Add parallel Print Page Options

The Prince and the Feasts

46 Thus says the Lord God: The gate of the inner court that faces east shall be shut the six working days. But on the Sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the New Moon it shall be opened. The prince shall enter by the way of the vestibule of that gate from outside, and shall stand by the post of the gate, and the priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out. But the gate shall not be shut until the evening. Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the Lord in the Sabbaths and in the New Moons. The burnt offering that the prince shall offer to the Lord in the Sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish. The grain offering shall be an ephah[a] for a ram and the grain offering for the lambs as he shall be able to give and a hin[b] of oil to an ephah. In the day of the New Moon it shall be a young bull without blemish and six lambs and a ram. They shall be without blemish. He shall prepare a grain offering, an ephah[c] for a bull and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs according as his hand shall attain to, and a hin of oil to an ephah. When the prince enters, he shall go in by the way of the vestibule of that gate, and he shall go out the same way.

But when the people of the land shall come before the Lord in the solemn feasts, he who enters by the way of the north gate to worship shall go out by way of the south gate. And he who enters by the way of the south gate shall go out by way of the north gate. He shall not return by way of the gate by which he entered, but shall go out the opposite gate. 10 The prince shall be in their midst. When they enter, he shall enter; and when they go out, he shall go out. 11 At the feasts and the appointed festivals the grain offering shall be an ephah[d] for a bull, and an ephah for a ram, and with the lambs as much as he is able to give, together with a hin of oil for an ephah.

12 Now when the prince prepares a voluntary burnt offering or voluntary peace offering to the Lord, the gate facing east shall be opened for him; and he shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings as he did on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out. And after he goes out, the gate shall be shut.

13 You shall daily prepare a burnt offering to the Lord of a lamb of the first year without blemish. You shall prepare it every morning. 14 You shall prepare a grain offering for it every morning, the sixth part of an ephah,[e] and the third part of a hin[f] of oil to temper with the fine flour, a grain offering continually by a perpetual ordinance to the Lord. 15 Thus they shall prepare the lamb and the grain offering and the oil every morning as a continual burnt offering.

Inheritance Laws for the Prince

16 Thus says the Lord God: If the prince gives a gift out of his inheritance to any of his sons, it will belong to his sons. It is their possession by inheritance. 17 But if he gives a gift out of his inheritance to one of his servants, it will be his until the year of liberty. Then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance will be only his sons. It will belong to them. 18 Moreover the prince shall not take of the people’s inheritance by oppression to thrust them out of their possession. But he shall give his sons inheritance out of his own possession so that My people not be scattered, every man from his possession.

Preparations for the Offerings

19 Then he brought me through the entrance, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers of the priests which face toward the north. And there was a place at the extreme westward end of them. 20 Then he said to me, “This is the place where the priests shall boil the guilt offering and the sin offering, and where they shall bake the grain offering so that they not bear them out into the outer court, to sanctify the people.”

21 Then he brought me out into the outer court and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court. And in every corner of the court there was a court. 22 In the four corners of the court there were courts joined of forty cubits long and thirty wide.[g] These four corners were of one measurement. 23 There was a row of masonry all around in them, all around the four of them; and it was made with hearths at the bottom of the rows all around. 24 Then he said to me, “These are the boiling places where the ministers of the temple shall boil the sacrifices of the people.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 46:5 Likely about 35 pounds, or 16 kilograms.
  2. Ezekiel 46:5 About 1 gallon, or 3.8 liters.
  3. Ezekiel 46:7 Likely about 35 pounds, or 16 kilograms.
  4. Ezekiel 46:11 Likely about 35 pounds, or 16 kilograms.
  5. Ezekiel 46:14 Likely about 6 pounds, or 2.7 kilograms.
  6. Ezekiel 46:14 About 1½ quarts, or 1.3 liters.
  7. Ezekiel 46:22 About 70 feet long and 53 feet wide, or 21 meters long and 16 meters wide.

