The Ruler and the Festivals
46 This is what the Lord God says: “The east gate of the inner courtyard will be closed on the six working days. But it will be opened on the Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon. 2 The ruler will go into the porch of that gate and stand by the gatepost. Then the priests will offer the ruler’s burnt offering and fellowship offerings. The ruler will worship at the opening of that gate and then go out. But the gate will not be shut until evening. 3 On the Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon, the common people will also worship the Lord at that gate.
4 “The ruler will offer burnt offerings to the Lord on the Sabbath. He must provide six lambs that have nothing wrong with them and a ram that has nothing wrong with it. 5 He must give an ephah of grain offering with the ram. As for the grain offering with the lambs, the ruler can give as much as he wants. But he must give 1 hin of olive oil for each ephah of grain.
6 “On the day of the New Moon he must offer a young bull that has nothing wrong with it. He will also offer six lambs and a ram that have nothing wrong with them. 7 The ruler must give an ephah of grain as an offering with the bull and an ephah of grain as an offering with the ram. As for the grain offering with the lambs, he can give as much as he wants. But he must give 1 hin of olive oil for each ephah of grain.
8 “When the ruler goes in, he must enter at the porch of the east gate—and he must leave that same way.
9 “When the common people come to meet with the Lord at the special festivals, whoever enters through the north gate to worship will go out through the south gate, and whoever enters through the south gate will go out through the north gate. People must not return the same way they entered. Each person must go out straight ahead. 10 The ruler should be there among the people. When the people go in, the ruler will go in with them, and when they go out, the ruler will too.
11 “At the festivals and other special meetings, an ephah of grain as an offering must be offered with each young bull, and an ephah of grain as an offering must be offered with each ram. As for the grain offering with the lambs, the ruler can give as much as he wants. But he must give 1 hin of olive oil for each ephah of grain.
12 “When the ruler gives a freewill offering to the Lord—it might be a burnt offering, a fellowship offering, or a freewill offering—the east gate will be opened for him. Then he will offer his burnt offering and his fellowship offerings as he does on the Sabbath day. After he leaves, the gate will be shut.
The Daily Offering
13 “Every day you will provide a year-old lamb that has nothing wrong with it. It will be for a burnt offering to the Lord. You will provide it every morning. 14 Also, you will offer a grain offering with the lamb every morning. You will give 1/6 ephah[a] of flour and 1/3 hin[b] of oil to make the fine flour moist. It will be the daily grain offering to the Lord. 15 So they will give the lamb, the grain offering, and the oil every morning for a burnt offering forever.”
Laws of Inheritance for the Ruler
16 This is what the Lord God says: “If the ruler gives a gift from part of his land to any of his sons, it will belong to his sons. It is their property. 17 But if the ruler gives a gift from part of his land to one of his slaves, the gift will belong to the slave only until the year of freedom.[c] Then the gift will go back to the ruler. Only the ruler’s sons will keep a gift of land from the ruler. 18 And the ruler will not take any of the people’s land or force them to leave their land. He must give some of his own land to his sons. In that way my people will not be forced to lose their land.”
The Special Kitchens
19 The man led me through the entrance at the side of the gate. He led me to the holy rooms for the priests on the north side. There I saw a place at the west end of the path. 20 The man said to me, “This is where the priests will boil the guilt offering and the sin offering and will bake the grain offering. Why? So they will not need to bring these offerings out into the outer courtyard. So they will not bring those holy things out where the common people are.”
21 Then the man led me out to the outer courtyard. He led me to the four corners of the courtyard. I saw smaller courtyards in each corner of the large courtyard. 22 There was a small, enclosed area in each of the four corners of the courtyard. Each small courtyard was 40 cubits[d] long and 30 cubits[e] wide. The four areas measured the same. 23 There was a brick wall around each of the four small courtyards, and there were places built into the brick walls for cooking. 24 The man said to me, “These are the kitchens where those who serve at the Temple cook the sacrifices for the people.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 46:14 1/6 ephah 14 cups (3.67 l).
- Ezekiel 46:14 1/3 hin A liquid measure (1/3 gallon or 1 l).
- Ezekiel 46:17 year of freedom Or “Jubilee.” See “Jubilee” in the Word List.
- Ezekiel 46:22 40 cubits 68' 1/4" (20.73 m).
- Ezekiel 46:22 30 cubits 51' 3/16" (15.55 m).