« | Ezekiel 48 |
1 "These are the names of the family groups: Dan will have one share of land at the far north. His land will follow the Hethlon road to Lebo-hamath, as far as Hazar-enan beside the land of Damascus, toward the north beside Hamath, going from east to west.
2 Asher will have one share of land beside Dan, from the east side to the west side.
3 Naphtali will have one share beside Asher, from the east side to the west side.
4 Manasseh will have one share beside Naphtali, from the east side to the west side.
5 Ephraim will have one share beside Manasseh, from the east side to the west side.
6 Reuben will have one share beside Ephraim, from the east side to the west side.
7 Judah will have one share beside Reuben, from the east side to the west side.
8 "Beside Judah, from the east side to the west side, will be the share of land you must set apart as a special gift. It will be as wide as 12,500 long steps, and as long as one of the other shares of land, from the east side to the west side. And the holy place will be in the center of it.
9 The gift of land that you will set apart to the Lord will be as long as 12,500 long steps and as wide as 5,000 long steps.
10 There will be a holy part for the religious leaders. It will be as long as 12,500 long steps on the north side, 5,000 long steps on the west side, 5,000 long steps on the east side, and 12,500 long steps on the south side. The holy house of the Lord will be in the center of it.
11 It will be for the religious leaders who are set apart of the sons of Zadok, who have been faithful in serving Me. They did not sin as the Levites did when the people of Israel went the wrong way.
12 It will belong to them as a special gift from part of the land, a most holy place, beside the land of the Levites.
13 The Levites will have land beside the religious leaders, as long as 12,500 long steps and as wide as 5,000 long steps. The whole length will be 12,500 long steps, and the width 5,000 long steps.
14 They must not sell or trade any of it. This is the best part of the land, and it must not pass into other hands. For it is holy to the Lord.
15 "The rest of the land, 2,500 long steps in width and 12,500 long steps in length, will be for all the people. It will be for houses and for open fields, and the city will be in the center of it.
16 The city will be 2,250 long steps on each of its four sides.
17 And it will have open fields, 125 long steps in width, all around the city.
18 The rest of the length beside the holy part of the land will be 5,000 long steps toward the east and 5,000 long steps toward the west. This will be where food is grown for those who work in the city.
19 And the workers of the city, from all the family groups of Israel, will work the ground.
20 The whole piece of land will be as long as 12,500 long steps on each of its four sides. You will set apart the holy piece of land, together with the land for the city.
21 "The rest of the land will be for the ruler, on both sides of the holy piece of land and of the land for the city. It will go from the 12,500 long steps of the holy piece of land all the way to the east side, and from the 12,500 long steps all the way to the west side, along the shares for the family groups. It will belong to the ruler. The holy piece of land and the house of the Lord will be in the center of it.
22 So the land of the Levites and the land of the city will be in the center of the ruler's land. And the ruler's land will be between the land of Judah and the land of Benjamin.
23 "As for the rest of the family groups, Benjamin will have one share of land. It will spread from the east side to the west side.
24 Simeon will have one share beside Benjamin, from the east side to the west side.
25 Issachar will have one share beside Simeon, from the east side to the west side.
26 Zebulun will have one share beside Issachar, from the east side to the west side.
27 Gad will have one share beside Zebulun, from the east side to the west side.
28 The south side of Gad's share will be from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, then to the River of Egypt and to the Great Sea.
29 This is the land you will give by drawing names to the family groups of Israel for their own. And these are their shares," says the Lord God.
30 "These will be the gates of the city: Beginning on the north side, which is as long as 2,250 long steps,
31 the gates of the city will be given the names of the family groups of Israel. The three gates on the north side will be the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah, and the gate of Levi.
32 The east side is as long as 2,250 long steps. The three gates on this side will be the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin, and the gate of Dan.
33 The south side is as long as 2,250 long steps. The three gates on this side will be the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar, and the gate of Zebulun.
34 And the west side is as long as 2,250 long steps. The three gates on this side will be the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher, and the gate of Naphtali.
35 It will be 9,000 long steps around the city. And the name of the city from that time on will be: 'The Lord is there.' "
The New Life Version (NLV)
The New Life Version (NLV) is a unique English translation of the Bible designed to be exceptionally easy to read and understand. First published in 1969, the NLV was created by Gleason Ledyard, a missionary and linguist, to make the Scriptures accessible to people who have limited English proficiency or are new to the language. Ledyard’s aim was to provide a Bible that even those with minimal education could read and comprehend, thus opening the door for a wider audience to engage with the biblical texts.
A defining characteristic of the New Life Version is its use of a limited vocabulary of about 850 basic English words, along with some necessary theological terms. This restricted vocabulary ensures that the language remains simple and straightforward, making the text accessible to young readers, new Christians, and those for whom English is a second language. The translators also avoided idiomatic expressions and complex sentence structures, further enhancing clarity and understanding. This makes the NLV a particularly valuable resource for educational and missionary work.
The NLV also emphasizes faithfulness to the original texts, despite its simplified language. The translation aims to maintain the integrity and message of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. By carefully choosing words that accurately convey the meaning of the original texts while ensuring simplicity, the NLV provides a balance between accessibility and fidelity. Additionally, the NLV includes explanatory footnotes and cross-references that help readers understand the context and deeper meanings of the passages, making it a useful tool for both personal study and group teaching.
However, the New Life Version is not without its critics. Some scholars and traditionalists argue that the limited vocabulary and simplified language can lead to a loss of nuance and depth found in the original texts. They suggest that the NLV’s focus on simplicity may sometimes oversimplify complex theological concepts. Despite these criticisms, the New Life Version remains a valuable translation for its intended audience, offering a clear and approachable rendition of the Bible that helps a wide range of readers engage with the Scriptures and grow in their faith.