The Allotment of the Land and the Gates of the City
1 AndOr "Now" these are the names of the tribes: At the end of the north, along the way to HethlonLiterally "to the side of the way of Hethlon" from Lebo-hamath to Hazar Enan on the boundary of Damascus beside Hamath northward,Literally "northward to the side of Hamat," there will be one portion for Dan from the eastern border to the west.Literally "sea"2 And next to the territory of Dan, from the eastern borderLiterally "the side of the east up to the western border,Literally "the side of the sea/west" one portion for Asher. 3 And next to the territory of Asher, from the eastern borderLiterally "the side of the east" and up to the western border,Literally "the side of the west/sea" one portion for Naphtali. 4 And next to the territory of Naphtali, from the eastern borderLiterally "the side of the east" up to the western border,Literally "the side of the sea/west" one portion for Manasseh. 5 And next to the territory of Manasseh, from the eastern borderLiterally "the side of the east" up to the western border,Literally "the side of the sea/west" one portion for Ephraim. 6 And next to the territory of Ephraim, from the eastern borderLiterally "the side of the east" and up to the western border,Literally "the side of the sea/west one portion for Reuben. 7 And next to the territory of Reuben, from the eastern borderLiterally "the side of the east up to the western border,Literally "the side of the sea/west one portion for Judah.
8 And next to the territory of Judah, from the eastern borderLiterally "the side of the east up to the western border,Literally "the side of the sea/west shall be located the contribution that you set apart, twenty-five thousand cubitsThat is, 8.33 miles in width, and its length just like one of the portions from the eastern borderLiterally "the side of the east up to the western border,Literally "the side of the sea/west and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it. 9 The contribution that you shall set apart for Yahweh, its length shall be twenty-five thousand cubits,That is, 8.33 miles and its width ten thousand cubits.That is, 3.5 miles; cf. 48:13 and 45:110 And to these shall be the holy district:Literally "the contribution of the holiness" to the priests northwards twenty-five thousand cubits,That is, 8.33 miles and westwards its width ten thousand cubits,That is, 3.5 miles and eastwards its width ten thousand cubits,That is, 3.5 miles and southwards its length twenty-five thousand cubits,That is, 8.33 miles and the sanctuary of Yahweh shall be in the midst of it. 11 To the priests, the ones being consecrated from the descendantsOr "sons" of Zadok, who took care of my service and who did not go astrayLiterally "who not they went astray" when the Israelites went astray,Literally "at going astray the children of Israel" just asLiterally "as that" the Levites went astray. 12 And it will be for them a special gift from the contribution of the land as a most holy objectLiterally "as a holiness of holinesses" next to the territory of the Levites. 13 And the Levites alongsideLiterally "to corresponding" the territory of the priests shall have twenty-five thousand cubitsThat is, 8.33 miles in length and in width ten thousand cubits,That is, 3.5 miles its full length,Literally "all/every of its length …." twenty-five thousand cubitsThat is, 8.33 miles and its full width, ten thousand cubits.That is, 3.5 miles14 And they shall not sell any part from it, and shall not exchange, and shall not transfer the best of the land, for it is holy to Yahweh.
15 And the remaining partLiterally "the being a part left over" of five thousand cubitsThat is, 1.75 miles in the width byLiterally "in front of" twenty-five thousand cubits,That is, 8.33 miles is unholy;Or "common" it is for the city as dwelling and as pastureland; and the city will be located in the middle of it.Literally "will be the city in its middle"16 And these shall be its measurements: on its side to the north, four thousand five hundred cubits;That is, 1.5 miles and on its side to the south, four thousand five hundred cubits;That is, 1.5 miles and on the eastern side,Literally "from the side of the east" four thousand five hundred cubits;That is, 1.5 miles and on the western side,Literally "and the side of the sea/west + directive" four thousand five hundred cubits.That is, 1.5 miles17 And a pastureland shall be for the city northwards, two hundred and fifty cubits,That is, 150 yards southwards two hundred and fifty cubits,That is, 150 yards and eastwards two hundred and fifty cubits,That is, 150 yards and westwards two hundred and fifty cubits.That is, 150 yards18 And the rest in its length alongsideLiterally "to corresponding" the holy district,Literally "the contribution of the holiness" ten thousand cubitsThat is, 3.5 miles eastwards and ten thousandThat is, 3.5 miles westwards; and it shall be alongsideLiterally "to corresponding" the holy districtLiterally "the contribution of the holiness" and its yieldAccording to the reading tradition (Qere); cf. BHS shall be as food for the workers of the city. 19 And the workers of the city from all the tribes of Israel shall cultivate it. 20 All of the contribution, twenty-five thousand by twenty five thousand cubitsThat is, 8.33 square miles square, you shall set apart as the holy districtLiterally "the contribution of the holiness" along with the property of the city. 21 And the rest shall be toOr "for" the prince, on both sidesLiterally "from this and from this" of the holy districtLiterally "of the contribution of the holiness" and of the property of the city extending fromLiterally "to in front of" twenty-five thousand cubits of the contribution up to the boundary of the east, and westwards extendingLiterally "to in front of" twenty-five thousand cubitsThat is, 8.33 miles to the boundary of the sea alongsideLiterally "to corresponding" the tribal portions. They shall be for the prince, and it shall be the holy district,Literally "the contribution of the holiness" and the sanctuary of the templeOr "house" will be in its middle. 22 And also the property of the Levites and the property of the city will be in the midst of the property which is for the prince; between the territory of Judah and between the territory of Benjamin the land will be for the prince.
23 And for the remainder of the tribes: From the side on the east up to the side on the west, Benjamin one portion; 24 and next to the territory of Benjamin, from the side on the east up to the side of the sea, Simeon one portion; 25 and next to the territory of Simeon, from the side of the east up to the side of the sea, Issachar one portion; 26 and next to the territory of Issachar, from the side of the east up to the side of the sea, Zebulun one portion; 27 and next to the territory of Zebulun, from the side of the east up to the side of the sea, Gad one portion; 28 and next to the territory of Gad, to the side of the south, southward;Literally "south" and the territory will be from Tamar to the waters of Meribath Kadesh, toward the wadi,That is, the Wadi of Egypt on to the Great Sea.That is, the Mediterranean29 This is the land that you shall allot as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions," declaresLiterally "declaration of" the Lord Yahweh.
30 And these shall be the exits of the city: FromOr "on" or "along" the north side,Literally "the side of the north" four thousand and five hundred cubits That is, 1.5 miles by measurement. 31 And the gates of the city shall be according to the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates to the north, the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; the gate of Levi, one. 32 And on the east side, four thousand five hundred cubits,That is, 1.5 miles and three gates, and so the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; the gate of Dan, one. 33 And on the south side, four thousand five hundred cubitsThat is, 1.5 miles by measurement, and so three gates, the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Issachar, one; the gate of Zebulun, one. 34 And on the westOr "sea" side, four thousand five hundred cubits,That is, 1.5 miles and their gates three, the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; the gate of Naphtali, one. 35 All around the city is eighteen thousand cubits,That is, 6 miles and the name of the city from that day is "Yahweh Is There"!