [location, dwelling] for their houses [homes, dwellings], as well as a holy [consecrated, dedicated] area for the sanctuary [temple, sacred space]. word study 5 An adjacent area [25,000 cubits, approximately 8.3 miles/13.3 km] 25,000 cubits long and [10,000 cubits, about 3.5 miles/5.3 km] 10,000 cubits wide shall belong to the Levites [descendants of Levi, ministering priests] who minister [serve, worship] in the temple [the house of God]; it will be their possession [inheritance, owned land] for towns [cities, dwelling places] in which to live [reside, dwell]. word study 6 As the property [possession, or inheritance] of the city, you are to set aside an area [five thousand cubits, approximately 1.7 miles or 2.65 km] 5,000 cubits wide and 25,000 [twenty-five thousand cubits, about 8.3 miles or 13.3 km] cubits long, adjacent to [or alongside, near] the holy [set apart, sacred] district [or portion]. It will belong to [be for the benefit of, be an inheritance for] the whole [entire, all-inclusive] house of Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people]. word study 7 Now the prince [leader, high-ranking official] will have the area bordering each side of the area formed by the holy district [set-apart place, sacred area] and the property [possession, inheritance] of the city [town, settlement], extending westward [toward the Mediterranean Sea] from the western side and eastward [toward the rising sun] from the eastern side, running lengthwise [in a long and narrow shape] from the western boundary [border, limit] to the eastern boundary [border, limit] and parallel to one of the tribal portions [inheritance, allotment]. word study 8 This land [territory, region] will be his possession [inheritance, property] in Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants]. And My princes [leaders, rulers] will no longer [still, anymore] oppress [treat violently, exploit] My people [nation, tribe], but will give [assign, distribute] the rest of the land [country, territory] to the house [family, dwelling place] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob] according to their tribes [clans, families]. word study 9 For this is what the Lord [Adonay, the supreme Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: ‘Enough [let it suffice], O princes [rulers, leaders] of Israel! Cease [stop, turn aside from] your violence [cruelty, injustice] and oppression [unjust treatment, mistreatment], and do what is just [right, fair] and right [morally upright]. Stop dispossessing [evicting, taking away from] My people [nation, community], declares the Lord GOD.’ word study 10 You must use [just, fair] honest scales [balances, methods of measurement], a [true, righteous] just ephah [a unit of measurement, about 9 gallons], and a [righteous] just bath [a unit of measurement for liquids, about 9 gallons]. word study 11 The ephah [a unit of dry measurement, about 9 gallons] and the bath [a liquid measurement, equal to about 9 gallons] shall be the same quantity [of volume, one measure] so that the bath will contain [hold, have the capacity for] a tenth [one-tenth part, a tithe] of a homer [a larger unit of measurement, about 65 gallons], and the ephah [a dry goods measure] a tenth of a homer; the homer [the standard, a reference point] will be the standard measure [the basis for comparison, a common unit] for both [equally, alike]. word study 12 The shekel [a unit of weight or money, twenty gerahs] will consist of twenty [the number twenty, a measure of quantity] gerahs [a small weight or coin, equal to 16 barley grains]. Twenty shekels [a measure of weight or value] plus twenty-five [twenty and five, a larger quantity] shekels plus fifteen [ten and five, a specific amount] shekels will equal one mina [a fixed weight or measured amount, often equal to 60 shekels of silver or 100 shekels of gold]. word study 13 This [the specified contribution] is the contribution [oblation, offering] you are to offer [present, give]: a sixth [one-sixth, a portion] of an ephah [a unit of measurement, about 9 gallons] from each homer [a dry measure, about 65 gallons] of wheat [grain, a staple food], and a sixth of an ephah from each homer of barley [a type of grain, commonly eaten]. word study 14 The prescribed portion [fixed measure, set amount] of oil [olive oil], measured by the bath [a unit of measurement, about 9 gallons], is a tenth [tithe, one-tenth part] of a bath from each cor [a kor, a unit of measurement, about 6.25 bushels or 58 gallons] (a cor consists of ten baths [ten bath measurements] or one homer [a dry measure, about 65 gallons], since ten baths are equivalent to [equal to, the same as] a homer). word study 15 And one sheep [a lamb, young animal] shall be given from each flock [herd, group of animals] of two hundred from the well-watered [fat, fertile] pastures of Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people]. These are for the grain offerings [meal offering, gift to God], burnt offerings [sacrifice, completely consumed by fire], and peace offerings [voluntary sacrifice, to show thanks], to make atonement [to cover, reconcile, forgive sins] for the people, declares the Lord [Adonay, supreme ruler] GOD [Yehovah]. word study 16 All [every single one, the entire nation] the people [a multitude, a community] of the land [the earth, a country] must participate [give, contribute willingly] in this [specific, special] contribution [offering, gift] for the prince [leader, ruler] in Israel [the chosen people, God’s nation]. word study 17 And it shall be the prince’s [leader, ruler] part to provide the burnt offerings [sacrifices completely consumed by fire], grain offerings [gifts of wheat or barley], and drink offerings [libations, ceremonial pours] for the feasts [festivals, celebrations], New Moons [lunar cycles, beginnings], and Sabbaths [days of rest, worship]—for all the appointed feasts [scheduled gatherings, sacred meetings] of the house [family, nation] of Israel. He will provide the sin offerings [atoning sacrifices, purifications], grain offerings [gifts of wheat or barley], burnt offerings [sacrifices completely consumed by fire], and peace offerings [voluntary sacrifices, expressions of thanks] to make atonement [cover, reconcile, restore] for the house [family, nation] of Israel. word study 18 This is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: ‘On the first day of the first month you are to take [select, choose] a young [unblemished, perfect] bull [ox, male cattle] without blemish [defect, imperfection] and purify [cleanse, sanctify] the sanctuary [holy place, temple]. word study 19 And the priest [the one who serves God] is to take [receive, get] some of the blood [the liquid that flows through the body] from the sin [guilt, rebellion] offering [a sacrifice to atone for wrongdoing] and put [apply, anoint] it on the doorposts [the vertical posts on either side of a door] of the temple [the house of God], on the four corners [angles, edges] of the ledge [a flat area, a shelf] of the altar [a place of sacrifice, worship], and on the gateposts [the posts that support the gate] of the inner [most private, intimate] court [a yard, an enclosure]. word study 20 You must do the same thing [in a similar manner, thus] on the seventh day of the month for anyone who strays [to wander, goes astray] unintentionally [in ignorance, without realizing] or in ignorance [being simple, naive]. In this way [by this means, thus] you will make atonement [to cover, reconcile, purify] for the temple [the house, dwelling place, sanctuary]. word study 21 On the fourteenth [in the middle of the month, a turning point] day of the first [primary, initial] month you are to observe [keep, celebrate, or commemorate] the Passover [a feast of redemption, a festival of freedom], a feast [a festival, a celebration] of seven days, during which [in the course of, throughout] unleavened bread [a sweet bread made without yeast] shall be eaten [consumed, devoured]. word study 22 On that day [a specific point in time, a future occasion] the prince [leader, ruler] shall provide [prepare, make available] a bull [young ox, bullock] as a sin [offense, guilt] offering [sacrifice, atonement] for himself and for all [every, entire] the people [nation, community] of the land [earth, territory]. word study 23 Each day [during the seven-day festival] during the seven [sacred] days of the feast [celebration, solemn assembly], he shall provide [prepare, make] seven bulls [young oxen, bullocks] and seven rams [strong male sheep] without blemish [unblemished, perfect] as a burnt offering [a sacrifice completely consumed by fire] to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], along with a male goat [a he-goat, kid of the goats] for a sin [guilt, punishment] offering [a sacrifice to atone for sin]. word study 24 He shall also provide as a grain [meal] offering [gift, sacrifice] an ephah [about 9 gallons, a unit of measurement] for each bull [young ox, bullock] and an ephah for each ram [strong male sheep], along with a hin [about 5 quarts, a liquid measure] of olive oil [ointment] for each ephah of grain [dry goods, food]. word study 25 During the seven [sacred, set apart] days of the feast [festival, celebration] that begins on the fifteenth day of the seventh [complete] month, he is to make [provide, prepare] the same provision for sin [guilt, punishment] offerings, burnt [completely consumed] offerings, grain [gift, tribute] offerings, and oil [anointing, consecration].’ word study