Immerse: Prophets - Flipbook - Page 402
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IMMERSE
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PROPHETS
44:25–45:9
“A priest must not defile himself by being in the presence of a dead per
son unless it is his father, mother, child, brother, or unmarried sister. In
such cases it is permitted. Even then, he can return to his Temple duties
only after being ceremonially cleansed and then waiting for seven days.
The first day he returns to work and enters the inner courtyard and the
sanctuary, he must offer a sin offering for himself, says the Sovereign Lord.
“The priests will not have any property or possession of land, for I
alone am their special possession. Their food will come from the gifts
and sacrifices brought to the Temple by the people—the grain offerings,
the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings. Whatever anyone sets apart for
the Lord will belong to the priests. The first of the ripe fruits and all the
gifts brought to the Lord will go to the priests. The first batch of dough
must also be given to the priests so the Lord will bless your homes. The
priests may not eat meat from any bird or animal that dies a natural death
or that dies after being attacked by another animal.
“When you divide the land among the tribes of Israel, you must set aside
a section for the Lord as his holy portion. This piece of land will be 81/3
miles long and 62/3 miles wide. The entire area will be holy. A section of
this land, measuring 875 feet by 875 feet, will be set aside for the Temple.
An additional strip of land 871/2 feet wide is to be left empty all around it.
Within the larger sacred area, measure out a portion of land 81/3 miles long
and 31/3 miles wide. Within it the sanctuary of the Most Holy Place will be
located. This area will be holy, set aside for the priests who minister to the
Lord in the sanctuary. They will use it for their homes, and my Temple
will be located within it. The strip of sacred land next to it, also 81/3 miles
long and 31/3 miles wide, will be a living area for the Levites who work at
the Temple. It will be their possession and a place for their towns.
“Adjacent to the larger sacred area will be a section of land 81/3 miles
long and 12/3 miles wide. This will be set aside for a city where anyone in
Israel can live.
“Two special sections of land will be set apart for the prince. One sec
tion will share a border with the east side of the sacred lands and city, and
the second section will share a border on the west side. Then the far east
ern and western borders of the prince’s lands will line up with the eastern
and western boundaries of the tribal areas. These sections of land will be
the prince’s allotment. Then my princes will no longer oppress and rob
my people; they will assign the rest of the land to the people, giving an
allotment to each tribe.
“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Enough, you princes of Is
rael! Stop your violence and oppression and do what is just and right. Quit
robbing and cheating my people out of their land. Stop expelling them
