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. 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.”
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 long and 30 cubits 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.