The division of the land
48
1 Here is a list of the tribes of Israel and the territory that each tribe must receive:The tribe of Dan will receive land at the northern boundaryof Israel. Their land will extend to the city of Hethlon, then from there to Hamath Pass, and on to the town of Hazar-Enan south of Damascus, between Damascus and Hamath.
The land for the tribe of Dan will extend along the northern border of Israel from the eastern end of the country west to the Mediterranean Sea.
2 South of their land will be territory for the tribe of Asher.
3 South of their land will be territory for the tribe of Naphtali.
4 South of their land will be territory for the tribe of Manasseh.
5 South of their land will be territory for for the tribe of Ephraim.
6 South of their land will be territory for for the tribe of Reuben.
7 South of their land will be territory for the tribe of Judah.
8 South of their land will be an area set apart for special use. The temple will be in the center of that area. 9 It must be 8.3 miles long and 6.7 miles wide. 10 For the priests, there must be a strip of land 8.3 miles long and 3.3 miles wide. The temple will be in the center of that area. 11 That area is for the priests, the descendants of Zadok. They are ones who served me faithfully and did not turn away from me like most of the other descendants of Levi and the other Israeli people did. 12 When the land is distributed, that area will be given to the priests. It is land that is very sacred. It will be next to the priests' land that will be given to the other descendants of Levi.
13 That land which will be allotted to the other descendants of Levi will be the same size as the land allotted to the priests. So together, those two portions of land will be 8.3 miles long and 6.7 miles wide. 14 None of this special land will ever be permitted to be sold or traded or used by other people, because it belongs to me, Yahweh. It is set apart for me.
15 The rest of that area, a strip of land 8.3 miles long and 1.7 miles wide, will be allotted for other people to use, where they will be permitted to build homes and have pasturelands. There will be a city at the center. 16 The city will be square, 1.5 miles on each side. 17 Around the city there will be an open area that will be 150 yards in each direction. 18 To the east and the west of the city there will be a farming area that will extend 3 miles to the east and 3 miles to the west. Men who work there will produce food for the people who work in the city. 19 Some of those who come from the various Israeli tribes to work in the city may also work on the farmland. 20 That entire special area, including the sacred lands and the city, will be a square that is 8.3 miles on each side.
21 The areas to the east and to the west of the sacred area and the city will belong to the king. One area will extend east to the eastern boundary of Israel and the other will extend west to the Mediterranean Sea. The sacred area in which the temple will be located will be in the middle. 22 The area that belongs to the king will be between the land of the tribe of Judah to the north, and the land of the tribe of Benjamin to the south.
23 South of that special area, each of the other tribes must be allotted one portion of land that extends from the eastern boundary of Israel west to the Mediterranean Sea.
On the north will be territory for the tribe of Benjamin.
24 South of their land will be territory for \add the tribe of Simeon.
25 South of their land will be territory for \add the tribe of Issachar.
26 South of their land will be territory for the tribe of Zebulun.
27 South of their land will be territory for the tribe of Gad.
28 The southern boundary of the tribe of Gad will extend south from Tamar to the springs at Meribah-Kadesh, and from there to the west along the dry riverbed at the border of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea.
29 That is the land that you must allot to the tribes of Israel, to belong to them permanently. That is what I, Yahweh the Lord, declare.
The gates of the city
30 These will be the exits from the city: On the north side, which is 1.5 miles long, 31 there will be three gates. They will all have different names; each one will have the name of one of the tribes of Israel. On the north side, the first one will be named for Reuben, the next for Judah, the next for Levi.
32 On the east side, also 1.5 miles long, will be three gates, one named for Joseph, one for Benjamin, and one for Dan.
33 On the south side, also 1.5 miles long, will be three gates, one named for Simeon, one for Issachar, and one for Zebulun.
34 On the west side, also 1.5 miles long, there will be three gates, one named for Gad, one for Asher, and one for Naphtali.
35 So the distance around the city will be 6 miles.
And from that time on, the name of the city will be 'Yahweh Is There.'