17 But the ruler might give a gift from his land to one of his slaves. That land will belong to the slave only until the year of freedom. Then the land will go back to the ruler. Only the ruler’s sons may keep a gift of land from the ruler.
18 The ruler must not take any of the people’s land. He must not force them out of their land. He must give his sons land from his own land. Then my people will not be scattered out of their own land.’”
19 The man led me through the entrance at the side of the gateway. He led me to the priests’ holy rooms that face north. There I saw a place at the west end.
20 The man said to me, “This is where the priests will boil the meat of the penalty offering and sin offering. There the priests will bake the grain offering. Then they will not need to bring these offerings into the outer courtyard. That would hurt the people.”
21 Then the man brought me out to the outer courtyard. He led me to its four corners. In each corner of the courtyard was a smaller courtyard.
22 Small courtyards were in the four corners of the courtyard. Each small courtyard was 70 feet long and 52½ feet wide. All four corners measured the same.
23 A stone wall was around each of the four small courtyards. Places for cooking were built in each of the stone walls.