46 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The gate of the inner court(A) facing east(B) is to be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon(C) it is to be opened. The prince is to enter from the outside through the portico(D) of the gateway and stand by the gatepost. The priests are to sacrifice his burnt offering(E) and his fellowship offerings. He is to bow down in worship at the threshold of the gateway and then go out, but the gate will not be shut until evening.(F) On the Sabbaths(G) and New Moons the people of the land are to worship in the presence of the Lord at the entrance of that gateway.(H) The burnt offering the prince brings to the Lord on the Sabbath day is to be six male lambs and a ram, all without defect. The grain offering given with the ram is to be an ephah,[a] and the grain offering with the lambs is to be as much as he pleases, along with a hin[b] of olive oil for each ephah.(I) On the day of the New Moon(J) he is to offer a young bull, six lambs and a ram, all without defect.(K) He is to provide as a grain offering one ephah with the bull, one ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as he wants to give, along with a hin of oil for each ephah.(L) When the prince enters, he is to go in through the portico(M) of the gateway, and he is to come out the same way.(N)

“‘When the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed festivals,(O) whoever enters by the north gate to worship is to go out the south gate; and whoever enters by the south gate is to go out the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which they entered, but each is to go out the opposite gate. 10 The prince is to be among them, going in when they go in and going out when they go out.(P) 11 At the feasts and the appointed festivals, the grain offering is to be an ephah with a bull, an ephah with a ram, and with the lambs as much as he pleases, along with a hin of oil for each ephah.(Q)

12 “‘When the prince provides(R) a freewill offering(S) to the Lord—whether a burnt offering or fellowship offerings—the gate facing east is to be opened for him. He shall offer his burnt offering or his fellowship offerings as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and after he has gone out, the gate will be shut.(T)

13 “‘Every day you are to provide a year-old lamb without defect for a burnt offering to the Lord; morning by morning(U) you shall provide it.(V) 14 You are also to provide with it morning by morning a grain offering, consisting of a sixth of an ephah[c] with a third of a hin[d] of oil(W) to moisten the flour. The presenting of this grain offering to the Lord is a lasting ordinance.(X) 15 So the lamb and the grain offering and the oil shall be provided morning by morning for a regular(Y) burnt offering.(Z)

16 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: If the prince makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his sons, it will also belong to his descendants; it is to be their property by inheritance.(AA) 17 If, however, he makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, the servant may keep it until the year of freedom;(AB) then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance belongs to his sons only; it is theirs. 18 The prince must not take(AC) any of the inheritance(AD) of the people, driving them off their property. He is to give his sons their inheritance out of his own property, so that not one of my people will be separated from their property.’”

19 Then the man brought me through the entrance(AE) at the side of the gate to the sacred rooms facing north,(AF) which belonged to the priests, and showed me a place at the western end. 20 He said to me, “This is the place where the priests are to cook the guilt offering and the sin offering[e] and bake the grain offering, to avoid bringing them into the outer court and consecrating(AG) the people.”(AH)

21 He then brought me to the outer court and led me around to its four corners, and I saw in each corner another court. 22 In the four corners of the outer court were enclosed[f] courts, forty cubits long and thirty cubits wide;[g] each of the courts in the four corners was the same size. 23 Around the inside of each of the four courts was a ledge of stone, with places for fire built all around under the ledge. 24 He said to me, “These are the kitchens where those who minister at the temple are to cook the sacrifices of the people.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 46:5 That is, probably about 35 pounds or about 16 kilograms; also in verses 7 and 11
  2. Ezekiel 46:5 That is, about 1 gallon or about 3.8 liters; also in verses 7 and 11
  3. Ezekiel 46:14 That is, probably about 6 pounds or about 2.7 kilograms
  4. Ezekiel 46:14 That is, about 1 1/2 quarts or about 1.3 liters
  5. Ezekiel 46:20 Or purification offering
  6. Ezekiel 46:22 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  7. Ezekiel 46:22 That is, about 70 feet long and 53 feet wide or about 21 meters long and 16 meters wide