Study Desk

You will allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens residing among you, who have fathered children among you. You will treat them like native-born Israelites; along with you, they will be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

This holy donation will be set apart for the priests alone. It will be 8⅓ miles long on the northern side, 3⅓ miles wide on the western side, 3⅓ miles wide on the eastern side, and 8⅓ miles long on the southern side. The Lord’s sanctuary will be in the middle of it.

It is for the consecrated priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept my charge and did not go astray as the Levites did when the Israelites went astray.

It will be a special donation for them out of the holy donation of the land, a most holy place adjacent to the territory of the Levites.

They must not sell or exchange any of it, and they must not transfer this choice part of the land, for it is holy to the Lord.

“The remaining area, 1⅔ miles wide and 8⅓ miles long, will be for common use by the city, for both residential and open space. The city will be in the middle of it.

“The remainder of the length alongside the holy donation will be 3⅓ miles to the east and 3⅓ miles to the west. It will run alongside the holy donation. Its produce will be food for the workers of the city.

Except for the Levitical property and the city property in the middle of the area belonging to the prince, the area between the territory of Judah and that of Benjamin will belong to the prince.

“As for the rest of the tribes:

there will be three gates facing north, the gates of the city being named for the tribes of Israel: one, the gate of Reuben; one, the gate of Judah; and one, the gate of Levi.

young men without any physical defect, good-looking, suitable for instruction in all wisdom, knowledgeable, perceptive, and capable of serving in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the Chaldean language and literature.

The king assigned them daily provisions from the royal food and from the wine that he drank. They were to be trained for three years, and at the end of that time they were to attend the king.

“Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink.

He agreed with them about this and tested them for ten days.

The king replied, “I know for certain you are trying to gain some time, because you see that my word is final.

If you don’t tell me the dream, there is one decree for you. You have conspired to tell me something false or fraudulent until the situation changes. So tell me the dream and I will know you can give me its interpretation.”

The decree was issued that the wise men were to be executed, and they searched for Daniel and his friends, to execute them.

urging them to ask the God of the heavens for mercy concerning this mystery, so Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of Babylon’s wise men.

I offer thanks and praise to you,God of my fathers,because you have given mewisdom and power.And now you have let me knowwhat we asked of you,for you have let us knowthe king’s mystery.

As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.