Regulations for Israel’s Northern Land Divisions

1“These are the names of the tribes from the northernmost extremity westwarda along the road from Hethlon to the entrance of Hamath,b Hazar-enan (a border of Damascus) northward to the coastc of Hamath. The perimeter is to rund east-to-west;e the tribe off Dan with one portion;g 2running along the border of the tribe of Dan from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter, the tribe of Asher with one portion; 3running along the border of the tribe of Asher from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter, the tribe of Naphtali with one portion; 4running along the border of the tribe of Naphtali from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter, the tribe of Manasseh with one portion; 5running along the border of the tribe of Manasseh from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter, the tribe of Ephraim with one portion; 6running along the border of the tribe of Ephraim from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter, the tribe of Reuben with one portion; 7and running along the border of the tribe of Reuben from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter, the tribe of Judah with one portion.”

Israel’s National Temple Allotment

8“Running along the border of the tribe of Judah from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter you are to set apart the Terumah,h 25,000 unitsi wide, with its east-west length equal to one of the other apportionments, from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter, with the Temple in the middle of it. 9The Terumah that you are to give to the LORD is to be 25,000 units wide.”j

Allotments for the Priests

10“The holy Terumah is to be reserved for these, the priests: Toward the north, 25,000 units in length;k toward the west, 10,000 units in width; toward the east, 10,000 units in width; and toward the south, 25,000 units in length. The LORD’s sanctuary is to be in its midst. 11It is to be for use byl priests from the descendants of Zadok, who have observed the things with which I charged them and who did not wander astray when the Israelis went astray, just as the descendants of Levi wandered astray. 12It is to be a Terumah for them from the allotment of the land, a Most Holy Place, adjoining the border of the descendants of Levi.”

13“Alongside the border of the priests, the descendants of Levi are to be allotted 25,000 units in length and 10,000 units in width. The entire length is to be 25,000 units and its width 10,000 units. 14Furthermore, they are not to sell or exchange any part of it, nor transfer these first fruitsm of the land, because it is holy to the LORD.

15“The rest, 5,000 units wide and 25,000 units along its front, will serve as a common portion for use by the city for housing and open spaces, since the city is to be in its midst. 16These are to be its dimensions: the north side, 4,500 units; the south side, 4,500 units; the east side, 4,500 units; and the west side 4,500 units. 17The city is to have urban areas set aside: on the north 250 units; on the south, 250 units, on the east, 250 units; and on the west, 250 units.

18“The remainder of the length that borders the holy Terumah is to be 10,000 units long eastward and 10,000 units westward. It is to lie adjacent to the holy Terumah. Its harvest will produce food for those who work in the city. 19The city workers who cultivate it are to come from all the tribes of Israel. 20The entire Terumah is to ben 25,000 units by 25,000 units—you are to reserve it as a holy Terumah in the form of a square within the city limits.”

The Allotment for the Regent Prince

21“Now the remainder of the allotmento on either side of the holy Terumah is to be for the Regent Prince and for city propertyp —adjoining the 25,000 units along the eastern border and adjoining the 25,000 units along the western border, and parallel to the allotments. These are to be for the Regent Prince. The holy Terumah and the sanctuary of the Temple is to stand in the middle of it. 22Except for what belongs to the descendants of Levi and the city property, which will stand in the middle of what belongs to the Regent Prince, whatever is between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin is to belong to the Regent Prince.”

The Allotment for the Tribes

23“Now as to the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west side, Benjamin is to retain one portion.q 24Adjacent to the border of Benjamin running from east to west, Simeon is to retain one portion. 25Adjacent to the border of Simeon running from east to west, Issachar is to retain one portion. 26Adjacent to the border of Issachar running from east to west, Zebulun is to retain one portion. 27Adjacent to the border of Zebulun running from east to west, Gad is to retain one portion. 28Adjacent to the border of Gad to the south and extending toward the south, the border is to proceed from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, then to the Wadir of Egypt,s and from there to the Mediterraneant Sea. 29This is the land that you are to allocate by lottery to the tribes of Israel as their inheritance, and these are their respective divisions,” declares the Lord GOD.

The Gates of the City

30“These are the exits to the city: On the north side, 4,500 units by measurement, 31are to be the gates of the city. Named after the tribes of Israel, three gates are to serve the north site: one named the Reuben Gate, one named the Judah Gate, and one named the Levi Gate. 32On the east side, 4,500 units by measurement,u there are to be three gates: one named the Joseph Gate, one named the Benjamin Gate, and one named the Dan Gate. 33On the south side, 4,500 units by measurement, there are to be three gates: one named the Simeon Gate, one named the Issachar Gate, and one named the Zebulun Gate. 34On the west side, 4,500 units by measurement,v there are to be three gates: one named the Gad Gate, one named the Asher Gate, and one named the Naphtali Gate. 35A perimeter is to measure 18,000 units, and the name of the city from that time on is to be: